Since Bethany had joined our lives only a few weeks earlier, and I was still recovering from her birth, we decided to keep Thanksgiving low-key this year.
Usually, Travis will take part in the Church's Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving morning, he went for an early morning trail run instead. (You can read about it here.) He LOVES going on trail runs, and doesn't get to often enough, so he was grateful for the opportunity. Here were how his shoes looked after the run: ;)
We were grateful to have my parents in town still, and to be able to share Thanksgiving with them. Together we made just the must-haves for Thanksgiving dinner, and it was perfect (ham, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, stuffing, green salad, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, egg nog, and sparkling cider. Yum!) It was our first Thanksgiving that we didn't celebrate with lots of extended family or friends, and it was a little daunting to make most of the food ourselves, but it turned out great.
After dinner, we watched the Texas game and played Nab-it with my parents. (Bethany was my good luck charm, and helped me win the game. :) )
We took my parents to the airport the next day. It was so sad to see them go! We SO appreciated having them here, and all of their help and support, and loved spending time with them. Thankfully, we get to stay with them this June & July while Travis is on externships, so we're excited about that!
The next couple weeks were spent taking tests (for Travis), getting ready for our Texas trip, and doing some Christmas-y things before we left.
We put up our Christmas decorations early this year, since we were going to be in Texas for 2 weeks around Christmas, and we wanted to enjoy them as much as possible. It was the first year that Grace really got to help us decorate the Christmas tree, and she was SO excited! She kept saying, "It is so, so pretty!" :) She especially liked the Christmas lights.
Hanging some shiny ball ornaments:
The finished product:
There's just something so magical about a lit Christmas tree and Christmas lights. Something about them always fills me with a sense of wonder, and hope, and peace (which is so very appropriate for the season).
We hand-make our Christmas stockings, and since this was Bethany's first Christmas, we needed to decorate her stocking too.
Having a little fun with it before we decorated. ;)
We decided to make a little manger scene on it, and we thought it turned out pretty well.
Usually, Travis will take part in the Church's Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving morning, he went for an early morning trail run instead. (You can read about it here.) He LOVES going on trail runs, and doesn't get to often enough, so he was grateful for the opportunity. Here were how his shoes looked after the run: ;)
We were grateful to have my parents in town still, and to be able to share Thanksgiving with them. Together we made just the must-haves for Thanksgiving dinner, and it was perfect (ham, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, stuffing, green salad, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, egg nog, and sparkling cider. Yum!) It was our first Thanksgiving that we didn't celebrate with lots of extended family or friends, and it was a little daunting to make most of the food ourselves, but it turned out great.
After dinner, we watched the Texas game and played Nab-it with my parents. (Bethany was my good luck charm, and helped me win the game. :) )
We took my parents to the airport the next day. It was so sad to see them go! We SO appreciated having them here, and all of their help and support, and loved spending time with them. Thankfully, we get to stay with them this June & July while Travis is on externships, so we're excited about that!
The next couple weeks were spent taking tests (for Travis), getting ready for our Texas trip, and doing some Christmas-y things before we left.
We put up our Christmas decorations early this year, since we were going to be in Texas for 2 weeks around Christmas, and we wanted to enjoy them as much as possible. It was the first year that Grace really got to help us decorate the Christmas tree, and she was SO excited! She kept saying, "It is so, so pretty!" :) She especially liked the Christmas lights.
Hanging some shiny ball ornaments:
The finished product:
There's just something so magical about a lit Christmas tree and Christmas lights. Something about them always fills me with a sense of wonder, and hope, and peace (which is so very appropriate for the season).
We hand-make our Christmas stockings, and since this was Bethany's first Christmas, we needed to decorate her stocking too.
Having a little fun with it before we decorated. ;)
We decided to make a little manger scene on it, and we thought it turned out pretty well.
My mom gave us this Nativity set as an early Christmas present. I love it! we hadn't had a real set before, and it was just what I was looking for, and Grace has loved playing with it. Thanks again mom!
All of our Christmas decorations:
One of my favorite Christmas traditions as a kid was making and decorating Christmas cookies with my mom. Growing up, we always made my Grandma Bern's sugar cookies, but this year we relied on Betty Crocker. :) Grace and I had picked up the cookie mix and sprinkles at the store together and she COULDN'T WAIT to make them!
I whipped up the cookie dough, then Travis and I cut out the cookies and baked them. (We tried to give Grace some dough to work with herself, but she had her eye on the prize--decorating. Oh well, maybe next year!)
Here's our little cookie monster decorating her first Christmas cookies:
I loved her concentration. She loved doing it.
Looking at Travis like "Isn't this the best, Dad?" :)
Grace & Travis' creations:
Eating the fruit of her labor...mmm...
And just for fun: a few pre-Christmas pictures:
Lovin' on my Bethany:
Oh, how I love my Grace girl's smiles! They always make me smile too.
Grace loves to talk to Bethany, and is always so sweet to her:
The pure, angelic sweetness of a sleeping baby. Love. :)
All of our Christmas decorations:
One of my favorite Christmas traditions as a kid was making and decorating Christmas cookies with my mom. Growing up, we always made my Grandma Bern's sugar cookies, but this year we relied on Betty Crocker. :) Grace and I had picked up the cookie mix and sprinkles at the store together and she COULDN'T WAIT to make them!
I whipped up the cookie dough, then Travis and I cut out the cookies and baked them. (We tried to give Grace some dough to work with herself, but she had her eye on the prize--decorating. Oh well, maybe next year!)
Here's our little cookie monster decorating her first Christmas cookies:
I loved her concentration. She loved doing it.
Looking at Travis like "Isn't this the best, Dad?" :)
Grace & Travis' creations:
Eating the fruit of her labor...mmm...
And just for fun: a few pre-Christmas pictures:
Lovin' on my Bethany:
Oh, how I love my Grace girl's smiles! They always make me smile too.
Grace loves to talk to Bethany, and is always so sweet to her:
The pure, angelic sweetness of a sleeping baby. Love. :)
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