December wrap-up

My favorite month of the year didn't let me down. I was so excited all year to share this month with Graysen and what a fun time we had.

She had LOTS of Christmas P.J's

and ya'll know I love my tutus (someone really should block me from Etsy)

as well as my headbands.

Our only adult party of the year was our annual Ferrari Christmas Party. Too bad I got really sick and ruined our stay in town. Thanks to my husband for being so sweet about it all and taking care of me.

We watched old Christmas classics at night.

 We had a girls afternoon adventure to the St. regis for the Teddy Bear Tea. We loved it.

 Aunt Sara met us there and we wore our crowns all day. 

We had our annual friend's Christmas dinner. This year it was at Ryan and Terie's. Ryan got dressed up for this special occasion. Our group really loves wine and Brandi put together a very fun game for us. We had a wine tasting and had to match the wine with the list provided. Many of them were wineries we have visited. Apparently our group needs to go to them again.

 

Grandma Donnie surprised us by putting lights out in our yard. Graysen loved looking at them every night.

 I had a few Martha Stewart moments.

 We decorated a Gingerbread train. Shawn didn't do it all. The whole back part was my creation. We did most of it after she went to sleep and there was lots of laughter.

 This little dancing tree cracked her up. She is trying to give it milk.

 We love the Sound of Music. We both know all the words and if it is on in our house we will be singing it. She seemed to like it too.

I went to the Nutcracker with these girls. I really wanted to take Graysen but she wouldn't have made it through. Next year, next year. She wanted to be in the big girl picture before we left.

Grandma Donnie loves going to Santa's Wonderland every year. She has tried to get us to go many times and I am so sad I never listened to her. We were missing out. The hay ride was a few minutes over G's attention span ability, but everything else was a blast.

Christmas Eve

This was our best Christmas Eve yet.  Graysen obviously makes it amazing, but our day was so fun and easy. We had everything wrapped and cleaned when we went to bed December 23rd. That is a first and a tradition I hope to continue. It was so nice to be together as a family without all the last minute holiday stress.

We were very honored to help our friends out and we got to keep this adorable ball of fur for most of Christmas Eve.

Graysen loved her.

Christmas Eve service is my favorite service of the year. There is something so spiritual about a group of people singing Silent Night in candle lit darkness. I cry my way through it. Every. Year. I am comforted by the sniffles I hear all around me as I know I am not the only emotional female. This is our after church picture.

We go to Mimi and Big Poppa's house for Christmas Eve. Two things are guaranteed. There will be LOTS of food and LOTS of presents.

This is the appetizer table.

 and the dessert table.

The room is overwhelming. The kids go into sensory overload.

Our little friend came with us and I spent lots of time playing with her in Big Poppa's office.

This year they did a kid bow color. It is insane.

 

We almost made it to two without one of these.

  She really liked them

Graysen fell asleep on the way home so unfortunately we didn't even get to put the cookies out for Santa with her.

The first of many years that we will be up putting toys together and stuffing the stockings. I got to do 3 this year because our nieces stayed with us. It was the best gift ever having them at the house.

So thankful for my engineer husband. Had it put together in 20 minutes and we were off to bed to be asleep before Santa arrived.