I love Christmas.

Like, a lot a lot.

Before I had babies, I really liked it. But, now? Oh, it’s just magical.

In the next few days, I’ll detail more about our Christmas adventures, including random visits from Leonard the Elf, our visit with Santa, and how we are trying to share the magic of Santa with the truth and beauty of Christ coming to Earth as a baby boy.

But for now, here is our Christmas house!!!! To say that I love it is an understatement.

I think it’s the twinkle lights…they get me every time.

Well, and this little reindeer. He’s a dreamboat.

Our Christmas dining room where we will host a family Christmas Eve breakfast.

“The Magic Stairs” as we call them these days.

Ah, the mantle. All my life I’ve dreamed of decorating a mantle for Christmas, and now I can. Have I mentioned how much I love our house, mantle and all? LOVE IT.

Tiny details like this throughout the house.

And our 9.5 foot tree…TA DA.

Bitzy and I sitting on the fireplace just snuggling. My babies are the best Christmas present ever.

And as Bitzy says about 100 times per days, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!” Ha!

Where have I been, you ask?

Well, basically having the time of my life! Literally.

I don’t want to be all cliche and annoying, but honestly, having a loving, handsome husband and two adorable babies makes for one happy mama!

Also, I’m thrilled to report that I am officially a stay at home mama now. This is a long answered prayer and I am overwhelmed that God has so graciously given my family this gift. This is my dream job!

Being with my sweet ones all day, everyday, is honestly my dream come true.

I am also able to serve Zach in many simple ways that add up to be gifts that I love to give him. Things like, the gift of dinner on the table every night when he gets home from work, a clean house, clean clothes, the gift of praying for him throughout the day, but most importantly the gift and mission of kissing every boo boo, teaching every song, dancing every dance and loving on our babies all day long. Like I said, it’s a dream come true for both Zach and I.

I cannot, and will not take this gift for granted.

So, that said, here’s what we’ve been up to…

This, my friends, is the good life.

For as long as I can remember I have been a deal hunter. I am physically incapable of paying shipping for anything and heaven forbid I pay full retail for a piece of clothing. I just can’t do it. I am forever using coupon codes, getting cash back, and searching online for deals.

While I have mastered the art of online shopping, I hadn’t delved into the game of couponing…until along came a little show I like to call, Crazy Couponers. Sure, it’s really called, “Extreme Couponers,” but let’s face it, they’re all nutjobs.

While they are crazycakes to be sure, they are smart and savvy and I wanna be just like them.

So, I began slowly clipping coupons here and there, nothing serious. I wasn’t fully committed.

Then, along came the notebook.

You know the one. Like the one you had for senior English class.

That one.

When I opened up that notebook and gazed into the beautiful zippers and rings, I was smitten.

Then, I bought a new pair of scissors.

And then, I happened upon a document that would forever change my life forever.

The Wal-Mart coupon policy.

As we know, I am small town girl who now who frequents “The Wal-Mart.” So, this policy was very interesting to the likes of me.

The policy states that they will take competitors ads in addition to coupons.

What does this mean, you ask?

It means that if Walgreens has eyeshadow on sale for $2.99 and at Wal-Mart it’s $3.99, you simply tell your cashier at Wal-Mart that Walgreens beat their price and you get it for $2.99.

Then, if you couple that $2.99 with a coupon for $1.00 off, guess what? You’ll pay $1.99 rather than $3.99.

Easy peasy.

I’m still just a novice. I’ve only been at this for a few weeks and I am no where, and I mean NO WHERE near an expert, but I am thrilled to report that tonight I bought $129.88 worth of groceries and only paid $49.11!!!!

The best part? It’s stuff we actually use!!!

Here’s the haul-

Several of these items were free or more than half off!!!

Things like Gala Apples, Grapes, Diapers, toothpaste, paper towels, pasta, dishwasher tablets, salad dressing, dish soap, ketchup, the list goes on and on.

Last week I caught amazing deals on clearance meat (you have to use or freeze it within two days of buying it) and saved $50 on meat alone.

That said, I’m totally addicted. I am pretty sure that the days of running into the store to “pick up a few things” that resulted in a $75 trip are way over.

Happily over.

