Thursday, December 8, 2016

Christmas Time

So I have not blogged since Poppy's birth story but I feel like I have been doing well documenting Poppy and Oliver on instagram.  After their birthdays my goal next year is to get all caught up on their baby books.  I wanted to compile a list of Christmas traditions that we have been doing the last few years.

It started out with Cory and I dating and married
We would always go look at lights and sip on cocoa and coffee (me the cocoa him the coffee (iced) ha! We would drive around, walk around go in our neighborhood and all over town.

We also would always watch a lot of Christmas movies and do Christmas activities around the valley. Some of our favorites included Kierland, The Princess, and Mc Cormick Ranch (funny that Oliver loves trains and that we have a little princess of our own now) We would go iceskating, ,carriage rides, and shop together. It was a blast!!

Now we have 2 kids and it has gotten more fun the traditions continue and we have added more too!

It all starts after Halloween (used to be Thanksgiving) we put the decorations up, hang the lights outside and get our real tree and decorate it on Thanksgiving weekend.

*Each child's first Christmas we do a footprint pottery plate Oliver was a reindeer Poppy a tree.  They also get a big glass bulb with hospital hat and bracelet

*Each year we get one ornament for every child to add to their tree

*We send out cards

*We celebrate St. Nick Day and our stockings and shoes get filled with treats.

*This year we will leave food for the reindeer

*Every year we leave cookies and milk for santa

*Cory and I go on a Christmas date every year, watch lots of movies, and wrap Christmas gifts and shop together

*Christmas boutiques have been going on since I was a kid.

* Movie night Oliver gets to stay up late one night and we have popcorn and cocoa while we watch a movie.

*Decorating every room of the house including tree and the kids room is a must

*reading books

*christamas jammies and outfits!

*seeing santa
*sometimes we host parties

Im sure as the kids get older we will do many of these nights with everyone and with each individual child.

*Elf! Love the little Elf! His name is Griswald Griswald came to us last year!

*This year we started opening one book every night and read it before bed.
*This year we made a gingerbread house and I want to continue this tradition
*Baking cookies together is a must!

This season is filled with lots of christmas music, activities, lights, and more!

Christmas Eve we always do church and dinner
Christmas morning we relax all day have a festive breakfast play with all our new christmas toys, go for walks and then to my parents for dinner . After dinner we usually go look at lights.

The few days and week after Christmas we continue looking at lights then its time to take the decor down and get ready for their birthdays!

I love Christmas and I love Christmas with kids cant wait to continue traditions and start new ones as our family grows! Im looking forward to tea with santa and the nutcracker!