Holiday Highlights

A few highlights from the last week...

Last Saturday I turned 26 and as usual, Drew planned the entire day for me! I woke up to notes all over our room telling me to sleep in, take a shower and, "Don't even think about peeking out here until you're ready!" on our bedroom door.  After my shower I noticed a note on the mirror that Cash had wanted to give me his present first and it was on our bed. This is what he gave me...a picture frame with his pictures for my desk at work. He told me he knows how hard it is for me to leave him so he wanted me to have something to look at while we're apart. He's so sweet...and very insightful for 7 months old.

Then I went out into the living room to find a spotless house (which isn't the way it was when I went to bed the night before!) and a delicious breakfast waiting for me on our dining room table.

While we ate, I got to open my gifts: a pair of shoes I had requested, some cute new gloves, and a Willow Tree (my favorite!) plaque. 
The rest of my day was spent shopping and doing lunch with Megan, a movie with Drew ("7 Pounds - really good!), hot chocolate on The Circle with Matt & Jill, and dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse (another favorite) with my parents. It was a great birthday! Thanks to everyone who helped Drew plan it out perfectly, and especially Blake & Niecka for watching Cash while we gallavanted around town. ;) 

Christmas Eve we decided to borrow a Hollingsworth tradition and let each person open one present. Here is Cash opening his (I think it was clothes from Drew & me). He was so much fun to watch. And as you can probably guess - he played with the box and bow. 

Later that evening we went to the candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church. It's one of my favorite traditions of the Christmas season. We had a great time and this is a picture of us in front of the huge tree on the stage. Afterwards we headed over to my parents' house for food, movies, and lots of laughter...

There are a ton of pictures from Christmas Day and the 3 days following (that all included some type of Christmas celebration with a branch of the family) but I haven't uploaded them yet. We did have a fantastic holiday and it makes me just a little sad that its over. HOWEVER...exciting things are coming. But you'll have to stay tuned to find out just what that is... :) 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years! 

Someone's always watching...

Last week a woman I do not know congratulated me as I ate my "Med Salad" from Noodles & Co. After I gave her a confused, half-smile she said, "You actually put shoes on your baby! I keep seeing all these young mothers with nothing but socks on their baby. You know it's cold outside. They're little feet must be freezing." I just smiled and said, "Thank you". 

I turned to Jill and said, "She caught me on a good day." Clearly she wasn't at the mall a few weeks ago when Cash was wearing nothing but socks...and only one sock at that. The other is still MIA in Greenwood Park Mall.

And people wonder why guilt is one of the main things a mother struggles with...

side note: Noodles & Co. is good...but slightly over-priced. Just an FYI.

Its been awhile

The holidays are in full swing around here, which means we've been BUSY! Thanksgiving seems like it FLEW by, but we had a great time spending time with my family eating, laughing, and doing some serious shopping! :) I'm so glad Christmas is just 10 days away so I can see my favorite people all over again. Those times don't come often enough, or last long enough...

Here is just a taste of what Christmas looks like at our house. We had lots of fun showing Cash all the different decorations and explaining to him the fun of Christmas. Of course, it'll be a few more years before he really "gets" it, but he still likes looking at our tree and stockings. 

My man is growing up! ;) Drew turned 28 last Wednesday. He couldn't wait so I let him open his presents at 11:45 Tuesday night. As you can see in the picture below, he was pretty excited...

The Sunday before I arranged for him to have an entire day with "the guys". He met up with them after church at BW3's to eat wings and watch the Colts game. Then they caught a showing of The Dark Knight (even though he'd already seen it TWICE before, in the theaters!), and followed that up with dinner at another favorite of his - Qdoba. We ended the evening at our house with cheesecake and friends. I think he had a pretty good day! Wednesday even Mom & Dad graciously agreed to watch Cash so we could go to dinner at PF Changs. Delish! And having a night out for just the 2 of us is always great. :) 

And finally, our baby is growing up! Cash was 7 months old on Thursday. I can't believe in just 5 months we will have a 1 yr. old! It's crazy to think of all the changes he'll go through that amount of time...He has successfully sprouted his two bottom teeth and is babbling up a storm! Its so funny to hear. I'll try to get it on video for you. We've gotten a "dada" in there more than a few times and much to my dismay, a "mama" every so often (I think he should be saying it ALL the time!).  He has such a fun personality and I can't wait to see his imagination and creativity come alive. I've heard so many times that each stage is the best, and I can't help but agree. 

I think that pretty much catches you up. I really hate how quickly this time of year passes. I wish I could freeze frame life every once in awhile. :) But enough of that, I've got laundry to put away and gifts to wrap... Merry Christmas! :)

Just a little Christmas cheer...

1.Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both, some things are shaped too weird to wrap.

2. Real tree or artificial? We've gotten a real one since Drew and I got married, but after this year I'm tempted to buy a pre-lit artificial on sale.

3. When do you put up the tree? If it were up to me we'd put it up after Labor Day, but since we've gotten real ones the last couple years we've had to wait until after Thanksgiving when they are available.

4. When do you take the tree down? Try to get it down by the 2nd week of January, but I've been known to leave one up until February!!!

5. Do you like eggnog? Just tried it for the first time last week. It was alright. I prefer hot chocolate from South Bend Chocolate Company.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? The karaoke machine mom & dad (I mean, Santa) got my sisters and me.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My husband. He's always so good at just knowing little things I'd like without me having to tell him, and unfortunately he's not that easy for me.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes! I love it - a Willow Tree set. Mom & Dad gave it to Drew & me the year we were engaged.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail with a family picture.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? The Heavenly Ham I got the year I worked at McQuay. Mom loved it though - she didn't have to buy a ham that year!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Elf, Family Man, and the cartoon Grinch Who Stole Christmas

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day after Thanksgiving. But we wait until at least noon to go out to avoid "the crazies".

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I don't think I have...now, we've recycled quite a few wedding presents.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My mom's mexican wedding cakes, breakfast casserole, and barbecue weenies. Quite a combo, huh? Those are all taken from the MANY meals we eat over the course of Christmas Eve & Christmas day.

16. Lights on the tree? I'm a white light kind of girl.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, All I Want for Christmas is You, The Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting...on an open fiiiiiire...), Silent Night...I love Christmas music!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? This is the first year I'll be waking up somewhere other than at my parents' house! I know, I panicked at first too. But since we have a kid now we should probably let him wake up at home on his first Christmas! Don't worry, we're going to mom & dad's later that day. ;)

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Of course!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star. But ours has nothing at this point.

21. Open the presents Christmas morning. Bottom line.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The crowds, everything having to be "P.C.".

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My favorite ornament this year is the one mom got for Cash - its a little boy angel wearing a fuzzy hat, holding a blue fuzzy blanket. His wings say, "Tis a gift from God". He looks just like Cash!

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? We do brunch: breakfast casserole, biscuits & gravy, orange danish, bacon, fried eggs...clogged arteries... ;)

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I asked for clothes, gift cards, a pedicure!, some boots, etc.