Christmas Card 2015

Christmas Re-Cap 2011- Christmas Day

This year the husband and I spent our first married Christmas together. This meant running around like crazy people trying to make it to both families get-togethers! 

bright and early Christmas smile!

excuse the half asleep look

husband made this medal hanger for me!!

 Christmas morning we woke up at 5:45 and opened two presents and then exchanged stockings. Then we gathered up our gifts and headed to my parents at 6:30 for Christmas morning and to see if Santa visited! :) Yes I am 27, married, and Santa still visits. What can I say, I believe!!

By 8:30 we were off to the husbands grandmothers for breakfast. 

Then after breakfast, we headed back to my parent's house for my mom's annual brunch. 

Cousin love

my little fam

 After brunch, we went back to husband's grandmothers for lunch and gifts. 

cute KG! She loved her boots!

D got the gag gift this year!! :) so funny!

 

the husbands family

christmas at mammy's

cute cute!!

 After lunch and gifts, we headed over to husband's parents house to do Christmas with just his immediate family. 

Then we headed to the hospital to see my grandmother and spend some time with her.

After that we headed home to do the rest of our Christmas together and then changed into comfy clothes and headed back over to my mom's house to relax. We would have normally gone to my grandmothers for dinner, but decided to wait to do Christmas with that side of the family until she was out of the hospital and feeling better. (Ive never had a family member in the hospital during Christmas before, and it was sad to see her there. Thank you to all who sacrifice their time with families to take care of those who are sick! It is much appreciated!)

WHEW, are you tired yet?!

All in all, it was a wonderful Christmas with loved ones!!

Christmas Re-Cap 2011- Christmas Eve

Wow, what a busy Christmas season! It was a good one but very busy and a little different than normal. With it being our first Christmas, we weren't sure how we were going to juggle both families and being in 10 different places in the span of 24 hours! It did all work out though and we had a great holiday. 

I started Christmas eve morning out with a 13 mile run with Stacey, Sandy, and Brian. It was a great run and a beautiful morning!

I then headed home, showered, and headed to the hospital. My poor grandmother was experiencing some irregular heartbeats and ended up spending Christmas in the hospital and having to have a pacemaker put in. We are very thankful that she is home and recovering well now. Then we headed to my Aunt's to eat lunch at 1:00 before heading to church for the 4:00 Christmas Eve Service. 

After Church, we headed to the husband's parents house for dinner and our gift game with his dad's side of the family. 

 After dinner and gifts, we quickly made our way back to my Aunt's house for dessert and our gift game! 

typical

normal

 Finally, we headed home to get some rest so Santa could visit! (It made me tired just typing this out and it's only half of it!) 

 Christmas Day Recap coming soon!

Christmas Survey!!

One word= BUSY! 

I have been reading blogs but I haven't felt like writing anything. I took a vow yesterday to never work a full-time retail job ever again, especially at Christmas! I think it's making Christmas not as fun for me because it's just a job to get me by until I can find one in my field and I am not happy there. Although I love clothes and fashion, it is just too crazy for me at this point in my life! I want to be at home in the afternoons with my hubby sipping cider and enjoying our Christmas time together! [Fat chance of that happening!]

Moral of the story= Hurry up and find a counseling job because these retail hours are killing me!!

I think this little Christmas Survey is cute and I've seen it on several blogs! Enjoy!

1. Eggnog or hot chocolate?My  choice would be spiced cider!!! [with Aspen spices preferably]
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree?Santa doesn't have time to wrap! Do you know how many houses he has to get to?!? Well, let's just say A LOT! So they are always laid nice and neat out, one pile for me and one for the sis! Is it bad that I am married now and my husband and I are going to my parents at 6am for Santa Clause? Okay, yes I know...it's bad! :)

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?White! Classic and Southern. A must!
4. Do you hang mistletoe?My grandmother always did but we haven't yet!

