I hope you and yours had a blessed Christmas. My mind is still reeling that it’s over already but really, our family enjoys the week between Christmas and New Year’s just as much as the time leading up to it. The best part is stepping out of our normal crazy rat race routine to spend some quality time together.
On Friday, hubby and I took the day off together to tie up loose ends and finish shopping. We went to our daughter’s third grade party that morning. It felt even more special to be able to be there with her on the Friday after the Sandy Hook tragedy. So much to be thankful for this year.
Hubby and our youngest, Ava at her school.
Saturday was a fun girls’ day! My daughters and I went to see The Nutcracker. Afterward, hubby surprised us with a night at a hotel. We enjoyed an evening of shopping, having dinner and swimming, before laying in bed, eating junk food and watching Christmas movies. What a fun and special night. We might have to make this a new tradition!
My girls Aubrey and Ava at the hotel.
On Sunday we had breakfast, then headed back home from the hotel. That afternoon, we baked these cookies for Santa. Afterward, we put on our jammies, grabbed some hot cocoa and made our annual drive to look at Christmas lights.
Monday, Christmas Eve, started out as a cleaning day, much to the kids’ dismay. But they quickly cleaned their rooms and anxiously awaited the arrival of a very special guest, my niece Lauren who came home for Christmas from New Orleans. YAY!
Cousins! My niece Lauren and daughter Aubrey.
We went to Christmas Eve services at our church home, Chase Oaks. The service was very uplifting and moving. After, we had our traditional Christmas Eve steak dinner. When we got home, we lit a fire, played board games, tracked Santa on NORAD and watched “A Christmas Story” until bedtime.
Christmas morning, everyone’s wishes came true. SANTA CAME!
He brought me a new set of these wine glasses to replace the mostly broken set I got from IKEA years ago. I’m sort of scared to use them. At least I didn’t care when I broke the cheap ones from IKEA!
And I must’ve been a VERY good girl this year, because I got these too. HAPPY DANCE!
We had our traditional monkey bread for breakfast. I made a super easy version using refrigerated biscuits with this recipe HERE. It was THE. BEST. EVER.
Then we hosted Christmas dinner at our house for my sisters and their families. I’m the youngest of us three girls. My sisters have always been and always will be my very best friends. We laugh and have so much fun together. I love them so much!
Me, my sister Andrea and my sister Heather (she didn’t get the “hand on hip” memo).
Then to top it all off and make this the MOST perfect Christmas ever…WE GOT SNOW! Yes, a white Christmas in Dallas.
I’m still in awe.
Our Christmas lights in the snow!
This Christmas couldn’t have been more perfect – family togetherness, great food, SNOW and loads of love and blessings.
I hope yours was filled with the same!
Getting my pretty on with Random Wednesday, The Pleated Poppy, Wardrobe Wednesday, Transatlantic Blonde, Life is a Runway
