HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
December 31, 2017
Our Christmas season was jam packed, but I feel like it always is because my husband and I’s families are all from the same area. So the fact that we all get sick right before Christmas wasn’t too surprising. Late game nights, and little sleep will do that to you! We still managed to host dessert for a progressive dinner on Christmas Eve with Marcus’ family, complete with the cutest nativity, cookie day making some of our favorite pizzelle cookies, Skyping with our favorite DC missionary for the last time, and even more family dinners!
We even took a trip to Yakima to visit our favorite Santa George, that is good friends with my dad. Harper was really excited to tell Santa what she wanted this year and Elle is so easy going I figured she’d follow along. Boy were we wrong! Elle was NOT having it. Those always make for the funniest pictures though right? Well we did a take two at a family dinner and I thought it might go a little better this time…nope! Guess Elle is just on the naughty list this year!
A few months ago we decided to get our girls’ a dollhouse. In October when it first came out, I saw the Magnolia Dollhouse from Target and knew that was the one. We started putting it together weeks before Christmas and as much as I liked it, I knew it just needed a little something more. Pinterest and Instagram to the rescue! I loved how it turned out, and we couldn’t wait to give it to them on Christmas morning. Harper’s reaction was priceless, I love her little “What the?” that she’s picked up from her cousins. It’s the first thing she says when she’s surprised or confused about something…and whatever I do, I can’t break her from saying it!
It felt so magical when it snowed on Christmas morning. It hadn’t really snowed here yet, so to wake up to it snowing was like icing on the cake! Harper was thrilled that Santa brought snow so she could make a “Frosty.” Her favorite character EVER.
I can’t believe how much Elle had grown in only a year. Last year she was our Christmas baby, and this year, well I still treat her like a baby, but she started walking and taking steps over the Christmas break. She is months behind from when Harper started walking, but that just meant she was still my little baby for a bit longer. She loved all the tissue paper this year and pulling it apart. Far more concerned with that than what was inside the present, for sure! Harper on the other hand has learned to open presents like a mad-man and throws the paper EVERYWHERE.
She ended up with a few princess dress up costumes this year and has been wearing them non-stop. Her and her cousin couldn’t go to any house without their shoes, wands, crowns, and dresses in tow. It’s the cutest!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Our Christmas season was jam packed, but I feel like it always is because my husband and I’s families are all from the same area. So the fact that we all get sick right before Christmas wasn’t too surprising. Late game nights, and little sleep will do that to you! We still managed to host dessert for a progressive dinner on Christmas Eve with Marcus’ family, complete with the cutest nativity, cookie day making some of our favorite pizzelle cookies, Skyping with our favorite DC missionary for the last time, and even more family dinners!
We even took a trip to Yakima to visit our favorite Santa George, that is good friends with my dad. Harper was really excited to tell Santa what she wanted this year and Elle is so easy going I figured she’d follow along. Boy were we wrong! Elle was NOT having it. Those always make for the funniest pictures though right? Well we did a take two at a family dinner and I thought it might go a little better this time…nope! Guess Elle is just on the naughty list this year!
A few months ago we decided to get our girls’ a dollhouse. In October when it first came out, I saw the Magnolia Dollhouse from Target and knew that was the one. We started putting it together weeks before Christmas and as much as I liked it, I knew it just needed a little something more. Pinterest and Instagram to the rescue! I loved how it turned out, and we couldn’t wait to give it to them on Christmas morning. Harper’s reaction was priceless, I love her little “What the?” that she’s picked up from her cousins. It’s the first thing she says when she’s surprised or confused about something…and whatever I do, I can’t break her from saying it!
It felt so magical when it snowed on Christmas morning. It hadn’t really snowed here yet, so to wake up to it snowing was like icing on the cake! Harper was thrilled that Santa brought snow so she could make a “Frosty.” Her favorite character EVER.
I can’t believe how much Elle had grown in only a year. Last year she was our Christmas baby, and this year, well I still treat her like a baby, but she started walking and taking steps over the Christmas break. She is months behind from when Harper started walking, but that just meant she was still my little baby for a bit longer. She loved all the tissue paper this year and pulling it apart. Far more concerned with that than what was inside the present, for sure! Harper on the other hand has learned to open presents like a mad-man and throws the paper EVERYWHERE.
She ended up with a few princess dress up costumes this year and has been wearing them non-stop. Her and her cousin couldn’t go to any house without their shoes, wands, crowns, and dresses in tow. It’s the cutest!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
OH, CANA-DAB
December 11, 2017
When Marcus had some things cancel at work last week, we jumped at the chance to go to Canada for a few days. It was so spontaneous, we even forgot to pack our passports! Luckily, we only got 40 min out of town before we realized it, and Marcus’ mom was happy to meet us halfway so we could get back on the road. But we also quickly knew we weren’t going to make our reserved ferry, and there were no other ferries leaving out of that port that day. We were scrambling when at last we decided to just drive as far as we could and catch the British Columbia ferry going across.
