This year we visited our Ottumwa family at the beginning of December. It has been a relief and more special to break up all of our different family gatherings. The kids had so much fun playing and opening presents together. Riley loves how many decorations grandma puts up and that there are lights on everything. The next morning snow was coming down in big fluffy flakes but it wasn't too bad for driving.
pictures to come later
Christmas in Ames
Keenan and I are enjoying staying home for Christmas and are trying to create more of our own traditions with the kids. The Christmas eve meal is going to be a simple but hearty one. Chili and cornbread muffins, Riley and August can never get enough cornbread for some reason. Then we all snuggled up with blankets and watched a movie together while enjoying popcorn and fruit!
Christmas morning we opened our stockings together then had some raspberry kolaches and bacon. Thank you Sheryl/Mom/Grandma for the sweet dough recipe. After breakfast the kids opened their gifts and Keenan and I read our Christmas letters to each other, my favorite and most meaningful tradition. I can picture our kids reading them someday and getting a glimpse at what their parents were like or how they felt as they were growing up. I want them to have so many great memories from childhood and to know how much we loved them and still love them. I want to always grow closer to Keenan and for us to be a living breathing example for our children what it means to care about someone and what that should look like. When our kids are old enough I want them to write their own letters to put on the tree.
mmmmm. Planning dinner was tricky, you want something special but not something that will take time away from family. So I settled on a roasted pork loin stuffed with caramelized apples, onions and toasted cornbread croutons. Then its glazed with orange juice with a smidge of brown sugar. It was perfect because I could prep the entire thing during nap time or even the day before then just sear and put in the oven an hour and half before dinner. I served it with roasted sweet potatoes and a brussel sprout salad. The kids didn't dig the salad so maybe I will just do something like green beans next year!
I have been writing down ideas for next year for mouse pocket(advent calendar) to do with the kids. This year would have been too much for me with Nora being so little. Most of them are things we are already doing but will be fun for the kids to retrieve it everyday and find out what we are going to do. I am excited already!
Christmas in Marion
We did Christmas in Marion a few days after Christmas. The cousins had a great time running around and playing. They also had fun ringing the mistletoe and watching Grandma come running to give them their kisses. Riley enjoyed making some Christmas tree crafts with Aunt Kendra to bring home.
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