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Keeping CHRIST in Christmas.

December 28, 2017


Throughout the month of December I tried my best to keep our home and hearts focused on Christ because I know it is so easy to get distracted. Especially this year with Solomon becoming more aware and active in our traditions, I knew I wanted to make an effort to create some sweet memories. I thought it would be nice to share a little bit of what we did, since I had several people enquirer about some of the things I had shared on Instagram and Facebook this month. I love having this space for that reason, sharing my heart and little bits of our life for my memory sake, and also to share my heart for Christ. 

1 // birthday cake for Jesus
Making the cake was definitely my favorite part of our traditions this year! I had hopes to make a cake for baby Jesus last year but Solomon was still pretty small and it was completely over his head. After seeing how much he has grown to love birthdays and birthday cakes, I knew he'd love making one for Jesus. And eating it, of course!

On Christmas Eve, after the morning Christmas Eve service at our church, we came home to make the cake before lunch. He was so excited and I bought him an adorable apron set from Pottery Barn that he was even more excited to wear while baking with mommy. It was all so cute. 


Then Christmas morning, after the gifts were opened and we had our breakfast we got to light the candle on the cake and sing  happy birthday to baby Jesus. It was sweet, and I can tell that it will be a very sweet tradition to keep up in the future. 



2 // three wisemen gifts
When I was growing up I knew a family that did this so I always thought it would be a sweet thing to do with my family one day. One thing I love most about this is how the living room and Christmas tree isn't consumed with gifts. I personally never liked the idea of over giving when it comes to Christmas or Birthdays. Less is more in my book, and most of the time kids get so many things from other family members and friends, anyways. So, having just three gifts that represent three gifts like Jesus got is a great way to keep it simple and also tell the story behind it. 

We have also agreed to "do Santa" but not enforce it. It's pretty easy for a kid to believe in Santa with all the Christmas happening around us on tv, in the mall, and all the songs on the radio. I also grew up believing in Santa and I had so many wonderful and fun memories from that time. It is magical and a kids imagination is such a beautiful thing, so it's only natural for Santa to be a part of that. I did want to tweak a few things and not do the naughty or nice part. We plan to tell our kids that Santa is a nice guy that brings gifts but he doesn't see you when you are sleeping, and he can't know if you are good or bad, only God can do that. I believe it's very important for our children to know the difference between a story about Kris Kringle, and the truth about Christ. I would never want them to confuse the two. 

When picking out the gifts I decided to do something they want (typically the BIG thing they ask Santa for each year), something they need & something to read. I also like to try and keep the three gifts faith based as much as possible so we can continue to point the gifts back to the true reason for the season. This also helps you keep Santa at a low cost and not go overboard, which is also nice once you have multiple children, which we hope to have one day. 

Solomon's big WANT this year was his bike, that was easy because he never stopped talking about wanting a big boy bike anytime anyone mentioned Santa to him. The NEED was a new puzzle for his room since he has outgrown the simple ones he plays with every night. I ended up buying him this New Testament Puzzle which I thought was so cute. The second he opened it he exclaimed JESUS, which made my heart so happy. The READ was this First Bible Basics book which I loved because of the beautiful images and how it explains the theology of the bible. 



3 // advent cards
I was so excited when I found these Crew and Co Advent Cards because they went along with the Jesus Story Book Bible which is a big favorite in our house. It would be so simple to add in these cards to our bedtime routine with Solomon and read the bible verse on the card and then read the story as a family every night. Don't get me wrong, we definitely missed some nights, but 90% of the cards were read and finished. I couldn't help but think about how sweet it would be to pull out the cards each year and reread the story of baby Jesus as a family. I love traditions and this one will definitely be a big part of our Christmas season for a long time. 



So there are a few of the things that I have tried to do this year to keep our eye on the real reason for the season! I have heard and seen a few things that I love that I might try to add to the mix next year, but we'll see. Are there any special things you do with your family?? I'd love to hear them! 

Christmas morning, 2017.

December 27, 2017


Christmas morning was one of the most sweet and fun mornings I've ever had with my little family. Solomon was so happy about his bike and excited to open his gifts. The sleepy eyes but excited smile is a pretty great combination. I love toddlers. They are so unpredictable, and that can definitely make things a little crazy sometimes, but it can also make things pretty stinkin cute. He started out the morning confused and wanting to go in his playroom, but once he locked eyes on his bike, it was all over. Christmas morning was officially amazing in his book!

Solomon also got to help us open Asher's stocking, which wasn't as exciting as his stocking. 


Once we were finished opening our gifts, my mom came over to have breakfast with us. I normally make a quiche and some sides, but my sweet husband made his perfect breakfast bagel sandwiches this year. I promised to make a full spread for Christmas 2018, but this year was a little rough with my big 'ol belly. Plus, his bagels are one of my main cravings every weekend... so that worked out perfectly! 

self timer fun with the camera for some photos... I love this one so much!

It was such a perfect Christmas morning. Fun, relaxing, and a full of really sweet memories.
& the fact that we will have a second little monkey to celebrate with next year makes me so incredibly happy! 

Christmas eve, 2017.

December 26, 2017


Christmas Eve is always so magical, isn't it?? I just love all the memories that I have at my grandma's house on Christmas Eve with my family growing up, and I'm so thankful that Solomon will have them also. This year we decided to get all the kids matching PJs and I love how adorable they all looked. Sadly, Joanna's pjs were too small (almost a teenager problems!) but she still looked cute in her onesie! ;) Watching the kids running around and playing in their Burts Bees stripes was so adorable!! 


We had our yearly visit with Santa of course!! He told the story of the night before Christmas, and also the story of baby Jesus and gave the kidos a little surprise. It's always sweet to watch their excitement. This was the first year that Solomon actually seemed interested and paid attention. 

Joanna's face in this picture cracks me up. Silly girl!!

Such a fun night celebrating with family!! The only thing better than Christmas Eve is Christmas morning, and that's coming tomorrow on the blog!! 
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