Santa arrived

Once, we got home from my parents, we got some cookies, carrots and milk ready for Santa....watched some Christmas movies and Breanna headed to bed around 830. B and I watched Its a Wonderful Life and we headed to bed around 11. I told Bre the night before she isn't allowed to come downstairs until we come get her, (girl likes to wake at the crack of dawn) so B and I were up around 6 and around 7 (that's sleeping in for her) she yelled down Mommy, can I come down.

I honestly thought she would be more excited at all the presents but it was early...but as soon as she started opening them, the excitement set in and everything she opened she said it was exactly what she wished for. Santa was very good to her this year and I think her 2 favorite toys are her little live pets bird and her vacuum (yes a vacuum!)

my parents ended up stopping over for a few hours and we just relaxed the rest of the day. We have meatloaf and potatoes for dinner every Christmas since we don't run around anymore to visit with everyone. It was a nice relaxing day!

Christmas Eve...

With everyone now having their own families, its hard to get together on actual Christmas day anymore, so we just do it when we can! So we did a few celebrations this year (and still one more to come)

B, Bre and I always head to my parents for Christmas Eve and this year was no different. We headed over around 11 and just hung out, had some yummy lunch, and opened gifts and headed to mass. As usual, Breanna made out like a bandit, to say she is spoiled is an understatement! But its all from love I guess lol. The funniest was when she opened a present from my aunt and said `Whoa this is cool, is this from Walmart?`

After we stuffed our faces and opened presents, we got ready and headed to mass, you have to go pretty much an hour before mass even starts to get a seat or you will be standing! So Bre not napping, I knew she would most likely fall asleep at some point during mass (she didnt even make it to the opening hymn!)

we headed home after a long/fun day with family and got ready for Santa to come visit....

life lately {randomness}

Welcome to my newest followers, hope you stick around for awhile! Dont be shy and say hi!!
 
Not too much happening lately...its been quite chilly except for this past weekend, it was in the 70s and PERFECT!  So we have just been hanging out at home and relaxing. I am trying to keep up w. posts but we have been kind of boring lately so hopefully I will find some link-ups to post and keep up.

This past weekend we headed over to my aunts and enjoyed the unusually warm temps my brother and his family came over so it was nice to see them

We ended up putting up our Christmas tree first weekend in November and I think this may be a new tradition!  A lot of people think we are crazy but it is my favorite part of decorating and I like to enjoy it for more than one month plus Brad was all about it! We wont put other decorations up until after Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I am super excited its next week! I just love everything about it- especially all the yummy food! This year my sister and her family are coming up so it will be nice to catch-up w. her. I really miss having her close.

We are going to get family Christmas pictures done this weekend. I really am hoping we can get some good ones since this will be our first {professional} pics ever! I wish we would've done outside ones, but that will happen spring time!

I am teaming up w. my favorite... Vintage Flower Farm for a giveaway {the Friday after Thanksgiving}, so be sure to check back, and if you dont want to wait...make sure to like her on Facebook and check out her Etsy shop

This past Sunday we had a nice family day went to lunch at olive garden and then went to Target; Breanna picked out her own ornament- its a kinda creepy looking elmo, I was hoping she would've picked the horton one!

Christmas present are like 75% done, Breanna is done along w. all the kids in the family I know all the other gifts I want to get just need to buy them...

Im hoping to score some tickets to Taylor Swift concert in July...my sister wants to take my niece Kate and pre-sale starts @ 10am!

 

family time...

I really cant believe Christmas is less than a week away! Seriously where did this year go!?!? As I mentioned before my sister would be in town this weekend for a week so we were having an Early Christmas Eve celebration with her family.

all ready to go party

Luckily Saturday hubs didnt have to work so we were able to head over to my parents earlier than expected, (we planned on spending pretty much the entire day over there) visited with my sister and her kids an then my brother and his family came over....had an early dinner and the kids played hard...Bre just loves her cousins

with cousin Jake

with cousin Kate

she just LOVES jake

all the cousins- Nicholas, Conner, Kate, Bre, Jake and Kyle

after dinner the kiddies opened their presents...Bre made out like a bandit.....my brother and his family got her a rocking horse that neighs and it's head and tail moves, my sister and her family got her some clothes and she brought her up a bunch of toys that were up in her attic and she LOVES them! My parents got her an activity jumper, some little toys, and lots of clothes...(needless to say our house is slowly staring to turn into toy central ). My parents got us a Keurig...I love it- the only down fall is that I usually drink 2/3 cups of coffee in the morning so having to change k-cups may be a little pricey...maybe ill just have to cut down

we had a sleepy little girl on our hands around 5:00 so we decided to head home....and just relax the rest of the night had another family day yesterday

perfect way to end the night

Sunday we decided last minute to head to my brothers to hang out with the family again! This time it was just Bre and I hubs wasnt feeling to well so he just stayed home with the pups...didnt do much just hung out and the kids ran around Bre played with some of the boys toys and of course ended up falling asleep. The rest of this week may be a semi busy one...Christmas Eve we're supposed to do a brunch at Brad's brothers then Christmas day we will spend the day @ my brothers

secret santa fun...

When I was planning my wedding I joined 'The Knot" and got to know some amazing ladies who I became friends with thru there and along with FB. We chatted about planning our weddings, got ideas from each other, got lots of support when things were annoying...hard times of planning... and got great advice. Well after we got married a majority of us kept in touch and joined 'The Nest' and some went straight to 'The Bump'.  Well this year someone suggested we do a 'secret santa' and used this wonderful website called Elfster.  Once you sign up and make your 'wishlist' the creator draws name and  TA-DA you get your pick and go on your merry shopping way, you can ask 'anonoymous' questions to your pick if you cant figure something out thru their wish list. We decided to 'reaveal' ourselves on our July Anniversary board once our person thanked us for their gift!

Well I rec'd my gift in the mail the other and I couldn't have been more excited... merely because I love this man's music. I got the Michael Buble Christmas CD and my secret Santa...also got Bre a little gift too. Which she absolutely LOVES!!!

I absolutely love this site, this is the 3rd gift exchange I have done with it! You can do this with online friends or even if you're having a party and having a 'secret santa' you can create the event send an email to the people coming to your party and get gift ideas!