tis the season...

to order your Christmas cards from The Paper Egg! The shop is somewhat stocked so go take a look. 

I've been designing birth announcements, Christmas cards, birthday invitations and more for years and I'm trying to add those all to the shop.  It's a slower process than I thought so check back weekly to see all the new items!  https://www.etsy.com/shop/eggsturnbow

christmas 2012

(ahhh i think after this post I'm finally caught up...or as caught up as I'm willing to be)

Sunday Christmas outfits.  Nixon actually had a blowout in his real Christmas outfit but luckily I had a pretty similar outfit I could change him into. 

Christmas this year was awesome.  I think I said it last year, but to watch the magic of Christmas through a child's eyes is truly amazing.  Kash totally got the concept and was very excited to say the least.  Every morning he would come down the stairs asking if Santa had come.  Every toy he saw in the store he would add to his Christmas list.  He loved helping decorate the tree, singing Christmas songs (Jingle Bells is still one of his favorite songs 4 months later) and was beyond excited about seeing Christmas lights throughout the neighborhoods. He was disappointed everytime we would pull into our driveway and didn't see lights on our house :(

Nixon's 1st Christmas was great as well!  Although he was just a few months old he was spoiled by his grandparents and had a good time.

I tried really hard to keep the spirit of Christ in Christmas as well.  It was helpful having my sister-in-law, Rachel, invite me to play Mary for her primary's sharing time.  As I held little Nix all wrapped up in swaddling cloth and retold the story of Christ's birth the Spirit was so strong and I truly felt a love of my Savior and the reason for the Christmas season.  I hope my children felt that as well as we celebrated throughout the month.

It was a great Christmas!

  

I know our family thinks I'm lame for taking so many pictures and videos but I already look back on these and treasure them so much and this next video is no exception, it actually makes me cry for many reasons.  I love how Kash doesn't know the song until the chorus and then totally gets into it. I love Marilyn playing the piano in the background and little Kieden sitting by her side.  I love that you can see the manger scene in the background.  It so reminds me of Christmases with my Muttie and all she did to make them special.  I know my kids' Christmases won't always be this way and I'm so glad I was able to document this moment in time. 

DSC 3903 from Erica Turnbow on Vimeo.

Nixon really, really loved Christmas. 

this wasn't actually on Christmas, but it was a morning ritual of Kash playing with his Mater ornament and then attempting to put it back on the tree. 

Kash thought the annual Christmas fire was pretty cool.

I love their matching smiles

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And if this post wasn't long enough here's our Christmas card from 2012!  Merry Christmas in March! Phew.

the hunt for a tree that will do

yep, the christmas posts are coming.  christmas in march, deal with it.

The day after (or two days after this year) Thanksgiving we headed up the mountains for our traditional hunt for our "perfect" Christmas tree. One little baby bear and a little cub in tow.  Usually Blaine and I scour the mountains looking for a full, pretty tree to put in our living room.  After having to feed and change Nixon in the car and meeting everyone in the forest later, Kash insisting he be with either Grandma or Tyler and not with our little family and having to carry Nixon around we decided to just find a tree that would do this year. ha

It was still a fun adventure and fun to have little Nix along for the ride this year, we just didn't bring home the best looking tree.  Kash had a lot of fun with his extended family (didn't want anything to do with Blaine or I this trip), enjoyed all of the left over Thanksgiving treats and even got to pet some Christmas horses.

Kash loved all the treats, shocker. (Almost 3 years old)

baby bear taking a break from the elements. (2.5 months old.)

This picture is my favorite!  We had a great idea of taking a picture of Grandma & Grandpa with all the grandkids for their Christmas card.  And here's how that went...

 Eventually these three were left...and as happy as can be!!

 This is the picture that they ended up using for their Christmas card.  MUCH CUTER!!!  Love all those little kids!!!