I figure that if companies want to give me their deeply discounted or free items I can spend the 2 hours it takes to plan my attack. Right?

But no worries, I have no plans to be on the TLC show…YET.

Love to all,

Lately, my hair is a wreck. I can’t even remember the last time it was cut. It’s big and poofy and I am sorry to admit that it’s in a pony tail 99% of the time. But guess what? The babies don’t care about my silly hair.

Lately, I only wear yoga pants and spit up stained shirts, and I look like a hot mess constantly.  But guess what? The babies don’t care about my clothes.

Lately, I am exhausted. Turns out that being up several times a night with a newborn and playing like a crazy woman all day with a toddler is tiring. But guess what? The babies don’t care how tired I am.

Lately, my housekeeping isn’t quite what it once was. Sure, the house is still clean and tidy, but it’s far from spotless. There are clothes that are currently in the dryer that need to be folded and put away, and the rugs could really use a good vacuuming. But guess what? The babies don’t care about how clean this house is.

Lately, I find myself desperate to relish this precious time with my babies and soak up every second. I want to play and teach and hug and kiss and cuddle and sing and dance and laugh and LOVE. And Guess what? That’s what my babies need the most.

Remember all the talk about me moving…ahem, or perhaps all the whining.

It’s true. I hate moving with a hate that will never die.

But now, we’re all moved in and the drama has ceased. I guess you could say that we’re finally settled.

We painted every room in the house (except the Master Bath) and did tons of cosmetic/decorating work. Fortunately, there wasn’t a ton of mechanical issues with the house so we got to skip all of that!

We also have an unfinished basement that is already plumbed and framed and we’re hoping to finish it this winter…but that’s a whole ‘nother Oprah.

Anyhow, we feel so incredibly blessed to live in this house and still are in awe that God has blessed us so lavishly.

(I don’t know why we continue to be surprised by God’s extravagant blessings…He is our Father and Provider after all).

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

We had our old house on the market off and on for nearly 2 years and it simply wasn’t the right time. So many nights Zach and I would lie in bed in utter confusion that God wouldn’t let us move.  We felt that we were “doing all the right” things, but still, God continued to say “NO!” Don’t get me wrong, we had a great townhouse that was sufficient and certainly provided a roof over our heads…but we really wanted a house with a yard.

Now, in hindsight we see that God had gone before and prepared the way to give His best…and He has.  We are so, so, so blessed.

Anyway, many of you have asked for pictures…so here they are!!!!

Welcome to our home!

Master Bedroom! This room is at least twice as big as our old bedroom. We LOVE IT.

Master Bath. Isn’t it amazing? It’s heavenly.

Our Kitchen. At our old house we literally had 5 cabinets. It was a wreck. Look at all this space! It’s dreamy!

Downstairs Half Bath.  This bath is right beside the living room and kitchen. Very convenient for this preggers lady.

Great Room. We love this room! We have tons of seating for friends and family…but mostly I love the color!

Guest Room. This room is dedicated to my home people in NC. It reminds me of home.

Upstairs Bathroom. In our old house we only had 1 full bath so having guests made life a bit crowded. It’s so wonderful to have 2!!!!

Sweet New Baby Boys Nursery! It’s finally finished! Yay!!!

My sweet Bitzy’s room! We kept her room almost identical to our other house so that she didn’t get freaked out/confused. Lord knows that we don’t need any more sleep issues!!!

Bitzy’s Closet/Playroom. Can you believe this closet? What a dream!!! She’ll really love it when she’s 16!

And now my favorite room in the house!!! Our dining room! This room has been a labor of love!!!

Hello friends!

I have lots to share with you about the woes and joys of moving, but as I am knee deep in boxes and stress, for now, I’ll simply share with you why our pups are such a big part of our family (even though some days I think that if I want to keep my mind I should put Daisy on a bus and wish her the best).

Here’s a little story in pictures.

Guess since I have a sweet little mini-me who LOVES all things pups, I will try very hard to have more paitience with our furry companions.

As I sit at my Mama’s house examining the overflow of stockings on the fireplace and searching for a place to sit in the sea of my siblings, toys, my squealing baby girl, and friends, I am overwhelmed at the tangible blessings in front of my eyes.

Family.

Life.

