I just love the holidays! I love the smells, the lights, the treats, the parties, the giving, the family time, the...everything! Having a newborn this year made it extra special, but also sort of made it pass like a blur. I did a pretty good job of purchasing most of my gifts before Branson was born so luckily I didn't have to worry too much about that.
Justin and I also started making a list this year of all the traditions we'd like to either begin or continue with our kids. I'd love to keep the holidays simple, but have a few things that my kids really look forward to each year, especially ones that promote family togetherness and help us remember the Savior and the true meaning for the season.
My favorite part about this Christmas (besides Branson, obviously) was watching Nolan start to discover everything. We taught him to shout "lights!!" whenever he saw Christmas lights so every time we were in the car we'd hear an enthusiastic "LIGHTS!" from the back seat ♥
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Christmas card from the Holladay 14th Ward nursery. Of course Nolan found his way into Jeanni's arms, silly kid.
We spent a really fun evening with friends making gingerbread houses!
Nolan loved playing with all their toys
Carli and Echo
Samantha is older than Nolan and loved jumping off the coffee table onto the couch. Nolan had a blast copying her and saying, 'Now my turn!' but he couldn't quite make the jump. He tries but his feet never leave the floor. ☺ It was sure cute to watch him play though!
(L-R) Echo, Macy, Samantha, Nolan, and Branson
The whole crew
(L-R) Meghan B., Branson, Nolan, Justin, Liz, Brian F.,
Carli, Echo, Brian S., Samantha, Meghan S., and Macy
We made some Christmas cookies! Nolan was in charge of decorating. The sprinkles may have come out much faster than we expected, but he didn't mind and was clearly very proud of his work!
Grandma making sandwiches for the 3 older boys
This was a common site. Justin running around chasing or being chased by toddlers.
Frosting sugar cookies!!
Even Granky got in on the action! I thought, oh, he's just going to frost one or two so he can eat them haha. But he frosted a ton of cookies!!
Rhett though, he was in it for the eating ☺
Coaching grandpa on how to frost the cookie because he was clearly doing it wrong.
Russ and Branson sleeping the day away. Lazy bums ☺
Nolan (and all the other boys) LOVED this stool. So much so that it got them into things and fighting and therefore in trouble so it had to be taken away haha.
There's something so sweet about my siblings meeting and holding my babies for the first time ♥
GG with the boys!
We went out to Bucca de Beppo for Christmas Eve dinner and then came home to watch a Christmas movie (Nolan is the one kneeling and looking up at the screen. With all these blondies it's hard to tell!)
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Christmas morning! (Well, afternoon. We went to church first)
Nolan's favorite part of Christmas was definitely ripping the paper. He would open a present and before he could even comprehend what it was he was onto the next one. He also thought every present was for him so if anyone needed help opening theirs he was ready and willing.
My dad loves snuggling (and sleeping) with newborns
GG, Great Grandpa Hunt, and Uncle Andy spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us ♥
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As you can see from the video below, Nolan really wanted to go "to Rhett's house and to Beckett's house." How could we resist that?! We spent a full day with cousins and had a blast!
First up, breakfast. Devin made us waffles with her new waffle maker! Mmmmm.
Beck and Rhett got this play kitchen for Christmas and they loved making 'soup.'
They have this great drainage wash next to their house so we had a lot of fun riding their new wiggle cars and razors.
Nolan loved this truck
I'm thinking this is Gp Mathews favorite way to bond with his new grandsons ☺
Oh wow, could he be any more handsome?! That's why we call him 'Handsome Branson!'
Preston (yes, Preston) got an awesome remote control truck for Christmas. It can climb up rocks! Lots of fun was had with it ☺
At Capriotti's (or as Gp Mathews calls it, 'Caps') for lunch
Preston and Devin have lots of cool parks by their new house so we stopped to play at one of them!
It was pretty cold though and almost dark so we didn't last very long. Plus Devin, miss California girl, didn't even have a good jacket! ☺ We'll need to get her one hehe.
Nolan wanted to sit with his cousins. They were pretty raucous (and cute!) together.
Justin and I also started making a list this year of all the traditions we'd like to either begin or continue with our kids. I'd love to keep the holidays simple, but have a few things that my kids really look forward to each year, especially ones that promote family togetherness and help us remember the Savior and the true meaning for the season.
My favorite part about this Christmas (besides Branson, obviously) was watching Nolan start to discover everything. We taught him to shout "lights!!" whenever he saw Christmas lights so every time we were in the car we'd hear an enthusiastic "LIGHTS!" from the back seat ♥
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Christmas card from the Holladay 14th Ward nursery. Of course Nolan found his way into Jeanni's arms, silly kid.
We spent a really fun evening with friends making gingerbread houses!
Nolan loved playing with all their toys
Carli and Echo
Samantha is older than Nolan and loved jumping off the coffee table onto the couch. Nolan had a blast copying her and saying, 'Now my turn!' but he couldn't quite make the jump. He tries but his feet never leave the floor. ☺ It was sure cute to watch him play though!
