Christmas Joy

Merry Christmas (+1 day) from our family to yours! It was a crazy day, but would I really have it any other way? We spent most of the week down in Charleston since Brian was still working. However, when we found out he had gotten Christmas day and the whole weekend after off we made plans to come back that day! It truly was a Christmas miracle.

My family celebrated Christmas on the 24th. We did it up right with a Christmas breakfast complete with reindeer pancakes and bacon.  Why can't every meal be in the shape of something festive? Brady was able to open all 231449385 of his presents. His big gift was the Radio Flyer trike. Between that and his latest haircut I officially have a big boy on my hands. 

We woke up pretty early on Christmas morning and raced home to arrive in time for gifts and breakfast with Brian. I didn't take a ton of pictures the morning. I was so wiped from the week. Instead I grabbed a cup of coffee and a piece of Christmas cake and simply watched Brady (and Brian) enjoy their new toys. 

After cleaning up and doing some baking we headed over to Brian's parents for a quiet dinner. There is something to be said for silent nights. I love when the whole family is together, but I find I enjoy the peace just as much. But not for too long. That night we hosted a dessert and white elephant party with some of our very best friends. The kids played hard and boy did everyone sleep well that night! 

I will be spending the rest of the weekend goal setting for our family and my music business. We have already decided on our word of focus for the year 2016. Quiet time and reflection is just what this mama needs as we head into what can only be expected as another busy year! HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 

Holiday Pregaming

We are kicking off our holidays with a little 75 degree weather in the tropical state of South Carolina. So much for cute Christmas sweaters and fleece tights. Despite the sweat we kicked off our holiday with a little fancy smancy Christmas party at my Aunt's house. (Can you say "DREAM KITCHEN!") The food was amazing as always and everyone was dressed to impress. And of course the cousins had coordinating outfits! 

Brian had to work again this holiday so little man was my dapper date for the evening. Don't be fooled though after a few pictures he made his way into sweats and a t-shirt. Even this high maintenance mama knows her boundaries. We played a few present games and I landed a beautiful globe that is perfect for my office. However, the best gift was my uncle being home from Egypt. My aunt and I both know what it's like to have our guys working so hard. So I was ecstatic to know that he was home with her for the holidays. 

The last few pictures were naturally taken after the last of the wine had been finished off. I was in love with Kelly's graphic Christmas sweater. What a night! Tomorrow Brady and I are headed home to celebrate with Brian. We can't wait to watch Nugs open his presents and celebrate with our little family of three. 

Family Photos

We got our holiday photos done about a month ago and I have been dying to share them on here!  Christmas cards are so fun, but unfortunately our photographer gets SO MANY great pictures I always feel sad only choosing 1 or 2 to send out.

I am quickly realizing that coordinating just Brian and myself for pictures was once a luxury we won't be getting back anytime soon. Photography is seriously an art and I in no way have any patience to be dealing with all that. I was a little nervous that we weren't going to get very many good ones since Brady was more concerned with eating rocks. But as always Kristin Dustman proved me wrong!

My sister was able to come down for the weekend with her family. We used these pictures as an early birthday present for my mom. It was so special to have some beautiful pictures with my precious sister.

Sharing all of these fun photos makes the holidays seem that much closer! Can't wait to dive into some hot chocolate and big bows!

Some Tree Farm Fun

This time last year I remember thinking that Brady was going to be so big and running all over the place. Though he has grown so much this past year we are just taking a few steps here and there. He is still sitting firm at 20 lbs. And I couldn't be happier. It has given me just a few more months with my baby.

                     

Brian and I both had Friday off. The weather was a little chilly, but we knew that the tree farm was going to be pretty easy to navigate since it was a workday. We went to Penland Tree Farm. They have a wide selection of trees at great prices.

We are spending this beautiful Sunday baking cookies for the neighbors and brewing an awesome taco soup recipe. The cold weather that has swept through has really made the Christmas season feel present!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another holiday has come and gone. I can barely move off the couch with all of the sweet potato pie and no bake cookies I have inhaled over an eight hour period. Despite being in my home town with all of my family this was a rough holiday for Brady and me. Brian is in an outage at work and is working both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. We missed him so much today. It really made me realize that truly, this holiday is about more than just table settings and themed desserts. We should take time to think about thankful we are for our families, near and far. 