Health.

Love.

But mostly I am thankful for a tiny baby King named Jesus.  The One who brings us all together in His name, the One who calls us to remember how He came from His heavenly throne in heaven to experience life just as we do.

He didn’t have to ya know? It wasn’t on His bucket list or anything. When you’re the Son of God, things like crazy adventures, road trips and long walks down the beach aren’t quite as magical when you experience them as a human rather than as Creator. It’s not like leaving a perfect paradise of heaven for a sinful and selfish earthly home would be pleasant.

But still, He came.

He came as a tiny baby in a manager to a mommy that wasn’t old enough to have a drivers license, much less be a mother.

There wasn’t a parade welcoming the King of the universe into the world.

No trumpets.

No carriages.

No flags.

Nope. None of that.

Just a teenager and her fiancee meeting their Creator wrapped in swaddling clothes.

I wonder if as Mary held her newborn son that she considered how His birth would be the timetable in which all of history is set? Or if she realized that although He came to earth in such humility that He would come back in such a glorious fashion that every single knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord?

Did she know that the tiny baby that was pressed against her chest would eventually be pierced for her own sins?

Did she know how her heart would break?

Could she imagine how much one person could bring such joy, but such heartache?

I hope not.

I hope that as Mary caressed the cheek of her son, that she memorized the lines on His face. That she ran her young finger up and down His tiny legs and arms and tickled His baby feet. That she rocked Him and whispered how much she loved Him.

That she breathed Him in and lived in that very moment. Not the past or the future, just the present.

So in honor of Mary and her sweet baby King Jesus, I will do the same.

I will not worry about yesterday or tomorrow, I will sit and look around at the faces of my family and breathe them in and memorize them. I will soak in the pleasure of my sweet baby girl’s Christmas joy that has absolutely nothing to do with presents or Santa. I will bask in the glow of Christmas lights that shine in my soul mates eyes, and then…

I will thank Jesus for coming. For His gift of love and the incomparable delight of being His daughter.

Have a Merry Christmas!

Although I’ve lived away from my hometown for almost 8 years (which doesn’t seem possible), I still refer to my “home” as my sleepy itty bitty town in the mountains of North Carolina.  I suppose that I always will.

My father-in-law always says that the shortest way to a woman’s heart is through her Mama’s house, and I can’t really argue.  My heart is safe and happy at my Mama’s house.  It’s the house where I have a zillion memories of learning to fix my hair with a purple curling iron and burning myself countless times (I’ve still got the scars to prove it).  Nights that I spent talking on the phone to my random “boyfriends” about absolutely nothing for hours on end. Times when my brother and me would play Nintendo and he would treat me like his minion and I would hit, kick and holler at him but I secretly loved just being near him. All the days that my little sisters and me played with make-up and beauty shop.  So many memories and growing up has happened in my home sweet home.

It’s funny though, you know on commercials and movies when kids come home for the holidays or for visits and Folgers in brewing in the coffee pot and banana bread is baking in the oven?  The Mother is wearing an apron and vacuuming when her children pull up in a fancy SUV wearing North Face jackets and toboggans while snowing is pouring down.  She beams as her family trudges through the snow to meet her on the steps of their million dollar colonial mansion.  You know those commercials, right?

Well, that’s not how it is at my Mama’s house.  Nope, not at all.

For one thing, who drinks coffee in the middle of the day?  And more importantly, do some women just wear aprons around the house all day and night?  Is this 1953?  Also, in commercial land, do families ever get together when it’s not Christmas time?  And lastly, where is the Daddy and where does he work in order to pay for the mansion? I bet he’s a workaholic.

At my Mama’s house you have to fight 2 very hyper dogs to make it into the house.  When you finally make it in, you don’t see a museum filled with priceless antiques and oil paintings on every wall, and it’s surely not a mansion.  Bedrooms are traded and people are stashed in different bedrooms with old baby dolls and toys of the past, it’s certainly not like the movies or commercials.

It’s better.  Way better.

It’s a Mama who is your biggest fan who greets you with arms open wide and a smile that lights up her whole face.

It’s a house that holds secrets that will never be told.

It’s the smell of childhood and memories and love.

It’s the joy of family.

It’s home.