Festive Friday

Let me preface my preface by saying

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DARRIN!

(he's my BIL & we luv him!)

***

Let me preface the story of this post by reiterating that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I married into a family that doesn't make it a big deal, but they LIVE with Thanksgiving, so I have learned to adjust. I love Turkey. I love North America, my Land Bountiful, and its history. Also, as a grown up with my own house to manage, a certain rhythm has developed in our traditions. One of those beats is that we decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Some people think this takes away from TG, but I feel like it's a natural progression. Because if I count my blessings countdown-style, number one always ends up being my faith/ the gospel of Christ, and how appropos to begin to celebrate His birth and all He's made and done for us on the day after Thanksgiving (after we've been pondering providence and abundance from His hands).

Okay, so one thing that will NOT be a tradition with us in Black Friday shopping, although it was fun to try it out this morning. Grandma Melin had the kids sleepover at her house after TG dinner last night, so Rich and I came home, planned out our routes and lists (we had subscribed to bfads.net a few weeks ago), snuggled up and watched a movie, slept a little, then headed out at 2:20am to our first stop (Old Navy at 3am...Rich took a picture and I'll post it here when I upload it). We finished there by 3:25am and stopped at IHOP for crepes (and watched an episode of Arrested Development on Rich's phone) before the 5am openings of Walmart and Target. We got to Walmart at about 4:15 am, rocked it by 5:20, then stopped by Target (which was INSANE, so we didn't buy), and made it to Michael's for the door opening at 6am (where we met up with Aunt Debbie and her girls). We finished at Michael's at 6:40, grabbed some envelopes at the Staples next door, and were hiding the loot in our room by 7:26am! So I have now been awake for 33 hours with only 21/2 hours of sleep. Yay, me. But, like the kids on the DisneyWorld commercial, "I'm too excited to sleep!" And WHY, you ask? Because I'm in the middle of THIS:

Decking the halls and fluffing my fake tree so the kids can decorate it when they get home from Costco with Rich & Uncle Mike!

***

When Rich started bringing the Christmas boxes down from the attic, Heidi started making a decoration cheklist for us. It was so amazingly adorable, I scanned it so you could see it, too (click to enlarge).

I LOVE THAT GIRL!

She was serioulsy standing in the living room with her marker making check marks as we unpacked her favorite things--so funny! She inspired me to post a few of my favorite Christmas things...

[Heidi's self-portrait with her Christmas bear]

I found this box of ShinyBrite "unbreakable"ornaments in my Grandma Layton's closet the evening after her funeral in Thatcher (Feb 2007)...I love the packaging even more than the bulbs, so I just set them out in their cute vintage box and think of my cutie "unbreakable"Gram.

I love my Baby Jesus.

I love that he comes out of his manger, because when I was little, I loved to sit and hold the Baby Jesus from my Grandma's nativity in my hand. Now my girls do that, too.

I love this vintage Christmas card. Three years ago, I visit-taught a much older sister in my ward (she's great-grandma to my local nieces & nephews) who lives out on a ranch. She always gave me preserves in vintage jars, and she gave me this super cool card for Christmas 2006. I hang it up every year.

This is another favorite card from Tryst Press which I treasure--love, love, love it! I had it in a frame, but it just wasn't right, so I hung it up this year where people will see it and read the beautiful poem ("Love came down on Christmas/ Love all lovely, Love divine...").

...and I love my Fisher-Price Little People Nativities...how can you not? We have two sets--one with music, one without, and the kids have fun playing with them each year (remember THIS?). They are so cute!

***
I forgot to post this picture last week with Addie's bday/baptism pix...

This was taken Sunday morning 11/22 as Papa Jim and Gramm Becky Layton were heading back to Idaho, and Addie was heading for church. I love it; so glad they were here for her special day!

***

I'm gonna go try for a nap B4 the kids get home...hope y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!