Thursday, December 19, 2013

decking the halls 2013

I love everything about decorating for Christmas. This year I just added to what I started last year. More woodland, more kid friendly.

The decorating started right inside our front door. I found this adorable little snow globe that plays jingle bell rock. Everett loves it. I put it in our entry with our keys and a free printable and hope that it stays in one piece.






For the tree and mantle, I got a few more squishy ornaments that my kids can't break and added a few things I snagged from clearance or my sister snagged from out her back door in Reno, Nevada.

pinecone from Nevada, argyle tree - target clearance 2012, bird- target 2013, miniature tree- walmart

hedgehog from Pier 1 and the rest from Target



We actually found an immense 9 foot tree for 30 bucks right around the corner from us. Sure, it was so big it bent and broke the tree stand and caused the tree to fall over ... and sure, it needed 4 strands of 20 foot lights to cover it... but I love it. 












This year I wanted to devote a place for all the kids Christmas stuff. I wanted it to be something they could play with and get into whenever they wanted and something that would get them excited for Christmas. I ended up using a corner of the living room that we keep their toys in. I made sure that we have all our Christmas books, nativity set, Christmas countdown and a little tree they can play with. Our chalkboard reflects what I hope we're doing this month. Making the emphasis Jesus' birth and not Santa. We aren't completely ruling the jolly fellow out, but we just want to place the emphasis on the importance of the best gift ever! We added our Christmas card display there too, since Everett loves looking at the pictures of our friends and family.




I still have my own nativity display atop our bookcase, so little fingers can't break things. I absolutely love these two printables that I got last year. I added some of our woodsy pinecone garland from last year and love the way it turned out. 






I just love this view. If it was acceptable, and my tree wasn't real, I would leave it up all the time. Just looking at it makes me happy. Now, I'm off to enjoy that tree and some afternoon coffee. 




Thursday, December 5, 2013

the last time

Today in the car I told Everett we were going to go to a CA-prise (surprise) on our way home from bible study. To which he replied, no mommy its a SURPRISE. It caught me off guard. When did he stop saying that? Did I miss it somehow?

I've been thinking a lot about this lately. Everett is getting into a stage where he wants to be mister independent. He wants to get his own drink, pick out his own clothes, and buckle himself in. On more than one occasion that he's let me know he'll hold his own hand in the parking lot, which is hilarious and terrifying all at once. It got me thinking. I wonder when will be the last time that I help him do something or the last time he will say something adorably wrong or the last time he'll want me to do something with him. Will I recognize that's the last time? Will I remember those moments? I realized just the other day that he has stopped calling Graham "baby brother Graham buddy" and I think it's actually been months since he last said that?!

I think sometimes that phrase "enjoy every minute" can be overwhelming for a mom of two little boys. They keep me busy and tired and on my toes; however, I think that phrase came about because for so many people they forgot that these years would end. The years where Everett tells me I'm "the great mommy in the whole wide world." The ones where he asks me to take a nap with him every single day. The ones where he cries every time I leave and tells me "but mommy I love you - I don't want you to go!" I know that I will miss his little voice, and the way he fiercely loves me, and the way he always, always wants me around. And, so those moments that those people can't get back? I've got them. I've got them right now to enjoy and live in and appreciate. Every day won't be perfect, but there are moments of goodness in all of it. And I don't ever want to be the old woman at the grocery store telling someone to savor these moments, because I didn't get the chance to when my kids were little.




So here's to appreciating as many of these moments as I can. Here's to living in the now so that when it is one of those "last times" comes, that I know I've enjoyed the heck out of them.