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Welcome to a piece of our sweet journey of life. This blog is about our family life-- my husband, my type 1 diabetic seventh grader, my spunky fifth grader, my second grader little girl, and myself! Enjoy!

Friday, December 23, 2016

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!


Merry Christmas Eve Eve to you and yours!

I'm going to be finishing up my workday in a few hours, and then I'm off for 3 days!

My plans today include making sugar cookies with the boys (we have the slice-and-bake kind this year), but I'll be making my own cream cheese frosting to go on top of them!  Michael reminded me yesterday that "we have to have cookies for Santa!"

I also plan to watch Prancer today, because she plans to get Prancer back to Santa on Christmas Eve Eve, so it's the most perfect day to watch that movie.

I'll attempt to watch Christmas Vacation and Elf again.  Perhaps Home Alone and Home Alone 2 again. No promises-- a couch and a cozy blanket in the living room lit by the light of the Christmas Tree makes for early bedtimes for me!

Tomorrow, we'll spend the afternoon and evening with my mom & dad.  My older brother is coming to town and all of us will enjoy dinner together.  I'm making Loaded Cauliflower Casserole and Garlic Herb Cheese Bombs (first time trying it, I'll let you know how it goes!).

On Sunday, we'll have church service an hour later than normal, and then we'll go over to my mother-in-law's home and we'll snack during the day, and eat Christmas dinner there with my step-father-in-law, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, and my step-mother-in-law.  Hopefully, we'll watch The Ref or something along those lines.

Monday is my Dad's birthday so I'm sure we'll be spending part of our evening over there for birthday dinner!

I hope your holiday is festive and warm!

Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba


Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Show & Tell Tuesday: Christmas Decor 2016

Today I'm linking up with Andrea for Show & Tell Tuesday, and today's topic is my absolute favorite of all!  Christmas Decorations!

This is our first year in this home, so decorating it for the holidays is extra new and exciting!

We use this fabric Nativity Advent to countdown the days til Christmas!  It hangs on our coat closet door in the foyer.


I made this candy cane wreath a couple of weeks ago at a Ladies Craft Night at Church.



This pillow was my Aunt's, but I get to use it for Christmas decor this year and it's very, very special to me.


I made this tiny canvas when Michael was only 4 months old!  (#momfail-- I didn't make one when Noah was 11 months old two years later.  #secondchildproblems).


This cute modeling clay Hedgehog Nativity Set was crafted by another blogger friend, and it sits next to Noah's handprint wreath from 2014!


The "Walking In a Winter Wonderland" Snowman keeps the Jesse Tree ornament box company.


I made this cup and saucer set in ceramics class during my junior year of high-school.  We had to make a three piece set using the rolled clay technique.  Everyone else may think it's ugly, but it brings back memories for me, so I display it anyway. :)


Here's our tree this year.  We're using my aunt's tree since it has colored lights-- which my boys are really into this year!  They helped me decorate, which made my mommy-heart so proud!  I left the lower half of the tree exactly as they decorated it. :)


Here are two ornaments from Aaron & my first Christmas as a married couple in 2009.


A close-up of our Auburn ornament.  On the back, there's a painting of the Toomer's oak trees-- which we used to roll after every football win.


Michael's "First Christmas" ornament.


Noah's "First Christmas" ornament.


I stuck a spare strand of white lights in a lantern by our fireplace.  I had an orange strand in there during the fall season, so switching it out for a string of white lights was easy and festive!


Here's a complete picture of our mantle.


On the left edge, I've grouped three miniature trees.


The wooden tree was a gift from my Nana to me from Germany.  I used this tree as my "apartment tree" in my college days. :)



The other two trees are ones I've had since I was a girl.  On one tree, my mom and I used to hot-glue earrings when we couldn't find their match.  It's a little sparse, but I have some earrings I can add to it this year.


The next little tree is decorated with tiny ornaments that used to come attached to the Christmas gifts my brothers and I would get from our grandparents.


On the right side of the mantle, Santa and a reindeer snowglobe keep our wedding photo company.


Right now, we're using the J-O-Y stocking holders to hold our boys' stockings, and some faux mistletoe.  Hopefully, in the next couple of years, we'll have a third stocking hanging there!


I ordered the boys these stockings from Pottery Barn Kids during their Black Friday sale.  I am so in love with them!




In the dining room, I have a window pane with picture wire holding up family photos.  I've swapped some out for the Christmas pictures I took of the boys in the studio this fall.


On my kitchen cart in the dining room, I have my aunt's Christmas sleigh on display.


I rolled some craft paper out on the table as a semi-tablecloth, and I've set out the handmade Christmas place mats my Nana made for Aaron & me on our first Christmas after we were married.


On the door from the kitchen to the garage, I have a Merry felt banner hanging.  This cute banner came along with the Hedgehog Nativity Set, and it's so cute!


In my kitchen window above my sink, I have a hand print wreath that my mother-in-law created using scrapbook paper hand print cutouts of my boys last year.


And, of course, our Nativity set is directly on top of our entertainment center.



I hope you've enjoyed seeing where our Christmas decor is this year in our new home!  I can't wait to read through the other posts and catch a peek into the decor of others!

Until Next Time,
Much Love, Reba