My mom kept me super busy as I was in charge of the cupcake desserts and.... the TURKEY. Talk about major pressure. I decided to try a brine, despite having my grandmother's perfectly good recipe for turkey. A brine was attractive for many reasons. I mostly liked the thought of it being in a cooler on the floor versus having it take up 20 lbs of precious space in the refrigerator. I used this recipe. And I promise it DID NOT DISAPPOINT. It cooked for exactly 2.5 hours and was so tender and juicy later that day for dinner. I will be using turkey brines for the rest of my hostess days. 

We spent the afternoon playing cornhole and watching home videos... two of the favorite Rabon pasttimes. Also, we were able to pick up my baby brother from the airport who has been serving in the US navy. He was able to get a few days off to visit and we couldn't be more excited!

                               


This weekend isn't over yet though. We still have to go see the park Christmas lights and tackle some Black Friday shopping with two toddlers.  With so many blessings given from above I can't help but thank all of the past and present hands that have helped me create and keep the most beautiful life I hold so dear. Happy Thanksgiving!


                                 

Halloween with my BOOs

The first of the holidays has come and went this fall season. Brian has been working like crazy so we decided to take a break from our normal Halloween tailgate and headed to Charleston. We had such a great time with the Rabon side. Watching the kids together is seriously giving me mad baby fever. 

                     

My parents had these awesome blowups that Brady was seriously obsessed with. At one point he was so interested in them that he let go of my hand and just stood there with no support. This is HUGE for us considering all of the physical therapy we have been doing. Such a proud mama!

The rest of Halloween day was spent finalizing our costumes and making tons of tasty goodies. We have really been trying to eat cleaner so I have been using lots of fruit and veggies to make mealtime fun for the babe. But, alas, the icing, cakes, and cookies made their way onto the menu. 

Trick-or-treating was such an experience. Brady hung in the stroller for most of the time, while Addy raced her way through the neighborhood gathering all of her loot right before passing out on the couch. The best part of the night was when I offered to walk the kids up the drive to a scarier house of a couple about my age. When we got to the porch Brady promptly pointed at the husband and said,"da-da!". Talk about awkward moment.  

   

 

We are getting ready for our next plane ride in a few weeks as well as prepping for Thanksgiving. And as always the week to week craziness is keeping us at a million miles a minute speed. Happy Halloween my BOOtifuls!

Fall Favorites & Happenings

As I was looking back through the archive I realized I only completed one measly post for September. Then I quickly reminded myself it was a HUGE month for us. I made a big career change and have been tremendously blessed by that. But with those blessings come the business of clients, deadlines, financial responsibilities, and one sweet little boy who is just growing up way too fast for my taste. I am going to try to stay up on the blog bandwagon as best as possible, but weekly posts may be a thing of the past. With that said who has put on their leggings and cranked up the Keurig for fall?!

                           

We are enjoying some of our favorite fall happenings. We made a trip to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch this week. My mama bestie, Jada, and I have decided we are going to make seasonal field trips with the kids. Warm cider donuts, apple slushies, and farm slaw dogs are just a few of the sacrifices we are willing to make for our boys' educations. And even though we are supposed to have the king of monsoons raging in our skies this weekend that couldn't keep us from the 2nd Annual Fall Extravaganza!

Fall has been teasing us lately. We had some true fall weather a few weeks ago, but it left just as quickly as it came. Leaving behind 80 degree weather wasn't really what I called a true season change. But alas it seems that fall has a made return and we are rounding up our favorite things this season. Last season Brady was still a little nugget and I felt like anything mature looking just swallowed him. However, this year he is going to be sporting some serious denim and puffer vests. I am also loving that we can wear coordinating Minnetonka boots! And as always Target is on point with their home decor. So grab one of those fun Threshold mugs, fill it with cider and enjoy the cool breeze that the new season is bringing. HAPPY FRIDAY!

Puffer Vest // Bear // Fringe Boots

Beanie Hat // Baby Fringe Boot //Essie Plum Polish // Fall Mug