Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like....Christmas??

I am a firm believer in simplicity.

I don't like complicated

or busy

or rushed.

So those who know me know

that I take one holiday at a time,

and enjoy each holiday to its fullest.

I don't like to rush through one just to

get to the next.

And that especially goes for Christmas.

I like Thanksgiving

and I don't want to be singing Jingle Bells while

carving the turkey.

Until this year ;-)

This year is different.

This year Mamaw & Papaw came down to visit

and went to Disney with us.

We decided to go ahead and do our Thanksgiving AND Christmas

while we were all together.

So my No-Mixing holiday rule

went right out the window.

 

On Friday Mamaw & Papaw took the girls to see a movie

and while they were gone

Jake and I were busy little bees

and put up the Christmas decorations and cooked a

Thanksgiving feast!

The girls had no idea we were going to do this

so when they walked in the door,

this is what they saw...

 

After the initial excitement settled down,

we followed tradition

and put up the girls' Christmas ornaments.

Each year,

on the night we put up the tree,

 Jake and I give the girls their first Christmas gift.

A new ornament that represents the last year for each girl.

When the girls grow up and have homes of their own,

they'll get to take their ornaments

with them to start off their own tree.

My favorite part of decorating for Christmas

is unwrapping each ornament

and re-telling the stories of why that particular ornament

 was chosen for that particular girl that year.

Crista's very first ornament...

she was still in Guatemala that year.

 

 

Addie Grace's "ornament" from 2 years ago.

This was her actual pacifier

that she was uber attached to.

It was only fitting to make it into an ornament the year

she gave it up.

 

 

And their new ornaments for this year...

Crista received a Jasmine ornament

and Addie an Ariel,

their favorite Disney Princesses

and in honor of their first trip to Disney!

 

 

Christmas is always so much fun!!

After decorating the tree,

it was Thanksgiving time!

The turkey & fixings were delicious

{even if I do say so myself!}.

I don't have any more pictures of dinner

because I was too busy eating :-)

 

 

No Christmas would be complete without presents!!

 

 

We were an excited bunch!

 

 

And after putting it on her wish list for 3 years,

Crista FINALLY got the wooden sushi!

Score!!

 

 

We also have another tradition

in the Brown household.

On the night we put up the tree,

they get a second Christmas gift....

 

...new Christmas jammies

to wear all during the holidays!

 

 

Our Thanksgiving/Christmas evening was so wonderful

and filled with laughter

and lots of torn wrapping paper.

We are so very blessed!!

 

 

The next day

Crista really got into the Christmas spirit

and was insistent that we write letters to Santa.

So we did!

 

Here's Addie Grace's.

We're learning our letters in school

so I write out her letter in a highlighter

and she traces them,

saying the letters that she knows.

 

 

And Crista's.

We're working on spelling correctly :-)

She spells everything phonetically

which I personally think is adorable!

 

 

Signed, sealed & delivered!

We've jumped into the holidays with both feet

and loving every minute!
{even if it IS before Thanksgiving!}