5. When do you put your decorations up?The weekend after Thanksgiving!
6. What is your favorite holiday dish?The breakfast casseroles that my mom makes for our family Christmas brunch!
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?Christmas morning with my family! Making sure Santa ate his cookies, opening gifts from one another and brunch with all of our family at our house!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?I asked my mom when I was 10 if Santa was real and she said "If you don't believe in Santa, he won't come visit you." You have to believe! I never asked her another word! I still believe!! :)
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?The only gift we open on Christmas Eve is the ones we receive from our Christmas gathering from one side of the family. Now it is just a gift game so we just open one!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
White lights, all ornaments that I have collected growing up now that I have my own tree! I love ornaments and they all have a story or meaning behind them! I love pulling them out of the box and talking about them before hanging them on the tree!
11. Snow! Love it or dread it?it is pretty much just annoying most of the time! It is not enough to be pretty but just enough to cause messiness!

12. Can you ice skate?
Yes, i can! It is a lot of fun!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?It was probably the year I got new bikes or the year I got my American Girl doll.  Or maybe it was the year I got that shinny bling bling that I wear on my left hand!!!!! :)

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
A traditional southern Christmas with the best family!!!

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
ALL OF THEM! It is hard to choose just one.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Christmas morning with my family!

17. What tops your tree?When I was a  child it was always an angel. Now I  do a big bow with sparkly ting-ting surrounding the bow.
18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving?Definitely giving!! But receiving is fun! :)
19. Candy canes: yuck or yum?Yum! It wouldn't be Christmas without candy canes!

20. Favorite Christmas show?
Without a doubt- National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Chevy Chase=nuff said!
21. Saddest Christmas song?Christmas Shoes. I  can't listen to it or I will boo hoo like a baby.

22. What’s your favorite Christmas song?Little Drummer Boy and all of the Music from the Nutcracker.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas week! Although things are busy and hectic, it is so important to not forget why we are celebrating this joyous holiday! The birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ!

God Bless,

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

CHRISTMAS!

What a busy past week I have had! When you work in retail during the holiday season it can get crazy!!! I can't wait to get out of retail and begin using my Master's but I won't go into that! Although, I have had two interviews in the past week so keep your fingers crossed for me!!

I did run a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning and I will do a full recap on it later! We carpooled to the race and had mimosas and bloody mary's after the race if that tells you anything!! :) It was a blast! 

Black Friday was crazy busy and I didn't do any shopping local and only bought one thing online! I am about 75% done with my Christmas shopping, thank goodness! This shopping thing is much harder and the list is much longer once you get married! 

I just got back today from a weekend at the beach with the girls in my husband's family. It was a nice weekend relaxing, eating, and shopping! I did get in a 10 mile run yesterday morning which was such a wonderful run!! 

I am officially decorated for Christmas at our house! Although we are still lacking in the Christmas decoration area, it is has been fun to decorate "our" home!! 

Our first Christmas tree

I love Christmas music, the Christmas smells, and all of the sights and sounds of the season! Most importantly, I love the reason and meaning surrounding this season of joy! 

Now, I am off to finish addressing and labeling my Christmas cards!!

Sending Christmas Cards...

I LOVE Christmas cards. I always have. My mom dressed my sister and I up in matching Christmas outfits from the time we were  born and had special pictures taken to use in our Christmas cards! As we got older, we HATED having to get dressed up in red and/or green and pose for Christmas pictures. It was quite an interesting event actually. [We love to aggrivate our mom and give her a hard time] Many giggles have been shared over the years as we have taken good and bad Christmas pictures!!

Last year was the first year I sent out my own Christmas cards with pictures of Charlie and I. We were engaged and in the middle of wedding planning so I thought I would start our own Christmas card tradition!

 This year, I actually won 25 free Christmas cards from Shutterfly from Felice over at The Happy Runner!! Thanks girl for hosting the giveaway!!! I had so much fun making my card and I thought I would share it with yall! 

5x7 Folded Card

View the entire collection of cards.

I  can't wait to address them and get them out!