Christmas 2013

Hello, and happy post-Christmas! Sorry I'm a few days late, I've been a busy-bee for the past few days. Also, the first time I tried to put this post up, my browser closed without saving it so I had to rewrite the entire thing!! Ah well, at least this is my view at the moment:

(Hey..hey..I now have an Instagram! It's safe to say I'm a total newbie! Follow me?)

I hope everyone had a safe, fun, joy-filled, and blessed Christmas this year!! I know I did!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve started off right with a hot bowl of Apple Pumpkin Spice Oats to waaarrm me up.

Since everyone was still asleep, I headed out for my 45-min easy run. It. Was. Coooolldd.

After I finished and got ready for the day, it was time for our traditional Christmas Eve shenanigans - aka cooking and baking all. day. long.

Blueberry-Ginger Compote

Candied pecans

Chocolate-covered pretzels

Gingerbread men!

We got all of our mis en place ready for Christmas Day, so we could spend maximum time with each other, rather than worrying about getting everything ready!

Traditional Christmas Eve dinner: Chinese takeout!

Aaanndd traditional Christmas Eve evening: watching ELF as a family. It really felt like Christmastime when we turned this on!

While we completed a lot of traditions this year, there were still a few missing. Our church doesn't have a candelight/Christmas Eve service, which we would normally go to, and we didn't go to my aunt's house like we normally would. My grandmother passed away last year, and ever since then, our family "traditions" have kind of loosened up a bit. But it was still a wonderful, wonderful Christmas Eve with my family!

Christmas Day

I woke up later than usual, surprisingly. 9 am and we were ready to see what Santa had brought us. :))

After going through our Santa gifts and stockings (hellooo coffee!), my sister, Mom, and I were off to the kitchen to start breakfast. We would have opened presents first, but Rebekah and I were starving when we woke up!

Waffle toppings

Mom's traditional fruit cake

Whole wheat waffles

Bacon/egg cups

Homemade donuts (not the healthy version - fried goodness, baby)

I got no pictures in-action of opening gifts (um I was having too much fun!), but here's the aftermath:

And some of my favorite gifts from my family:

Addicted.

A heart pillow! A-dork-able!! ;)

Aanndd an iPhone!

I was absolutely wiped for some reason, so when all was unwrapped, admired, and cleaned up, I took a little 1 hour nap and then suited up for a Christmas run (in my new gear)!

A nice, chilly 5k. I took it slow, steady, and easy, and it was just what I needed!

Then a little catching up on the Sing-Off (anyone else watch this?)...

And Christmas Evening dinner.

It was quite the spread - scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese, salad, turkey, ham, green beans, and rolls. We did not go hungry this Christmas!!!

I really can't explain how blessed I felt this year. Not only in the gifts that I received, but the time that I spent with my family. I have a family who loves me, we have more than enough delicious food to fill our bellies, and a roof over our heads. Our lives are overflowing with blessings, and my heart is overflowing with gratitude.


'Twas a wonderful Christmas indeed!

What are some of your Christmas traditions?
What was your favorite gift?!