Avery’s 6mo Well Baby

We had Avery’s 6 month well baby check on September 17th (not sure how we got 10 days off from his bday!). Anyway…

He was 27 3/8” long and weighed 18lbs 13oz…big boy!

Big sissy was pretty proud to go to the dr with him…I think she was just excited it was AVERY going to the dr and not her!

Sure do love this big boy!!!

A few days before his appointment Daddy discovered Avery’s 1st tooth!!

Avery’s 1/2 Birthday

We had the wonderful Ashley Wilkerson take Avery’s 6mo pictures over Labor Day weekend. The lil turkey wasn’t his usual smiley self…but still handsome nonetheless!

From Our Family to Yours..

Merry Christmas

for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Christmas Home Tour

Welcome to our home! Grab a cup of hot cocoa and check out our Christmas décor! I’m linking up with Kelly’s Korner Christmas Tour of Homes. Go check it out, lots of beautiful homes to tour!

This is the view from our kitchen into our living room. There is nothing more I love than  our home decorated for Christmas, the lights low, and the tree glowing!

A few years ago I purchased these giant bulbs to hang in our bay window! I hope to find some more on after Christmas sales to add next year!

I think this is my FAVORITE part of our Christmas decorations. I have saved up Christmas money & gift cards over 2-3 years to purchase this shelf. We don’t a fire place and I wanted something that would create a “mantel” look and also have a place to hang our stockings. It was so fun to hang our stockings this year and have the perfect place for them! Love the bright red & green! I found a free printable on Pinterest, added some red/white stripe paper, and viola had {almost} free Christmas art!

Across the living room I have a few black {ikea} shelves where I have some DIY Christmas decorations and few other favorites! The JOY is one of my most favorites, I found it at a craft show quite a few years ago. Isn’t that what this season is all about Joy in the birth of our Savior!

The back wall of our living room is our family gallery wall where we have the kids’ pictures. I decided to hang our Merry Christmas banner over the “B” in the middle this year, rather than the front door. And OF COURSE, the nativity! I love this set. I collected the pieces over the first few years of our marriage and I love it! On the right is a small snowman display I have along with a deco mesh wreath I made last weekend! Both Adelyn & Avery LOVE playing with the little people nativity set and Santa train underneath!

And our tree! I did more bright, fun red & green this year! The past few years I’ve done red & zebra. I left the black & white in there, but added more green. I love it and can’t wait to add to it over the years!

For the 3rd year we have a sweet little pink tree in Adelyn’s room. She even helped decorate it this year. She’s so proud of her tree and I will often catch her laying in her room by her tree either reading books or gently playing with her ornaments! Poor Avery doesn’t have his own tree yet. I hope to find one after Christmas and a few ornaments, as well, for next year!

This is something new I did this year. I took a ribbon and secured it behind each cabinet door. Now as we get Christmas cards from our loved ones I’ve been using clothes pins to display them on the ribbon. I love having them right in our view point and I know we will enjoy it throughout the season. In years past I used a wrought iron snowflake type thing to slip them in, but it was PACKED FULL! This is so much better so we can everyone’s card! I have 5 more cabinets in addition to these two, 3 of which are still waiting for cards!

Hope you enjoyed our little home tour! Merry Christmas to you & yours!

Sporty Spices

When I was pregnant with Avery (about last year this time) I picked up a couple of Puma track suits for the kids. I knew I wouldn’t have the opportunity to have them coordinating often, so I’m taking advantage of it while I can!

Adelyn wanted to hold hands! *be still my mama heart* Also…Avery’s face, pure sweetness!!

Then we had some fun! Love their big smiles! Notice the fur ball in the bottom corner, Abby had to get in on the action!

I think outtakes are my favorite! The one on the left looks like Adelyn is trying to give Avery a next adjustment! Ha! poor kid!

Elf on The Shelf: Our First Year {Part 1}

I was on the fence whether or not we were going to do Elf on the Shelf this year. I wasn't sure if Adelyn would understand or not. My friend, Brittany, said she had done it with her boys since before her oldest boy turned 1, so that helped convince me. Plus while in line at Target on Black Friday the lady behind just so "happened" to decide against the one she had in her cart, so it worked out perfect!

We read the book and Adelyn named him "Bubbles"! She first wanted to name him Jimmy, but Daddy wasn't a fan of that name and said he wasn't going to talk about the Elf named Jimmy the whole month of December, so Adelyn chose Bubbles! Adelyn gets very excited that each night Bubbles flies to Santa! I don't think she fully understands that he is supposed to "report" how she was that day. We really aren't getting into the whole "Bubbles is watching you, so you have to be good". IMO she needs to be good & listen year round, not just at Christmas to get gifts (but that is whole 'nother post!) Ha! Its more just the fun of finding him each morning & seeing what he's up to!

I printed a blank December calendar and used my Elf on the Shelf Pinterest board to fill in each day of what Bubbles was going to be doing. It has helped SO much to have it all planned out, rather than trying to throw something together at 10:30pm before bed! I also wanted them to be "toddler friendly". I knew Adelyn wouldn't fully understand some of the more elaborate things I've seen on Pinterest. I wanted to do things that she is into, like books, stickers, the potty, etc! Its been a hit! Adelyn loves waking up each morning to find Bubbles! Sometimes she even says "Lets find Bubbles again!" Love this season even more now that Adelyn is starting to "get" Christmas!

So here's what we've done so far this month. The morning after we read the book I wanted to do something very simple & obvious, so Bubbles was just hanging around on the ceiling fan.

 

The next morning we found bubbles excited for the Christmas countdown with a few Advent activities!

 One morning we found Bubbles had made the kids elf size pancakes! They were a hit! Oh and we like peanut butter on our pancakes, anyone else?

Yesterday we woke up to find that Bubbles was taking a bubble bath! Thankfully Adelyn didn't realize those were marshmallows (we usually only have the mini ones)

I wanted a few simple ones for busy evenings. The tree & stockings were perfect for nights we got home late from events, family gatherings, etc!

Adelyn got a doll potty from Grandpa Steve for her birthday so it worked PERFECT for Bubbles' potty! She thought it was pretty silly! She did get after Bubbles though for using too much toilet paper, cracked us up!

I picked up a few Christmas books from the dollar section at Target and found Bubbles one morning reading them on the bench in the living room! Adelyn wanted to know when Bubbles would be done reading them because she wanted to read them! Ha!

I also got some Minnie Mouse stickers in the Target dollar section and Bubbles got a little sticker happy! Adelyn also really liked this one & quickly grabbed the stickers! We had a lesson that morning on asking Bubbles politely if he would share his stickers!

 

 One morning last week week we found Bubbles working on a Disney princess puzzle! Adelyn gladly helped him finish it!

 

I think this was the 2nd or 3rd morning and Adelyn was really excited to see that Bubbles was in HER room having a tea party with Minnie, kitty, and her Hearty bear!

And last, but not least, the classic sugar angel!

I will be sure to post the rest of our adventures with Bubbles!

What is your favorite Elf on the Shelf shenanigan?

Sweet Kisses

Meet me

Under

the mistletoe!

I couldn’t resist this sweet little romper from babyGap although I saw a onesie the other day that said “no mistletoe required” which is a little more appropriate considering I love smooching my sweet kiddos cheeks!