Christmas 2014

Oh Christmastime!

I love thee.  But you never quite work out like I plan.

This year was no different.

Maybe one day I'll stop letting that bother me.

Nonetheless.

The littles both had something or another going on, starting the week before Christmas.

Snot, Cough, Croupe, Teeth, Fevers.  It was fun.

But we rallied and we made the most of the Christmas Holiday.

Some events were skipped.

Some rescheduled.

And some just done completely different.  

But Christmas Morning was my favorite.  Maybe my favorite of all time.

Most of the time we are rushing around having 4 places to go to and we never get to fully enjoy.

This year, we stayed home.  It was glorious.

I was able to fix breakfast for my crew.  We played with our toys.  We stayed in PJ's all day.

We were together.  No rushing.  No fussing.  Just enjoyable all day long.

My in-laws came up for a visit & my mom + step dad came to have brunch & my dad came too.

It was so nice to have my home filled with my family throughout the day.

Lance said it best 'it's going to be hard to get me to go anywhere on Christmas Day next year!'

It was wonderful.  Truly!

#tradition

Despite the "plan" I had in my mind, it really was perfect. 

One day, maybe I'll learn to roll with the punches a little better!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Doing all the Christmas Things:: Gingerbread Houses

It's no secret I'm a sucker for tradition.

So if we do something one year, and enjoyed it, you better believe we're going to do it again.

We bought a kit a few weeks ago on one of our Target trips and finally got around to putting them together.

I did the construction, and Easton did the decorating.

I love seeing his little creativity and imagination go to work.

He's so serious and concentrated. 

I so cherish this time I have with he and Emerson at home.

There are long hard days, but there are so many moments even within those hard days that are just beautiful.  Priceless days for sure.

He wanted to share the houses with Emerson and put 2 in her room, but with no place to put them we decided it best to be in his room.

Our village has 5 little buildings.

I went in his room later that night to put clothes away and noticed we were down to 4.

After further investigation, I learned that he was holding on to his dresser, while balancing on his green bouncy ball looking out the window and he pulled #5 off.  Kirby took care of the clean up.

Oh, the memories.  Never a dull moment at the Farrar House!

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?  

I love trying to do all the Christmas things we can during this Season.

It comes and goes so quickly.

Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

Being home this Christmas Season, with 2 babies, I knew I wanted to try to make the most of the season.  I've pinned a lot of Christmas Crafts and we've been reading scripture at night before Easton goes to bed.  I really want to focus on Jesus this year and the importance of Jesus in Christmas.

Last year, Easton & I made Cinnamon Ornaments and this year as we unpacked our ornaments to put on the tree, the cinnamon smell filled up the bonus room.  I thought it would be fun to do again this year.

Easton was a perfect age for them.  I mixed the dough and rolled it out and he used the cookie cutters himself and put them on the cookie sheet.  We also had my sister-in-law & niece over to make some with us! This recipe makes a full cookie sheet of mini ornaments.

I found the mini cookie cutters at Target in the Christmas section for $3.99.

All you need is 3/4 cup of apple sauce + 2 containers of Cinnamon.  If you have any Essential Oils, add a few drops of clove or orange or Christmas Spirit in your mix!  Clove smells super yummy!!!

1. Mix it together and separate into 2 balls.
2. Lay some plastic wrap on the counter and put the ball of dough on it.  Cover with another layer of plastic wrap.
3.  Roll out the dough to 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
4.  Pull off top layer of plastic wrap and go to town cutting out ornaments.
((TIP:: The mini cutters were a lot easier than the full size.  Little hands can handle smaller ornaments a lot easier.))
5.  Lay them on a cookie sheet and use a tooth pick to make a hole big enough to string twine or ribbon through.
6.  Bake at 200 for 2 1/2 hours and let cool before stringing.

Then hang them on the tree and enjoy the yummy smell!

A Christmas Recap

Our Christmas was a sweet one.

The first as a family of four.

The first in our new house.

 

 

It didn't feel much like Christmas this season as we have been home bound since Emerson's birth trying to avoid germs and keep her healthy, but it finally felt like Christmas on Christmas Eve. 

Better late than never I suppose.

 

Daddy did most of the shopping, except for what I ordered online from some of my favorite handmade gals.  I did do a little Santa shopping when I'd run into Target for diapers or other necessities.

 

Christmas eve was spent at my Nana's.  A yearly tradition.

 

 

When we got home we made Reindeer Food and left it on the sidewalk so the Reindeer could find our house. 

This was a first for us, but I can see it becoming a tradition!

I love me some tradition.

Also, a first for this year, was Christmas PJ's for the kids.

It was fun to give Easton something Christmas Eve to snuggle up in.

I can't wait to do this each year for both of my babies.

 

 Every year we read The Night Before Christmas.

I get a little sentimental every year on this.

This is the same book my mom read to me for so many years.

 

 Our big event this year, was leaving Santa the ra-ra.

We had prepared Easton for this for about a month.

He was such a big boy about it.

After we put on pj's and sat out cookies for Santa, he took it and set it right on the plate.

