Christmas in Columbus

I originally began writing this post the week after Christmas but didn't have time to finish it then.  I know Christmas was awhile ago, and it's kind of late to be posting this, but it was a fun memory that I want to remember!

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The past few weeks have been insane! I feel like I didn't have time to breathe until the 26th of December.  Although I was insanely busy with school stuff until a week before Christmas, and then busy with Christmas preparations until the actual holiday, it was still one of the best Christmases of my life.  I just can't even describe how amazing it's been to celebrate Christmas with a new baby.  Everything has been so much sweeter. My heart breaks for those who are waiting for a baby during this time of year, because I know it hurts more than other times of the year.  But I have to say, for me it was worth the wait.  Having a baby during Christmas was even more amazing than I'd imagined.

We had a lot of fun during the holiday season.  One of the most fun things we did was spend a weekend in Columbus with my sister and brother-in-law.  We drove down on a Friday night, just beating a snowstorm there. 

We spent the weekend catching up in their cozy new place.  On Saturday, Julie and Andy baby-sat while Luke and I had a fun date day. We went out to lunch and then shopping at all the fun stores that we don't have near our house.  I went to Cabellas, Sephora, LUSH, Williams Sonoma, etc, etc.  But my favorite store of the day, by far, was Pottery Barn Kids! I browse PBK's website all the time, but have never actually been to one of their stores.  I walked inside and just wanted to buy all the things!  Dolls, dollhouses, vintage kitchen sets, shiny Christmas ornaments, little furniture, Christmas dishes...it was a girl mom's dream!  (and a boy mom's too, but I obviously spent more time in the girls' section).  

Later that night, we all went out to dinner at a place called Graffiti Burger.  It was delicious, and I will have to remember it next time I'm pregnant if I have a giant craving for burgers again like I did with Scarlett!.

It was gloomy and raining that night, but Luke and I really wanted to go to the Columbus Zoo to see their Christmas lights display.  We decided to go anyway, and I'm so glad we did!  It stopped raining right after we got there. Everything was so beautiful!  They had a big light show, a bunch of animal exhibits open, and a few million lights to look at as you walked through everything.  It was beautiful!  Scarlett was completely mesmerized!  I thought  maybe she'd be too young to care, but she loved it!  She kept fighting sleep because she didn't want to miss anything. It was just one of those nights that felt completely perfect.  It made me think about all the Christmas seasons we have ahead of us and all the joy that is in store.  I think I actually cried a few tears of happiness as we walked through the zoo as a family of 3! (I'm such a sap!)

Hopefully we can continue this tradition in the years to come!  And I definitely want to go back to the Columbus Zoo again this summer.  I highly recommend their Christmas Wildlights display to anyone in the area!  

Christmas Snapshots

Merry Christmas!  Ours was perfect.

Christmas Tree Shopping, 2013

2 posts in one week?  You can tell I had time off for Thanksgiving!

Black Friday has become sort of a holiday of its own in our house.  Not because we go shopping in the traditional sense, but because it is Christmas Tree Day!  I started the morning by making some cinnamon rolls and hot cocoa.  Breakfast of champions!

 I dressed Scarlett up in her new Christmas outfit and my favorite hat ever (it was the first thing I bought when I found out I was pregnant a year ago).  She was super excited!

 And can we all just take a minute and check out this adorable Santa on her bum?  I can't handle it.

We headed out to the Christmas tree farm and picked out our tree!  We had gotten a few inches of snow (okay, 8) last week, and that made the whole thing feel extra festive!  Here are Scarlett and I looking for the perfect tree.  I promise I am not missing teeth, and Scarlett does not have a black eye.  The shadows in this picture are weird.

And here she is with Luke...possibly my favorite picture of them together ever.

We got home and Luke put the tree up and started putting the lights on

And this girl sat completely mesmerized in her Bumbo Seat the entire time.  She's like, "I don't know what the heck you are doing Daddy, but it looks awesome."  

All of this was happening while Home Alone was on in the background.  We bought the blu-ray set of Home Alone and Home Alone 2.  Uh, for Scarlett.  Ahem. 

We hung the ornaments, and I couldn't help but reminisce about the special significance of each one.  It's what I do...

This special ornament was from my grandma the year we got married.  Extra special this year as I am missing her so much.

Here's the finished product!

Then I had to do an entire photoshoot with this cutie:

"This Christmas thing is going to be fun!"

 "Wait a minute, I get presents?!"

"I didn't know there were going to be presents!"

 "I better be good this month!  No more screaming like a crazy person when I get mad!  Or getting distracted or falling asleep while Mommy's trying to feed me!"

"Okay, turn me around so I can look at these lights some more." 

"You think you can just sit me here when you want me to be occupied, don't you?"

 "Hahaha!  Not a chance!  The novelty will wear off by tomorrow.  But right now, I think this is pretty cool!"

Today I went out to do some Christmas shopping, and couldn't pass up the chance to buy a little tree for Scarlett's room.  I told Luke, I know she's too young to really appreciate it, but I waited enough Christmases without a baby...we are going to do it up right now that she's here!  And she really does seem to like it.  If nothing else, we can see it glowing in the background while we all hang out in the living room each night.  It makes it feel extra cozy!

 A few other Christmas touches in her room:

 I can't imagine a more perfect start to the Christmas season.  I have about 90% of my Christmas shopping done, and all the gifts that are here are wrapped.  I am determined to enjoy this Christmas season, and not be out shopping and stressed at the last minute!  Now the rest of the month can be spent baking, watching Christmas movies, hanging out with my family, and oh, finishing up the semester.  I am not looking forward to that last part!  But at least I am 3 weeks from being done with another semester.  and then I'll have 2-3 weeks off!  I've never been so ready for a break!