It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I may sound like a Scrooge, but I wasn't really planning on putting up a tree this year.  You see, Titus is a lot more "hands on" than the other two.  He is my one child that gets into the cupboards, climbs on things, loves to take things off of the shelves all.day.long.  I just didn't want to deal with the headache.

 

Who am I kidding?

 

We went over to Paul's parent's house on Sunday, and their house is beautifully decorated.  Zoe and Max were so excited to see the tree, the stockings hung, and all the other little decorations!  How could I rob them of such joy?

 

Last night Paul and I got all the boxes out and started decorating.  We decorated while listening to classic Christmas carols and the crackle of a fire -- from our DVD. :-)  The kids were so excited to see the tree go up and see all the ornaments we unwrapped to put on the tree.  They found a Santa hat and went crazy!  So I had to take a picture. :-)

 

 

We decorated the living room and then sat down and listened to Paul read Santa Mouse.  It was slightly stressful, but more than anything it was fun and I love sharing these memories with our little ones!

 

The kids are old enough that we told them about a new tradition we will start this year.  Paul showed them the Christmas pickle and explained that we will hide the pickle somewhere on the tree on Christmas Eve, and whoever finds it on Christmas morning gets to open their presents first.  We probably should have told them about this tradition on Christmas Eve instead of two weeks early...but I will be patient while they excitedly ask if it's time yet to find the pickle!

 

I just love this time of year!  I love it even more now that I have kids!

The Day After

The night before Christmas was a lot of fun in the Alexander home!  All the kids got brand new Christmas jammies.

 

 

As you can see from the picture above, the kids were really excited!  Paul sat them all down and read Santa Mouse.

 

Not once.

 

Not twice.

 

THREE TIMES.

 

This was the first time Zoe has kind of understood what was going on, and she LOVED the story of Santa Mouse which is why she made Paul read it over and over.

 

We set out a small plate of cookies and a glass of milk for Santa and then tucked the kids into bed.  Paul and I took that time to finish wrapping all of the gifts and putting together the stockings while watching a Christmas movie.  It was so much fun!

 

Apparently Mr. Titus was too excited to sleep and stayed awake THE WHOLE TIME we did.  Crazy kid.  He made it a little difficult to wrap gifts when he insisted on being held most of the night.  Ha!

 

We finally went to bed around midnight.  I tried to read until I fell asleep but Paul can't sleep with the lights on, so I had to try and MAKE myself fall asleep.  That was hard when I was so excited to see the kids in the morning!

 

I woke up around 6:30 when Titus woke up to eat and I. could. not. fall asleep again.  I decided to scroll through Facebook and thank the Lord for the beautiful day until someone else would wake up.

 

Paul and I finally decided to open our gifts to each other while we wait for the kids.  It was a lot of fun!  I enjoyed everything he gave me and I know he enjoys his toys I got him too! =)

 

We couldn't take it any longer so we finally woke the kids.

 

They were so excited to see all the presents and their stockings!  It really was the best little Christmas for our kids.  I was so happy!

 

 

After we opened the presents I made pancakes for the first time in my life.  Can you believe it?  I'm so lame!  But not just any pancakes -- Santa pancakes!  I kind of hope this turns into a new tradition for us.  It was a lot of fun!

 

After breakfast the kids played with their doodling pads and Paul and I played Phase 10 Dice!  It was a lot of fun!

 

Oh yeah.. I won!  I was so pumped to finally win a game against this guy!

 

After we played our game, skyped my family in Arkansas, and got dressed we went over to Paul's parents' house and had a second Christmas with them.  The kids had a great time spending the day with their cousins and playing with their new things.

 

Titus was our first baby to sleep through most of Christmas.  Haha!  It was a little odd, but we have plenty more Christmases to have fun with this little guy.

 

By 7:00 the kids had had their fill.  They were so tired and cranky!  We went home, put them to bed, and enjoyed the evening watching one of our new movies we got for Christmas.

 

Now it is the day after Christmas.

 

I have only had one cup of coffee -- I only had to reheat once! -- and I still have a horrible headache.

 

The kids woke up happy for 5 minutes before they started crying because I wouldn't let them eat sugar cookies and chocolate covered cookie dough balls for breakfast.  I'm such a horrible mom!

 

My living room looks like a toy store blew up in there.

