The buildup to Christmas might be even better than Christmas itself. (Almost). I love, love, love December. I love a white Christmas, I love the music, the smells, the planning, the wrapping, the traditions and the gatherings. Unfortunately there weren't many gatherings in 2020 so we held even tighter to our little pod and soaked up our first Christmas season in our brand new kitchen - just us five. It turns out that holiday baking and mess making is even more enjoyable on pretty countertops. ;)
And this girl was old enough to get into the spirit of EVERYTHING this past year. It makes me even more excited for holiday season 2021 when the pandemic is over, and sitting on Santa's lap can be a thing again!
Gingerbread houses with a toddler and a teenager. An adventure all on its own.
She ate as much as she decorated. I wasn't mad about it.
Mornings around the tree were some of my favorite times.
Santa's workshop may have been closed this year but that didn't stop us from visiting.
And this kid was knee deep in home ec. at school which meant more practice baking for all of us at home! ;) (He got an A. At home and at school). :)
This wonderful nativity calendar that we bought when the boys were little has definitely more than gotten its use. Kaitlyn loved playing with it this past year.
And the return of Friday Christmas movie nights was made even better with our new hot cocoa station.
That first measurable snowfall. She was a doll.
When the snow came, Kaitlyn called this her gingerbread house! And now that it's 95 degrees outside... she still calls it that. ;)
Baking with my girl. She loves our new mixer almost as much as her mommy. :) We started a new tradition over the winter. Every snowfall called for a new batch of chocolate chip cookies. Every time.
And though I used to loathe making sugar cookies from scratch, I actually enjoyed it this year. In fact, I took Christmas baking into consideration when I designed/mapped out our kitchen remodel. It all worked perfectly.
...when Mommy says you have to wait to eat. ;)
Cozy play and lots of puzzle time.
And regular fires in the fireplace. The minute Daddy would get home from work, Kaitlyn would ask to help him build a fire.
New spaces to decorate. And my favorite Christmas corner. It turned out so well. And hot cocoa was brewed up every night.
That sweet little white house held my essential oil diffuser that pumped sweet seasonal smells through its chimney all month long. :)
My new favorite ornament on the tree. To commemorate our 2020 Disney trip that we were lucky enough to go on right before the pandemic hit. Every Disney trip calls for a new ornament on the tree.
And a Christmas break that was filled with staying up late, sleeping in, sledding and first ski trips and lots of this...
Oh. And countertop s'mores. Just because.
