Christmas Come and Gone

It's hard to believe that another Christmas has come and gone. Kind of sad. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around the fact that this is the last Christmas Aaron and I will spend just us two. We will have (I'm sure a very mobile) 10-month old baby girl along for the ride next year. I can't begin to tell you the joy that brings to my heart! I know my family is not complete and that if the good good Lord wills it we will have more little munchkins, but I'm super excited about having my family officially beginning in February. I'm excited for Christmas next year. The start of new traditions. Waking up with Elle Louise on Christmas morning. It will be so much fun! Hopefully it will snow again next year. Christmas is always a little better (if that's even possible) with snow on the ground!

I hope Christmas brought many blessings your way! We were beyond blessed! And, now that Christmas is over I can relax. Take. It. Easy. Just countdown to Baby Girl's birthday! Only 51 more days.

I forgot to take many pictures...imagine that! So, I stole some pictures from my SIL's Facebook page. Thanks, Whit!


Here are the kiddos Christmas Eve right before we started opening presents. You can see all my beautifully wrapped presents in the background :). I'm very proud of those!


Parker enjoying the gift we got him! A desk that converts into an art easel. Hopefully it will keep him busy here and there so his parents can have a little break. Ha ha!


Sweet girls! And...so pretty too!


And...here I am...in all my pregnant glory! And, the hubster sporting the footed pajamas again! I look very tired in this picture! I was. Exhausted. I don't think I moved from the same spot on the couch ALL NIGHT LONG.

We spent Christmas morning with my parents and Christmas day with my Mom's side of the family (Mimi and Poppy's...where the Snuggie picture was taken). Of course, I didn't take any pictures at either place but we had a great time. I love Christmas day at my grandparents. I don't get to see my family too much throughout the year, so its nice when we all get to be together!

Tomorrow at midnight we will all be ringing in the NEW YEAR! I just know that 2010 is going to be a BIG BIG year!

Have a FUN and SAFE NYE!

Snuggie buddies

DEFINITELY my favorite picture from the holidays!

Winter Snow

Winter Snow
Audrey Assad featuring Chris Tomlin

It's Official

I have cankles (well, sometimes)!

Dreaming of a white Christmas

Photo credit

Snow is in the forecast for Christmas Eve! Oh, I hope so!

I Heart Wrapping

I take my Christmas wrapping very seriously!


I like to coordinate my paper and use lots of tulle and wraphia!


They always turn out so pretty (not to toot my own horn)!

I feel like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders just now. I am completely done shopping and besides the few gifts I have at work being monogrammed, I am DONE wrapping. Its kind of sad that that is my biggest worry right now. I can't help but think how fortunate I am as I wrap the many gifts for my family and friends. I don't need anything. Noone in my family needs anything. But, we buy each other many many gifts every year. We are so very blessed to be able to do this for each other. Obviously I wouldn't change it for the world, but sometimes it seems so silly!

My mom is a principal at a local elementary school and she told me about a boy the other day that just cried during their Christmas program because his family wasn't going to have much of a Christmas. It wasn't even the presents he was upset about, it was the fact that his family had barely enough money to buy food. Broke my heart and I haven't been able to quit thinking about him and his family. Next year it is going to be my number one priority to do something for a family that is less fortunate than we are. I want Elle Louise to want to give more than she enjoys receiving!


Speaking of receiving. This is Elle's bedroom after our shower last Sunday!


Whew! We are SO very loved! Again...so very fortunate!

We also have SOOOOOOOOO much to do before the middle of February! I'm beginning to think it is not going to all get done. I think of all my friends and family that have had babies in the past who had their rooms done with months to spare. We are WAY behind! But, what can I say? Aaron and I are procrastinators. We wait until the very last minute. Its what we do!


Here is Aaron tackling the guest bedroom! Or "Nana" and "Gigi" quarters! We (he) painted the walls the prettiest blue color. Aaron's sister is giving us a set of queen mattresses and I am going to cover a headboard. I think I have the fabric....its chocolate. I'm kind of over the whole chocolate and aqua scene, but I think it will look really good and it will match some of our other decor that we plan on putting in there. This room is almost as important as Elle's room (maybe more), because I know we will have many overnight guests once our little angel makes her big debut!

