Our Merry Christmas

Our third Christmas as a married couple is coming to a close. It's funny how some things are the same every year - the menu at Grandma and Grandpa's house, missing the comfort of our own bed, traveling back and forth between our two home towns multiple time (this year it was probably a record number of times with 5), packing the car like a game of Tetris (even more complicated when you can only put waterproof things in the trunk because it leaks and it rained SO much)... but some things change. The kids in our lives are all growing up! Tyler's brother Lucas spends most of his time on the phone with his first real girlfriend. Sophe and Chloe are starting to play better together. The Nintendo Wii was the big gift this year and all the kids are already sore from playing it so much.
























This is our first full-sized Christmas tree! My brother Johnny helped us bring it home one blustery evening and he also helped to set it up. I compensated him with dinner. Our cats have thoroughly enjoyed the tree - their own personal jungle gym apparently. Maxwell poked his eye on a branch pretty badly the very first night it was up so I think he learned his lesson. But Edison. Edison has been a very naughty cat this year. He scaled the tree in about 5 seconds flat and perched on top for a while before he and his brother were shown their semi-permanent new home in the guest bedroom. I've really had to fight to keep this tree intact. After our New Year's Eve party, we'll let them destroy it.



















Tyler's good friend Brandon is an avid fisherman who, in the off-season, crafts some incredible fishing lures. Tyler's grandfather has always enjoyed woodworking and handmade things so we commissioned Brandon to make one for him. Isn't it nice?









































I love giving gifts! I always have one or two that I am especially proud of and this year's winner was for Tyler's mom. I put together a gift basket with some of her favorite types of items: apples, snowmen and even a nativity. I wish I could do something like this every year for everyone on my list. Coming in a close second on my favorite gift list would be some artwork I found for Tyler's sister Sophe's room.



















At one of our family get-togethers, we played a fun game where each of us were to make a holiday item out of nothing but aluminum foil and Tyler's grandfather was to pick his favorite one. He chose Chloe's big candy cane and she won some chocolates. Like my cute little gift on the far right side of the pic? It was a creative, fun and inexpensive activity that each person seemed to enjoy. Next, we played Dirty Santa and I ended up with a 2-qt crockpot that I really wanted! Yay!



















Lastly, Tyler's sisters and I made gingerbread Christmas trees! Although the kit was designed to make just one tree, there were two of each size cookie so we made two squatty trees instead of one big tree. Worked out well because sometimes there are sharing issues as you might imagine. I also enjoyed baking decorating sugar cookies with them.

We had a pretty great Christmas and we hope you did too!