Category Archives: family

Our Advent Calendar

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Last year I had big aspirations for an Advent Calendar. Then Advent came…and went.

This year I was sure I wanted to get something done in time.

I’d seen and heard of a lot of different Advent style calendars…some homemade, some store bought…some activity based, some all about gifts.

I really want to make sure our girls know that Christmas is about so much more than just opening presents and Santa and reindeer.

Around the beginning of November I set out to make my own Advent calendar and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out…

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Rylee is loving it so far. Every day is something different. Some things are just fun activities. There are a couple of gifts. They all center around family time. Before we find out what the “activity of the day” is, I read a reading out of the book “Getting Ready for Christmas: A Daily Advent Prayer & Activity Book for the Family“. At the end of it all, it will double as a banner than says “Merry Christmas!”.

Here’s the daily breakdown:

  1. Deck the Halls!
  2. Go see the Christmas Story in lights & drink hot cocoa.
  3. Make Mistletoe
  4. Play the gingerbread dice game
  5. Make Clothespin Christmas Trees
  6. Go see Santa
  7. Family Movie Night: Watch Polar Express & Eat popcorn
  8. Assemble care packages for the homeless
  9. Choose name(s) off the Giving Tree. Go get a Christmas Tree!!
  10. Decorate the Christmas Tree
  11. Make a gingerbread house
  12. Snowman Pancakes for dinner!!
  13. Make a popsicle stick snowman face
  14. Go to Rylee’s Christmas Program then go get ice cream
  15. Celebrate Christmas with Uncle Hunt & Aunt Donna/Christmas activity book on the drive
  16. Go shopping for the Giving Tree & school teachers
  17. Make snowflakes
  18. Wrap gifts for teachers
  19. Make a Santa face with cotton balls
  20. Read new book (God Gave us Christmas)
  21. Go look at Christmas lights
  22. Make mitten garland & ornaments
  23. Christmas Baking Party!
  24. Write a letter to/draw a picture for Santa
  25. Celebrate!!

I’ve been taking daily photos and posting them on instagram…

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And the winner so far??

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Are you doing anything to prepare your kiddo(s) for Christmas? Do you do an Advent Calendar? This is our first year, and I’m already looking forward to making this an annual tradition!

All sorts of things to update

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So while I’ve already posted twice this week (here & here) I feel like I owe you an update.

We had some major stuffs going on the our household over the long weekend!!

First of all…the main reason for the long weekend. Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving was nice, but kind of weird. We spent the day at Andy’s parents’ house. Not out of the ordinary, but this was the first year, um ever, that we didn’t go to at least 2 places. We celebrated Thanksgiving with my mom & brother the week before. My dad was out of town. And neither of my sisters came to town. So yea, in 11+ years of being a couple, we went to one place on a major holiday. Weird.

Rylee has started choosing her own outfits again. This beauty was what she wanted to wear on Thanksgiving. The original outfit did not include the long sleeve top. Brrr. But, what’s even crazier? The straight hair! AHHH! She saw me fixing my hair for the day and asked if I’d straighten hers. I indulged her, then instantly regretted it because holy teenager! I was not ready for that.

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There were plenty of snuggle naps over the long weekend. Watching this guy with our girls just melts my heart.

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The other night Ry asked Andy to draw her a picture. So he drew the one on the left. {apparently I felt the need to clarify that} She was so, SO proud of that picture that the next day she took it with her to school to show her teachers and friends. Then that night she drew one of her own for him to take to work. I mean…really…I just can’t even.

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And then there’s this one…this girl. Oh my. This is my new favorite photo of her. This was taken just before we headed into the doctor’s office for the 4-month check-up. She’s weighing in at 14 lbs, 12 ounces (70th percentile) and 25″ long (75th percentile). The shots seemed to affect her more this time than the last time and we spent that night sleeping together on the couch. Last night was better, but she still wasn’t her self. I hate seeing my babies in pain & not feeling quite right and not being able to help them.

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And oh yea…almost forgot. We bought a new car on Sunday! And not just “new to us” but brand! spanking! new! It’s our very first brand new car ever for both of us. It’s also the first car payment we’ve had in over 7 years. Ugh. But a new vehicle was, if you ask me, long overdue. It’s a 2013 Toyota Venza and after Andy drove it to work yesterday, he said “I now understand why people get brand new cars every few years. Wow.”  I’ll share more later but for now, I’ll just leave you with this little teaser…

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Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Thankful

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1. For sisters that adore one another.

2. For my amazing, supportive, sweet, thoughtful husband. {photo by Bliss}

3. For this smiley, happy girl.

4. For this silly, happy girl.

5. For my sisters.

6. For snuggle naps.

I just…yea…

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I don’t even know. I feel so out of it this week. Like…how is it already Friday but then again, holy crap, thank goodness it’s finally Friday.

Work has been kinda hectic, I guess, but really nothing out of the ordinary.

“home life” has been relatively easy this week…Andy had Monday off work. Tuesday he was home before the girls & I were. Wednesday was totally normal. And yesterday, while we didn’t get home until later than normal, it really was no big thing because we were just hanging out at my mom’s house after she cooked us a pre-Thanksgiving Turkey dinner.

So…what gives, right!?

I wish I knew.

I just want to take a nap. Or sleep in past 5:30 AM. Or both.

Yep, I’m hoping that both of those things happen tomorrow.

I’ve had a dull, achy headache for the last three days. I swear, I am physically incapable of getting to work on time on Fridays.

I feel like I’m in a haze today.

Basically? I’m a hot mess.

A hot mess that needs a nap.

BUT…I have two cute girls that are pretty good at putting a smile on my face. So I looked through the pictures on my phone…

Bathtime Reese. Her smile seriously makes me gush.

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Rylee is obsessed with her new pink, sparkly shoes. 100 Mommy points for me. {Thank you Zulily for the $7 shoes}

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Sister love.

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Ry is becoming quite the photographer on my phone. Naptime courtesy of last weekend. It’s a thing in my house.

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I mean…come.on.

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I created a monster with this…now she ALWAYS wants to be carried on my back.

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Obligatory Halloween Post

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Truth Bomb: I wasn’t really feeling Halloween this year. It kind of snuck up on me. We didn’t even carve pumpkins until the day before Halloween.

So I really have no awesome stories, just some semi-crappy, unedited photos.

Ry was not a fan of getting her hands dirty…

Carvin’ Punkins…

Reese was not amused…

Finished Product…

Practicing Up…

Little Clown…

Again, Reese was not amused…

Ry on the other hand was having a blast!

Scoping out the next house to stop at…

Reese decided to wake up to see what all the fuss was about…

Funny little monster…

Bottom line…it’s not about me. It’s about the kids. And they had a blast. Reese was a trooper. We ate pizza. We got tricked. We treated. And we have way too much candy in our house. The end.