Advancing The Kingdom

All The Christmas Things

Anyone else love their house 100% more when it's decorated for Christmas?

This has been a BUSY Christmas season. It's always nice to have these 2 weeks off -- we seemed to jam-pack our time, though!

The Friday we got out of school we made our way to Memphis for Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors Christmas show. It was the perfect way to kick off this season. If you ever get the chance to see their Christmas show, don't hesitate, just do it. It's awesome!

This one is a victory picture because it wasn't until Christmas Eve that all these bad boys got wrapped. I didn't get to enjoy them sitting under there very long but, it sure did look pretty!

We spent Christmas morning at my parents house.

We were missing Mary Claire this year, she had to work half of a shift but, other than that, the gang was all there!

Mimosa bar, breakfast casserole, chocolate croissants, fruit pizza, and coffee--all the makings of the perfect Christmas morning breakfast

This one makes me laugh. Mom lays out all of our stockings before we arrive and covers them with whatever blanket/sheet she can find until they are ready to be unveiled.

This wasn't technically Ann Hatten's first Christmas but last year, she was just a few days old, so this felt like her first official Christmas to experience.

She loves Tobey and Chester so much

Mary Claire gave us the coolest gifts!

Original painted floral letters from a pastor's wife in Birmingham that MC went on a mission trip with before. I love it so, so much!

After we finished up breakfast and present swapping, we hit the road and made our annual trip to Auburn for our Griswold Family Christmas. We missed having Aaron & Blair and JD & Lauren and the crew but, it was so nice seeing everyone else! This year, we added 2 new little ones to the group (Ann Hatten and Lily) and next year, there will be 7 next generation cousins running around! I love that our extended family is growing!

These two on their wagon ride were cracking us up.

We are ending our Christmas celebrations by heading to Ocean Springs tomorrow to have Christmas/New Years time with Jason's family!

2nd Annual Wine & Ornament Swap 12/20

We had our 2nd Annual Wine & Ornament Swap with all the girls and it's quickly becoming one of my all-time favorite Christmas-time traditions.

What's more fun that pretty ornaments and yummy wine?

Not much!

Ann Hatten is ONE! 12/15

This sweet little niece of ours is ONE!

We had the best morning celebrating at Mary Claire & Grants house with both sides of the family. We had yummy breakfast food, lots of sweet kiddos running around and all the things for a one year old.

Uncle Aaron's hat is a tad bit big-- ;)

It has been the best year watching Ann Hatten grow, learn, change and begin to show her little personality. What a sweet joy and blessing she is to our family!

Ann Hatten with some of her Aunts!

Ann Hatten and her Grando

Grant's sister, Nicole, took all of these stunning pictures--they are wonderful!

1,825 Days

Jason and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary on the 23rd last month.

I love that it always falls during Thanksgiving Break so we can always set aside time to celebrate.

The traditional anniversary gift for 5 years is wood.

We decided to spruce up our office by adding some wooden shelves as a gift to us both.

It was certainly a task but, so worth it.

I am so happy about how they turned out and now, we have such a sweet reminder about our 5 years together! And, on another fun note, only the special/ultimate favorite books made it to the new shelves.

Our office finally looks like...an office and I am a happy, happy girl!

We ended the night with a celebratory dinner at Aplos.

Look at that handsome man that I've had the privilege of loving, growing with, and changing with over the last 5 years! Here's to many, many more years!