He stood there looking at it for a moment, then walked a way.

You better believe the next morning that was the first thing he checked.

He stood there to see it was gone and the cookies had been eaten and he got a little sad.

He quickly perked up though. 

 

Christmas morning started early, just like every other morning.

After opening gifts at home, we made our rounds to our families houses.

It's always a full day!

I keep thinking we'll say 'come to us' each year, but each year, we continue to make the rounds.

 

 

 

Camo was the theme again this year.

Easton wanted anything and everything Duck Hunting related.

He's a big fan of anything daddy does.

Emerson was such a good baby all day long.

Sweet as sugar.

Sleeping through most of the fun.

 

Another Christmas has come and gone.

Typically I get a little weepy after Christmas, but this year I'm kinda glad to see it go.

I love the season, but this year just didn't feel like Christmas to me.

It's gotten so materialistic and it just doesn't sit right with me.

I want to go back to Jesus. 

I want to make sure Easton KNOWS that the reason for Christmas is Jesus.

We talked about the Nativity scene this year a lot.

But we also talked about the presents.

It's a hard thing to try to take the commercialism out of Christmas when it's always 'what do you want for Christmas?' from every direction

.

I think a happy medium is where we sit.

Focusing on Jesus.

Being together.

Gifts.

 

Having a child does bring so much magic to the home.

It's so rewarding to see their little faces light up.

I'm so thankful for this little family.
More than gifts, or tradition, or lights or baked goods.

The people are my favorite.

 

Merry Christmas Friends!

 

 

 

 

 

A Christmas Recap

This Christmas was a lot of fun.

I enjoyed teaching Easton about Jesus.  His birth.  In a barn.  The Wise Men.  The Angel.  

His momma and daddy.  Mary & "JoJo" 

{Funny story: We were talking about Mary and Joseph being Jesus' mommy and daddy.  Easton made the connection that Joseph in his class at school is called JoJo, so Jesus' dad is now JoJo!  LOVE HIM!}

This year, no different than the rest we had 8 different 'events'.  I'm not joking.  Eight.  

It's craziness.

I wish we had a day or at least a half day at each spot, but it all gets crammed in 2-3 days.

Nevertheless, we make the best of it.  

We try to enjoy each spot as much as we can before moving on to the next spot.  

Easton had a random temperature Sunday night along with complaints of right leg pain that would literally bring him to his knees when it hit, but other than that we were healthy for the most part.  The leg complaints continued through Wednesday, when I had finally gotten a doctors appointment scheduled, but I ended up cancelling it for fear of more germs and also the leg pain wasn't mentioned again.  

Easton wasn't 100% but he kept up with the hoopla as best he could.

Short naps Christmas Eve & Christmas Day were made up for with sleeping in a little later the next morning. Snuggled in momma and daddy's bed till 8 or sometimes 9 o'clock.  

I won't go into the details of where we went at what time, who got what, etc, etc.  I'll just let the pictures do the talking!  And...out of the 400+ pictures I took, I am in 6 of them.  We have one family picture...at the end of the day...after it had misted rain on us every time we got out of the car (gross hair for mom).  I have very little pictures of the grandparents and the great-grandparents.  This makes me sad.

Needless to say, I'm making a list of PICTURES TO TAKE CHRISTMAS DAY for next year.

And dearest family or friends, if you don't mind...if you see the 3 of us together...me and my boys, please suggest a family picture.  I'll owe you big time!  And I'll love you forever.  Promise.

Love this!  My Great Grandmother (Easton's Great-Great) gave him this little rocking chair.  

That's her little sweet self in the background.

Yep.  That's the family picture.  I told him to go ahead and go duck hunting during nap time.  

It gave me extra time at my momma's.  Win for us both.  

But.

He comes to the next function like this.

Family loves you like you are.  Right?  

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

I know we did!

Ginerbread House- a First for us both

I don't recall ever making a Gingerbread House when I was little.

It was a little more involved than I had expected, but we got it done and made memories while we did it!

I built the house the night before.  Who knew you had to let the thing set up for a few hours before you could decorate?  Yea.  Me neither.

However, night two.  We were ready.

I'm a little too Type A for this activity, as I wanted things symmetrical and balanced but after a few attempts to guide Easton where things should go, I gave up and did what I do best.  Take pictures.

He was so proud of the finished product!

I think it looks pretty good for two rookies.

I did however, see this pin on Pinterest and I think next year we'll make a Candy House with Pretzels instead of Gingerbread. 

Happy Gingerbread House Making!  

A Charlie Brown Christmas Tree & Ruffle Tree Skirt Tutorial {Hey, that's Pin-tastic!}

I had big visions for this Christmas Season.

Hoping and praying we'd be in the new house by now.  What?  You didn't know we're building a house?  Well...we are.  Maybe one day I can get those pictures posted so we can have some progress pictures.  But it's all good.  For now, just take my word for it.  Okay?

But.  We aren't in the new house.  We're in the apartment.  The 1100 square feet apartment.  They say 1100, but I don't know where the other 800 is, because right now, it feels TINY.  Teeny.  Tiny. 

