The After Christmas

Hello everyone!!! How was your Christmas'? Ours was wonderful. First we had our good friend Steve, or Rookie/Rook as we like to call him, for the unwrapping of the Christmas presents. He's like our kids god-parents. Then my mom came up to visit for the day. But as a surprise, she brought my grandfather. Which was awesome! I thought that he would be spending Christmas alone. My grandmother passed away this past August for those of you who don't know. The kiddos were uber excited about their presents and super happy that grandma and papa could be here. 

Welcome to the After Christmas edition post. I really haven't posted anything on here in while. I've been sprucing up my other blog. It's centered on DIY projects while this blog will be focused more on the family. I'll still be sharing projects but it will be less tutorially and more the after math. You can visit the new site here. I hope that you enjoy and please spread the word. Tell your friends and families!

Our tree this year!! We tried no lights...never doing that again. But unlike last year I am now in planning mode for nest year's theme. It's a color palette that everyone has seen before, except for babies. I'm hitting up PotteryBarn online to score some of those really thin lights which you can find here and the velvet stockings and velvet tree skirt. Hopefully they'll still have them and I can get everything monogrammed for a good price.

The kiddos presents this year. I think we may also buy some gifts for children who have none next year.  We don't believe in over spoiling our children. So we choose like the top three on their lists to Santa.

Can't go wrong with a semi white Christmas and some snow covered foliage right? 

Blake eating Happy Tots Stage 2 foods for breakfast. He can put two of those away with a pancake if I let him. This kid is a tank!! We're training him to be a tight end lol.

My beautiful girls playing quite nicely together. 

Tribute: my grandmother this past April/May holding baby Blake. I miss my grandmother so much. She was a staple in my life. I've spent so much time with her, I consider her closer than a grandmother. She was always there when I needed her and offered me advice from the Bible. Not just from her own opinion. She wanted to be as much like Christ as she could and she wanted the same for her entire family. She loved my children like they were her own even though they were two generations apart. This is the first Christmas without her. I love her and she was always be remembered and hold a special place in my heart.

A holiday isn't a holiday without holiday cookies :) We made sugar cookies with homemade icing. For the garnishment we used butterscotch and semi sweet chips on the ginger bread men and crushed peppermint candy canes on the candy cane shapes. 

The icing was 2 cups confectioners sugar, water(I poured until I was satisfied) and a little bit of vanilla. But you could easily use any other flavoring.

Mmm Mmm cookies...

This was a gold box that I picked up from Pier 1 Imports a few years back. I thought it was something really cool but I could also afford it lol!!

Seamus' ornament from last year. We have a tradition that we do every year. We typically go and buy ornaments for one another. Kind of like an ornament swap. This year we decided to make salt dough ornaments with our neighbors. They didn't turn out the way I wanted. That's why there's no pictures of them lol.

Table top decor. Gold glass ornaments with glittered covered pinecones in a Yankee Candle crackled vase.

Yes, that is a Pier 1 candle with the paper label still on it. And to add it's still wrapped in it's plastic cover. I tend not to burn candles. The Hubbs tends to let them burn all day, or my children will knock the candle over. And these candles are strong enough that they don't have to burn.

This is Maddalaena's ornament from Poppop last year.

Our minimalist table decor lol. It makes me feel better to say that just because I didn't put too much effort into decorating this year.

Lylian's ornament from last year.

Something nifty I picked up. It's a ball of gold leafy flowers and red berries.

Blake raiding our snack cabinet. He loves him some Cheerios. I just hope that when he's 50 he has great cholesterol lol.

Seamus and Lylian opening some of their presents. Of course my son thinks that the biggest present is his. Because bigger is better right??

Blake. I love that look! He's so expressive. He's like "Hey where's my stuff?"

I wish that I was quick enough to get Lylian's reactions on camera. They were priceless. Everytime she opened a gift she screamed and had the biggest smile on her face. It made me feel like I was the best present-buyer/mother on the planet. 

Maddalaena showing off her Minnie Mouse picnic set.

The Hubbs was just wiped out. He had duty the previous night and he stayed up all morning to help the kids open their gifts and enjoy the extreme joy that radiated from their pores.

Blake or Goldo(Fat boy) and his walker toy. We thought that this was a good investment considering Maddalaena walked at 14 months. And I really didn't want to tote this big ole boy around at that age. He's 8 months and over 20 pounds!! And I am kidding, I know that babies will walk and develop at their own pace.

Seamus got Skylanders for the Wii this Christmas. Has played it most of yesterday and he hasn't stopped today. This was his smile as I asked him to take a picture. See the priority here?? I'm just glad that he is happy. 

The girls playing with their little brother. These moments are golden and I love them when they happen, however rare it is...

How was your Christmas? Do your children believe in Santa? Has anyone spoiled it for them? We just started the whole Santa things because of Seamus' school. They talk about it, so we act on it. But I'm hoping it doesn't last much longer. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas!! And soon to have a Happy New Year!!