We actually pulled it off. The kids had a fantastic Christmas and we couldn’t feel more blessed OR relieved. That being said, I would never, ever, suggest PCSING the month of a major holiday (especially Christmas) and then hopping on a plane to Vegas for a wedding before having your household goods delivered. I know we totally could have stayed in Texas until after the hustle of the holidays but we didn’t want that… and if I’m being honest, if we had to do it all over again - we would do it the same way. I know there is no way I would have wanted to miss my best friend’s wedding either. We smooshed letters to Santa, visiting Santa, winter wonderlands, zoo lights, cookies, gingerbread houses, and so much more into the middle of unpacking an entire 10,000 pounds of our household (we were box free in 7 days, I might add). Justin and I spent Christmas Eve watching all of our favorite Christmas shows and singing carols that the girls love. We wrapped TOO many presents when the girls went down and placed them under the tree late that night.

Watching the kids Christmas morning was worth every single moment of stress or worry. They had such a magical season with our little family and extended family as well. I didn’t cook for Christmas this year, I think that's the only thing that felt weird. We ended up with lots of extended family and the girls got to run around, eat good food, and bond with SO many of their cousins. My kids are the babies of our family in Washington State, so I absolutely loved watching the new connections they made with their Ohana. It felt so good to laugh, be surrounded by loved ones, and just resonate in that Christmas spirit. That is the whole reason why I wanted to move back home. I wanted that blanket of love that only your family can provide. I really hope the kids become familiar with that feeling within our family and extended family as well.

As much as I was hoping we’d get a white Christmas, we did not get a white Christmas this year. In light of that, we plan on taking the kids up to the mountain for a day of snowball fights and hot chocolate sometime this week. I can hardly wait. Mt. Rainier is such a special place and we haven’t gone in four years. With Christmas coming to a close, my mind is completely set on moving into the new year. I cannot wait to celebrate New Years and ring in 2019. Justin and I will be celebrating eight years of marriage next month, Olivia turning three, and we get to do all of this celebrating in my favorite state! Here’s to more experiences, lots of love, and amazing connections. This season has been so good to our family. I feel so dang blessed!

Annual Family Christmas Photos

Amanda Raylee was seriously pure magic. She had a baby strapped on her chest all the while and that didn’t slow her down one bit. I LOVE the way our photos turned out. Seriously. I could not have made a better choice to send us off from Texas right. I love my family, you guy. Seriously, I am so dang blessed. I love that my beautiful family continues to grow and connect. We are so dang grateful. These four are truly picture perfect. Here are a few images from our session. I already have our new wall set in photo production.

                                      

Santa Visit

Today we took the girls to see Santa at the mall and it was SUCH a great experience for us. The last time we took Ava to see Santa I believe she was 1.5 years old? Yes, she was and she definitely bawled. I felt so bad. Like really bad. We didn't take her last year because of her experience the year before (we were also in New York, I was 37 weeks pregnant, and we were on the go the entire trip) and I honestly thought visiting Santa would become a thing of the past... until Ava became a preschooler. Her mind, how smart she is, how receptive she is.. man! This year, she knows who Santa is. She knows his good pal Rudolph and Frosty the snowman of course. She knows that Santa brings her presents when she's a good girl - and that we leave him milk and cookies.

I mean, she understands the very traditions I did as a child. These full circle moments are almost too much for my heart to handle. I get so emotional each time I get to share something special with my girls. A couple weeks ago, something fantastic happened! Thanks to our technology driven world, Ava received a video chat from Santa - she went crazy. She couldn't believe that Santa had called her and she literally told everyone we know here in Texas. Since then, I've watched this warm Christmas spirit emerge more everyday from my sweet girl. Seriously. She sings all of "Santa's Songs" and she looks out for snow (not likely where we are), and she stays true to using only her rudolph decor and silverware. 

I told Ava early this morning that we'd be going to see Santa after her swim class... I have never seen her jump out of bed so quickly. All through breakfast this morning all she could talk about was seeing Santa. I was so excited that she was excited! We waited in line for almost a solid 30 minutes until it was our turn. Ava was a bit more shy and timid than I was expecting but she definitely let him know what she wanted for Christmas. Elena's little sister Isabel and a barbie house. BOOM. The hard part was over. No tears on Ava's end- in fact, she even gave Santa a hug. Olivia on the other hand - she BAWLED as soon as Justin sat her down on Santa's lap. I know we both expected that to happen. We kept Olivia's visit very short and let Ava finish talking to Santa before it was time to go. Our oldest was kind of in awe of this white beareded man. Seeing the look on her face when we left made the entire trip worth it. 

♥- Leilani

Traveling Southwest: Part Two

While on the phone with a rep, they suggested I check the Baltimore flight leaving Seattle towards Albany.. that flight only had one seat available. That is a definite downside of traveling during the holidays. All flights are full. We waited around for awhile longer and finally heard our names being called over the intercom. Because we were going to miss our connecting flight from Chicago to Albany, they decided to reroute us through Baltimore. They gave us a voucher for a hotel in Baltimore, and then a flight that would leave in the morning for Albany. Personally, that wasn't the route I wanted to take. I was extremely upset that we wouldn't be arriving on time, but we didn't really have too many other options.

10am rolls around and we were FINALLY able to board our original flight that departed to Chicago. Departing almost 4 hours late, you'd think the staff would be understanding to the frustrated passengers, right? NOT. AT. ALL. I am a stickler when it comes to poor customer service, so I was less than pleased and already had the notion in my head that we would never fly Southwest again. During the flight I ordered wifi so I could browse the web a bit and track the connecting flight in Chicago. A small part of me was hoping it'd be late so we could still get on that plane to head to Albany... that definitely didn't happen, but I did think up another plan that would get us to New York a lot sooner. There was a flight departing from Newark, New Jersey from the Chicago airport that was leaving about an hour after we arrived in Chicago. All I had to do was check and see if there were seats available on the flight. If we were able to use this connecting flight, we could rent a car from Jersey, drive the 2.5 hours to New York, and drop the rental car off in the morning.. The only other problem was actually retrieving our checked luggage so we could recheck it for the Jersey flight.. Yeah, this part not so easy. I wouldn't suggest ever asking a flight attendant about anything with baggage, as they proved to be completely clueless.