Nevertheless, Thanskgiving weekend came and almost went and we had no tree up.  I scored a new skinny 7 foot tree from Tar-Jay, because let's be honest, we left The Big Massive Tree at the old house for the new owner to have.  You had to put it in, branch by branch.  Fluff it out.  And it was huge.  Beautiful, but huge.  So, we thought it best to stay at the old house.  I hope she likes it. 

Last Sunday night, after Lance had been Duck Hunting {all.weekend.long}, we decided to get the tree up.  We all bundled up, walked across the parking lot to our 2 storage closets to find the Rubbermaid Tubs {in the very back of the closet} that housed all of our treasures.  Such a cozy image right?

We located the tubs and headed back inside.  I had made a pot of chili so we decided to have a bowl of that first.  Easton doesn't like chili so he had ham and mandarin oranges and fritos. 

After getting supper out of the way and somewhat cleaned up, we continued on with the tree.  Mind you, we had to rearrange the living room because there is not a spare inch.  Anywhere.  But I actually like the new set up.  Maybe we'll leave it this way until we move up.  Tree included.  {Kidding.  Sort of.}

Typically we watch Christmas Vacation while we put up the tree.  That's one of Lance's childhood traditions, and it goes better as a family movie than Steel Magnolias.  That, of course, would be my choice.

 

Nevertheless, we got the tree up.  Got the limbs fluffed out, lights strung and ornaments hung.  It's not perfect, but it's ours.  This year, at least.  And, it gives quite a cozy glow at night time.  That's my favorite part. 

Two boys fizzled out about 10 minutes in to the big tree, but we were all together.  That's what matters.  Lance keeps calling it a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree, but I kind a think it's cute.  It'll work for now. 

It was so fun watching Easton this year.  We set up a little tree in his room and he took great pride in picking out ornaments to go on his tree.  He placed each one with care and thought. 

 

I finally got him the Little People Nativity, that I'd been wanting to get and we put that under the tree.  We've already had quite a few discussions about Baby Jesus.  We talked about Baby Jesus' mom and dad being Mary and Joseph.  He prefers to call them "Mary & JoJo".  He has a Joseph in his class as school that they call JoJo so Joseph, Jesus' daddy is now JoJo.  It's got a nice ring to it. 

 

Each year, we have our favorites that we can't wait to see.  For me, it's the quilted ball on the left.  I LOVE THIS ORNAMENT.  I made it years ago at church.  Had to be 15 years ago.  Lance thinks its the ugliest thing ever, but I love it.  His favorite ornament is that snowman in the middle.  It's actually a set of 3 sashes, but we only have 2.  His mom had these on their tree gowing up.  They are from Avon I believe.  They smell like pine.  However, this year, they are a little less fragrant than I remember.  Anyways, Cindy found the exact ones at the Goodwill and gave them to us.  They're a nice reminder of his childhood I think.  And that last one.  I pulled it out this year and just boo-hoo'd.  Look at that little bitty hand.  Each year, I make his handprint on an ornament.  I just can't believe how tiny it was, and now how grown up he's getting.  They really do grow too fast. 

 

And, since it's Monday, and I'm showing you our tree, I thought I'd show you the tree skirt too.

Remember, last years tree was MASSIVE, this years, not so much.  However, with some tucking and folding, I managed to get the tree skirt in the little corner that we do have.  Because, lets face it.  This sucker is way too fabulous to remain on the hanger in my closet through Christmas.

 

For this tree skirt, you'll need:

2 Yards of Felt- match it to whatever your top color is.

{to decide how big you need your material, determine the width of the base of the tree as well.  ex. if you want it to stick out 3 feet around the tree, double that for a 72 inch square, to trim down to circle.}

Then you'll need 2 Yards of material.  I used linen.  It tears nicely.

Glue Gun.

Bags and bags and bags of glue sticks.

PATIENCE.

 

To start:  Fold your bottom material in half, then half again.

Cut a circle out of the center folds of your felt.

Round the outer edges of your felt. 

Mine is more like a rounded square instead of a circle, but just go with it. 

Then, tear your strips of linen.  Tear and tear and tear.

Begin on the inside of the tree skirt.

Glue the short end of your long strip of fabric and begin pleating.

I worked in about 18 inch sections.  I'd run a strip of glue then I'd pleat my fabric as I went.

It doesn't have to be perfect.  Once I got to the end of my glue line, I'd go back in and glue at the top of most pleats so it would lay flat.  Continue this all the way around.

For the second row, do the same thing except have it overlapping slightly. 

You need a big surface to work on, I used the living room floor.  Every night.

 

This does take quite some time, but you can make this on a much smaller scale.

 

Last year, it was perfect under our tree...this year, it's not perfect, but it works!

 

So, what are some of your favorite ornaments?  Do you have a tradition while putting up the tree?  I'd love to hear some of your family traditions as well.  I'm a sucker for tradition. 

 

 Head on over to Ashley's blog for more fabulous baking, crafting, decorating ideas!