Frosty walks with Lauren

This morning when we woke up it was icy and frosty outside! I love to look out the window at the ice, especially with the fire blazing and the Christmas lights twinkling.

Lauren and I decided to wrap up warm and go for a walk, while the boys put the goal post Santa brought together. Look at this cute head scarf she got, it is adorable!

I also wanted to add the outfit she wore today.... she is the cutest!

We are all enjoying our relaxing holidays together, Dylan is so relaxed he stayed in his pjs all day! and of course he doesn't like photographs anymore.... 'unless they are selfies' I am told... Oh you've got to love ten year olds!!! I miss my little boy, where did this teenager come from?!

Christmas Day 2014

The excitement here on Christmas morning! The kids woke up at 5:30 am, we managed to get them to wait until 6:00 am before they went down to see it Santa came!

Lauren's Santa gifts

Dylan's Santa gifts

They could barely contain their excitement coming down the stairs!

Checking out their presents!

Lauren was so happy to see Santa had brought her a ' Treasured doll ' She lifted it so carefully out of her box.

Dylan was delighted to get a stunt scooter, he was very impressed with Santa!

My Santa brought me this...aka Derek! and I love love love it! I can't wait to use it, I've wanted a Michael Kors forever!

Then we all had a lovely relaxing family breakfast, and headed out to mass at 12 noon. It was a family mass and it was beautiful, the kids sang along to the songs and they got to see baby Jesus in the crib.

 After mass we went home to prepare our Christmas dinner, and I convinced everyone to let me take some family photos!

My little Christmas angel is only too happy to pose for her photos

Lauren's pretty curls 

My big boy however is more reluctant to have his photo taken these days, I did beg and he finally gave in!

My two special gifts, the best thing around our Christmas tree...

Our family, I am blessed to have these people as my very own. I love you all so much more than you can ever know

My wonderful husband and one true love

 I got my table all set up,  my centerpiece was a gift from my parents. It is a sterling silver reindeer that I decorated.

We all had the most fabulous dinner, and the kids played for hours around the house and we all just relaxed and had fun. Then we all snuggled up to watch a movie, but Lauren was already falling asleep so we put her up to bed. Dylan managed a little longer, but eventually this is the scene that awaited...

Off to sleep at the end of a magical Christmas.... We all had a really wonderful time.

~ Merry Christmas ~

Christmas Eve 2014

Christmas Eve is my most favourite day of the year, on Christmas night we all get in our pjs to do all our Christmas traditions and wait for Santa! This year the kids insisted we take a family selfie! I think this is hilarious- this is becoming a tradition as they insisted on this last year too!

Of course we had to have our hot chocolate too

Lauren and I had matching slippers! We were very excited about this part!

Then I beg them to let me take photos of them with their stockings all ready!

Since Dylan was a little baby, we have always read our annual ' Night before Christmas,' book. To me once this book comes out it is officially Christmas Eve. The kids were so excited, I love to see the wonder and excitement!

Then it was time to leave out Santa's snack

Then all we had to do was wait!

It took so long for my babies to fall asleep they were so excited! Finally they fell asleep and everyone had to get to bed so Santa could bring our presents! I can't wait to see their smiles tomorrow!

~ Happy Christmas Eve ~

Priceless Pottery

 Today we picked up the pottery that we painted at the Pottery painting studio, Dylan chose a penguin and Lauren chose Santa. These were the pottery pieces we did together on our Christmas holiday celebration day! They worked really hard on these little treasures, and now they are carefully hanging on our tree!

  

 

   

 

I also wanted to have a special ornament on the tree for our baby we lost this year. I was going to buy one, but when we were at the studio and the kids were painting with me, I decided to paint a dove with our baby's name on it. I was trying to honour in a little way, all of the things that I will never get to do with our baby. I have painted and had arts and crafts time with Dylan and Lauren and so this felt really fitting, it was also extra special because I made it in memory of our baby. I painted it a red colour for Christmas, but it looks almost pink in the pictures. I also painted 2015 on it, the year when Hope would have been born.

 

I look forward to putting this ornament on our tree every year in memory of our baby.

 

In Memory of baby Hope, always with us every Christmas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A close up view of all three of the most special ornaments on our tree

 

  

 

All precious and all priceless

Our Christmas Day Out

The day the kids finished up school for their Christmas holidays I took them for a day out to celebrate. I took them to paint pottery and to see Santa, Lauren even got her nails done! 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to see Santa

 

 

 

 

We loved Santa this year!

 

 

 

Afterwards with our gifts from Santa

 

 

We even went on the little train out to the restaurant and had dinner with Daddy

 

 

We all had a great great day, the kids enjoyed it all so much... and so did Mum! It's really Christmas now that they have their holidays, they are so looking forward to the magical days to come.