Wednesday, December 31, 2014

North Pole Breakfast 2014...Grinch Edition!

Ending the year sharing our most favorite Christmas tradition...our North Pole Breakfast!
We held it the first week in December but computer and server glitches kept me from posting right away and then, well, life. You know how December goes. Better late than never!
This year with Grace performing in Grinched, we were all about the mean green guy, so I rolled with it. Grinch pjs, Grinch stuffed animals, Grinched North Pole Breakfast...
We started out reading - what else - How the Grinch stole Christmas!
I love opening books and finding sweet sentiments! This one was from my dear friend Segi when Grace was still in my belly!
And then I made the littles close their eyes and tip-toe into the dining room...
And this. This right here is what it's all about! These sweet smiles and eyes full of wonder...
Our elves may not do a lot of fancy tricks while they're here, but they sure know how to throw a fun breakfast!!
Super Belly & Cookie Rooftop always bring some fun goodies for the littles - movies, ornaments and cotton candy this year - but the most important thing they bring every year is a sweet letter reminding Grace and Hudson what Christmas is all about...
And then it was time for the feast!
As you can see the littles wasted no time going for their favorites!!  Grapes and strawberries for the little pumpkin...
And S U G A R for Hudson!!

That silly old Grinch messed with our North Pole treats this year!!

Not even the Grinch repellant (maple syrup) could keep him away!

We had Grinch Pills (peppermint Milano cookie halves)...
Double Your Heart Paddles (red velvet cake ball halves)...
Who Pudding...
Green pancakes + Grinch hats...
Even our milk went green!
That Grinch even put his signature color in our C H E E S E!!
About the only thing he didn't mess with was the Snow-Covered Donuts...the North Pole's signature food. Whew!
But the littles didn't mind. They were in heaven! Sugar heaven that is!
Sugar high and silly shananigans topped off our morning!
And that's a wrap!

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” 
~ Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Indeed it does!
Thanks for visiting our little corner of blogland this year! I wish you God's blessings of love, peace and joy in the New Year. May you find big and little reasons to celebrate this beautiful gift called LIFE!
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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Christmas {2014}

We left cookies...
We read The Night Before Christmas...
Pretended to jump out of a plane - ha! 
{don't ask! doesn't everyone do that on Christmas Eve???}
We called and tracked Santa and then hurried to bed. And some time in the middle of the night, Santa came and ate the cookies, left a sweet note for the littles {Rudolph liked his portrait, Hudson!!} and some fun gifts by the tree!
Ever since {this} fun Christmas morning, Santa leaves stocking stuffers in a better, safer place.
I love this sweet pic and how he tiptoed in there to see if Santa had indeed come!
The calm before the storm... 
{and yep, this year Grace deemed the Santa hats 'uncool' so a headband it was. pick your battles...pick your battles...}
We started off with my very favorite. The gifts they bought for each other with money earned from doing extra chores. Grace picked out Beat the Parents {Hudson is very into board games right now} and a build-a-Snowman Lego pouch for Hudson.  Hudson picked out Anna & Elsa in their fancy costumes and a Rainbow Fairy book for Grace. I love how much they love picking out each other's presents. And this year they kept the surprise and didn't tell each other beforehand!!
My heart!
American Girl and Legos are still going strong in our home!
The littles love giving and OPENING presents for others - hahahaha! They picked out a sweater for Lance...
...and then the long-anticipated moment {only for me - ha!}. I tricked Lance by wrapping his present inside of a GIANT box so that I was finally able to surprise him...
...with tickets to the Music City Bowl!! He was so excited!! LSU & Notre Dame - his two favorite teams!
Stocking stuffers always bring some sweet smiles...
And lots of cute crafty things...
Some hits and some misses - ha!
And one final special gift from mama...
...because I think every little girl needs to be reminded that being exactly who God made her to be is the most beautiful of all!
There might have been an argument or two over who was going to sit where and who was going to play the piano, but............we finally sang Happy Birthday to Baby Jesus. This year the littles chose a donut cake for Him - yum!
And then we spent our afternoon playing - what else - American Girl and Legos!....with a board game break thrown in for good measure.
We had a cozy, stay-in-your-pjs-all-day kind of day.  So thankful for the blessing of spending this time together!
Merry Christmas to all!
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