weekend | Christmas 2016

Christmas 2016.  I cant believe its already come and gone! I am refusing to take down my festive décor until at least the second week in January.. which might end up being the third week and those colorful bottle brushes I added to my Christmas collection this year could also make their stay into February.  mostly because I just cant stand to see it all go yet- I feel like my house is so bare after everything is put away! and mainly because who has the energy after a holiday weekend to even think about tearing it all down yet.  surely not me. not at all.
our celebrations started on Friday evening- our annual Supper Club (adults only) get together this year was held at the Tapella’s.  Jacqueline and Travis hosted the most beautiful party for the 8 of us- a personal chef cooked the best meal ever- seriously the crab cakes we ate as appetizers were to die for.  and we laughed and laughed and laughed until we cried.  so much FUN  with this group of friends we have spent the last 7 years of life with. 

 for the first time in a long time I wanted seconds of everything we ate!
 our annual framily picture!
self-timer for the win!!
 ..and our silly pictures never get old.  I cant tell you how many of these pics I have stored away and every single one of them involve Chris and Jordan getting a little too close
Jordan set the timer on my phone and felt zero remorse for pushing the gals out of the way to make his place next to Chris.
when the whiskey and cigars made their way onto the patio the girls kicked off our boots and pulled out the sugar cookies for dessert number two:)  it was well past midnight before anyone made a move to leave.. the best way to start this holiday weekend, if you ask me!
you could say it was an early wake up call the next morning:)
 Christmas Eve we visited Watermark Community Church in Dallas. Jordan and I attended this church for a long time before the babies were born so it has always felt like home to us.  we had plans to shop around Northpark Mall after church which is near there, so it made sense to take the girls back “home” for Christmas Eve. this was their first time in “big” church and aside from them saying “I want to go home” a handful of times they did so good. 
 we failed miserably at getting a group pic of  all of us after church.. and when I was rounding up the girls to attempt for the 10th time (or so it felt like..) I turned around to see these silly attitudes about being close to each other.
its not always rainbows and unicorns, folks!
 Merry Christmas EVE!

 after leaving our best cookies for Santa and reindeer food sprinkled throughout the yard we got the babes in bed and finished wrapping and setting up for Christmas morning.
 Christmas morning came quickly!!
we woke to Parker’s cackles from the living room about Santa eating the cookies and Jolie squealing over the giant shopkin’s pack under the tree- “just what I asked Santa for!!”
this was the first year I feel like they really had the understanding of Christmas and celebrating Jesus as well as the magic of Santa Claus delivering presents under the tree.
Baker was the last one awake- per the usual.  time to wake up sleepy head! 

 want to know a secret? the twins got that easel for their birthday LAST YEAR.  it has been sitting in the guest room unopened, because we have had no place to really put it and I might have decided they were old enough for it prematurely.  when cleaning out the guest room to make room for a baby boy we discovered/remembered the giant box and did one of those forehead slaps like “why is this still sitting in here!”
anyway.. Merry Christmas, girls:)

the twins got brand new bikes- Disney Frozen princess bikes, of course! and Baker got this little motorized car from Santa. 
she is straight nutty and found it most entertaining to ram into my heels anytime she got on it.

 this Christmas was magical.  we didn’t leave the house or get out of our jammies.. we watched movies and played with our new toys and took long naps instead and it is the only way I would want to spend this holiday!
with the people that matter most to me..
these girls and their daddy, too. 
I hope your Christmas was wonderful!! 

December 26, 2016

  1. Where did that gorgeous table runner come from??? I'm in love ?

    What a sweet holiday you had, Amber!

  2. Lavakels says:

    Okay, I've got to ask- where are those polka dot dresses from?? So adorable!