Recap -- Christmas 2013!

How did Christmas come and go so FAST????

Technically there were only like 33 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve this year...which apparently is less than usual? I'm going to say that's why it went so fast! 

We also were in New York for Thanksgiving with the hubby's family so we didn't get back home until I think December 3rd. And then of course, I came down with a nasty stomach bug and well...with not much time left until Christmas {or should I say weekends} we had to go get our Christmas tree while I was sick.

Yep. I sat in the car with a puke bucket while the hubby went and got us a tree! Isn't he the best!?

You're probably wondering...

"why didn't they just get a pre cut tree from the boy scouts or something??"

Well, for the past 3 Christmases {all of the ones hubby and I have been together for} we have had a tradition of cutting down our own tree at Hampton Hills Tree Farm and we didn't want to break the tradition...especially for Christian's FIRST Christmas! Not that he is going to remember any way...ha ha

Once we had our tree {and when I was finally feeling better} we decided we needed to get Christian to see Santa Clause! He needed to tell him that he wanted a crawl around car for Christmas :) 

With the lines to see Santa at the mall about 3 miles long and the cost for a single picture way over priced...we got creative! Well, actually the Minnesota Transportation Museum got creative! You paid the general admittance fee and then got a to explore the train museum {which will be super cool as Christian gets older} and also got to go on a train ride, have hot chocolate and cookies, and see Santa! You could take your own picture or pay $5 to have them take one for you! Honestly, our pictures probably turned out better than the one we bought, but you can't beat $5 even for the option to see Santa! All in all we probably paid just as much as we would have for a fancy mall picture, but had basically no waiting line and got a train ride and some fun at the museum! Can't wait to do this again with Christian next year!

And so the double pictures begin...one with daddy and one with mommy! 

Christian was SO intrigued by Santa! Selfishly I was hoping to get a screaming baby picture...But these are pretty great too! 

This year we spent Christmas with my family in Wisconsin. We drove over on the Saturday before Christmas and stayed through Christmas day. Since Christian was extra spoiled, we got a head start on opening presents as soon as we arrived! We can't wait for the warmer weather to start using this fun new sled!! 

We did give it a test ride with a walk through Irvine Park near my home town to see the Christmas lights. Christian loved it! And the lights :) 

On Sunday we celebrated Christmas with my dad's side of the family and Christian got to play with his 2nd? cousins! I think they're his 2nd cousins...my cousin's boys :) 

Props to baby photographers I tell ya! I could not get both of these guys smiling and looking at me at the same time! 

Logan (9 or 10ish months) and Christian (almost 7 months) had tons of fun playing together, though! 

And Christian enjoyed hanging out with his Great Grandma Charlotte too. 

Christian and Grandpa Ron

My cousin also got a super fancy schmancy camera for Christmas from her hubby and she was trying it out...Check out the fun pics she got for us! 

Christian also LOVED opening all of his presents at Grandma Jill's house! We kept doing a few every day! By the time Christmas day rolled around he was a pro! 

It was so fun watching him rip the paper off! 

All dressed up for Christmas Eve church

Opening a few more presents on Christmas Eve before heading to bed

Hanging out with Great Grandma Greta 

And Grandma Jill on Christmas day

We drove back to Minnesota on Christmas day so that we could celebrate Christmas as our little family too! Christian was so excited to find that Santa had brought him a crawl around car like he had asked! 

Spoiled some more! 

My hubby also surprised me by getting us matching pajamas for Christmas day! Can't wait to continue this tradition every year :) So fun! 

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! We sure did! 

Real Life Mama

I now get to enjoy moments like these, every day, ALL day! It's my dream come true! 

You're probably thinking - "Really, mama? All day, every day? Because my days aren't like this EVERY day and especially not ALL day." 

So let's be real. ALL day EVERY day isn't like this. My little guy rarely has a bad day {Praise the Lord}, but I {yes, this mama right here!!} have plenty of bad days. 

I struggle with being a mama, friends. 

Almost daily. 

If you're anything like me, those cute little faces, like my little Christian man above, really do make it all worth it. But there are a lot of days that I question what I'm doing. 

If I were to write down everything I do in a day I know the list would be long and I'm sure your's would be too! 

But this is the list I see in my mind when I think about my day: 

Didn't read the Bible long enough. 

