Our First Christmas

This first Christmas season as a married couple was absolutely wonderful. Because I had to work Christmas and the days surrounding it, we had our celebrations a bit early. 

On Friday we spent the entire day with my parents, my brother, my sister and her boyfriend.

Here is me before heading over to my parents house:

Brother and me (I'm wearing the sweater he got me - good shopper!)

My twin sister in her pretty bow:

The adorable couple:

We had a blast at my parents house opening presents, eating a ton, and playing a few board games. We didn't leave their place till after 10! It was a great first Christmas.

On Saturday we had a Christmas just Cory and I. It was super relaxed. We opened up a few presents from each other and our stockings. I truly have the best husband - he got me an iPhone. Oh. Ya. 

Sunday we made our way to his parents house. Similar story as on Friday. Lots of fun and lots of good food. 

Us (I'm pretty much wearing mostly Christmas presents - cardigan, flannel, and scarf):

My little Christmas attire (I loved that bow):

All in all it was a great weekend. Even though we didn't celebrate Christmas on Christmas day, we took full advantage of the days were we could be present with our families. Making memories with the ones you love and rejoicing over the birth of our Savior Jesus is the way to be celebrate (in my opinion). 

Here's a little pic of me at work on Christmas day:

Can't forget the reindeer, AKA Allie:

Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! 

3 Christmases

In nursing school they warned us (more like imprinted in our heads) that as new grads we'd be forced to work all holidays as well as nights. By only the blessings of our Lord I do not work nights. Never have and never will. To add to that, I did not have to work Thanksgiving nor do I work New Years Day. It seems as though our professors either wanted to scare us, or they wanted us to imagine the worst outcome possible so that when we do get holidays off we would treasure them more (hmm..I'm going with number 2). 

However, duty does call this Christmas season. I work Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas. Oh well though. Fortunately, this work schedule now makes divvying up the holidays with our families a whole lot easier. We'll have a full day devoted to my family, a full day devoted to his, and a full day for ourselves. I think it could not have worked out more wonderfully. 

And what better way (besides spending time with your loved ones) to spend Christmas then to help others who can't be home feel a bit better. 

No matter how you're spending Christmas this year, treasure each moment and the people you are with. 

Merry Christmas!

Isn't this hat so fun? It was my grandmothers.

Christmas Decor

Christmas time is here and with that means Christmas decor! I love coming home to a house filled with Christmas lights, little elves, mistletoe and everything that makes a room feel (and shout) "..it's the holiday season..". 

Growing up, decorating my parents house involved getting boxes and boxes of decorations from the garage and placing little trinkets in every corner of the house. I loved doing that. It felt just right for my parents place. In our home now I put Christmas decorations in every room. Not over-zealously like in my parents place. Just special decorations to remind us of the season. 

The Nutcracker is from one of my years in Ballet

Got to have Cinnamon-scented Pinecones

Christmas colored straws

A cookie tin (my Grandmothers)

Our first tree! And little things to make me smile

Merry Christmas and happy decorating!!