Beginning Christmas Traditions 🏡🎄🌨🎅

This season started with hunting for the perfect Christmas tree at our favorite tree farm the weekend after Thanksgiving 🎄 

We start by capturing a family picture under the big farm sign then at the Tot Lot where there is a measuring stand with a sign that has the year on it. Then we grab our saw and hit the trail to search for the perfect tree (it's the perfect tree farm because our dog can join us on the hunt!) Once we have found our tree, we saw it down, get it shaken, paid for and strapped to the top of the car; we head into the barn for hot cocoa and cookies to warm up by their wood burning stove! 

The next weekend is drill weekend! This was our first year with our son so we were excited about family day! Our unit Christmas party is always a blast for the kids (we usually try to have our niece and nephew there too!) Santa comes with donated gifts, there is cookie decorating and so many littles to play with! This year Moe and I had two parties to go to (mine and Daddy's). As much fun and excitement there was, Moe didn't get a nap which lead to a sad meeting with Santa. So Santa, maybe next year he'll feel more comfortable meeting you 😅

The following weekend we went and saw the Christmas lights at the Michigan International Speedway! Moe LOVED that! He was oohing and aweing the whole time, pointing at his favorite ones! This age (11 Months) is so much fun; he is starting to recognize different things and his favorites are the Christmas decorations! 

Two more weekends until Christmas brings visits to my parents for some Christmas baking!! (Our kitchen is in the process of remodeling so that's a no-go here but the perfect opportunity to go cook for our family!) 

We made delicious banana bread, apple butter, chocolate chip cookies, molasses cookies, peanut butter reindeer cookies and our traditional delicious fish stew, a recipe passed down from my mother's side of the family! 

Of course we do some Christmas shopping throughout the last two weeks which means Mall trips and surprise visit to Santa (which was a little better than the first visit but only because Moe stayed in my lap.

🎄Christmas Eve we start the night with fish stew for dinner and then a new tradition! The Christmas Eve chest. It's the one gift that we can open on Christmas Eve wrapped in a special chest. The gift contains special activities and cozy things special for that night including cookies for Santa♥🎁♥ We set up a nice little table of milk and cookies for Santa with carrots for the reindeer then off to bed for Moe leaving us to wrap presents and prepare for Christmas morning.

🎅🎁Christmas day we wake up, brew our coffee, eat our breakfast, shower (because our little man is a messy eater!) And get into our comfy cozies to open up our presents! We had to space out our present opening because of naps and attention span. We watch the live stream of the Christmas program from Northridge church while enjoying the mess of paper and toys surrounding us.

🏡We then have a nice laid back visit with Nick's parents, with our fireplace going and the snow falling. We were in PJ’s all day, sitting by our Christmas tree and the fireplace enjoying family visits and playing with our son.

It's the simple sweet seasonal activities that really brings out the excitement of Christmas! ✨🎄🌨🏡 🎅

Merry Christmas all and God bless 🙏♥🎄