Christmas Roundup

Our Christmas started back in November with our annual family Christmas photos.  We made our way up to Drysdale Tree Farm (link here: http://www.drysdales.ca/) just outside of Barrie.  What a perfect day...the first real snowfall, we were actually on time, my daughter wore 1 of the 3 outfits I had chosen for her, I had a great hair day (considering I never have time to get myself ready), my hubby finished project #22 from my Pinterest to do list and we beat the crowds at the farm!  Being that it was opening weekend, we thought it would be super busy but it turns out the crowds don't begin until December...then you can expect people in the thousands to be arriving!  Here's a little preview from the shoot.  Our photographer Tim is just the greatest!  ...here's his info: http://www.shutterhead.ca/

How perfect is this shot??  ..and check out the car!  My husband stayed up late working on it all week, making sure it was perfect for the photos.  It looked just like the one we saw on Pinterest - ok better hehe

This is a keeper!  We're all looking!

One of my favourites!  This is my husband Jordan (I call him Jord) ...how cute is he?  He wasn't too excited to take this shot but I made him ha!

Another one of my favourites!  Me and my little snow princess:)  She was so cold in this photo - she refused to wear anything on her legs!  We've recently made progress though, when it comes to getting her dressed for our cold Ontario Winters.  We bought her a Minnie Mouse winter jacket and an assortment of Disney Princess tights!  Seems to be doing the trick!  Clearly winter is not one of her favourite seasons ha!

Family Christmas Photos - check!  One big stress out of the way...family Christmas cards...that's a whole other story.  We used Shutterfly (https://www.shutterfly.com/) this year and although they turned out great in the end, they messed up our order, forgot to send part of it and sent me half of the wrong order.  So frustrating!  Next year I'm starting that whole process much earlier!

Our next adventure was the Santa Train.  We missed out on buying tickets for the Orangeville Train (they sold out in 6 hours!!), so instead we ended up in Uxbridge (Here is the link: http://www.ydhr.ca/).  Apparently I kept that a secret until maybe too late.  "We're taking 3 kids where in the morning?!!!!!".  That's right honey...  "We're going to Uxbridge".  I swear I thought I told him but I guess I forgot. Oh well, it was so worth it!  The Orangeville Train was much nicer on the inside and warmer, but the kids loved the ride so much more this year because...they just get Christmas.  We had such a great day despite the long drive.  Thankfully they all slept on the way home.

Just look at those smiles! ..and all those decorations!  I couldn't help but wonder how long they took to hang.  Each one was tied with a perfect little bow and there were probably thousands on the train!

This year our tree went up really early.  If I had it my way, I would have the tree up on Nov. 1st but that's not possible...I don't know if I could keep a real tree alive that long.  Anyhow this year I told Jord to buy a really tall tree and he did...but next year I want an even taller one:)  We have the perfect entrance for a huge tree and sometimes bigger is better.  The best real tree advice we got this year: water the tree with boiling water - this allows the sap to melt at the base of the trunk which in turn enables the tree to better absorb the water.  Did it work? ...we just took our tree down last week and it still looked beautiful!

This picture was taken around 10:30 at night!  If you can't sleep decorate a tree right?

With the tree up, it wasn't long before the rest of the house was decorated too.  Then the real fun began...we didn't have one free weekend the entire month of December (let alone a free day)...but I wouldn't have it any other way:)  Dinner with friends, the Bolton Santa Claus parade, parties with the neighbours - can I just say we have the best neighbours anyone could ever ask for!!, shopping dates and family time!  December was also the first time Jord and I left all 3 kids for an entire day.  It was our first date in over 8 months and we went Christmas shopping!  Best date ever hehe  ..So thankful to my wonderful in-laws for taking all 3 kids.

My grandfather (who is 97) arrived about an hour before the parade began and literally got the best parking spot ever.  He also got me a coffee before the crazy crowd of people arrived.  I'm so lucky he's still such a big part of my life and the lives of his great-grandchildren xo

Decorating a gingerbread house with their Auntie Jenn...an annual tradition for these little monkeys.

We just love this lady so much!

The real festivities start with the Brown (my maiden name) family Christmas.  In recent years we've started celebrating Christmas a little early - the 23rd to be exact.  That way Jordan and I have always been able to celebrate Christmas Day together even before we were married.  Both my Aunts have other family to see as well so it spreads things out a little.  This year we decided to have dinner at our house...that way the kiddies could get into bed at a decent time and it saved us having to pack up our family of 5, gifts and all and head up to Palgrave.  Basically my mom, Aunt Joanne and Aunt Shirl took care of dinner.  Jord and I just had to clean up the house a little and set the table.  All in all it was worth the change, and I think we'll do something like that next year too.  Being an only child at Christmas meant I was always the center of attention.  Then you grow up and realize that having your own kids at Christmas is even more exciting.  This year was especially wonderful for everyone...watching my 97 year old grandfather enjoy the holidays with his great-grandchildren was definitely a highlight!