The flight attendant allowed me to sit in the 10th row of the plane to get off quicker so I could ask the people that were in charge of our baggage to pull our luggage off, so we could take it up the terminal with us. NOT.POSSIBLE. for several reasons.
# 1 Southwest does NOT track their luggage
# 2 Just because you check your luggage, that doesn't mean your luggage will end up on your flight
# 3 The goal is to send the luggage where ever the destination tag says to go

Aside from the luggage fiasco, I had my fingers crossed that things would work out that way.. and they did. When we touched down in Chicago, I immediately went to the help desk to see if they could get my family on the Newark flight, and they were! All set there. I also got the phone number for Albany luggage at the airport in New York and was able to describe our bags, have someone present to check to see if our bags came in on an earlier flight, etc. They called the Chicago airport luggage department to make sure they were tracking the situation. Our luggage was said to be on the last flight from Baltimore to Chicago. I was so nervous about our things getting lost, but was hopeful that it'd be in Albany once we got there. We made our way to the gate for the Newark flight and found out that the flight had been delayed.. that wasn't too terrible because we were able to get in some dinner before our plane took off.

About 20 minutes after we ate, we boarded the flight when family boarding was called, gate checked the carseat yet again, and made our way onto the plane. This plane was a little smaller than the first one, and it was fully packed. The flight was suppose to be just under two hours, but apparently the arrival airport in Jersey wasn't ready for the plane to land yet... so we spent like 45 minutes doing these circular motions in the air. I was completely annoyed because instead of arriving at 830pm Eastern Time, we didn't end up getting into the rental car until almost 10pm. The ONE thing I was grateful for throughout this entire experience was my child. She was so, so good. We received multiple compliments on how calm, easy, and relaxed she was through each hustle and bustle.

After getting our rental car just before 10pm, we started our commute to New York. Ava knocked out as soon as she got in the car, and I was in awe of the New York City skyline, like i was the first time I saw it. Since it was late at night, traffic was minimal and the only thing that separated us from New York was the open road. We did stop for a bathroom break and a coffee break (Justin has been raving non-stop about having Dunkin Donuts again), we drove straight through to Albany to pick up our baggage. Justin's step mom actually ended up arriving at the airport before us, and she was there when our bags arrived. We didn't end up actually getting to the airport until after 12am, and we dropped off the rental car with the rental agency at the airport.


♥- Leilani

Traveling Southwest: Part One

Okay, I'm not entirely sure that the airline is to blame for our traveling fiascos to New York.. but they definitely won't be receiving future business from me, that's for sure. Let's start out with the entire morning. I woke up a little after 2am to shower before six hours of flying. I woke Justin up at 3am, and we woke Ava up when it was time to get her dressed and ready. Everything was going smoothly, as we packed our bags entirely the night before, printed out boarding passes, and stocked up on some of the foods that we could take with us during our travels. Our ride arrived around 4am, and it was less than an hour drive to the airport. Once we arrived at the airport, we noticed how long the lines were for checking luggage for Southwest. We opted to go inside as the line was moving quite faster, and we had two bags that needed to be checked. Our flight was due to take off at 625 am, and boarding began at 555am, so I thought we had plenty of time to get through everything that needed to be done... which we did. After checking our bags we headed over to the TSA lines. Justin had this preconceived notion we could all go through the pre-approval TSA line... which actually wasn't true, and apparently had to be done when we were purchasing the tickets. This meant we had to go to the overly crowded TSA lines that literally wrapped around the entire section of this airport.

This is when Justin started to panic. He thought for sure we weren't going to make our flight. We stood in line and again experienced the fast paced ease that had been the pattern for our morning in the airport. We got through TSA in no time, and aside from taking off my shoes and having a rep stick some odd stick in Ava's chocolate moo moo (testing for the bad chemicals, potentially?), it wasn't too bad. Mothers and children are allowed to go through the less invasive metal detector, while Justin had to go through this extremely large portal looking detector. After we got our things from the TSA belt, we dashed off to our boarding gate. We had a few minutes to spare before 555am hit, and even though I had to use the restroom, I opted to wait until we boarded on the plane.

We sat for about 10 minutes or so before the flight attendant started boarding the "A" crew. After the A's, pre-boarding passes, and disabled passengers boarded... things came to a halt. I want to say 30 minutes passed before someone told us that there was a small cut of some kind down below where our luggage was stored. They contacted maintenance to have someone come out to fix the minor issue. Even though the issue hadn't been fixed, they allowed the remaining passengers to board the plane. The next group called was family boarding and we were the first family to have our tickets scanned from that group. Once we were all seated the Captain explained the minor issue in a little more detail and assured us they were working hard to get the problem fixed. 20 minutes later a flight attendant announces that we'd be taking off no later than 710am (almost an hour behind schedule at this point), as the problem was fixed and we were preparing for take off.

About 15 minutes later, The captain tells us that the problem wasn't fixed and that Southwest has decided to have their own contractors come down all the way from Boeing (near Seattle), to have the problem fixed entirely. This meant all the passengers that had boarded had to get off the plane...To say we were irritated is an understatement. They left us with no updates, no ETA's, and no alternate travel options. I called Southwest on my cell during our wait, and they were pretty much no help at all. I was so infuriated. Our tickets were still showing that they'd been scanned and that the plane was still scheduled to take off at 710am, which was definitely not the case at 8 in the morning. I can't tell you how many reps on the phone I talked to, how many reps at the Southwest gate that I was brash with... i was entirely stressed, especially with a two year old that had been up since 3 in the morning. They had no updates as to when the flight was actually going to leave and they gave little help with assisting those they could with getting them an alternative connective flight.

♥- Leilani

Holiday Travel: Family Of Three... With A Pregnant Mommy

This will be our first time traveling by plane as a family of three, so I wanted to make sure that I document everything we did as a reference for future traveling. Hopefully other families can use this guide to help in their traveling process as well. Our tickets have been booked for pretty much six months at this point, so knowing the departure/arrival times haven't changed at all. I think buying the tickets and locking those in was obviously the most important step. Moving forward, I knew I wanted most of our luggage to be carry on, so we've been packing accordingly. I do believe we will end up checking one big suitcase, just for piece of mind and not having to deal with TSA stuff. I have called the airlines about a million times to verify what's allowed, pregnancy policies, and other little tidbits that are important to know when traveling with a child. I want to break this post down into three sections, one for Ava bug, one for me, and one for Justin. Basically just to show you how we plan on making this trip as smooth as possible.

