Christmas 2018 was the best yet! Jacoby and Maddox are at super fun ages, and Jacoby had tonsss of questions about baby Jesus and Santa 😊 It was also Kendry's first Christmas and who doesn't love a baby's first Christmas?!
We conquered our Christmas Bucket List and here are some pictures of what we did over the Christmas season.
We started it off with our annual North Pole Breakfast
We made (and ate...) Christmas Cookies
Playing in the snow was on our list...
We had NONE. It's almost unheard of in Northern Indiana BUT there was a dusting one day...so the boys played outside for a little bit.
We went through our toys and picked out some to donate to kids in need.
I threw a girls Favorite Things Party (one of my favorite traditions!).
One of the best parts about this is that we all grab some things at the store to donate to the foster care program at a local church. It helps kids who may arrive at their foster home with nothing. They can shop at the church for clothes, backpacks, socks, underwear, etc. It's a great way for us to enjoy time together and have a party while also giving to those in need!
We decorated Gingerbread houses
We listened to lots of Christmas music
We got our Starbucks and hot chocolates and drove around looking at Christmas lights.
We watched lots of Christmas movies
We watched lots of Christmas movies at home AND
Jacoby saw his first movie in a theatre (the Grinch), and we had so much fun!
We visited Wellfield Botanical Gardens to look at Christmas lights...
And we went to Chicago to shop, eat, and visit the Lincoln Park Zoo Lights.
And of course, matching Christmas jammies and a picture in front of the tree.
How long will they let me do this? #pleasesayforever
And we had to make sure to visit Santa!
Jacoby told me he had to bring the Meijer ad so he could show Santa exactly what he wanted. When we got to Santa, he opened the magazine and told him the exact things he wanted. He told Maddox "Maddox, tell Santa what you want"...Maddox did not respond (he sat on his lap but would not talk to him haha), and when we were leaving Jacoby said "mommy, how will Santa know what Maddox wants if he didn't tell him?".
I just want to bottle up the joy he had seeing Santa 💓
...and I want to bottle up the face Maddox had seeing Santa too.
...and I want to bottle up Kendry, because he's the baby and always will be.
We also made sure to do our advent calendar that we did last season too. The boys had a tree in their room and we read a part of the story each night and then hung the little book on the tree. It's easy for 4 & 2 year olds to get that Christmas means presents, but we also wanted to remind them of why we really celebrate. We went to church on Christmas Eve and then went to dinner with some of our family too. Christmas Eve is just so special.
I found myself just feeling overly grateful for this Christmas. Last Christmas we were expecting Kendry (not knowing he was a boy!). This Christmas my heart felt so full and complete. The way God has blessed my little family of 5 is something I recognize and praise him for often. Oh the days I dreamed of Christmas with my husband and little kids...and here we are, living it. These are the days. Christmas 2018, thank you for being all I could have asked for.
We started it off with our annual North Pole Breakfast
We made (and ate...) Christmas Cookies
Playing in the snow was on our list...
We had NONE. It's almost unheard of in Northern Indiana BUT there was a dusting one day...so the boys played outside for a little bit.
We went through our toys and picked out some to donate to kids in need.
I threw a girls Favorite Things Party (one of my favorite traditions!).
One of the best parts about this is that we all grab some things at the store to donate to the foster care program at a local church. It helps kids who may arrive at their foster home with nothing. They can shop at the church for clothes, backpacks, socks, underwear, etc. It's a great way for us to enjoy time together and have a party while also giving to those in need!
We decorated Gingerbread houses
We listened to lots of Christmas music
We got our Starbucks and hot chocolates and drove around looking at Christmas lights.
We watched lots of Christmas movies
We watched lots of Christmas movies at home AND
Jacoby saw his first movie in a theatre (the Grinch), and we had so much fun!
We visited Wellfield Botanical Gardens to look at Christmas lights...
And we went to Chicago to shop, eat, and visit the Lincoln Park Zoo Lights.
And of course, matching Christmas jammies and a picture in front of the tree.
How long will they let me do this? #pleasesayforever
And we had to make sure to visit Santa!
Jacoby told me he had to bring the Meijer ad so he could show Santa exactly what he wanted. When we got to Santa, he opened the magazine and told him the exact things he wanted. He told Maddox "Maddox, tell Santa what you want"...Maddox did not respond (he sat on his lap but would not talk to him haha), and when we were leaving Jacoby said "mommy, how will Santa know what Maddox wants if he didn't tell him?".
I just want to bottle up the joy he had seeing Santa 💓
...and I want to bottle up the face Maddox had seeing Santa too.
...and I want to bottle up Kendry, because he's the baby and always will be.
We also made sure to do our advent calendar that we did last season too. The boys had a tree in their room and we read a part of the story each night and then hung the little book on the tree. It's easy for 4 & 2 year olds to get that Christmas means presents, but we also wanted to remind them of why we really celebrate. We went to church on Christmas Eve and then went to dinner with some of our family too. Christmas Eve is just so special.
I found myself just feeling overly grateful for this Christmas. Last Christmas we were expecting Kendry (not knowing he was a boy!). This Christmas my heart felt so full and complete. The way God has blessed my little family of 5 is something I recognize and praise him for often. Oh the days I dreamed of Christmas with my husband and little kids...and here we are, living it. These are the days. Christmas 2018, thank you for being all I could have asked for.
xox,
Naomi
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