I'm back?

Apparently, I need to schedule a break every year for the holidays. Somehow I wind up being so busy that everything that is non-essential is pushed completely off my plate. I assumed after I got back in town I would just right back on the blogging wagon, but instead I found myself completely overwhelmed by unpacking and getting back into the swing of things.

And well, here we are. Two months later.

There have been so many little things I have wanted to blog lately but I can't even remember half of them. But I'll try to post more consistently now. I know all 2 of you that read this will be very glad :)

I feel like I've been *so* busy lately, but honestly 90% of my time is spent potty training and retrieving Piper from places she's not supposed to be.

A picture recap:

Lots of fun attempts for family pictures at Christmas

This one isn't half bad! 4 generations.

Cheese

Cheese #2

Chuck and I had FOUR NIGHTS without the kids after Christmas. And this is the only photo proof-

Fantasy in Lights

The sweet gift Jade made for Chuck and I at MDO.

Piper loves some necklaces.

I've been learning to sew.

The girls are "great" helpers :)

And love taking baths.

First bloody nose (second followed the next week...)

Joint nap boycott.

Cute piggy tails

And some sister love.

Not sure what's coming up from the blog in terms of me writing, but I am starting a photo course Sunday and I intend to post some of my pictures here. I can't wait to learn how to actually use my camera!

Advent in our house

Growing up, I had about 5,000 Christmas traditions. You might think I'm exaggerating, but Chuck would assure you I am not. And I am equally attached to each of these traditions... none of them is negotiable. Christmas is such a special time of year that everything can become a tradition, even the most mundane thing. So of course I have put a lot of thought into what I want to become traditions in my house. Some things were no brainers- each girl will have a Hallmark series Christmas ornament, and they will each have their own (small) tree. But others were more difficult. How are we going to teach Jade (and Piper, when she's old enough) the *real* meaning of Christmas? How will we balance Santa and the commercialism that comes with Christmas with Christ's birth and giving?

We are doing Santa with the girls... I have no issue with people that don't, or with people that do. I totally think you can have a Christ-centered Christmas and still believe in Santa. That's what we hope to do in our home... teach the girls that this is a magical time of year because of the birth of Christ and that we celebrate that by giving to others... and receiving graciously.

One of the ways that we are making sure Jade knows this time of year is special is the Advent calendar. I grew up doing Advent in my church (we were Methodist), but haven't gone to a church that celebrated it since then. But I figure that since it's basically just a countdown to Christmas that it's something that we could easily do in our home on a daily basis. Last year, I bought the printable Advent calendar from Naptime Diaries. I read her blog and love all of her prints! Instead of buying a new one every year, I laminated it so that we could re-use it every year and just adjust the activities based on the ages of the girls.

Right now, we have them all hanging up and we flip over a new card every day. Jade knows that we are counting down to Jesus' birthday and really enjoys flipping the card over. We then read a passage from the Bible- I am using this list. Honestly, it's completely over Jade's head and she accordingly doesn't care about it at all. But I don't really care- I think it's important to read the "real" Bible to her sometimes and I know she's getting the Christmas story in other ways. 

After we read our verse, I tell her what our special Advent activity is for the day. Some days, it's a small gift, but most of the time it's some sort of activity. Making cookies and delivering them to the neighbors is one activity. This weekend she was supposed to go on a date with Chuck (which she normally loves) but she said no, so we all went to Barnes and Noble and read books and got some hot chocolate. I'm being pretty flexible, because some days are just crazy and I don't get the activity done, but so far we're doing pretty well and she's enjoying it.

Also, at bedtime every night, we're letting her unwrap a Christmas book and reading that one to her. Most of our Christmas books are about the real Christmas story, so we're starting our day with the Advent verses and ending them with a book about Christmas.

So that's how we're "doing" Advent and Christmas here. I am loving sharing this time of year with her now that's she's old enough to really start to "get" it.

I finally added Piper's picture and stats to her one-year post if you're interested.

Christmas

I'm just going to stop apologizing for posts being late, because right now they're all late so yall better get used to it for the time being. I'll catch up soon enough and all will be well.

Christmas this year was amazing for a few different reasons. Number one, Jade was old enough to really get excited. She still doesn't really get the anticipation of it, but when she came downstairs Christmas morning she was so very excited and started playing with her toys right away.

Number two, we had a brand new baby in the family and it was so good to be reminded of what a true gift really is.

Number three, my parents were in town, which was so nice because we were able to be with family without any of the stress of traveling with two little ones.

We kept things pretty low key since Piper was(is) so young and was keeping us all so busy. Decorations were minimal and we didn't go anywhere other than church on Christmas Eve. But I really enjoyed that and think that more people should slow down for the holidays to give themselves time to focus on the One that it is all about.