Now off to finish writing "Thank You's". Probably one of my favorite things to do! I love letting everyone know how much I appreciate their generosity and how much I love them!

A tree for Baby Elle Louise

Elle Louise is not even here yet, but she has her own Christmas tree!

For my shower the hostesses had everyone bring an ornament for Baby Girl and when I got home from the shower, Aaron had put up our tree! I didn't get down any other Christmas decorations or ornaments so our tree only has the ornaments from the shower on it. So stinkin cute! I'm so excited because next year Elle Louise will have the cutest little tree for her room filled with her own ornaments!


our white tree filled with Baby Girl ornaments!


sweet ornament!


my cousin, Jennifer, painted this ornament


EL got lots of pink shoes, ballerinas, and ballerina slippers


AK picked out this ornament for EL...so cute!


the tree lit up!

Maternity Pictures

Yesterday were my maternity pictures. These are a few that Rachel previewed on her blog last night. I think the ones I have seen so far have turned out great! Thanks, Rachel! You are a great friend to me and a true blessing. I will cherish these pictures FOREVER!

Shower Pics

the food table


sweet diaper cake (I love Elle's initials!)


so much pink!


cute onesies!


some of my hostesses

It was a great shower! I'll do a post on all my gifts (or most of them). I got some GREAT ones! So much fun!

Giveway

Beautiful Handmade is giving away this oh-so-cute dress. Go to her blog and enter! I ordered Elle Louise's leopard shoes from her and LOVE them.

Today was my first baby shower! It was SO much fun. I will post pictures (some...) from the shower soon, as well as pictures of all the gifts I got! I had a blast. Elle Louise is one lucky little lady to have so many people that love and care for her (and her mommy and daddy) the way that they do.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Looking forward to a very busy week at work and at home. I still have SO MUCH Christmas shopping left to do! But, hey, that is the fun part right?

babylegs and shower attire

Elle Louise scored herself a few pair of Babylegs on Cyber Monday! They were 1/2 off to the first 500 customers...so I scored all 5 pair for $30 (and free shipping). That is a STEAL. Aren't they just too cute? I think my favorite are the strawberry ones.

Tonight, Mom went with me shopping to help me find something to wear for my baby shower that is on Sunday (nothing like last minute). I had a dress picked out, but the more I look at it the less I like it and the more I try it on the less cute I feel in it. Its too fitted and too thin material or something. I might still wear it for my maternity pictures though. Its cute dressed casual with a scarf and boots! Can I please just say that our maternity shopping options in NWA suck big time? I've had the hardest time finding cute maternity clothes that don't make me look like Michelle Duggar (no offense Michelle...I do love you!). So, I end up shopping at "normal" stores and just getting a size or two bigger than I would normally wear. Praise Jesus (yes, I do praise Jesus for things like clothes) for the trends and styles now, because a lot are flattering on the pregnant body!

Seriously, I tried on 20 dresses at Francesca's...


I tried this on. Cute, but I need sleeves and this top is kind of funny to put a cardigan over.


I tried this on. One word...HILARIOUS!


I tried this on. Too thin material...showed every bump and bulge.


I tried this on. Sweet, but definitely not flattering on the 7 1/2 month prego. My mom also tried it on and it was PRECIOUS on her. She didn't listen to me and didn't buy it.

I did find a dress. Onsale, nonetheless. Super excited about that one! It wasn't online anymore so you'll just have to wait to see the dress that finally fit after my shower on Sunday!


I bought this top yesterday at Forever21 and I think that I will wear it over the dress I got. Awww...pink. Quickly becoming my favorite color!

So, I'm probably not going to do a Fashion Friday post tomorrow. I know, you are super sad about that one! Ha! But...I have WAY too much to do tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

O Christmas Tree

Pretty girl!


Hayden's silly smile!


I love my mom's tree full of lots of random ornaments!


AK and Hayden "helping"


AK showing me her "favorite" ornament. They were all her favorites!


Aaron was sad about something...not sure what though.




My first ornament!







Sunday night Mom made a pot of vegetable beef soup and we went over to eat dinner and put ornaments on their tree. I love my Mom's tree and I want just like hers one day. It was fun to help her decorate a little...I pretty much just sat on the floor and handed her and Sara ornaments to hang on the tree!