Christmas Flashback...

I figure I need to post some Christmas pictures for memories sake :)

I'm gonna go ahead and call these "got them for the memories" pictures because, well... quite frankly, they're not the best.

They capture the moment and that's what really counts right?!?

I was lazy and didn't fiddle with the settings properly, thus they are dark and not the best quality.

But these cute kiddos make up for it don't they?!?

Our friends from Canada came to spend Christmas with us and Aubrey was in her glory having kids around to play with every day!

How precious is she?!?!

Our Christmas Eve family shot.

(hello dark room, bright flash!)

Here Zach is trying to read the Christmas story from a children's bible for them... key word: trying! 

The kids each opened one present on Christmas Eve...

We were planning on going to church this night, but we were all under the weather (except Zach, go figure) and decided to spare the church from hearing 6 people hacking in the back row.

Playing with their etch-a-sketch's

The deader-than-dead tree on Christmas morning :)

The kids all got these fabulous sleeping bags from James and Anna!

We got Aubrey her very first sewing machine!

The one present Aubrey actually asked for, a Dora Pillow Pet... 

Thanks Grammie!

Zach getting in on the sleeping bag action

Opening stockings!

Apparently Zach needed some of Aubrey's new lip gloss....

We had a fabulous Christmas, it was super relaxed and we just let the kids play with each present after they opened it and let things go with the flow. We had fondue on Christmas Eve (just the adults, after the kiddos were put to bed....because it's no fun dealing with 3 kids under 4 and a bunch of boiling oil!) and we made a good ol' turkey dinner on Christmas Day (which turned out wonderful, if I do say so myself!).

Great memories with great friends!

Perfect :)

Getting My Wrap On....

Last night, amidst the whirr of the fans and much water drinking and sweating (I do live in Georgia now and it has NOT got the memo that it's December), I sat my pregnant butt on the the floor and got to wrapping gifts.

I had two funky balls of yarn, stamps and some packing paper that was left over from our move, and I got to work.

Now, I had a vision....

and a husband (who finally came home from work) who I wrangled into helping with the stamping...

but sadly, this husband of mine did not share said vision and many gifts ended up looking like he was involved in some sort of stamping dare to make them all random...

don't get me wrong, I love them, and the fact that he helped...

but I would suggest never letting a man loose with a set of stamps.

He might get a little too creative--behold....

dare you to read it and figure out what it says ;)

Now, last night I didn't think it was so funny (it was hot AND 11pm... and maybe I'm a little bit pregnant) but this morning I woke up and grinned from ear to ear at the beauty of his randomness. I know I'll cherish these pictures forever! 

Sometimes it's better if we just let the reigns go....

Speaking of letting go...

Ahhhh the dead tree, what a beauty :)

So many lights, so much deadness.... such a fire hazard.

Love these wedding bells! We got them in England the year we got married and I love them! Coming up on 8 years of marriage this Tuesday... crazy!

I got this angel in Grenada, LOVE this one!

and these vintage ones, got them at an estate sale back in NJ... Oh NJ garage sales, how I miss you...

Last but not least, my lovely felt garland. 

The tree may be dead, but I still love it :) 

I'm Ron Bur-gundy??

*the title has nothing to do with this post... it's just stuck in my head.

*apparently I took a little blog-cation....oops :)

*we had friends come in on Sunday (for Christmas) and I was in full on clean-the-house/finish-sewing-presents mode.

*I'm tired.

*our Christmas tree is totally dead already.

*this happens every. year.

*it may or may not have to do with the fact that we usually buy it around Zach's birthday... on the 24th of November.... 

*the fact that it's covered in approximately 700 mini-lights may also have something to do with it....

*I can't believe that just last year we spent Christmas Eve in NYC.

*It was everything we had dreamed it would be! (but somehow less crowded than we anticipated, weird) 

*I miss it like crazy.

*this baby in my belly is constantly beating me up, seriously it won't. sit. still.

*my ribs hurt

*all the Christmas presents I sent made it to their destinations in time!!

 *it feels really wrong to have 70 degree weather around the holidays

*I shouldn't be sweating like this in December. This preggo body needs some winter weather.

*this was what our place in NJ looked like last Christmas....I have yet to take pictures of our place here this Christmas. Before I do, I just have to vacuum the tree ;)

*Aubrey is sick today :( I just hope the poor thing feels better soon.

Take 2....{A Handmade Doll Carrier}

So I've made a doll carrier before, 

and it sure looked cute, but it never was easy for Aubrey to use and it was ridiculously floppy. 

I knew that I had to try again, but to be honest... I just was NOT in the mood to try and come up with another pattern.

That was all the way back in April.... Then comes December and I'm trying to think of Christmas presents for some of the little girls we know. 

After a few failed attempts at making something else, I knew I had to give the doll carrier another go.

And this time it worked! 

I'm SO happy with how this one turned out. 

The last one was way too flimsy and had snaps that were hard for Aubrey to use.

The doll always looked like it was going fall out at any second, and that was assuming Aubrey was even using the carrier...which was pretty much never. Awesome. 

This one, I used a super stiff Wonder Under and it did the trick.

Look at that baby all securely fastened ;)

I made the straps way stiffer, used velcro instead of snaps and it's way easier to use. 

It's just a sturdier carrier all around and that's what was lacking the last time.

My model was looking pretty classy in her we're-staying-home-clothes, but there was no way I was going to convince this grumpuss to change, let alone go outside and pose for pictures. So indoors, with fabulous clothes, it was... not to mention many promises of candy canes....

See, baby doesn't fall out! I win! 

Of course now Aubrey wants one too...let's see if I get the energy to make her one....

It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year....

I can't even explain how much I love this girl! Seriously!

In the span of five seconds she can make me feel like pulling out my hair and like I could squish and cuddle her forever. The joys of motherhood :)

Last night Aubrey was in her first Christmas concert at our church and it was just the most precious thing ever! She was THAT kid; dancing up a storm (mainly the random moves that her and Zach made up while listening and practicing her songs at home... needless to say, these moves were "special"), over enunciating her words and over doing the actions to her songs....

I loved it!

It was just the 3-6 year olds... Zach and I got a glimpse of just how big our church really is!

The above picture is the exact moment she spotted Zach videoing her! Love the frantic waving by all the kids!

And this is the moment where Aubrey couldn't focus on singing because the kid next to her kept stepping on the bells from the "Come on Ring Those Bells" song. She was not please he was doing that!

So precious....pretty sure I was tearing up like crazy by this point!

And now, singing "Away In A Manger" ....

the Queen of Actions doing her thing....

Couldn't you just EAT this kid???

And for the record, she was NOT the kid who lifted her dress so the whole church could see their tights....

The girl beside her was that kid :)

It was such an amazing service and night in general. Zach and I kept saying that we couldn't believe we were parents of one of the kids IN the program! When did we get that old?!? 

I'm going to remember this for as long as I live. 

Pretty sure our hearts were bursting with love last night...and every moment with Aubrey for that matter.