Only 4 More Days!

Christmas is almost here (only 4 more days) and about this time every year I feel myself begin to turn back into a little girl! I am just SO excited about Christmas! This is the first year since we've been married that we'll be having Christmas Eve and Christmas morning at our own home. The nice thing about it all is that by staying home for Christmas morning doesn't mean we are sacrificing time with family either, as we are planning to travel to see family the two weeks after Christmas. So I feel like we are getting the best of both worlds.

I am excited about the nice Christmas Eve supper we'll have together as a family. It will include my mom's hash brown casserole, fancy green beans, rolls and sliced ham from Honey Baked Ham. Since it'll be just the three of us (and I'm guessing Mara Kate won't touch it) I was able to pre-order 1/2 lb. of sliced ham--which should be just a few slices. Perfect since I don't want a lot of leftovers as we are traveling the next day. We've had the tradition of giving Mara Kate a new set of pj's on Christmas Eve that she'll wear to bed that night, so she'll get to open those that night as well as an ornament from us, which is another thing we also get her every year. Kane will read the Christmas story and we'll finish off our advent tree that night as well. I think we'll let Mara Kate use the nativity set to "act out" what is happening in the Christmas story the way my sisters and I did as kids on Christmas Eve when Dad read the story to us before bed.

Kane and I are filling stockings for one another (and of course MK too)---a first for us this year, as we have waited on that tradition until we decided it was time to do Christmas morning at home. I think this might be one reason I feel extra excited this year as stockings is one of my favorite things and I've never had the opportunity to be the one to fill them before. This playing Santa thing is really a lot of fun!!

After we are finished with "our Christmas" then we'll pack 'em up and head 'em out! We'll get to spend the weekend with Kane's family and have Christmas all over again on Saturday, then we'll begin the long trek to the mid-west to spend about a week with my family in Kansas City, celebrating Christmas a 3rd time along with New Year's Eve, which is something I'm also very excited about. Being at my Mom and Dad's for New Year's Eve is great as my mom always makes it special by making all the tried and true goodies I grew up with and also really helps the little girl in me come out once again. We also play lots of games and just hang out New Year's Eve, so it's always a very fun & special time.

Our stockings
I plan on having our names embroidered on them by next Christmas. Kane is the Nutcracker, I am the Ice Skater and Mara Kate is the Ballerina (she is planning on letting Santa know which stocking is hers by mentioning it in the note we'll leave him next to his milk and cookies. She was very concerned that he wouldn't know which one to fill with her things since our names are not on them yet) Ha!

I'm also excited to be adding another stocking next year---It'll be interesting to see if it is another girly one or not!!

Mara Kate in front of the tree yesterday morning before Church. She sang in front of the congregation with the other kids and I was taken back by how tiny she looked up on the big stage. She was one of the youngest, but I could see her lips moving so I know she was singing. She was so proud to be able to sing with the big kids too!

By the way, because you know how I am about finding good deals---the dress she is wearing I got at a consignment store downtown the day we toured Broad St. It is Gap, but I got it for less than $10 bucks and since it isn't out and out Christmasy she'll be able to get a lot of use out of throughout the entire winter months! Score!

Also, the "fa la la" decoration on the shelf above the stockings was something else I got for an absolute steal! I found it a couple months ago on the clearance table at Hancock Fabrics. It was originally $24.99 and I got it for $2.50. Double score!