Our first Christmas celebration

Kay and mike came this afternoon to celebrate Christmas today! It was a nice relaxing visit. Played a game, visited, opened gifts and enjoyed a wonderful dinner. I bought some ribeye steaks from Aldi and found some great recipe ideas on Pinterest for marinating the steaks and twice baked potatoes. I was awfully proud of myself for how it all came together! 

Kids enjoyed their gifts. Owen was busy putting new Legos together and grace was trying to master the rainbow loom! It was a great visit and enjoyed having them here at our home!

Ice Day

School Closed!! However, I find this bittersweet. Being my first year working at school I was looking forward to seeing all the holiday joy from the kids on the last day of school. All week there has been treats in the office, presents being exchanged and parties in the classrooms! It sure gets u in the spirit seeing everyone with a sense of holiday spirit.

Even though I am missing pj day at school we will have it here at home today! It is 840am and the kiddos are still nestled in their beds. I am enjoying GMA in bed with a cup of coffee and a bit of Baileys thrown in. Seeing as how I am not getting anywhere unless we ice skate there! The plan is to bake some Christmas cookies today and just enjoy our laid back day together. It certainly is the most wonderful time of the year 😊

The most wonderful time of the year...

Gearing up for the holidays!! Starting to feel the spirit wrapping up my shopping, finish decorating and starting some Christmas baking!

Kids went to see Santa yesterday at the mall or should I say Owen went to see Santa! Of course what he asked for is not what he will be getting! We should know by now that this always happens! He asked for a Furby Boom and NFL Gameday.  Lucky for him one of the items was on sale in the ads this week and were able to squeeze it into the budget!

Besides the gifts and the shopping we set our final plans on where and when we will visit family which I am most excited about! This Sunday Kay and mike will be coming here. Christmas Eve will be spent having dinner with some good friends followed by church service. Christmas morning we will be home to welcome Santa and open our gifts.  That afternoon we will travel to my dad and Holly's and Thursday we will continue north to my Mom and Tom's for Ghiloni Christmas.  I am especially looking forward to seeing my mom as I have missed her SO much lately and I just love being up there this time of the year with all the snow! Ghiloni Christmas is always very important to me being an only child.  Having my step brother and sister inlaw there and my nephews is really comforting and a connection of extended family I really cherish. 

The kids also get so excited to travel and visit this time of year and we r lucky they r seasoned travelers. Of course I always love seeing their faces light up opening their gifts. We don't buy them a whole lot throughout the year besides birthday and Christmas so it's always a nice treat to spoil them a little :). 

It is always a great time of reflection. We are so lucky to be blessed with the people in our lives both family and friends.  We are fortunate to have a comfortable life and be able to provide the way we do for our family. We are blessed to have such wonderful children and to all be happy and healthy! Here's to wishing u all happy and healthy holiday season and a wonderful new year!!

Buddy

Owen was so worried about Buddy the Elf today. We had forgot to move him last night. When Owen noticed he was in the same spot he said he thought it was his fault. I asked him why and he said very guiltily and almost in tears that yesterday he shot a Nerf bullet and he thinks it may have hit him! For those of u that don't know the "magic" of the elf will end if the elf is touched. I reassured him thAt because he didn't a actually touch him that it should b just fine. I did remember to move him tonight 😉