Holiday Happenings Recap

Hello & happy 2015! I am shocked that it is already the 5th day of the new year! After a crazy, fun-filled, super-busy 2 weeks of holiday & family shenanigans, we are back to our normal routine. We traveled to Central Illinois & then to Iowa over the week of Christmas and spent 5 days with both sides of our families. It was really special to be able to see everyone, but especially my husband’s aunt, who traveled to Illinois to visit from Qatar and then be able to have another Christmas with my grandparents. I was able to see all but one set of grandparents this year. All are living, but the extra added bonus, is that they are all remarried, so I actually have 8 wonderful grandparents in my life. My grandparents in Arizona were the only ones I didn’t see, but a trip down there is only a couple of months away 🙂

After the eating and drinking and presents and more presents over those 10 days away, we were fortunate enough to have Ted home with us all of last week! He works a very hectic schedule throughout the year, where 10-12 hour days are the norm and weekly travel to his second office located 2 hours south is a regularly scheduled event. Taking 2 weeks off at the end of December and having him all to ourselves has become part of our holiday routine and we loved every minute of it this year! We got home from my parents’ house last Sunday night, so last week was all about us – just the 4 of us! We filled our days with a trip to the children’s museum, lunch at a kid’s train-inspired restaurant, family movies & shows snuggled on the couch, more books & puzzles than I can count, lazy mornings in bed followed by leisurely sipping cups of coffee & yummy breakfast (compliments of the breakfast king himself), dance parties after dinner and a family-friendly New Year’s Eve at our friends’ house (see the NYE drink sticks I made to take with!). Ted & Henry also had a special “fun day” including a trip to Jump Zone and a lunch date, just the 2 of them. Oh! I almost forgot! We had a “date day” last week, too 🙂 Our sitter came to watch the boys while we went out to lunch, did some shopping, saw a movie (while lounging in those fancy leather recliners) and then out for dinner & drinks. A fabulous 8 hours away from home! must. do. again.

This past weekend we deconstructed the trees and sorted and packed away all of the holiday decorations. I also seriously dedicated a HUGE chunk of time to unpacking suitcases, shopping bags and boxes of gifts and then furiously plucking things out of the closets sack up and donate. With everything we brought into the house, we must send just as much OUT! Today was bittersweet. It was just me and the boys! Although it was nice getting back into the swing of things and finding our groove again, we sure did miss someone. Now that the house is returning to normal, I have started to put some serious thought into my goals for this year. What are my hopes and dreams? What do I want to do for me? What do I want to accomplish for our family? What projects am I going to tackle in our home? Where do I see my blog going this year? These are just a few questions I am asking myself right now as I start to compile a list of focus areas for the year. Last year was an incredible year and I want 2015 to be just as memorable, although I don’t think we will be having another baby this year, so memorable in different ways!!

Next, I will be sharing a 2014 Year in Review and 2015 Goals. Following that, I will share tips for de-cluttering & organizing different areas of the house, my plans for a couple of room “refreshes” and more DIY’s just about anyone can take on!

{A few photos to sum up our Christmas joy this season}

Have you set your goals for the year? What is number one on your list? Please do share!
Thank you for reading and I hope to see you back here again SOON!

P.S. I love how it was an ugly brown Christmas, although decent temperatures and now we have several inches of pretty, fluffy white snow on the ground! Why and how does this happen? Fingers crossed for next year!