Merry Christmas from us!
The weather gets colder and we're forced to have slow, uneventful cozy nights at home. Brice and I's favorite winter date night includes making popcorn, mixing up a fun cocktail, and having a netflix marathon on the couch.
There's more gathering, entertaining, + hosting which I love. More times with family and friends because there's more excuses to get together. A heart of gratitude and thankfulness is cultivated so easily in this season, which our world needs more of.
Creating our own traditions has been so fun. Each year it's fun to see what we've decided that "makes" the holiday a holiday for us--whether it's hosting our Friendsgiving in November and New Years Day game night with our friends, or binge-watching Hallmark movies over a cup of tea with my mom and sis-in-laws, or searching every website (because I refuse to go into the shopping craziness) for the *perfect* gift for each person, or even turning on the Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving against Brice's will. :)
Here are some snaps from my family's Christmas. Unfortunately we forgot to take any at the Knapp Christmas, but here are some from our Knobloch Christmas.
Us girls did a favorite things gift exchange this year to switch it up and it was so fun!
Jess got us each an antique white vase + The Pioneer Woman's new cookbook.
I got everyone my favorite novel I read this year, The Nightingale, and my favorite cleaning product.
Leah got us a Rifle Paper Co. Meal Planning Notepad from Anthro.
The original four. :)
Brice got his gillie suit he's been wanting since forever. You could say I'm less than thrilled about this gift but he was ecstatic.
I can't ever have enough photos of this ornery two year old. :)
My family's traditional Christmas dinner: Prime Rib.
My mom has completely perfected this recipe and it. is. incredible.
Some fun happenings lately--
We went to the Festival of Lights in East Peoria with Adam + Lindsay for the 2nd year in a row! We wore comfy clothes, drank hot cocoa, and ate popcorn.
Pajamas + Polar Express Day at work :)
Every season, my dear friend Brittany and I get together make a new macaron recipe. We didn't find time in December to get together, but in November we made Salted Caramel macarons and they were amazing. We're finally perfecting our shell recipe!
I love wrapping presents and having pretty presentation.. there's just something about it that makes giving to others that much more fun.
Paisley's Christmas program at church!
My mom helped me decorate this year. Her green thumb touch always tops off my decor.
Date night at the Blue Duck. Yum.
A favorite soup recipe of mine.
A few of my favorite (some old, some new) holiday albums I've been playing on repeat--
The Sweeplings // Merrier Days
Lauren Daigle // BEHOLD
King's Kaleidoscope // Joy Has Dawned