My grandpa and Aunt Joanne opening some gifts.

Already at work building his new LEGO!

Baby Jack with my mom (grandma).

Just relaxing after dinner with Aunt Shirl.

Just look how happy my grandpa is!

Christmas Eve was super special this year because we started some new traditions and continued with the old ones.  Jord had to work that morning but it was nice to have him home early that afternoon.  I feel like there was still so much to do but I made a point of not doing any of it until the kids were all in bed.  This day was all about them and I wanted to enjoy every minute of it with them!  Around 4pm we played some road hockey with the neighbors and enjoyed the spring weather (I'm loving the warmer weather but it doesn't feel like Christmas without the snow).  As soon as it got dark we said our goodbyes and headed inside to start dinner.  The kids chose their favourite meal - homemade fries and chicken fingers!  We baked cookies before dinner so they would be ready to decorate later.  I pre-made the dough which I'm still thanking myself for.  It saved so much time and no mess to clean up, even better:)  After dinner we had some fun with decorating...I let jord and the kids take over the cookies.  Normally when I decorate cookies I go into a zone and need to be left alone in order to make sure they are just right.  We all know Santa doesn't care what his cookies look like, as long as they taste good, right?  After they were done all the kids got to open their first gift of Christmas from mommy and daddy - a personalized box (which I made for all of them this year and plan to use in the future).  Inside they all got new pyjamas, a book, hot chocolate (for Hudson and Georgia) and we gave baby Jack a new DVD (The Paw Patrol Christmas movie).  We knew if we put it in his box Hudson and Georgia wouldn't be able to fight over it.  After the opening of gifts it was upstairs for baths, into pyjamas, movie/hot chocolate and then story time!  I couldn't believe how smoothly the evening went...there's something about Santa that makes my kids do exactly what they are told on Christmas eve.  They were all in bed by 8:30 and that's when the unfinished gift wrapping began.  I followed Santa on the Santa tracker all night and saw that he had landed in Toronto around 11pm.  I knew he would be arriving at our house very soon so my hubby and I were in bed not long after.  Here's the link: http://www.noradsanta.org/

Decorating their cookies.

Almost finished!

Ready for the movie in their new pyjamas!  One year I want to do all matching ones (I just love all the family photos where friends have done this), but I was so afraid to attempt that this year...Georgia never wears what I want her to.  I was so surprised she willingly put these pyjamas on.  I thought they looked like something Minnie Mouse might wear (Georgia lives in her Minnie Mouse and Elsa clothes -

 and apparently she thought the same!

Christmas morning couldn't come soon enough...did I even sleep?  Not much, that's for sure!  Hudson couldn't wait to get downstairs!  He kept telling Georgia (who likes to take her time when she wakes up) to hurry up!  It was actually really cute.  Once we finally got the whole family up, it wasn't long before the kids had all their presents opened and were already asking us to put things together - LEGO to be more specific.  Then the doorbell rang and it was nana and opa...and more presents!  We started a tradition years ago of heading over to my in-laws on Christmas morning for breakfast.  Eggs benedict over peameal bacon - so yummy! and the fact that we only eat it once a year makes it even better.  As our family quickly grew it made more sense for Jord's parents to join us.  Now they take the time to come see us Christmas morning before heading home to prepare dinner for 25 people.

Time to open some gifts!

Baby Jack's first Christmas...hanging out with Nana (Jordan's mom).
 

Putting Opa (Jordan's Dad) to work! ..more LEGO!

After breakfast we basically cleaned up, packed up and headed over to Jord's parents for our Christmas Day Celebration.  I think it's safe to say Christmas Day is probably my favourite day of the year.  It's also a crazy hectic day but I think it's the chaos that makes me love it so much.  Being surrounded by family and friends, giving gifts and watching the kiddies open theirs, good food, games, music, no bedtime...does it get any better??

The boys! Papa, Uncle Jeff and Andrew.

 

Get that ball Jack!

Aunt Sanndee and Nanny.

I just love this photo!  My brother-in-law and his wife.

Aunt Jen with all her nephews and Julia!  Our cousin Julia is the only girl out of all the cousins!

Uncle Jason and Henry.

Like father like daughter.

Hanging out with my grandpa.

Julia is always taking the time to play with Hudson and Georgia.

Miss Georgia enjoying her dinner and Oma enjoying the company of her great-granddaughter.

Besties!

This was actually taken on Boxing Day but I just love the feeling I get when I look at this photo!  Nothing says "Christmas" like this one! - I just had to include it.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

The truth is I always want to be the last one to go to bed on Christmas Day...once you go bed it's over and I've never liked it when good things come to an end.  But all good things eventually do come to end and that's ok because in our family there is always something exciting to look forward to.  That's one of the reasons I love my family so much.  We enjoy being together and those are the best times in my life!

I hope you've enjoyed reading some of our Christmas traditions.  I'm always excited to hear about what others do over the Holidays so please feel free to share some of your memories from the season!