Family vacations...

We are in Lake Arrowhead enjoying Christmas celebrations with our Rae family! We can't wait to enjoy the time away and connect with the people that we love!

Christmas Eve

Well, Christmas Eve this year proved to be the most unusual that we have had.  I was scheduled to work, but woke up with pink eye and a chest cold.  My parents had planned to come out to be with the kids while Kit and I worked so since I was sick, we kept that plan.   It was so strange to not have the kiddos with us!  It didn't really feel like a holiday.

They went to my sister's house, ate like kings, delivered food to a sweet family that was affiliated with my parents church that had nothing.   Such an eye opening experience for my babies.  They visited the site of the recent San Bernardino shooting  and prayed for the families that lost loved ones.

 They brought flowers in their memory...

Then they headed to their church candle light service:

Then they headed to our friend Shari's house for dinner and homemade doughnuts filled with Nutella.  They were in heaven.

They had an amazing time with family and had their world views broadened and their hearts broken for a hurting world, and though we weren't together, I was so thankful that this christmas eve gave them those experiences with people that love them so dearly.

Merry Christmas from the Raes!

We hope that where ever this season finds you, in joy or sorrow, we pray that you have a very merry Christmas, and may this be a gentle reminder of how loved you are and that there is HOPE!

Isaiah 9:6
"For to us a child is born,
to us a Son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

handprint christmas trees

Eden and I started a project about a week ago.  It involved tracing her hand onto green felt to make a little christmas tree for her room.  Ryder has a really sweet one from his Aunt Mal and Eden always wants to put it in her room.  So I decided it was time to make her a tree of her own...

 About five handprints in, I realized that making a template would make the process so much easier for her. 

 I just set up a pattern and slued the pieces together.

 I pulled out old vintage buttons that had been my grandmas, some being over 60 years old:

I decided to go with all red buttons and just sewed them on where I wanted them to go:

The finished product:

We have it up on her message board and she LOVES that it's hers...❤︎

a little christmas "this and that"...

Little signs are all over our home that Christmas is here.  

Christmas cards:

 Over Thanksgiving, the kiddos got to see Santa for the second time in their lives and they had so much fun.  I now have this picture on our desk:

Eden is our night owl and loves to sneak down to look at the tree.  Seeing her little feet hanging over the stairs will always be a sweet holiday memory for me:

Ryder made so many cool creations at school and has them proudly presented on his art boards:

His Aunt Mal made his this felt tree for Ryder's first Christmas.  I love pulling it out each year!

Eden and I decided to add our homemade pom-poms to the tree and it has made it so much more full and festive!  (And SUPER kid friendly!)

I think this is the most "hame made" our tree has every been.  Minus a few ornaments, we have made garlands and clothespin snowflakes and pom-poms...  It has made the tree really feel like"us"!

We have had these mugs since 1984 and since marriage, I have adopted them as my own.  Coffee, tea, and cider just taste better in these, especially when Amy Grant's Christmas album from 1983 is playing in the background!

Christmas vacation, here we come!

Last Friday was Ryder's last day of school before his two week christmas vacation.  That means we are pretty much halfway through our first official school year.  All of that was some good reasons to celebrate!

Ryder made us an ornament:

 He was so excited about it!

We had asked him what he had wanted for dinner and he requested tacos and chips.  So we headed to Avila's for dinner.

We sat on the balocony.  Everything was decorated for Christmas.  We ate chicken soup, fajitas, crunchy tacos, and homemade tortillas.

We laughed and we talked and finally rolled ourselves out of there almost two hours later. 

 "Kit, remember when we used to order food that only WE would eat?  Yah, I don't either..."

We then drove around to see christmas lights and watch some old 1940's Christmas cartoons on Netflix.  The whole evening was fun and festive and put us right into the holiday spirit!  I am so excited for these next two weeks!

It's Christmas party time!

Yesterday was Ryder's school Christmas party.  He had so much fun!  From the crafts to eating treats to getting to have Kit as the parent helper.  He was in heaven!

Here a few snapshots that I was sent during the party:

(PS, it was also pajama day...)  

Today is our last day before our two weeks of Christmas vacation and I am so excited to get to spend some time all together, with no schedules and just enjoying all that this holiday is about!

breakfast shenanigans...

Oh these two... Everyday...

"I want Ryder to sit closer!!!"

 "This is my 'big bro'..."

She savors every second with him before he has to go to school.  I am so thankful for their relationship and that they have each other.❤︎

Italian mama in training

I came into the playroom to this little scene:

I asked her about what she was doing, and she said, with out hesitation or looking up, "I'm just feeding the kids, mama..." What a little nurturing soul she has.  I am thankful for who this little girl is and who she is becoming!❤︎

Italian family Christmas 2015

This year for our annual Italian family Christmas, we rented a cabin up in Angeles Oaks and had an amazing time!

Little snap shots and highlights:

Even though you have to use chains or 4WD, driving in snow is so peaceful!

Our cabin!

Lots of playing in the snow!

 (You would think by these photos that Ryder was no where is sight.  However, he was running around in a full snowball fight and playing in a surrounding field with his cousins that we were really only able to capture him on video.  He was CONSTANTLY on the move and he had the best time!)

Building snowmen...

Eating great food,  talking, laughing, playing games, silly gift exchanges with the adults, making gingerbread men, and really enjoying our connection time:

Oh how I love this man...

17 years ago, he came with me to his first Italian family Christmas. We had been dating for about two months and by the end of the weekend, we had had our first kiss and my family had decided that if it didn't work out with Kit, that they would take him and I was out of the family.

For MANY  reasons, I am so thankful that it worked out!❤︎

I can not tell you how much I look forward to this tradition every year and how life giving it is to be with people that we love and to continue to make these traditions and memories with our family!

We already can't wait until next year!