Christmas festivities 2016

Our church has a great "Journey to Bethlehem" that we have been to the last three years. I love always bringing our boys back to the true reason for the season. So thankful for a church that loves our kids and want them to see the gospel through every step of the way in December. It was a great morning!

We also love to look at Christmas lights. That's always been one of my favorite Christmas memories. We go to "Rose of Sharon" Camp in Burliston, TN and we love getting to spend the night together as a family listening to the Christmas music on the way, and then getting here and seeing the Life of Chirst laid out in lights.

This is a newer tradition for us. We have tried it the last two years, but I had tried to make a few of our own ornaments (or purchased a few), but I've never had a full set of ornaments to do the Jesse Tree fully. This year I went to two Jesse Tree ornament swaps and I now have two full sets for our kiddos - I plan to get one more set to have one for each of our boys. It was so great this year to go through and get to read everything leading up to the birth of Christ. We spoke of Adam and Eve, Moses, Abraham, Jonah, Ruth, Esther, etc. It was a great program. I'm thankful we came across this and for the sweet time that we have been able to share as a family.

We have never taken the boys to the Singing Christmas Tree at Bellevue. We have live streamed it, but this year Tucker really wanted to go, so we made a point to do that and it was great. They enjoyed it (well Jace was ready to go home, but Tucker loved it).

Another night of looking at Christmas lights.

Bunk Beds for the boys

Since we moved from our old house, Tucker has begged for bunk beds. We told him that once we got settled that he and his daddy could build some. I found some online that we all loved and they went to work!

They sanded down every board before putting it together.

Look closely...Tucker is wearing sunglasses to keep from getting sawdust in his eyes!

Jace debating if he wants to get in on the action.

Daddy's little helpers.

They got it put together and then I stained it. So happy with the way it turned out!

It's in their room and I still have to get the end pieces stained and added, but for now they are unstained and added so that the pillows won't fall. It was the week before Christmas and life was hectic, but we are working on getting it taken care of now :) 

November 2016 Part 2

So I thought I had done so good...I had purchased a fire pit for Jonathan's birthday. He had wanted one for a few weeks, so I was super excited that I might have pulled off getting something that I knew he wanted without him knowing. So he comes home that night with this. The night that I spent 4 hours going from store to store to pick out the one I thought he would like. And the funny thing is, I chose between two and this was the one I almost bought!

The boys were so excited to have a fire that night.

They LOVED the smores. 

Daddy searched the store high and low for gluten free graham crackers....he couldn't find them so he found sweet potato crackers that he LOVED!

Here's how Wyatt felt about the whole thing.

Thanksgiving with the Gilland's.

We found this cutie on the way to Thanksgiving and Jonathan picked him up the following day. Aunt Say Say kept him for several weeks and he also made a short visit with the Ray's for a week before coming to our house. He is So Sweet and the boys LOVED their christmas present!

Thanksgiving was a LONG day. We rested before going to the next get together.

Dinner with cousins!

Thursday date day with this cutie.

Date lunch with daddy.

We had a super fun night watching the Polar Express. We had (almond milk) hot chocolate and popcorn and it was  such a fun treat. We don't ever get to have hot chocolate bc it's made with milk, but I figured out a recipe that is delicious and we have loved it this season! 

In case you are wondering...it's a cup of almond milk, and then the dry ingredients - 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup cocoa powder. Mix all together and then add three TBSP to each cup of almond milk. I just cook it on the stove and whisk it in. I don't feel like I"m missing out AT ALL. It's so rich and delicious! 

I wouldn't say it's healthy, but definitely delicious!

This guy is READING!!!

Rainy day play time in the mud. I mean what else would a kid do on a rainy day right?

I saw a train ginger bread kit and thought that would be SO fun! We put together the set, but then it needed to dry before we decorated, so we went to lunch with Mimi at Off the Hoof, and then came back and decorated after naps. It turned out pretty cute. Definitely not like the box, but maybe we'll make this a tradition and get better each year.

Finished product...

November 2016

We apparently lost the mattress and hardware for our crib in the move. Thankful for a sweet friend who offered to let us have this one that they were no longer using!

sweet doll baby...

Finally got Jace's mattress in so he has a real bed now :) 

Bath time with this cutie.

My little thumb sucker.

Sporting it for baby dedication - realized those pants swallowed him, so we changed them, but he sure was cute.

We celebrated Emma's birthday at their house with a fun jumpy. Fun day!

Handsome boys headed to church...

We have a second nephew!! Welcome Owen to the world :) 

Kat delivered Owen the same day we had baby dedication at church. Love this little crew of mine!

Proud Grandparents:

Mimi and Popa

Gaga and Wyatt

Mama and Wyatt

Papaw and Gaga. He couldn't make it to the reception before because he had a meeting, but we all went to dinner after and I stole this gem.

Trying HARD to keep this guy awake after a hectic and LONG day for him.

Tucker and his sweet friends who's siblings were also being dedicated that night.

Brothers.

Jonathan worked on getting all our curtains hanged for me this month. 

The boys favorite place to play. It's like heaven for al little boy.

All clean and fresh right out of the shower.

Such a happy baby boy.

Proud guy. They made these indian outfits at MDO and he wore it around a lot the week of Thanksgiving. Fun week.

Nana and Pops came to see our house with Mimi and Popa and we ate Chick-fil-a on the back porch.