Ava
Toddler Ava bug has definitely been my biggest thoughts with this trip. Not so much a worry, but making sure we don't miss a beat to keep her comfortable, safe, etc. Some of the things we have done to ensure this would be bringing the following items:

• Samsung Galaxy Tablet full of movies galore with toddler friendly headset
• Frozen luggage, frozen coloring books/crayons
• Frozen thermos with her milk (cold for up to 12 hours)
• Frozen snack container filled with cut up fruits she loves
• bananas, granola, fruit snacks, etc. 
• Princess Sofia toilet covers for toddlers
• comfortable clothes (layers)
• A few of her favorite books
• New convertible seat that's easy for dad to carry through our airport time

Mama

My main concern is comfortability. I want to make sure that this plane ride doesn't leave me full of aches, swelling, or anything that wouldn't be ideal for being (almost) 36 weeks pregnant. I debated on bringing my snoogle maternity pillow.. it truly is just too big for the plane and seating space. But here is a list of things I plan to bring that will make my trip easier

• Compression socks
• Brita water bottle
• raw almonds 
• hypnobirthing book
• travel pillow
• macbook (editing in the air)
• isle seat (closer to the bathroom)
• Comfy clothing/comfy shoes that aren't tight on my feet

Justin

My husband is by far the easiest to please out of our bunch, so his list is extremely shorter than both mine and Ava's. 

• Comfy clothes (sweats, sweatshirt)
• Book
• The tablet if Ava decides to fall asleep during our plane ride
• Sleep

In addition to everything I've listed I purchased a convertible seat bag so Justin can put Ava's seat on his back. I purchased Gohygiene toilet seat covers for myself, and I also made sure to purchase a waterproof case for my mac that I'll be carrying on the plane as well. Other than getting our ride arranged to and from the airport, that's pretty much all we've done to ensure the smoothest trip possible.

♥- Leilani

Mama Cloth

With this being our second baby girl, I have noticed that there are some differences in my preferences as I prepare for labor/delivery. One of those differences includes reusable "mom cloth" pads for menstrual, postpartum, or just panty liner care. My initial thought when I looked at mama cloth a few years ago was: Why on earth would I want to reuse something that I'm bleeding on? Having cloth diapered for over two years, my thoughts on mama cloth have changed tremendously. It really is a smart investment on my end, and the best part? Being able to wash, and not waste a ton of cash on disposable pads. I researched for probably six weeks of this pregnancy with Olivia, I watched youtube videos, read blogs, etc. I have found a brand that is highly rated, super affordable, and that I'm extremely excited to test out. I purchased pads specifically for postpartum, so when they arrive, I'll make sure to blog about the overall quality, feel, etc.

Postpartum care isn't really something I spent a whole lot of time focusing on while I was pregnant with Ava. Thankfully, I had a swift and extremely easy recovery, so I didn't have to do too much anyhow. Now that I'm more informed/educated on postpartum, I've been through it, and I know what to kind of expect, I want to be a lot more prepared this time around. Looking back on my last experience, after delivering Ava,  I had zero tears, I didn't require stitches, or anything other than ice packs to help with swelling. I do believe I used witch hazel moistened pads for like a week, and I used the peri bottle for almost two whole weeks. Other than that, earth mama angel baby nipple cream was really the only thing I used consistently. I didn't even have a full 4 days of postpartum bleeding after delivering.

Because I don't know what type of postpartum experience I'll have with Olivia, I want to put together a postpartum kit for myself. I'm going to include the mama cloth, I'm also going to make "padsicles" which is essentially spraying down a pad with witch hazel, then storing it in the freezer until needed. This eliminates the need for huge ice packs, and I'm sure it'll provide relief a lot quicker. I also want to check out Arnica Montana which is a homeopathic pain reliever for those cramps you feel when your uterus is shrinking back down to size. I did make the decision to birth in a hospital, per the request of my husband. We did look into birth centers, home births, and ultimately, the thought of me having to be transferred via ambulance to the hospital pending complication... it scared him tremendously. I respect the way he feels, and I'm okay with being at a hospital. This will be Justin's first time being in a room with me while I deliver, and I'd like to have my partner be confident, supportive, and have minimal fears while he's alongside me. I do think pending all goes well with Olivia's delivery that once we start making plans for baby # 3, we can discuss other birthing options.

We literally have less than 90 days until our little girl is due to arrive, and I still feel like there is so much we have to cover. I have postponed writing up my birth plan (just so Justin can be included), I haven't submitted any pre-admission paperwork to the hospital, and I haven't gone through our "baby # 2 checklist" (although I'm sure that we have about 98% completed). In the back of my mind I'm also thinking that we'd be better off packing up hospital bags and installing the car seat sooner than later. Granted, we still have about 12 weeks or so until my due date, but with traveling around the holidays.. I really just want to be able to relax when we come home. That being said, when did you pack your hospital bags? If you are a first time mama, or pregnant with another sweet babe, give me some feedback! Did you make a postpartum plan? If not the first time around, did you make one with another pregnancy? I'd love to hear from all of my mama readers! Leave me a comment below, on facebook, or by email.

♥- Leilani

Locked Out

Today couldn't have gone any better if I had planned every minute of our Christmas.. well aside from being locked out of our house, but more on this later. I was the first of the bunch to wake up, so I took that time to turn on Christmas jams, get dressed for the day, and prep Ava bug's breakfast. Shortly after, Ava bug woke up. Justin immediately opened his eyes after this. We spent a few minutes getting everyone prepped for the day, and then we headed downstairs. YOU GUYS, the look on my child's face when she saw all of the commotion downstairs was bar-nunn, incredible! It was like watching her birth all over again. Pure joy. Just absolute joy when she saw the pretty bows, big toys, and all that was waiting for her.

Truth be told, that's what Justin and I waited for. We spent over 4 hours on Christmas Eve night prepping for Christmas morning. I watched my husband deal with little pieces, directions without English, and kitchen sets that seemed almost impossible to set up.. he managed to work through it all and finish everything! In this moments, I realized just how much of a hero this man is. I mean it guys. Justin is that dad that you'd want your kids to have. That attentive daddy that wakes up with the kids, cleans them up, plays tea party with them, and manages to put them above ALL ELSE. This family wouldn't functionally effectively without his presence (sorry for that brag moment, but it is more than deserved).

The first thing that Ava decided to play with was her custom kitchen from her grandparents, then she migrated over to the cozy coupe, and then she played with her easel. She fell in love with her tea set and table. In fact, she immediately grabbed her daddy's hand to sit and have a tea party with her. My heart was so full in those moments. I gush at the sight of the loves of my life enjoying one another. This is kind of how our morning went, until family came over. Because of last week's events, we sort of lost a tad bit of holiday spirit. I normally go overboard with Christmas, but this year, I wasn't over the top with it all, and that was okay.

I spaced on getting a few things from the store, but thankfully, Walgreens is opened on Christmas. As much as I hate that people were working on Christmas day, I was so thankful for a store that had foil, adult beverages, and egg nog. The rest of our day went rather smoothly... until I decided to take Ava bug outside in her new cozy coupe. Normally, I lock our dog up prior to us going outside. He acts completely irrational and barks so loudly, but the mister decided that it wasn't necessary this time. Well, after our random outside trip, we go back home to find out that our door is locked shut. The dog was jumping on the lock and somehow managed to lock the door on us. We had no windows opened ANYWHERE. Our back door was locked and we had NO cell phones outside with us. Thank god for our sweet neighbors and their kind father. We ended up busting out one of our garage door window panels, and now we have the luxury of heading to Lowe's first thing tomorrow to replace it, Yay(total sarcasm)!

All in all, our day was perfect. I loved spending time with family. I loved watching Ava climb on her big girl slide, baking pretend cupcakes, sitting on her Sofia the first vanity, and pushing her shopping cart. Our families outdid themselves with the gifts and we couldn't be more grateful for the love they show through the act of gifting. Here are a few photos from our morning with Ava. I tried my best to be absolutely present while my family was here. More than anything, I realize more each day how important it is to relish family and all that goes with having a family. Moments like today only happen every so often!

Merry Christmas all!

♥- Leilani

Leavenworth

It's almost midnight and instead of sleeping can you guess what I'm doing? If your guess was packing, you are absolutely correct. We are taking our first annual trip (as a family) down to the good old city of Leavenworth, Washington to watch the lighting of the tree. I feel like I'm packing for a week long vacation and it's kind of ridiculous how much stuff we are taking with us. Ava came down with some type of stomach bug and she threw up like three different times yesterday. It's not been concerning to me (or else we wouldn't be going), but I am a little nervous to see if the bug let's up, or if it's going to be problematic. She kept down all of her solid foods yesterday, but she threw up when she consumed large amounts of water. We didn't brave any milk products, so we are going to be monitoring her super closely during our trip. Surprisingly this kid didn't even have a fever.. she's behaving normally, but she has been wanting to cuddle MORE than the norm lately.. I basically haven't been detached from her in almost 24 hours... I love it, but I hate that she's probably not feeling the best.

The trip itself is almost three whole hours.. I'm not looking forward to that in the least. I used Ava's cute little luggage bag to pack away books, toys, and lots of coloring materials. I'm hoping that between me sitting in the back with her and all the entertainment I brought along, that we will have a decent trip. We are also leaving during her nap time and I'm hoping she sleeps well over an hour and a half of the trip. She's a really good kid in the car, but these last couple months have been a little trickier with her rear facing. I know she absolutely hates it most days, but we have been firm on not switching her until... well, I'll like to keep her turned around for as long as possible. The lowest goal I've set is 24 months, and we are only five months shy of reaching it. She fits the height and weight requirement for front facing, but I'm really not ready to take that leap quite yet. If any of my parental readers have yet to educate themselves on extended rear facing, I highly recommend doing so right now! It's important to know all the ways we can keep our tiny humans safe.

Because Ava has this stomach thing, I've packed a lot of bland foods for the trip. Zero milk products, saltines, chicken broth, and chicken noodle soup. I did stash some gold fish and I plan to bring blueberries.. I just don't want her stomach to get upset on the road. I packed plenty of throw up bags and about four different outfits.. can you tell I'm a mama? Always planning for the unexpected. I actually remembered to charge my camera battery (whoop whoop), and I'm just super excited to start this tradition with my daughter and her daddy. This time of year is my absolute favorite, and with all the emotions whirling this week, this family definitely needs a fun distraction. I plan on posting pictures of our "mini road trip" on instagram (which I never do), since I won' be on a computer for a little while. If you don't already follow me on instagram (and I know you personally), use the link on the right side of my blog. Hopefully I'll have great news to report about our trip and all that we learned in this cute little German town. Take a look at where we will be:

Happy Sunday all!

♥- Leilani

Holiday Prep

This last week has been full of complete holiday cheer and large amounts of hot chocolate consumption. Seriously, as much as people would like to give each holiday the "proper" amount of recognition, how many of my readers are getting ancy for December to roll around? I'm definitely guilty. It's not even just the spirit of Christmas this year for me. It's the countdown, it's the possibility of snow, and it's the added benefit of being around the people I love most in this world. Nothing gets my spirits or mood higher than the holiday cheer all around me. I can't wait to take my family through the streets of downtown Seattle next month. All the lights, the people, the decorated trees... Ahh! This is what this year represents for me: memories that last a lifetime. I'm also itching to take some lifestyle photos of Justin and Ava bug during their first Seattle trip during December. I can just picture them now.. all bundled up, Ava bug holding daddy's hand. Are you swooning yet? I know I am.

Because of the total "Type A" personality I have, I've found myself making mental checklists of everything I'd like to accomplish in the next few weeks. This week is the last of our grocery haul for Thanksgiving, family pictures, and getting our holiday cards finalized and ready to ship out the following week. I love being able to send out cards the first week of December. Nothing makes me happier knowing that my holiday cheer stricken face will be on the refrigerators of my family and friends. Totally joking, but isn't that what we all do? Next week I'm going to take some photos of families at local tree farms.. I'm a bit nervous for that, but excited that I've been sought out to do something like this. I don't consider my photos "top notch" for anyone but myself, so I'm humbled to be doing this for others.

The following week consists of me cleaning out the closets of all three Howland's and donating them to those in need this holiday season. Even with all the crazy stuff happening in my world right now, I try not to forget those who are indeed in need. There are millions of people who won't have a cheery season this year, and sometimes they just need a helping hand. Whether that be clothes, food, or donating to your local toys for tots, anything big or small helps out more than you know. I plan on taking my entire family to a couple soup kitchens this year. I know it's not much, but I really want to be with those who are hurting this year. I want to pray for them, I want to give them optimism, I want to try and give them hope. I know people don't just plan to be in awful situations, and truth be told that can be anyone of us guys. One day we can have it all, and the next all of our stability can be taken from us. It's important to remember that we can all uplift someone in need. If you need help locating a soup kitchen or food pantry near you, homelessshelterdirectory.org has all the information you need.

What are some of your holiday prep details? What are some of the fun traditions you and your family do around this time of year? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below or by email. I hope all my readers are feeling that holiday cheer I'm talking about after reading this blog.  Not yet? How about now? 

Happy Thursday all! 

♥- Leilani

Baby # 2, I can't wait to meet you!

First and foremost, I just want to say, Merry Christmas all! I hope all my readers had warm, inviting, holiday cheer with the people they love most in the world (I know I did). My Christmas started a little early this year. Justin and I decided to snuggle up on Christmas Eve, watch a funny movie, and exchange some special gifts while Ava was down for the night. I hadn't really expected anything major, I was just glad to have my family whole and together for the holidays. Wouldn't you know that I got diamonds for Christmas this year? Justin bough me a beautiful white gold necklace with two heart charms in the middle. There are little diamonds on each side of the bigger heart, and the smaller heart is full of them. I also got a set of beautiful white gold earrings. I was in complete shock. Apparently Justin purchased this gift awhile ago, he just hid it in a place he knew I'd never go looking (my husband is a wise man). I am still in awe over the gifts I received. I started crying a bit. Not so much over the gifts, but over my husband. He is such a loving man, that takes care of me in one million ones. If anything, that's really all I needed for Christmas. The presence of people will always mean more to me than the presents from people.

This morning we actually got to sleep in until after 9 (rare occasion), and when we woke up, we decided to let Ava go crazy on the wrapping paper before we made any calls or had any video chats. It was a blast seeing my little bug actually tearing the wrapping paper off of her gifts. I got most of this experience on video, and I'm just so thankful that Justin was here for everything. Cooper made out pretty well this year himself! He got so many stocking stuffers, treats, and more! We spent our day talking with family, and catching up with other loved ones. I thought being away from my extended family would hit me hard this year, but it didn't. Although Texas isn't our forever state, and this home isn't our forever home, today, it felt like it was. I made an entire Christmas dinner by myself, we watched the Nets game, Home Alone, and A Christmas story, today was just perfect.

Now that we've gotten passed the holiday season, New Years is in clear view. I decided to order a special calendar for our family this year. I made a calendar (through shutterfly) full of all the joy and happiness we experienced in 2013, in hopes that 2014 affords us even happier moments and memories. Speaking of 2014.. Justin and I have been going back and forth on the "trying to conceive front" We talked about baby # 2 today... and as long as life doesn't throw us any curve balls, we are going to try for baby # 2 in June of 2014. I'm excited about this already. I originally didn't want two small children so close together in age, and now I'm elated at the thoughts of having two Howland babies running around our home. The past seven months with Ava bug has reminded us that there is no right time to do anything. Especially when talking about expanding a family.

Looks like that's all I'm sharing for now! We have got ourselves a busy day tomorrow. We've got a little more than 3 weeks left here in Texas, and we plan on making the most of the time we still have here!

P.S. If you know a veteran, give them a hug today (if you are able to). Each day I say a little prayer for our soldiers overseas and their families that are left waiting on the home front. Without them, Christmas wouldn't be what it is for my family.

♥- Leilani

Technology Hiatus

I have been away from the computer, my phone, and even the t.v. for most of the last few days, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Personal time is very important to my little family, and I'm glad we know when to step away from all that is technology. So what exactly have we been up to? Let's indulge! Board games. Yes, one of the most basic, old school activities. One day while out shopping, we stumbled upon an entire selection of board games. Sorry, monopoly, twister, etc. You name it, it was there. We decided to purchase a few, and to be honest I had no intention of actually playing all of them. Well, I was wrong. We have played almost every game we purchased. It's been great to see Justin's competitive streak come out, as well as my own.

The Howland's also took some gift wrapping lessons. Before I go any further I have to say I have a lot of strong suites, but wrapping gifts is just not one of them. My gift wrapping looked like it was mauled by wild animals. I can't believe my husband actually did this with me. He actually followed the instructions a lot more thoroughly than I did, and his presents were wrapped beautifully. All of Ava's gifts (with the exception of her toy box) are wrapped perfectly under our tree. I know Bug is a little too young to actually unwrap her presents, but we plan on letting her play with the wrapping paper, and let all the pretty colors fascinate her.

Since the weather has cleared up a bit, we have been spending quite a bit of time outdoors. Cooper loves the backyard in our Texas home, and he constantly has his paws on the door. This is his new way of signaling for us to let him out. Rather than staying cooped up in the house, we have been dedicating a little bit of our days to playing with our pooch. Justin throws the ball around, Ava tugs on his ears, it's really a great time. I know since bringing Ava into our family, Cooper doesn't get the same kind of attention he did before. I actually feel really bad about this. To make up for the past few months, (aside from outdoor play), I jam packed all of his favorite treats in his stocking, we took him to the groomers to be pampered, and the lucky little pooch manged to get a small plate of spaghetti this evening. Cooper seems to be enjoying life a lot more this week.

I just mentioned how the weather had cleared up, but it managed to rain on Saturday. I was so bummed about this because I thought we'd finally be able to make our way to Belton Lake. Why is Belton Lake so special? Well it's the nature in lights tour. It costs a whopping five dollars (per carload) and you get to enjoy the drive through over five and a half miles of holiday- inspired scenes.You even get to stop by Santa’s Village for hot chocolate, homemade cookies, seasonal crafts and a photo with Santa. They pass out free ornaments, and you can get a pony ride, or even stop by the petting zoo. I know Ava isn't old enough to make these memories, but I thought this event would be so great for our family, especially with Justin home for the holidays this year. The nature in lights lasts all the way until January 5th, so I know we'll make our way down there before December is over. If anyone is in the central Texas area, and wants a special holiday treat for their family, definitely give this place a look see!

Well it looks like I'm off! Christmas is 3 days away, and I haven't even finished wrapping Justin's gifts. I'm cooking an entire Christmas meal on my own, and I am so excited about it. I've added a few special side dishes on our Howland dinner menu, and I plan on attaching pictures, and recipes to a Christmas dinner blog post for all my readers to possibly try.

♥- Leilani

Washington Bound (almost)

I can't believe I am writing this, but everything has managed to work itself out. Justin signed his 4187, and will be receiving his orders for Fort Lewis, WA. within a few days. I am so, so happy that human resources with the Army was so accommodating and helpful with our unique situation. Justin doesn't have to sign into this installation, but he is permissively (temporarily) signed in (so glad he isn't using up his leave days). He's kind of just in limbo right now. We submitted all the necessary paperwork to close out our DITY from Georgia to Texas and we will be receiving the rest of those funds in just a few weeks. For anyone thinking of doing a DITY move, it is so worth it. I still stick by this, only because we had a headache free experience. With Washington being over 2,000 miles way from us, it looks like we may be doing JPPSO. I'm a bit nervous about this because of all the horror stories I've heard. When we left Washington for Georgia three years ago, we utilized JPPSO... but that was also before we built up our home, and actually had things we'd be upset about losing or breaking. I think it still might be a toss up.. Justin and I have a lot to talk about. It looks like we'll only be in Texas for another month or so, before we end up leaving. There are a few things we'd like to see while we are here, and I'm hoping we get to check out some of the sites. I definitely want to explore Austin. Apparently it's the only "blue" in a "red" state. I've only heard good things, and I've got some family down that way. Christmas has been on my brain a lot today. With my mom not coming, I'm going to have to find a way to make the holiday super special. I know we are taking Ava to see Santa this weekend! So stoked for that! It'll be her first time taking pictures with Santa, and the second time for Justin and I. It's funny because I remember Justin telling me, that he was never taking pictures with Santa again, unless it was for our kids. Crazy to think he said that only 3 years ago. We have been ordering Christmas movies like crazy, since abc family's 25 days of Christmas has been disappointing. I'm sure they run the same movies every year, it just seems like they are skipping a lot of classics.

 I'm excited about this collection! It has the Frosty originals, Rudolph, and a few more. Seven movies are included, and we haven't even made it through two yet. I can't wait to snuggle up to the fire, hot cocoa, and shiny Christmas tree lights, while we watch this. I love our Christmas traditions, and it has been an absolute blessing to have my husband home during my favorite time of year. I'm hoping since we actually own these movies, that we will bust them out each and every year, and hopefully Ava bug will be able to enjoy them as much as Justin and I do. Thinking about all that is Christmas has caused me to have a heavy heart....

Above all of the wonderful things going on right now, I'm just so thankful that my family is together. Even though I don't have a deployed soldier anymore, that doesn't mean that another family doesn't. Thinking back to how I felt last year without Justin... I would never want someone to ever have to experience that. It's lonely and scary, and emotional. So if you are reading this, thank a service member! They dedicate themselves 365 days a year, and without them, our freedoms wouldn't be what they are.

Alright all, it looks like I'm off. It's Friday, and we still have a lot to do in preparation for Christmas. I think i'm going to scout out a ham a bit early this year. I am thinking of making my own glaze, maybe "wow" my husband a bit. It's weird to think that come next year Princess A will actually be able to enjoy her mama's cooking. Still wrapping my head around the fact that I shall soon have a crawling, babbling, seven month old baby. I hope everyone has a safe, and festive weekend! 

 ♥- Leilani

Five days

We've almost been in this house a week, and I just can't believe it. We are still settling in and getting familiar with this new area. So far, we have fallen in love with this city living. Everything is conveniently close, and I don't feel like I'm in the middle of nowhere. It's definitely a huge adjustment from where we were in Georgia. Yesterday, we explored Fort Hood... oh my lanta, it is a HUGE installation. If we didn't have the map from the welcome center, we would have never found our way around post. I located shopping stores, restaurants, and ten different fitness centers on this installation. Another good thing we noticed is how close one of the gates are to our home. This means Justin will be able to come home during the day, and I'm glad for that.

So a little update with Princess A. Teething has hit hardcore, and it is full blown. I have never had a fussy baby... until teething made an appearance. She isn't running a fever (thank god) but she is definitely feeling discomfort with her swollen gums. I've had to give her teething tablets, but that's the extent of what we've done to help alleviate pain. They seem to work really well, and I'm hoping they continue to work, as cutting teeth is soon going to become our norm. I believe Ava will be crawling within days. Once you put her down on a mat, our bed, anything really... she is off! She is so strong, and I have enjoyed watching my little girl develop so rapidly. She is also independently sitting up. We don't assist her anymore, she does it on her own. She can pick herself up when she falls back, she is refusing to stay down, and I LOVE IT! While we are on the subject of independence, it looks like our co-sleeping days are coming to a hault. We have purchased her crib, and it should be here any day now. I'm not going to just rip the band aid off, but we are starting her off with napping in the crib. I won't lie, I'm fully prepared to camp out in her nursery if it helps Bug adjust. Justin bought her a baby Einstein jumper the other day, but I am partial. I hadn't planned on using jumpers, bouncers, etc. She has played with it a couple of times, and it seems as if Bug really enjoys it. I think I'll be okay with her using it here and there, but not as a regular thing.

It has been over a week since Ava has been out of cloth diapers, and I've got to say I am going nuts. Each time I change her, I make a comment about how much money is going in the trash. Granted, we haven't experienced any type of rash with these biodegradable disposables, but it still feels weird having my baby out of her soft, cloth diapers. Before I left Georgia, I purchased a few more, and I am ancy to use them. I will say that this is the perfect time for me to strip Ava's diapers before I use them again. That will be an all day thing I plan on getting done this weekend (look out for my routine). I have found a handful of cloth based stores in our area, and I'm excited to have tangible stores for all my cloth needs

Yesterday we became Sam's Club members, and I could kick myself for not doing this sooner. We decided to start buying things in bulk, (in an attempt to save money) and although replenishing our fridge was spendy, we are stocked up for the next four weeks. Sam's club also has a rewards system; for every five hundred dollars you spend, you get ten dollars back. A lot of people don't think it's worth it, but when you add up the amount of money you spend on groceries, getting any type of money back, is a nice little incentive. Buying in bulk is going to cut down a lot of expenses for us, and I'm glad for it. On another note, we are seven days away from picking my mother up from the airport! I am jumping up and down (literally). I am so excited to spend quality time with her, and to have Ava get that time as well.

Things are going well for us. I did have to deal with a slight hiccup with the rental agency in Georgia this morning, but that was only a minor situation. I'm just glad I keep all paperwork, including our in-inspection at the rental property in Georgia. They tried to charge us for some of the damages that were already present in the home upon move in. This is the part of renting that I am not fond of in the slightest. Hopefully everything will work itself out! I hope all of my readers have already dove into the festivity that December offers. We are taking Ava on a car ride of the most decorated homes in all of Central Texas, and I am so giddy about it. With our tree up, and the stockings hanging, the festivity is all around me.

Hot cocoa, Frosty the snow man, and toasty fires are now our normal so far. I can't say I have any complaints about that. Happy Tuesday all! 

♥- Leilani

Holy Productive Monday

I am completely beat. From the time I woke up this morning, until this very second, I have been on the go and on my feet. I started the day off with a neighborhood stroll with a friend and Coop troop. I got some girl talk in while Cooper had a morning play date. I even managed to reschedule our family pictures for this Wednesday. I'm really excited! I just want good pictures, I feel like of all the things to ask for in the world, that is a reasonable request.

Shortly after that, I got ready for the day, and ran some errands. Justin and I had a lunch date topped off with a day of shopping for holiday decor... AND I got my Christmas tree! I have never been so excited for a tree like I was today! 7.5 ft Douglas fir tree. It's full, and pretty, and just lovely. I can't wait to get some decorations on this baby! While at Target, I signed up for the Target red card. You save five percent on every transaction when you have the red card. It's easy peasy. It's linked to a checking account, so basically it's like swiping your own debit card. Anyhow, the sales associate told me about another awesome savings method. the target cartwheel. It's an app on your phone that allows you to scan or enter a bar code, and it either shows the current coupons for that item, or it says nothing found. It was pretty awesome, and because of those saving techniques, I saved over $20.00 today!

On the way home I sat in the front seat. I know this may seem silly, but since Ava was born I haven't sat in the front seat like at all. I sat in the front on the way to Savannah (only because Ava bug was sleeping), and I sat in the front on the way back (only because our giant tree wouldn't fit in the trunk), I was pleasantly surprised on how well Ava and I did without being right next to each other. It was a sweet trade off too, because I got to hold hands with my sweet man all day! It was so nice. Justin said he missed having my hand to hold! That comment made my day.

The rental company called and said they are showing this house tomorrow afternoon, so when we came home we started packing things up. Oh, before I forget, Ava HATES apples. I know it's tarty, but this is day 3 of apples and she still makes that cringed little nose face. I'm glad we are moving onto pears tomorrow! On the upside, she isn't allergic to apples, she just isn't fond of them. So yes, packing. I packed our entire master bedroom this evening. All by myself! I love that Justin and I are flexible with watching the babe. He kept her happy and entertained, while I organized and packed.

I'm delighted we only have 3 more rooms in this house that need heavy packing like the master bedroom. We are opting to hire a moving company to load up the u-haul (makes moving day easier on us) and that will allow us to relax a bit more this week. We don't feel rushed, everything is on our time. I do have to visit with a few friends before we leave. I only have nine days left in the state of Georgia. With Thanksgiving, and Black Friday right around the corner, I know things are going to busy for everyone.

Day 23- I am thankful for pictures. They allow me to relive all the special moments in my life.
Day 24- I am thankful for bubbles. I'm 22 but bubbles still bring out my inner kid.
Day 25- I am thankful for my husband's kisses. They can turn any frown of mine upside down

Whoo, well the baby is asleep for the night, Justin and Coop are perfectly content with the PS3, looks like I'm off to do homework! Oh, guess who aced her last two courses with 97 percent? This girl! Happy Monday all!   ♥- Leilani

Feels Like Monday, but it's Tuesday

I've noticed over the last few months that I really love taking videos. I love being able to go back and watch them, whenever I get sentimental and want to recap. As much as I resent modern technology, I love it just the same. My husband made a comment today, he said, "Leilani, our kids won't ever have to worry about not having enough baby photos or videos." I'm glad for that. It's important to have special moments recorded for generations to come.

Today was a normal day. I didn't talk to my mom, and that sort of bothered me. I like being able to talk to her everyday, but sometimes our schedules don't allow for that (and the time difference). Justin continues to clear Fort Stewart. It's crazy insane how many establishments and facilities he had to get that "stamp of clearance" from. I feel like a negligent fur mother! Cooper turned two years old on October 31st, and due to our hectic life lately, we spaced on making him an appointment. I really need to get that done, like yesterday!

To keep my mind calm, I've been researching a lot of home decor for our next house. I really want a "zen" room for myself. Somewhere I can go to get work done, blog, or just curl up and read a book. I've been on a chevron kick lately, and thanks to target, I found some awesome chairs!

I was able to get a look at these beauties in person. So much bigger than the picture shows. Ahh, I think I have also been persuaded into buying an artificial tree. I really wanted my kids to experience real, pine trees.. and I think once Ava bug is older, we will.. but for now, a 7.5 foot, Douglas fir tree will do! I saw it in the Christmas section of target! I am in LOVE! I'm just trying to decide when to buy it. Then things fall back to the move. No news today, hopefully tomorrow sheds some light on the situation. 

Alright all, I'm off to study! This week marks the finals for a course of mine. Let's hope I pull through with an almost (if not perfect) grade. 

Happy Monday!

♥- Leilani

That was fast

This weekend was a hectic one. Aside from being in the mall for over three hours shopping for Christmas outfits (the trip was a success), I managed to scrub down the entire house, get our goody bags ready for Halloween, and get ahead of the learning curve in my next week's course. For a mom, a wife, and a student, that's a lot to have gotten done. I'm still a fan of time management, I don't know how I lived life without it!

Macy's was good to me on Saturday. I picked out Ava bug's first set of ornaments and I am in love. They are little glass shoes, with pick laces. Over the shoes it says My first Christmas in pink letters, with the year. We almost bought a nutcracker too! We decided against it, but I think we'll end up getting one after Thanksgiving. I found a new ornament for Justin and I. Each year of our marriage we have always received home made ornaments from Justin's Nana. I LOVE them! They mean so much to us. With Nana's idea in mind, I set out to buy very special ornaments for each Christmas we spend together. The year before last was a football, it was decked out in glitter and sparkles. This year I'm thinking of getting something to represent a family of two becoming a family of three.

This year will also be the first Halloween Justin and I pass out candy. I am so excited. I've been so late with the Halloween decor (not my favorite holiday) but I'm so excited for the trick-or-treaters. We spent over an hour bagging candy into little festive bags. This will be Ava's first Halloween, and even though she's not doing anything extraordinary, I'm glad Justin will be here to hold her up in her little tutu, while passing out candy.

Did I mention how wonderful Sunday was? The Broncos won (which is enough to make any Sunday wonderful) and we got a lot of things done at home. Justin bathed Cooper for the first time since he got back from Afghanistan (we usually send him to the groomers), he cleaned his grill out (for the second time in a long while), and we spent a good chunk of time outdoors with Ava bug. She got her little toes wet for the first time by a hose. We've been looking at houses in Washington and Texas. Trying not to get too excited about either location, but it's been hard.

Justin has a three day this weekend (I can't wait for Thursday to hurry up and get here). We are buying everything we need for making baby food at home for Bug. She is definitely showing signs that she's ready for solids! We've got less than 3 weeks until Princess A is 6 months old (time flies), and I just want to be prepped and ready to give her some yummy purees. 

well that was a lot more than I intended on writing. It's Monday, so pave the fabulous-ness for the week! Happy Monday all! 

♥- Leilani

Sunday Madness

Both of my babies are knocked out right now. Today has been such a "go go go" type of day. Ava still has a cold, Justin woke up with a cold, and I've had to find time to do the grocery shopping, the cleaning, the cooking, school work, AND taking care of my sick babies. The life of a wife and a mother, I tell you it's a busy one. I did manage to snag a pregnancy test from the grocery store today. I bought a cheap one and it was... negative! I was relieved. Justin has been urging me to get blood work done though. He feels like something is going on, and he wants me to get checked out. On a holiday happy note, I am officially stoked for Christmas! I found so many cute little ornaments to add to our tree this year! I'm waiting on our quilted stockings as well. I ordered matching ones from pottery barn kids. I don't think I shared a photo of Ava's ballerina stocking, so here it is!

I love how it turned out. I ended up ordering a quilted train for myself and a quilted Santa for Justin. We had the oddest conversation about what names to use on our stockings. Leilani and Justin.. or Mom and dad. I opted with our first names rather than mom and dad. I did it for the simple fact that when our kiddos are older I can ask them, "Okay, which one is daddy's stocking?" or "Put daddy's goodies in his stocking" may seem silly, but I found logic in it. I even purchased German glitter alphabet ornaments. I bought one for each first letter of our family names including an "H"  for our last name. 

I'm so consumed with Christmas cheer I can hardly stand it. 

Another little thing I thought i'd share would be a marinade for steak. I know, I know, completely random. It's honestly more for me than for you guys! I don't want to forget it. Justin's battle buddy bought these ginormous steaks awhile back and they were delish to boot! I asked what he used to create that marinade so I thought i'd post it here, just in case any of you were interested in some yummy steaks!

Alright guys, I'm off! Ava bug just woke up and she needs her mommy snuggles! Enjoy your Sunday All! 

Make Over

Before I write anything else, I just want everyone to know, I am aware that we are only  in the month of October. I just couldn't fight the urge to completely Christmify my blog. It honestly makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. I've been playing the Michael Buble Christmas c.d. all day long. All I really need is for Georgia's weather to get with the program.

I hate that I can't experience Autumn in this state. Instead of scarves, boots, and leggings; I'm wearing summer dresses, capris and sandals. Am I going to allow that to stop me from being a lover of holidays? I think not! We are actually suppose to be going through a tropical depression with a chance of a "cold front" I highly doubt the cold front. Today was good. I'm tired and a little more drained than usual, but I can't complain.

We are making progress on the compassion reassignment requirements. Having my mom's doctors' on a different coast and time zone have made things a bit more challenging. Ava has been a character today. Each time I have tried to leave a message with someone involving the compassion reassignment stuff, she starts yelling. She hasn't yelled in about a week, so it kind of caught me by surprise. I got a laugh out of it though. My girl knows just what to do to keep her mama smiling. It's crazy how little beings are good that way.

I'm feeling bad for my mom and sister today. They are both sick! My mama barely has a voice. I was kind of bummed because I really wanted to talk to her today. I know we have messaging, but I hate texting and she honestly needs to rest. I'm hoping they start to feeling better really soon. As I'm writing this Miss Ava decided it would be okay to scoot halfway across my area rug.. That is not okay! I'm off for now! Enjoy your Tuesday all!

Breathing

Today has been the best day I've had all week. Best isn't really the right word, more like today is the first day I haven't cried. Today I woke up being thankful instead of being filled with guilt. Even with all that's going on right now, I'm trying to sort through the positives my life offers me. My mother, man she truly is a trooper. Here I am weeping for her, but she has yet to weep for herself. All she wants is her family near her. This time of year is for family and I'm praying that we will soon be with her! Okay, I promised myself I'd write a semi-happy post today, so here we go! As of last night, I started listening to Christmas music. If you know me, you'd know this usually starts in August for me. I love Christmas. I love the holidays. I love the tradition. It uplifts my spirit in ways that I can't even explain. To make things better having Miss Ava here just takes my spirit to mountain tops of happiness. I've been focusing a lot on this season. What traditions my little family will choose to do.

Decorate our house in Halloween decor

carve pumpkins

roast pumpkin seeds

get dressed up and pass out Halloween candy (until our kids are old enough to go trick or treating)

bust out the Autumn decor

Attend parades (especially if we are in Washington)

Football is a given 

Possibly volunteer at a soup kitchen (not sure with Ava being so small)

I also want to try a new breakfast/appetizer this year. Who knows, Justin may love it so much, we can continue doing it every year. 

BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING

Snagging a real, pine Christmas tree!

decorate the tree the day after black Friday. Hot cider/hot cocoa the works AND allow the Christmas music to commence

Christmas Music the entire month!

Hang up our wreaths and lights around the house 

Get Christmas photos taken and then send them out

Have a Christmas movie night with Kettle popcorn (home alone is a classic)

Read Ava Twas the night before Christmas... every night for the entire month

Zoo lights!

Add a new ornament to the tree for another year Justin and I have been together

Go caroling? (Far fetched for Justin)

Church is a given (if we are in Washington)

I think some of my other ideas for Christmas could be:

• Make gingerbread houses
• Drive around the neighborhood to see houses decorated with lights for Christmas
• Christmas countdown calendar (especially when Ava is older)
• PJ day! Have the family wear the same PJ's for Christmas morning

I know traditions are just something new you try with your family that ends up being a big hit. We have plenty of time to add on traditions. Christmas is by far my favorite holiday, and this year is even more special for me. 

That's all for now. I've got to start on dinner for this evening and dessert. Cooking new recipes has been very calming for me. I know my husband doesn't mind, he gets to try all new, yummy foods! Enjoy your Saturday All! Hold your loved ones!