Christmas Tour 2012

I love decorating for Christmas.  The past few years, I've simplified a little and used a lot of natural elements like burlap and tree branches.  This year, we are in a new home, so I was even more excited about decorating and seeing how everything would fit and work out in the new space!  Our house is very different from our previous home.  It's pretty much the same size (besides having an extra bathroom which was much needed with 4 kiddos) but just laid out very differently so it just works so much better for us! We have truly loved it and are so blessed to be in this home and neighborhood!  We feel like we are just where God wants us to be!

So, anyway, here is our house all decorated for the holidays...

{front porch}

wreaths on the all windows with burlap ribbon.  it goes with the more rustic look of our house and i love it!

just a few pillows on the porch

Front door burlap stocking

 {Family Room}

 Our new house is just one big open room that includes the

 family room, kitchen, and dining room. 

We love it! 

Some day I'm going to use this pic for a post on how this room is decorated with hand me downs, heirlooms, and garage sale finds.  I'll go ahead and say pretty much the only thing we have purchased in here from a store has been the sofa, two lamps, and the tv.   And I'm pretty sure those were purchased with money from something I sold or birthday/Christmas money:)

Here are some close ups of some of the decor... 

 

I really love using the leftover tree branches to stick in random places throughout the house! 

There is just nothing more christmasy to me than the smell of fraser firs.  

 

This is by the front door and holds all our past Christmas cards.  

a pretty full mantle!

Our tree that I could just stare at for hours!  

This is the second year we've had a real one and I'm not sure we will ever go back to a fake one.  

I love looking at all the Christmas cards we have received! 

 

 My holder on the door ran out of room, so I had to start putting more in this little basket...

 Another nativity that I got on clearance a few years ago after Christmas. 

 {Dining Area}

Our new home only has one eating area besides the bar in the kitchen.

I love this.  It is so much more functional for our family! 

Again, things are pretty simple in here.  

You can see a tutorial on my DIY advent calendar hanging over the old windows HERE

Once again this room is full of family pieces, garage sale finds, and my awesome farmhouse table that I had someone build, but then I got to finish it.  You can see that post HERE

I had a hard time photographing this space but I just love the garland up in my chandelier. 

some of our Christmas village from Jeff's mom with some candy cane garland and our 2012 christmas card

I even added a bit of cheer into our {Master Bedroom} this year...

{Half Bath}

a good reminder of what Christmas is all about on the pretty plate! 

{Kitchen}

I didn't take a pic of the whole kitchen (oops)

Always love having little towels out except I have to pick these up a million times a day off the floor because a certain 10 month old loves to pull them off:)

{Kids Trees}

 {Back Covered Patio}

I had some extra decorations that I didn't know what to do with

 and then I realized I could decorate on the back patio.

This is where we walk through from the garage 

so it is fun to have something pretty to look at out here!

I think that's it!  I love looking back over these tours each year.  It's fun to see how my style evolves and changes.   This time of year is truly my favorite, and it's a wonderful time of celebrating and cherishing the ones we love.  This year, esepcially, we are focusing on Advent and what it means that Jesus came to earth for us.  We anxiously await his return and are so so so thankful for our Savior! 

Go check out more home tours at The Nester! 

Come, Lord Jesus

My eyes are heavy from tears.  I cannot fathom the events of today that happened in Newtown, Connecticut where 26 people were massacred at a quaint small town elementary school.  20 of them little children...whose parents had dropped them off in carpool line or hugged them goodbye as they jumped on the bus...never knowing it would be the last time they saw them alive.  There will be unopened presents this Christmas and empty seats at the dinner table.  Empty carseats and broken dreams.  It's thoughts like those that overwhelm me.  That make the tears flow.  I'm not sure I will ever take for granted my children hopping off their bus every afternoon.  I'm not sure I've ever felt a tragedy like this shake me to the core of my being.

I just can't stop thinking about my own sweet little kindergartner and 3rd grader who go to school a mere mile away and who sit everyday in their classrooms thankfully still innocent and naive of the world's evil around them.  It is so hard to comprehend how life can change in an instant.  One reporter said emphatically tonight...."The DEVIL walked into that school today."  I firmly believe that.  And yet, it the midst of it all is a God who is sovereign and good and is still on His throne.  He is all too familiar with suffering and darkness and death.  But even more, He is the author of Hope, Life, and Light.

In times like this, I must cling to Jesus.  It feels hard right now.  The sick feeling in my stomach and the heaviness in my heart seems almost unbearable and I didn't even live the tragedy.  I still have all four of my children safely tucked into bed.  The fear seems crippling as I think about all that could happen to my own little ones when they are away from my care.

BUT GOD...sent His son into our world for just this reason.

He knew (and knows) all these things we are feeling right now.  He lived them...so we could have hope and a future that will one day erase the evil we have witnessed today.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

   An angel of the Lord appeared to them,

 and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.   

 But the angel said to them, 

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 

 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 

This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

  Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, 

praising God and saying,

 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 Luke 2:8-14 

Max Lucado, a Christian author and pastor,  said today in a blog post of his own...

"Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger. This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us."

Today especially, let's cling to the truth that our Savior has come.  It is good news in the midst of tragedy.  And He will come again to make all things new.  Oh, how I long for that day! 

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

 

 This is our second year with a real live tree!  We love them!  I was so excited this year to have our tree be in front of a window so it could be seen from the outside:).   The kids really did a lot of the decorating this year.  I tried to let go of my ocd tendencies and let them put the ornaments where they wanted.  We don't have a ton of presents under the tree yet...the ones you see are gifts I have gotten the store where I bought the present to wrap them!  LOVE doing that:). 

 Each year, the kids get an ornament.  My parents did this for me growing up and I just love that tradition!  I try to get them ornaments that have some sort of special meaning pertaining to that year.  I always write their name and the year on the back. 

Samuel got a tool kit because he is so into building and his tools right now

Abigail got this little purse because she is so girly and loves carrying purses and bags

Ellie Kate got a backpack for starting school this year.  She is thriving and loving kindergarten so much!

I did forget to take one of the baby's.  Anna Mitchell just got a standard baby's first christmas ornament.  Oh well, I will have to share it another time if I remember to take a pic! 

View of our tree from another angle in the room...

I love bow tree toppers. 

I got this burlap ribbon from Pottery Barn a few years ago and I still love it! 

Of course, I had to try and get some pics of the kids in front of the tree:).  

I love getting good bokeh (the blurry lights in the background) but I still haven't mastered making my images in front sharp and clear...could be because my subjects are almost never still:). 

my precious angel in her pjs...she was only still because she was so shocked that I sat her up on our ottoman (with daddy holding her legs:)). 

my funny boy...i had to start saying "poop" and "poopy pants" to get him to smile!

the sweetest little girl...seriously, how could you ever get mad at that face? 

my smart and spirited girl who literally never stops moving (or talking)

One more look at our glowing tree...

The kids also each have a tree in their rooms, but I didn't have time to take pics of those.  I'll show them when I do a whole Christmas decoration tour next week! 

Oh, it just really is the most wonderful time of year, isn't it?!?! 

Our Christmas Card

I think you all know my love of Christmas cards.  I really do love getting them in the mail and I love doing ours each year!  They are just so much fun.  This year I had a harder time with mine.  Seriously people, 4 children has truly kicked my rear end.  I just can't keep up or even enjoy the things I normally enjoy.  I used our pictures that we got made earlier this fall, and just designed a really simple card because with these beautiful photographs, the card didn't need much!

The thing I had a hard time with was finding the motivation to address and stamp, and seal them.  We send out around 200 so it's a lot.  I did get most of them out, but as of now I am done so if you didn't get one from us I am truly truly sorry.  I just don't have it in me to do anymore!

So, without further ado, Merry Christmas from our family to yours...

Linking up with Faith and her Christmas Card Carousel:)

Thanksgiving {a late recap}

It was definitely a Thanksgiving to remember! If you follow me on facebook or instagram then you know that we dealt with the nightmare of a LICE outbreak. It's as gross and awful as you have ever imagined! I basically spent all day thanksgiving day washing and combing out lice.  Nitpicking is not fun at all!  Now I understand where that word comes from!  It is a very tedious task.  Having to wash all the linens and pillows, and blankets, and pack up stuffed animals was also no fun.  However, I am so thankful that I have these children and their heads full of hair even if this was quite possibly the worst childhood curable "sickness" I've ever dealt with. Oh, and Jeff's back had gone out during this time so he was laid out on the couch. 

Now that that is out of the way, I will move on to the fun stuff.  We were able to spend quite a bit of time with my family in Atlanta because Jeff had a 4 day work conference there before Thanksgiving.  So we tagged along and got to stay with my parents.  We of course had a lot of fun! 

 Making oreo Turkeys...

Just enjoying the outdoors {my parents have a good bit of land to play on and explore}

And of course a yummy Thanksgiving feast {celebrated a few days early}

the big girls made name place cards and were so proud!

Samuel loves turkey and loves watching it being carved!

I made better than everything cake thanks to Mel's recipe at The Larson Lingo.  It's a favorite dessert of mine and pretty easy to make!

Uncle Ryan and Aunt Erin

During the break, we also celebrated a very special birthday!

 My mom turned 60!! 

My dad invited some of her friends to a sort of surprise dinner for her while we were in town.  It was a fun night.  Jeff and Erin (my brother's wife) had to miss out due to the work conference and sickness.  We missed them for sure!  My dad also got a babysitter for Anna Mitchell so that was really nice as she doesn't always do so well eating out:).

We also enjoyed a super yummy lunch the day after Thanksgiving with Jeff's parents and extended family.  We always enjoy being with them!  I am sorry to say though that I did not take out my camera and I'm so sad about that.  I think I was still recovering from my all day lice adventure and possibly somewhat exhausted. Ha!  

Our families are amazing all around and we truly have so much to be thankful for!!! We are truly truly blessed beyond belief.