Fed the baby. 

Changed the baby.

Cleaned up spit up. 

Folded laundry. 

Washed dishes. 

Made the beds. 

Cooked dinner. 

Tried to squeeze in some blogging...and the baby woke up.

Fed the baby again. 

Cleaned up baby after a major blow out. 

And the list repeats itself... again, and again, and again. 

Day in and day out. 

When the day is over what "accomplishments" do I have to show for myself? 

Usually it's not a whole lot in a tangible sense. There are no "promotions" for motherhood. Unless, that is, you count adding in another bundle of joy!? :) {No, we aren't expecting again!}

I don't know about you, but I'm often left with a lot of doubt. 

Is being mommy really enough????

I should have blogged more. 

I should have made a healthier dinner. 

I should have really deep cleaned and organized the kitchen. 

I should have baked a homemade dessert for small group instead of buying the packaged cookies from the store. 

I should have played with the baby more. 

I should have, I should have, I should have. 

The funny thing is that most of us probably feel this way as moms. But the pressure to do more and be more is probably coming from moms too!! 

Let's be real with one another. 

Let's have playdates in our pajamas {because we don't really get dressed up every day! Or is that just me?? }. 

There's nothing that makes me happier than when I get together with another mom and both of us are in our comfy clothes and haven't showered. 

Let's bring the packaged snacks to gatherings. 

Let's delete our pinterest accounts and take away the pressures of this world to be more. 

Loving on our little ones and showing them the love of Christ, leading them in truth daily is 

ENOUGH.

Being mommy is more than enough. 

It's everything. 

I'm talking to myself here too. We are the best moms for our kids. No one can do it better than we can. Our specific kids were given to us for a reason. And we are everything they need. So even when the only rewards of mothering is the smiles and hugs and laughter, let's remind each other that we are enough. 

Being mommy is enough. 

If you don't believe me...just ask your little one. 

I think my little guy thinks I'm just enough :) 

Even if we can't see it, there is a purpose to all the little, tedious tasks we do.

Psalm 138:8

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands."

Top Moments of 2013

Here we are...already 10 days into 2014 and I haven't had a chance to look back at 2013 until now.
Wow. It sure is fun to look back over the past year, though! It's been a BIG year for us! 

Over Half of 2013 (well really all of 2013) we spent adjusting to living life as a married couple and the other half we spent adjusting to living life as parents! And let's be honest...we're still adjusting to that but love every minute of it! 

With that said, here are some of the top moments of 2013 for us! 

Becoming a Stay At Home Mom (well really I started this in late 2012...but I'm still counting it!) 

Finding out we were having a Baby Boy! 

Really starting to show a cute baby bump :) Before this I mainly just looked fat and after this I started to look huge and swollen!

Having a 3D Ultrasound at Goldenview Ultrasound 

and seeing our sweet boy's face for the first time

Documenting my growing belly with a Belly Cast and Maternity Pictures 

Okay, we need to move on from reminiscing about my baby belly...its making me miss being pregnant and that just isn't right! 

Celebrating my first unofficial Mother's Day and my hubby was way too good to me! All new flowers for my garden...which I pretty much killed before  midsummer...oops.

Welcoming Christian James into the world! The TOP Moment of 2013 by far!! 

If you haven't already, you can read his full birth story {here}

Having Christian baptized at our church by the same Pastor that married us!

Celebrating our 1 Year Wedding Anniversary 

Watching Baxter love on Christian

Taking Christian to an Apple Farm and using our baby carrier for the first time!

Celebrating 1 Year since we found out we were pregnant

Having lots of fun at church! 

Took our first trip to New York with Christian and he flew for the first time!

Took Christian to his first Twins game

Carved pumpkins with Christian and celebrated his first Halloween! 

Christian also started using the Magic Sleepsuit so we could all get better sleep

We went to New York again and celebrated Christian's first Thanksgiving

Continued our tradition of cutting down our own Christmas tree (even though I was super sick)

yep...that's my hubby getting the tree all by himself while we waited in the car...me with my puke bucket in hand...Such a good hubby!!! :) 

And celebrated Christian's first Christmas! (Christmas Recap coming soon!!! Hopefully...) 

What a year! I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for us!

What were some of your top moments from 2013? Share in the comments or link to a post!