{Baby Jasper}: Christmas Stocking Decision.

How can it already be November? I think the calendar is playing a trick on us.

Part of realizing the holidays are a bit more than a month away meant realizing Ruthie needs her own stocking for our mantle. Stockings are very special - my brothers and I have ones made by my cousin that we've used since we were young. Jake and I have standard red and green block letter monogram ones but for Ruthie I want something in between whimsical and reverent of the season (can a stocking be reverent? I guess just not a snowman/secular item).

With the inter webs and etsy, there are just so many options.... Here are a few I've been mulling over:

Pottery Barn Kids:

Option 1: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/angel-quilted-stocking/?cm_src=AutoRel2

Pros: Whimsical and Reverent
Cons: A blonde, knowing our Ruthie will be decidedly brunette with her genes

Option 2: http://www.potterybarnkids.com/products/woodland-stocking-collection/?cm_src=AutoRel

Pros: Brunette angel
Cons: A little too "woodland" and less fun

Etsy:

Option 3: https://www.etsy.com/listing/206328402/girl-red-gingerbread-appliqued-christmas?ref=shop_home_active_7

Pros: Adorable, whimsical, unique
Cons: Secular, price ($90!!)

Land of Nod:

Option 4: http://www.landofnod.com/christmas-stockings/decor/dot-bright-side-stocking-by-jill-mcdonald/s114804?rv=Decor%3achristmas+decorations%3achristmas+stockings%3aBl+Confetti+Stocking+SKU+371920+Product+Page

Pros: Price (clearance, $17), colors
Cons: No monogram (would have to get it monogrammed myself), secular

LL Bean:

Option 5: http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/75692?feat=513739-GN2&page=christmas-crewel-stocking

Pros: Classic, very traditional
Cons: Monogram seems small on cuff, secular, sort of too grown up

I haven't made any sort of decision and that is ok with me... for now. Any thoughts?

In holidays and traditions,

{Life}: Deck the Halls.

This month has been full of travel for Jake as he interviews for residency, so December felt a bit off. We didn't get our tree and decorations up when I wanted and once we did, it felt a bit rushed. We have been doing a tradition of listening to Christmas songs, eating appetizers, and drinking Starbucks (peppermint mocha for me!) to gear up for tree decorating, but this year we got the tree, waited a week because of interviews, and then rushed through decorating because I had a choir concert.

Nonetheless, I'm grateful for the time together and for a house to decorate. Here's our halls, decked.

Our tree sat naked for a week...

The guys liked it.

Down came the decorations..

Beamer got in on the fun:

Sebastian too.

Our countdown calendar, hanging by our bedroom. So fun to move the candy cane.

We made pizza bites (pizza dough, cubed cheese, pepperoni, and jalapeños, baked in the oven at 400) to eat while decorating. Delicious.

Decorated!

We caught Tyson looking for Santa...

I made this Merry Mail sign a few years ago. I since have made them with longer wood with more space between the tails - highly recommend that route. But I love our compilation of holiday cards from our friends and family.

So there are this year's decorations. For fun, here's 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009. Pretty funny to see the things we do each year and the ways our house has changed. Here's the living room our first Christmas in the house versus now:

In twinkling lights and stockings on the mantle,

{Life} Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

Christmas was great to us this year - time with family, getting to see friends. As we slide into the new year, here a few photos to share with you from our celebrations:

We started out the morning on the 24th going to get Christmas donuts -

Then we started getting ready for the day, starting with going to see Santa and get our annual family Santa pic. Here we are getting ready to go -

And here is the picture - this is my fourth Santa picture with the Jaspers but they have many many more spanning from when they are very little. Jake's mom puts them out every Christmas all together.

Then it was time for the Jasper cousins and Grandma Jane to come over -

There was a lot of great food including our favorite jalapeno bacon bites 

and our newly named "redneck sushi," which made an appearance at several family events this year - this is my favorite appetizer.

After some family time with Jake's side of the family, we headed over to my parents house to be with them. We watched Home Alone (my favorite holiday movie) -

Then we ate dinner and went to the midnight service at church:

Then it was Christmas morning! We put all our gifts under the tree for the morning and had our little Christmas celebration just the two of us first thing after waking up.

Then it was time to go over to my parents house again to open presents with them -

We got lots of great things from my family - including a grill for Jake. We were very excited and it was fun to give them their gifts!

Ezra's dog Oscar got a waterproof jacket for Knoxville walks.

Then it was time for breakfast #1, waffles and country ham with eggs:

(Jacob is wearing his t-shirt I got him from Hoop City Memphis)

Then we went over to Jake's parents' house for more presents and another breakfast, then came home and took a nap before going out to his aunt and uncles house.

The next morning we woke up to a white Christmas!

We lounged around the house all morning (I came down with a cold during all of the Christmas mania) and I caught Tyson hanging out in this box - either he wants to be a Christmas present or he wants us to ship him off somewhere:

The dogs had to inspect and see what was going on -

Then that night we continued the family time with Jake's family - we went bowling for his mom's birthday.

His family friends came too and we all went over to their house after the bowling for pizza and watching the Grizz game.

And that was the end of a 4 day streak of family time - and it was time to rest!

In family and friends,