christmas + winter break

i'm lacking for words at the moment but i didn't want to wait any longer to document our christmas together.  i may be back to fill in the details, or maybe a few pictures will tell the story. this has been such a sweet season celebrating the birth of our Savior for the first time with our little bean.  having ben home for a week and a half wasn't too shabby either.  here's a snippet of our life...

shaver family christmas.  baby in a sweater and a giraffe photo bomb

ford extended family christmas.  emmie's first day wearing tights

nana & baby :: happy // silly faces

emmie's cousin [only one for now, one more on the way.]  getting babies to look at you at the same time is hard.

my sister-in-law, greta, also took some super sweet shots of them together on christmas morning.  you should probably check them out [here]

we got to go on a date!  we saw our first movie in a theater in about 6 months [the hobbit, if you're wondering].  we also got to go to lunch together and it was bliss.  i wore high heels for no reason and got to spend sweet time together, attention undivided.  ben says "look at how small my eye slits are!"

christmas eve service with my family at church.

ecb's first service was a bit of a fail as ben and i had to take turns with emmie out in the hall the entire time.  the service was mainly musical and the "rejoicing" was a little loud for our little's ears.  we sang to her right outside the sanctuary though.  joy to the world - a newborn king!

this is emmie in her christmas eve jammies.  she was so happy and snuggly. what a doll baby.  i was worried about her sleeping away from home unswaddled like i mentioned but she did so great.  christmas miracle.  we all stayed the night at my parents [my parents, brother + wife + babe, me + ben + em, and my sisssy] and woke up "christmas morning" together.

since we've been married my favorite christmas tradition with ben is to read the christmas story before we get out of bed christmas morning.  it really is the whole reason we're celebrating - i love that we haven't set a foot on the floor without remembering that.  i don't want our family to ever forget that so this year, before we kissed emmie collins goodnight we read to her the christmas story [jesus birth, the shepherds & the kings] and the story of abraham and isaac [which i love because the author points out this beautiful parallel of them to God the Father & Jesus] from her Jesus storybook bible.  then christmas morning we read from luke 2 the story of the first christmas.  just the three of us.  my heart is / was so full.  emmie and i read some together during the advent season but i'd like to be even more intentional next year leading up to christmas and have ben be involved too.

emmie kisses

notice the wardrobe change by morning.  we had an "accident" - good thing she had her snowmen as back up. 

em excelling at present opening.

family shot christmas morning in our jams.  look at that precious little face! 

shaver extended family christmas

on christmas night we went to my nana's and em got one of the sweetest little gifts ever.  she actually received several, thoughtful, beautiful and/or homemade or handpicked items but here is one of my all time faves.  a crocheted princess crown from nana charlotte.  holy cow!  so very special.  if nana will indulge me...i can picture her as a little 3 year old with long locks wearing a crown for years as her little head continues to grow.  so sweet.  my little princess.

we ended the night there and ecb was wiped out but thankfully when she's tired she mainly just gets squirmy and squeaks, doesn't really throw a fit...yet.  we went down the street [we live about a street away from this family] and snuggled in for the night.  our first family christmas as three was a success.  we also celebrated just the three of us as well as a weekend with benny's family and i hope to be back for that version soon enough.  until then, here are some other winter break instas that warm my heart...

finally updated our chalkboard...half our christmas cards fell on the ground [note big gaping hole]  michael's decorative tape ain't cutting the mustard.

"let me show you how i can squish my squish"

"did you miss me?"

"i have an extra set of ears today!"

we hope your holidays were full of thanksgiving & grace.  i was continually reminded of how blessed we are.  we are surrounded by loving and generous family on all sides.  people who care for us and our mini, family & friends that are really special.  we are so grateful.  we are also so blessed by the coming of Jesus, how awesome that we get to be on this side of it!  people lived their whole lives in hopes that a Savior would be sent and we get to live in the reality that He has, and we're just awaiting His return.  we get to know how he lived, what he was like, what his sacrifice on the cross would mean.

to God be the glory.

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i hope to be back to this space soon.  i miss being consistent on my ol' blog.

what sweet memory was made this season for you?