our christmas season :: it went a little something like this...

my house looked like this before december 1.

that was a record.

we had a 2 hour christmas craft party:

these are the things we made:

paper ornaments

christmas in a jar 

and

25 names of jesus

mini ornaments filled with paint, tulle, feathers, sequins, fabric....

to hang on this tree

and read about each day

(but we weren't very good at that part.)

we learned:

1. never buy off brand glue dots. they won't hold your pretty

paper ornaments together and you'll get mad and use the

glue gun instead.

2. mini ornaments aren't very visible in christmas in a jar,

but it was a fun idea and the kids loved it.

3.  always buy double sided paper for paper baubles.

4. what mommies of all boys have said is true--

boys really aren't that into crafts.

we decorated the tree:

(reeaally tight fit!)

had lots of these

and we had fun with this,

even though we don't really do santa.

we were able to find a good balance between

truth and letting them have fun through this article.

we hosted christmas eve with my mom's family

at our house, but i didn't get any pictures.

after everyone left, the kids got to open

their traditional new pajamas and we 

loaded up in the swagger wagon,

bought some special drinks and

went to look at christmas lights.

i make a deal with myself each christmas...

i will take pictures because i know i 

will regret it if i don't...

but only if i will stop being so uptight

about having the perfect, professional looking pictures.

i was a moron and shot in jpeg instead of RAW...

and didn't adjust the white balance accordingly

in camera ( i usually just adjust it in photoshop, but 

you can only do that when shooting RAW, not jpeg)

but bad pictures are better than zero pictures,

so here is what our christmas morning looked like:

)

he's obsessed with phones

papa came over after we were done,

bringing lots of gifts.

i tried to talk him into dressing up as santa, but he wouldn't. 

maybe next year. really, dad. it would be so fun!

we spent the afternoon with jason's family,

and had a somewhat quiet evening at home.

we're now paying for the busyness, because my

kids are looking like this:

and i'm feeling a lot like this,

Source: bing.com via Wendy on Pinterest

hoping it will all pass soon.

i hope you had a blessed christmas!

thanks for reading--and looking at--

this picture heavy post!