sunday snaps

#sundaysnaps | week in review

This was such a busy, but exciting week celebrating Christmas! We enjoyed a Mexican food dinner with our friends on Wednesday night. Josh and I are thankful for the friendships that have flourished this year.

Weird weather + rain had me in a skirt with rain boots on Wednesday. 

On Christmas Eve, we made cookies for Santa to follow our tradition. We messed up the recipe and made a giant mess but we had so much fun in the process.

Every Christmas Eve, we go to church for the candlelight Christmas service and then we head to my parent's house for dinner and gifts. It's such a special time and I look forward to Christmas Eve all year long. My mom's tree was so beautiful.

These sweet girls woke up at 5:45 because they were so excited to see what Santa had brought them. They loved all of their surprises! 

My Santa did so good this year and I am pretty sure that he follows me on Pinterest because he knew exactly what I wanted. So many cute things!

My camera was my favorite gift. I have pretty much no clue how to use it yet but I am excited to learn. This is my very first photo using it. 

I am so thankful for the time we got to spend with all of our family and friends. And most of all I'm thankful for Jesus. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

And the angel said to them, “fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:10-11 ESV

christmas style + traditions

Happy Christmas Eve! This is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love Christmas! I wanted to share a few of our family's Christmas traditions as well as some Christmas style.

Josh and I didn't really have many Christmas traditions until we had our girls. We did the traditional things like visit family, see the lights, and exchange gifts but not much other than that. Once our girls were born, Christmas took on a whole new light. It was magical again and I love that.

We always put up our tree on Thanksgiving and decorate the next day. This year the girls decorated the tree almost completely themselves except for what they couldn't reach. Our tree doesn't follow any theme except that it's a representation of us as a family. Each ornament was either handmade or it holds special meaning. Our elf comes to our house on Thanksgiving night as well. She delivers the girls Christmas pajamas. Our elf stays through Christmas Eve... and she doesn't make messes that are hard to clean up. Haha. On Christmas Eve, the girls and I make cookies for Santa together. We go to church as a family for the candlelight service and then go to my parents house for dinner and gifts. For Christmas, the girls get a gift from Santa {unwrapped} and three other wrapped gifts from us. The other three gifts are something to wear, something to read, and something they want. This keeps things more simple and more meaningful. They also get a stocking full of small goodies. On Christmas morning, Josh always makes us sausage balls for breakfast and I make a dish to take with us for his family's Christmas Day festivities.

Each year we seem to add another little tradition. What are your favorite Christmas traditions? And below you will find some Christmas style inspiration to help you get dressed today and tomorrow.

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy this special time of remembering the birth of Jesus Christ!

SHOP THIS OUTFIT:

SHOP THIS OUTFIT:

SHOP THIS OUTFIT:

sunday snaps

#sundaysnaps | week in review

Julianna's parent observation night was Tuesday and she made us so proud with her amazing skills! Our girl is a natural ballerina.

The week before Christmas and 70 degrees, makes red lace up flats a necessity.

We had our staff Christmas party and put on our festive duds for the occasion! I love working with these amazing people.

Olivia had her Christmas express day at preschool this week and she got to wear her Christmas jammies to school. She had such a great time!

Olivia's parent observation night was on Friday and she is an amazing little tumbler. She's isn't a super graceful dancer but she has so much fun doing it and that's really all that matters.

We spent our Saturday shopping and eating out for dinner. This man is amazing dad and an awesome hubby. He is always such a trooper and I love him more than anything!

Saturday morning I broke my favorite Starbucks mug that I got for my birthday so we made a stop to get a new one since they were 30% off. We had to get a peppermint mocha while we were there. It tastes like Christmas in a cup to me!

Our last stop Saturday night was to ride through the neighborhoods to see the beautiful Christmas light balls. They were so pretty!

Tonight we went to the Denton Farm Park to take a ride on the Country Christmas Train and to visit Santa. This was our first ever successful Santa photo with both of our girls. They had a great time posing with Santa and tell him their wish lists. 