 

The dishes are dirty.

 

The laundry needs done.

 

I'm still in my jammies.

 

It's only Wednesday?

 

Hahaha!

 

Gotta love the day after beautiful Christmas!

 

Even though it's past noon now, I still plan on doing my best by getting the daily chores done and keeping a cheerful spirit.

 

This is the day that the Lord has made.  I will rejoice and be glad in it!

Are you excited for tomorrow?

Source: tonyastaab.com via Rosa on Pinterest

 

How 'bout now?

 

Yesterday I spent the day with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and we prepared the pies.  It was a lot of work -- especially since I was keeping track of three little ones AND trying to help.  It was a lot of fun, though!  I absolutely love the holidays!

 

Tomorrow Paul will be getting up early to go hunting.  I will also be getting up early, getting kids ready, and going over to the inlaws' again to prepare the turkey.

 

I look forward to watching the Macy's Thanksgiving parade with my little ones.

 

Eventually football will be the background noise for the remainder of the day.

 

The house is going to soon make people feel like they're going crazy with the smells of the cooking turkey, green bean casserole, corn pudding, stuffing, etc.

 

When we're all stuffed and cannot eat another bite, maybe we can all go out and play football in the yard.

(I haven't played football on Thanksgiving in YEARS!)

 

After a great game we may feel like we can eat just a LITTLE bit more, so we'll venture back into the house and either enjoy another piece of pie or we decide to eat the first of many turkey sandwiches.

 

AND...

 

The perfect end to a perfect day would be to gather 'round and watch a holiday classic of our choice.  We shall see.

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends!  We have so much to be thankful for!

Thanksgiving

Source: foodnetwork.com via Grace on Pinterest

 

This year I decided I need to be brave and finally learn the inevitable.

 

I need to learn to cook a turkey.

 

I talked about it with my mother-in-law and told her I need to learn now when I have guidance from someone else than wait till we live on our own and I have to figure it out and most likely ruin Thanksgiving.

 

My mother-in-law is brave too.  She's gonna let me do it!  Ha!

 

To be honest, I am pumped!  I am so excited to give it a shot!  I just hope and pray it all works out. =)

 

I would post more about how I love this time of year and great, fuzzy things like that...but I have a naked two-year-old running around the house, a screaming one-year-old in the high chair that ran out of food, and a grumpy three-week-old that thinks he's starving to death. =)

 

I absolutely, love, love, love my life!

Bedtime Stories

When I was little I remember my Mom reading Love You Forever to my siblings and I.  Now that I'm an adult and have moved away from my Mom, I don't think I can get through the book without crying so I haven't carried on the tradition with Zoe -- yet.  I'm still working on that one..

Another book I remember really well was Lambert the Sheepish Lion.  This book was read by my Dad and we would beg him to read it over and over.  Why, you may ask?  Well, cause when Lambert finally found his roar my Dad made the best lion roar ever -- and it scared the mess out of my little brother every. single. time. =)

A couple days ago I went to the Salvation Army and found three fun kids books that were in excellent condition!  I love finding older books there to add to Zoe and Max's collection.  One was a collection of children's stories such as The Emperor's New Clothes, The Sleeping Beauty, Aesop's Fables, King Arthur and His Noble Knights.. just to name a few.  Another book I found was called Fly High Fly Low and another one I found was simply called Shapes.

We settled for Shapes that night and this is the expression we got for every page. =)  I think she enjoyed it!

When I listen to Paul read Zoe and Max bedtime stories I can't help but find myself going back in time sitting around in a circle with my brothers and sisters.  I see myself wearing my Lion King nightgown.. my brothers in their Lion King footy pajamas.. listening to Mom or Dad read our favorite stories.. giggling while we anticipate the roar that is going to make Philip bawl..  I remember happiness, content, peace.

I'm excited to help Zoe and Max have some of the same memories that I have of my childhood!  They'll only get better the older they get!

Family of four

Source: google.com via Courtney on Pinterest

I look forward to Sundays for many reasons.  I love going to Sunday school, worshipping in song service, listening to sermons, etc.  Sunday is such a wonderful day to just reflect on the Lord and all of the wonderful things He has done for us.

But there's something else that happens on Sundays that I love too..

Family time.

Yesterday morning Paul brought Zoe to bed with us, and there were were, all four of us laying in bed together.