The Buthchart Gardens were at the top of our list so we decided to go twice! Once during the day, and then again that night. During the day it was gorgeous and the girls loved being outside running around. But what I didn’t think about was that they’d wear themselves out and not be ready for the Round 2 a couple hours later! Total parent fail on our part…that night, we rounded the first corner and it was literally, breathtaking! And then Elle started crying. And I mean, CRYING. Marcus picked her up out of the stroller and she REFUSED to go back in. I asked Harper if she wanted to see the lights and after about 2 minutes she was back in her stroller, cranky, refusing pictures (except if she could be by herself-ha!), and trying to fall asleep. Marcus and I just looked at each other and rolled our eyes as we realized we brought our kids to one of the most beautiful places-and neither were having it! But it happens. Especially, with young kids.
By the end of the gardens, Harper was begging for something to drink. So we paid for the way overpriced hot chocolate and gingerbread cookie and $20 later she was the happiest kid on the planet! We were kicking ourselves for not doing it sooner in the night.
We also had the chance to walk through the Festival of Trees where they have more than 50 different Christmas trees decorated by different families and businesses in the area. They were gorgeous! Our favorite, of course, was the Nightmare Before Christmas tree. We followed it up with a visit to the Gingerbread Showcase that is similar but with, you guessed it, gingerbread. It was pretty amazing the talent that some individuals have. I am not one of them!
The Christmas lights at the Empress Hotel, the Parliament building, and downtown were pretty impressive as well. Victoria has the best location sitting right on the Puget Sound, and has a complete European feel. Since many speak French, it’s so cute to hear everyone talk in their accents! Visiting Fan Tan Alley, the smallest street in the country, was like we had gone straight to Diagon Alley (from Harry Potter, but I'll pretend like you didn't have to ask that-ha!) I could easily touch wall to wall-and I have short arms, so that’s saying something!
This totally helped kick off the Christmas season for us. We also were able to help Light the World a few times along our way. If you want more information on how you can help “Light the World” this Christmas season, click here!
When Marcus had some things cancel at work last week, we jumped at the chance to go to Canada for a few days. It was so spontaneous, we even forgot to pack our passports! Luckily, we only got 40 min out of town before we realized it, and Marcus’ mom was happy to meet us halfway so we could get back on the road. But we also quickly knew we weren’t going to make our reserved ferry, and there were no other ferries leaving out of that port that day. We were scrambling when at last we decided to just drive as far as we could and catch the British Columbia ferry going across.
The Buthchart Gardens were at the top of our list so we decided to go twice! Once during the day, and then again that night. During the day it was gorgeous and the girls loved being outside running around. But what I didn’t think about was that they’d wear themselves out and not be ready for the Round 2 a couple hours later! Total parent fail on our part…that night, we rounded the first corner and it was literally, breathtaking! And then Elle started crying. And I mean, CRYING. Marcus picked her up out of the stroller and she REFUSED to go back in. I asked Harper if she wanted to see the lights and after about 2 minutes she was back in her stroller, cranky, refusing pictures (except if she could be by herself-ha!), and trying to fall asleep. Marcus and I just looked at each other and rolled our eyes as we realized we brought our kids to one of the most beautiful places-and neither were having it! But it happens. Especially, with young kids.
By the end of the gardens, Harper was begging for something to drink. So we paid for the way overpriced hot chocolate and gingerbread cookie and $20 later she was the happiest kid on the planet! We were kicking ourselves for not doing it sooner in the night.
We also had the chance to walk through the Festival of Trees where they have more than 50 different Christmas trees decorated by different families and businesses in the area. They were gorgeous! Our favorite, of course, was the Nightmare Before Christmas tree. We followed it up with a visit to the Gingerbread Showcase that is similar but with, you guessed it, gingerbread. It was pretty amazing the talent that some individuals have. I am not one of them!
The Christmas lights at the Empress Hotel, the Parliament building, and downtown were pretty impressive as well. Victoria has the best location sitting right on the Puget Sound, and has a complete European feel. Since many speak French, it’s so cute to hear everyone talk in their accents! Visiting Fan Tan Alley, the smallest street in the country, was like we had gone straight to Diagon Alley (from Harry Potter, but I'll pretend like you didn't have to ask that-ha!) I could easily touch wall to wall-and I have short arms, so that’s saying something!
This totally helped kick off the Christmas season for us. We also were able to help Light the World a few times along our way. If you want more information on how you can help “Light the World” this Christmas season, click here!
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