HAPPY HOLIDAYS

The snow falling on a silent night, deer tracks in the fresh white snow and, the comfort of Home Sweet Home filled with Seasonal Aromas like Balsam Fir and the ones we love so dear just embodies the meaning of 'Tis the Season doesn't it! I love Winter and I love the Holiday Season it truly is the " the most wonderful time of the year " for us all. Here is our annual picture by the Community Christmas Tree. For me this is when the Holiday Season kicks off. Our small town gathers each year, the week or two before Thanksgiving in our downtown area for an annual Holiday Parade followed by Caroling and the Community Christmas Tree Lighting with Santa and Mrs. Claus. And I must say this year has been the grandest of them all!

This marks our seventh year in front of the Community Tree.

((Holiday Parade 2016))

I just love celebrating!

I truly do enjoy every moment of preparing to celebrate and the actual celebration of all things lovely and festive. With that being said I look to fill my children's lives with Holiday Memories that will last a lifetime! I'm kind of big on traditions and there are a few that have proven tried and true and we love them all! Each year I think of what's something fun and new for us to do and if we love it, we make it one of our very own holiday traditions! With that said, I love to take advantage of the snow fall!

Well this past Saturday night at about 8 o'clock our two Children were nestled under warm blankets upon comfy pillow stacks in their reading nook when I decided what a wonderful night it would be to head out for Hot Cocoa in our Jammies! So I gathered the troops to see if they were up for a little Cocoa Jam! I told them there were a few rules that went along with this little family adventure and they were all ears!

So I told them that we have to wear our Jammies to Starbucks, Barnes & Noble or Panera for Hot Cocoa (hot apple cider in juniors case) and a Sweet Treat. We have to listen to Christmas Jams on the way and we have to 'go into the coffee shop in our Jammies to enjoy a little family time!

Let me tell you we had a BLAST!!!

((the kids drew Mom with a heart in the snow, love them))

We all had the biggest smiles on our faces because this was the first time that we ventured out in public while in our pa-jammy-jams! We ordered with anticipation and excitement, and then we sat at the biggest table in the shop, asked the barista to borrow her pen and played hangman as a family! It was guys vs. girls and it was oh so much fun!

((here is a snap of our hangman phrases))

Our girl is the one who decided on 'Santa Sucks' by this point she was filled with Cocoa and a Sweet Chocolate Chip cookies, so sugar rush was in full affect and she was so due for bed, so much like me that exhuastion turns into her believing she is just the funniest person on the planet and she like me, starts to crack herself up! But when she whispered this to me, I about lost it myself, it took everything in me not to laugh hysterically! But had to keep my composure so the guys didn't have a good clue of how outrageous her hangman statement was! (why did I let her do this one? because the boys would 'never' guess this!! and when they finally got it, they were indeed blown away!) Our son was bursting in laughter and my husband couldn't believe that our girl came up with this one! This might have been the laugh of the night. After they guessed it, we told her she might get coal in her stocking and she was sure to tell us, oh that just couldn't be the case as she was just kidding!!! haha! I love them so much!! I am so fortunate to have a family that is always up for some spontaneous fun! So it was 10 o'clock and we were politely asked to leave Starbucks as they would be closing.

((this is us))

We then stopped by Kohls' since they were open until midnight and the kids were so intrigued with how they could or would be open that late so we went on in! Browsed around for a bit. Mackenzie and I split and then found our way back to the boys 'as spies' and we surprised our son by jumping out of one of the clothing racks singing falalalala - he jumped back with those big brown eyes and again we were all bursting in laughter!!!! Such good times.

((these red cups were so adorable - each with their own unique artwork))

We checked out and then were headed back home listening to Christmas Music of course, we took the long way home by driving around our subdivision to look at all the pretty Christmas lights! We just weren't ready for the fun to end so the kids ran to jump on the snow covered trampoline while I ran in to grab our winter gloves so that we could go on a midnight walk in the neighborhood. Everything was so peaceful, calm and, white! The Snow was just beautiful, fresh snowfalls are the best!