I dreamt about the day when there would be kids laying between Paul and I in our bed.  I knew it would be the best feeling in the world.  I just had no idea just how amazing it would be when it finally happened.

Have you stopped to give your babies hugs, kisses, and tell them you love them today?  Have you held them close and breathed in the smell of their hair -- the smell of outside, baby lotion, or just the smell of them?

Who am I kidding?!

Ok, so you know how in my previous post how I said we need to relax and enjoy family during this holiday season.. well, I haven't really done that yet.  ::ahem::  I feel like I'm running around in circles which means nothing is getting done!

No baking, my house is still a wreck, I have not wrapped one present, I didn't get to watch any of the classic Christmas movies, the list goes on..

So what have I been doing?  That is the million dollar question!!!!  I'm losing my mind.  That's it in a nutshell.

It's time to whip up a list..

• Tidy the house -- I would love to say clean the house but we don't have time for that right now.  I just need to tidy up the worst of it and then we'll worry about really cleaning on Monday, December 27.
• Wrap all of the presents -- I would love to put everything in gift bags because I really am not a fan of wrapping presents.  I honestly don't have the patience for it.  But I make myself wrap presents for Christmas.  It shows that I love you enough to wrap a present for you!
• I did watch Holiday Inn for the first time today.  It was pretty good, but I'm used to watching White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life pretty much everyday leading up to Christmas.  Not to mention the kid's classics; Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, etc.  Can you believe I do not own one Christmas movie?  I should be drug out into the street and shot.
• Baking.. ah baking..  I'll do it in my spare time.

You may be asking yourself, "Self, why is Grace posting her list for all the world to see?"  My answer is this -- why not?!  Now I have a million people (not really, close to 2,000) watching to see if I really did work on my list!  Perfect idea!

As for tonight, Paul and I are trying a new recipe to bring to church this evening.  Have you ever tried the loaded queso from On The Border?  It's pretty much amazing!  We're going to try and make it ourselves -- with our own little twists.  Wish us luck!

If you don't hear from me before Christmas, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend with your family and friends!  Remember the reason for the season!  I plan on reading the story of Jesus' birth to Zoe on Christmas Eve before bed.  Traditions have to start somewhere, right?

Where has the time gone? ::Part 2::

I cannot believe it has been a whole week since I have been on here.  Where does the time go?!  Don't give up on me, folks!  I feel like so much has happened in the past week but I can't remember half of it.

First off, how do you like the picture above?  Isn't Zoe just the cutest!  I know the picture is a little blurry ::thanks to her constantly moving:: but I couldn't resist posting it!  She is in awe of all the lights and the Christmas tree.  So far she is the only one with presents under the tree.  Mommy and Daddy don't care much. :)

We got our pictures back that we took back in November.  I am so excited to start sending Christmas cards with her little picture in them.  I would have sent them today but things came up and I feel like I can't concentrate on anything.

It is amazing to see how much Zoe has changed in a month.  Everyday she is growing in a different way -- whether it's personality, strength, a sense of humor.

This past week Zoe has decided to try and roll over.  She is getting so close!  It's so exciting to watch!  I'm sure it won't be long till she rolls over and then the fun will begin -- a semi-mobile child!

Basically I have been keeping busy decorating my little house for Christmas.  It is so nice to see my living room so festive!  It brings me joy to see it and makes me anxious for the big day -- Christmas morning with my little family!

I feel like this post is pretty random.  I'm having a hard time concentrating today.  But I hope to be back soon -- and with a better post!

QUESTION OF THE DAY:
What is a Christmas tradition you and your family have? Why?

In my family all of us kids got a new ornament for the tree every year.  I'm not sure why, but it was something we all looked forward to!  Sometimes we even made our own which was always fun -- and you appreciate your ornament a little bit more because of the hard work you put into it.

Another favorite tradition was to wear ::brand new:: Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve.  It was so much fun to see everyone -- kids and parents -- in brand new Christmasy pajamas.

These two traditions are something I have carried into my new family!  Zoe and all future children will get one new Christmas ornament and a special pair of pajamas every year on Christmas Eve.  Love it!

Tell us about your favorite traditions!  Leave a comment below or send us a quick email by clicking here and I will post your responses anonymously!

Merry Christmas!!