merry merry | family + Christmas

Christmas is full of family 'round here & we wouldn't have it any other way. It's fun. It's full. It's chaotic. It's busy. It's all we know. 

merry merry | Christmas morning

Christmas morning 'round here is simple. The boys didn't really get into the swing of things until around 9:30 (don't kill me if your kids were up at 5:45AM ready to go!) ... just my style. If you've followed along for any time now, you know that we do 1. something to read 2. something to wear 3. something you need and 4. something you want. We also do a stocking that usually includes little treats & trinkety items. We definitely busted the $25 budget on the boys stockings since Mike and I were both shopping for them (separately). Oops. I may have also blown my $100 budget for Mike - just a little (because of the insane deal I got on his Garmin) - because he always blows the budget on me. Except, not this year. I made him promise he'd stick to it...that's how I roll. (: 

This year, for added fun, the boys each got to pick out a gift for mama & daddy. I had a great time directing the boys a little & letting them help me wrap their gifts when they came in. Mike got a red running shirt (from Solomon), the red version of the Darn Tough hiking socks (from Amos) and ingredients for an Old Fashioned (from Ez haha!). Can you tell the boys' favorite color is red? 

We took turns opening books and toys, clothes and treats. Mike & I got each other records in hopes of boosting our collection. I gave him 2 vintage paperbacks that I scooped up on our girls trip in Rhode Island (in August). Solly got a tub of dinosaurs, Moose got a new numbers / math kit, Ez got a Patagonia Capilene set. They all got new hooded towels that are super cute and fun (and soft). We did change the rules just a smidgen this year though (because I make them up as we go anyway) ... I'd been saving money from selling some of the boys old clothes on Facebook + doing photo shoots & selling our Rust & Stardust necklaces for a trampoline (!!) so they got a combined "want" in the form of a trampoline! Y'all. If you don't own a trampoline, sell all your stuff and go get one tomorrow! I mean it. They jumped for 5 (FIVE) hours on Christmas day. My house was quite. My kids were entertained, exercising and playing together outside. Merry Christmas to mama! 

I hope your days have been as merry and bright as ours have lately. It's always such a busy season that I try to just take it as it comes and to rest when it's over. These boys will only be small for a little while longer, and, while the magic of Christmas will always be there, it'll be different, I know. 

|2015 // 2014 // 2013 // 2012] 

merry merry | a Christmas date

Chris & Alexa were in town for the holidays this year & we got to steal them away for an evening of Vietnamese take out, Moscow mules, tipi chats and little boys snuggles at our white house. We loved an evening with just the four of us, talking of travels and dreams, babies and plans. We laughed over Amos' blatant crush on Alexa (watch out, Chris!) and tried our darnedest to talk these two into moving into a house (any house!) close enough to call them neighbors! Until next time, sweetest friends. 

merry merry | a cousin Christmas

This year, Haley, Amber, Ashton & I decided to have a Christmas cookie + craft night for our kiddos instead of exchanging gifts. We liked the idea of giving them an experience instead of tacking more gifts onto their already massive piles. 

We kept it easy & ate Chick-Fil-A (I really should have stock in CFA we eat there so much) and then jumped right into decorating the cookies. We had sprinkles and colored sugar everywhere - definitely way more on the floor and on the kiddos than the cookies, but isn't that part of the fun!? After a 5 minute break for us to clean up the cookie plates we busted out the paint and ornaments. I hope that as our kids get older & we continue this tradition that it's something they can look forward to every year. 

Our 2016 Christmas Card

One of my very favorite things about the holiday season is sending and receiving Christmas cards! We've sent them without fail except for last year every year since we've been married & it's always fun to look back at our cards from over the years. I think this years is my very favorite yet. All our people on the front steps of the white house with a little glittery gold. I may display it all year round. 

It's a very Merry Christmas, indeed. We closed on our white house today. We're home for Christmas, people and we are so excited! It's been a long time comin'. One day, soon, we'll share before and afters. But for now, we're going to put our feet up, watch Christmas movies and do holiday crafts with the boys at night.