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

1 Peter 1:8 ESV

sunday snaps

#sundaysnaps | week in review

Julianna's behavior wasn't great this week. So Joy sent a reminder to the girls to "be good"... hopefully this week will be better!

The first Wednesday of every month our church holds a special event. They are different each month with most of them focusing on prayer and fellowship. This month was a fun game show coffee house with a dessert contest. A few of us girls from our community group had fun in the photo booth. Olivia cracks me up this picture!

On Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Olivia doesn't have preschool so we get to hang out at home together. She loves to play dress up right now.

Friday night the girls were in the local Christmas parade with their dance school. They had so much fun riding the float, waving, and telling everyone Merry Christmas!

Saturday morning I was busy working so we spent Saturday evening doing a little shopping and eating dinner at Chipotle {my favorite}. I finally found an adorable gray bag and I also got some new Christmas jammies! 

While we were at dinner Saturday night, Julianna lost her first tooth while she was eating rice! She was so excited about her first visit from the tooth fairy and when she woke up this morning, there was a shiny gold coin in the bag!

Cold weather is upon us and I'm getting prepared. I don't like to be cold so I am ready with my winter accessories: a cute hat and a blanket scarf. Josh also got this homemade winter fix vapor bath from a friend at church. I can't wait to use it!

And last up... I just got this crazy text from my husband. He always knows how to make me laugh! Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11

sunday snaps

#sundaysnaps | week in review

Olivia had her Thanksgiving feast at preschool this week. The kiddos sang adorable songs, played coffee can drums, and enjoyed a meal. It was pretty much the cutest thing ever!

When we came home from Thanksgiving dinner, our elf Joy had come back! She brought the girls new pajamas as well as a note that reminds them what Christmas is really all about. Joy doesn't cause much trouble at our house, she mostly just serves as a reminder to spread Christmas cheer, show love to others, and to tell everyone about our King Jesus. Occasionally she just get into some silliness but minimal cleanup for mom and dad.

I am so excited for this Christmas season with my family. Christmas is so much more fun and magical now that I have children. I think it gets a little sweeter each year!

God knew what he was doing when he gave me two daughters! I absolutely love getting them dressed each day and I am enjoying dressing them alike while they will still let me.

I did most of my Black Friday shopping online but I did go to Anthropologie to pick up a couple of gifts. They whole store was 25% off! They had so many pretty things!

The weather has been so perfect! 70 degrees and sunny so we decided on Saturday to have a picnic at the zoo. 

This little one gets comfortable in this position pretty much anywhere! One of the zoo workers was showing us a beautiful hawk so she just laid down and got comfy. 

Today the children at our church led worship and kicked off the Advent season at church. I absolutely love watching my girls' personalities shine on stage. They did such a good job!
Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.  Malachi 3:1 ESV

family: christmas 2014

We had a wonderful Christmas and we hope you did too! We learned more about the birth of our Savior, ate tons of yummy food, and spent lots of time with family! Julianna got sick during all the fun but we made the best of it anyways. Here is a recap of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day...

watching their videos from the North Pole.

checking on the cookies for Santa that they just put in the oven.

candlelight Christmas Eve service before going to my mom's for our traditional meal and gift exchange.

getting cookies + egg nog ready for Santa and carrots for the reindeer.

time for bed for these excited little girls.

the stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Santa came! Santa brings an unwrapped gift to each of the girl's. Julianna asked for a bike and Olivia asked for things to take care of her babies with. Santa did good.

starbucks cup excitement.

a tiara for our princess.

he loves his under armour hoodie!

an Olivia book for Olivia. later than afternoon Josh took Olivia to his family's Christmas Day get together. Julianna and I stayed home in our Christmas jammies to nurse her back to health. she's thankfully finally feeling better today.

my Christmas goodies. Josh always does such a wonderful job picking out items for me. he is a smart man and stalks my Pinterest account for ideas.

the sweetest gift of all are these Kate Spade inspired earrings that he made! he saw the real thing on my Pinterest but decided he could DIY a pair himself. so he took a pair of cheap Wal-Mart earrings, a little super glue and glitter, and done! I love them and his thoughtfulness! he's a keeper.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours!