We LOVE travel. I love to go – go – go and usually the weeks leading up to Christmas are extremely busy. Including this year! I really love that after Christmas we just CHILL. We spend pretty much all of Christmas break just at home. We open the packages of presents. We play. We clean. We work on projects we didn’t get to earlier in the year. We just enjoy each other. I always get SO sad when Zach has to start working again and when the kids have to go back to school. I love our family time 🙂 Since we don’t go and do very much during this time, I just figured I’d do a big combo post (mostly a “photo dump” I’d guess you’d say) of our break!
Every year the kids and I do a Christmas Countdown Calendar…I had one as a kid and I LOVED it when it was my turn to put the item on the scenery.
Every year for dinner on Christmas Zach and I get Chinese food and then on the 26th he prepares a feast. This year’s didn’t disappoint!
Love a chance to use my Lenox china!
Lots and lots of lazy days filled with playing!
Every Christmas break I set a goal for myself. Just one goal. Something I don’t have time for during the year and I can work on throughout the break. This year I turned 30 and it was time to update my wardrobe! I GUTTED my closet and cabinets and dressers. I didn’t try on anything…I just got rid of things based on site alone. Once I lose all my baby weight I plan to try on things and get rid of more, but this round was just based on stuff being out of style, super old, or just not appropriate for a 30 year old mother of 3 😉
I also “manned up” and got rid of my shoes. Let’s face it. I’ve had a foot injury now for over 2 years. Even IF I get back to a place where I’m not in tennis shoes 24/7…I will always have to be mindful of my shoe choices. Cheap shoes ain’t gonna cut it. Heals ain’t gonna happen and flip flops ain’t gonna work! I packed up a few of my favorite shoes (some heals that I just love) and the rest I tossed in a bin for Goodwill. I kept only my tennis shoes, Crocs, and ugg boots!
I also packed up all my maternity clothes and I took down anything out of my closet that I was only hanging onto for sentimental reasons. I am oddly sentimental about clothing? I realized when I visited my dad that he’s the same way. At least I get it honest 😉
I tossed all the hangers in my tub and filled up some bags of “sentimental clothes.” I will pack these clothes away so I’m still hanging onto them, but they aren’t taking up closet space. I have several clothes that were my grandmothers (my grandma had some really good taste so I’ve actually worn a good bit of them!) as well as some of my dads stuff (like 19070s track pants haha) and other things I just didn’t want to part with (prom dresses!)
In the end I donated 11 bags of clothes, a massive tub of shoes, and another box filled with purses, scarves and other accessories. I had enough room in my closet to put an extra dresser in it!!! I am loving having more space and am excited to fill it with new “30 year old” clothes 🙂
I took one afternoon and did some returns around town and Zach kept the kids. They got creative and made pizza!
We do a feast on the 26th and then do another one on the 31st. Zach loves cooking and I love not cooking so it’s a win-win 🙂
Even Tess got to join in!
This girl LOVES corn!
When FSU played against Oregon in the play-offs we had Zach’s parents as well as Casey and Jordan over to watch the game. I’m so glad we did this as it ended up being the last game of the season for us. We had a great run and I’m sure we will have another great season next year too! We had a “dude dinner” for the game with BBQ, grilled chicken, wings, and chili cheese dip with chips. Pure junk! But the guys loved it!
Littlest Seminole
“that’s enough Brother!”
My girls!
This is the first year that Kye was really into the game! He watched most of the whole thing (not commercials) and asked a lot of questions and really enjoyed it. It was adorable!
Noles for Life!
Carter and Tess got their baths together 🙂
Bahahaha the look on Carter’s face!
Cutest little cousins!
Over the break we also had some friends come play! We went to the park one day with new friends who live in our neighborhood and then Robyn brought Lorelai and Cooper over another day! It was super fun!
The kids LOVE having bonfires and before school started I asked them what they wanted to do and they both said they wanted a bonfire night! We want to eventually build a fire pit somewhere in the back yard so it’s easier to enjoy our bonfire nights. I’d also like something that feels safer and I feel like a pit may be safer than this little fire thing?
Tess got to enjoy it too!
We had a wonderful, relaxing break and ended it with dressing up festively for church!
Britt is so funny. When I got pics of us sitting she fussed the whole time because she wanted to stand. Then we stand and she wants to sit!