Here's a bit of a photo dump of our time around the holidays :)

She loved wearing the Santa hat. Only it was WAY too big. 

The best we could do. But I like it :) 

My favorite family picture of us. Ever. 

After church, we lost the dress. This is Jade and Chuck reading "The Night Before Christmas". 

Piper was very excited Christmas morning.

Can't you tell?

The gifts before Jade got there.

Monkeys love to play the piano.

Giving Elmo a bath in her kitchen sink.

Christmas in Indiana

So I know I'm really late with this post, but things have been nuts since we got back into town. Jade has a sinus infection AND is cutting her first tooth, so she has understandably been a little fussy and the blog has been on the back burner.

Since I don't have much time to write, I thought I'd just share pictures, which is really what most people want anyways...

Almost caught a big smile.

Climbing on daddy... big fun. I wish you guys could see her face in this picture!

Typical serious Jade :)

Climbing under the tree.

Love it!

Wearing her new hat from Auntie Beth. And eating one of her presents...

Perfect.

I have 15 of this pose on my camera. I don't have a single one where they're all looking at me. Oh well. Four generations!

Christmastime

We have had a great trip to Indiana so far. Chuck's Auntie Beth did an amazing job getting the house ready for us and having things around for Jade. (my food-loving baby needs a high chair!)

Jade started to feel much better before we left home and was a champ on the flights here. Unfortunately, her nose has started running and she's coughing and not feeling so great now. Poor thing just can't seem to shake this virus.

I don't have internet access here so I can't upload any of the pictures I've taken with my "real" camera, but rest assured that we were all spoiled. I think jade got 15 new outfits.

Here's a cute one of her from Christmas day:



I hope you have all had a good Christmas with your family as well!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

More Christmas stuff

In my family, we have about a bazillion (yes, a technical term) Christmas traditions. One is that my brother and I each always have a little tree in our room with our Hallmark ornaments on them. Every year, my parents got us an ornament that was part of a series... one of mine (Mary's Angels) has been going on for 23 years. It's pretty neat to put up the tree every year and see all 23 of them.

So I had to buy an ornament for Jade. I wasn't really a huge fan of any of the "first in series" ornaments this year, so we got her one that says "2010" and is supposed to go for 10 years. I figure sometime in the next 10 years, Hallmark will start a new series that I like.

My parents contributed her "Baby's first Christmas" ornament, along with a little nativity scene to sit under her tree.

Growing up, we also had a little tin that we put under the tree that Santa would fill up with goodies... usually Chex mix or something like that. I found Jade's tin for .99 at Michael's. Can't beat that.

Stocking

Chuck is about the pickiest guy I know. Most guys I know say "yeah, whatever" when it comes to certain things. Chuck is not that guy. He has an opinion on everything. Except for what I cook for dinner, but that's another story.

So when it came time to pick out Jade's stocking, we had an extremely difficult time. I didn't want anything that was baby-ish because I want it to be her stocking for the rest of her life. None of our stocking's have our names on them, so I didn't want hers to have her name on it. I didn't want to buy new stocking for the whole family, because then what happens when we have another kid and we can't find those stockings? We have to buy all new stockings again? I don't think so.

So I picked out several while I was out shopping this year. I would take a picture and text it to Chuck. He would immediately (or not so immediately) text back and say "no" and then give his reason. Seriously, why can't you just say "yeah, whatever"?

But now I know why. Because it challenged me to find the best.stocking.ever. I love this stocking so much that everytime I look at it, I smile and think "wow, I love that stocking". It's girly, but not too girly. It looks good with the rest of our stockings, but it's not matchy matchy. Frankly, it's perfect.

Even Chuck likes it. Not so much that he looks at it and says "that stocking is perfect," but he doesn't look at it and grimace, which is what he would have done with any other one that I had picked out.

I found it from Etsy seller Mrowe. Etsy never disappoints :)

Christmas

So I am a huge fan of Christmas. I listen to nothing except Christmas music AFTER the day after Thanksgiving and really love all the traditions that come with the holiday season. So I am, of course, super-excited about Christmas with a baby. I think next year it will be even more fun, but that hasn't stopped me from being excited this year.

So I already bought Jade's first Christmas present and I just think it's so awesome. I had a Cabbage Patch Kid when I was little that I was in love with and I had every intention to buy Jade one eventually... but then I saw this at the store and was so happy that I could get her one now.

Isn't she adorable?? I really think Jade will like it, as she's started cuddling up to some of the stuffed animals she has. Her name is Lilly Therese. I'm not sure what her birthday is because you can't see that part of the birth certificate through the front of the box :)