All the kids
The whole crew
(L-R) Meghan B., Branson, Nolan, Justin, Liz, Brian F.,
Carli, Echo, Brian S., Samantha, Meghan S., and Macy
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This year we headed to Las Vegas for Christmas. Nolan has always been an amazing traveler and I'm SO incredibly happy to report that so far Branson is amazing as well! Thank the heavens above!
Cute Nolan on Gm and Gp's couch
Grandma making sandwiches for the 3 older boys
This was a common site. Justin running around chasing or being chased by toddlers.
Frosting sugar cookies!!
Rhett though, he was in it for the eating ☺
Coaching grandpa on how to frost the cookie because he was clearly doing it wrong.
Russ and Branson sleeping the day away. Lazy bums ☺
Nolan (and all the other boys) LOVED this stool. So much so that it got them into things and fighting and therefore in trouble so it had to be taken away haha.
There's something so sweet about my siblings meeting and holding my babies for the first time ♥
Sleepy grandpa and Branson
GG with the boys!
We went out to Bucca de Beppo for Christmas Eve dinner and then came home to watch a Christmas movie (Nolan is the one kneeling and looking up at the screen. With all these blondies it's hard to tell!)
Christmas morning! (Well, afternoon. We went to church first)
Nolan's favorite part of Christmas was definitely ripping the paper. He would open a present and before he could even comprehend what it was he was onto the next one. He also thought every present was for him so if anyone needed help opening theirs he was ready and willing.
My dad loves snuggling (and sleeping) with newborns
Justin spoiled me this year (and went way over our designated budget ☺) and got us 2 tickets to see The Lion King at the new Eccles Theater AND a new grey North Face ski coat. I had seen this coat at TJ Maxx at least a couple of months before Christmas and, even though I couldn't zip it up because I was super pregnant, fell in love with it and was walking around the store with it. I knew it was too expensive though so I reluctantly put it back. However, I kept thinking about it and wishing I had just pulled the trigger and gotten it anyway, especially because it was at TJ Maxx and would be long gone if I tried to find it again. I was kinda bummed about it. But, low and behold, somehow my Justin sneakily bought it behind my back! I'm still not sure how he did it because the TJ Maxx we saw it at was in Provo! He won't tell me how or when he bought it because he doesn't want me to know 'all his secrets' haha.
GG, Great Grandpa Hunt, and Uncle Andy spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with us ♥
That Warren Russell is SO smiley!!
Playing with their new toys
Letters and cars with Unca BJ
Our favorite and most precious Christmas present this year. Cute ♥ Branson Michael ♥
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As you can see from the video below, Nolan really wanted to go "to Rhett's house and to Beckett's house." How could we resist that?! We spent a full day with cousins and had a blast!
First up, breakfast. Devin made us waffles with her new waffle maker! Mmmmm.
Beck and Rhett got this play kitchen for Christmas and they loved making 'soup.'
Nolan and Rhett were equal parts adorable and equal parts frustrating together. They looked like twins and were just so darn cute, but they also fought all.the.time. Basically, Nolan is the oldest (and until recently the only child) so he's used to getting his way and playing with whatever toys he wants. And Rhett has had to constantly compete with Beck for toys so he kind of hoards them and is willing to fight for them. So you can see why we had a problem haha!! But it was still kind of a cute 2 year old fighting, you know?
Nolan didn't really help himself either because lately one of his favorite things to do is go up to other kids, point his finger at them and, with a sour look on his face say, "OBEY you!!" (Devin said that even after we left her kids were saying "obey you!" several times a day. Oey, I guess Nolan leaves his mark!)
They were even wearing matching sweaters!! Love.
They have this great drainage wash next to their house so we had a lot of fun riding their new wiggle cars and razors.
Nolan loved this truck
Boys + Dirt = ♥
Playing with his new RC car
I'm thinking this is Gp Mathews favorite way to bond with his new grandsons ☺
Gp and Warren Russell
Gp and Branson Michael
Oh wow, could he be any more handsome?! That's why we call him 'Handsome Branson!'
Preston (yes, Preston) got an awesome remote control truck for Christmas. It can climb up rocks! Lots of fun was had with it ☺
At Capriotti's (or as Gp Mathews calls it, 'Caps') for lunch
Nolan wanted to sit with his cousins ♥
Preston and Devin have lots of cool parks by their new house so we stopped to play at one of them!
Rhett, Preston, and Beck
It was pretty cold though and almost dark so we didn't last very long. Plus Devin, miss California girl, didn't even have a good jacket! ☺ We'll need to get her one hehe.
That night all the girls went out for a girls night and hit up Nordstrom Rack and TJ Maxx!
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Gm getting some snuggle time with Branson.
Our last night in LV we all went out to Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. My old roommate and bestie, Brittany, was in town with her parents so she could catch a flight to Washington the next morning, so they met us for dinner! It was so fun to get to hang out with them.
Gp Mathews and Granky, Devin, Beck, Nolan, and Rhett
Johnna, Brit, Clyde, Justin
Nolan wanted to sit with his cousins. They were pretty raucous (and cute!) together.
It's just going to be so fun watching these boys grow up together!
Thanks for a great Christmas mom and dad and fam!! Last, here's a "HO, HO, HO MERRY CHRISTMAS!" from Nolan ♥
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