Our Handmade Holiday

I am behind again.  Crazy busy weeks for the Burress home.  More on why another day....

This year, I had a strong desire to hand make something for my kids (and the house).  Truthfully, I ALWAYS have a strong desire to hand make something.  Christmas was just a great excuse :)

We will start with the front door.  One of our crafts for MOPS this year were the popular deco mesh wreaths.  I came home and personalized mine further.  In LOVE with how this turned out!

Ignore the peeling vinyl 3.  I will get right on that.

After DIYing the decorations, Santa and Mrs Claus got busy!  Rylee was getting her first America Girl Doll. I knew we were going to have a very happy 8 year old girl that morning and could not wait!  A doll means we must have doll clothes, right?  I knew right away that I needed to learn to make doll clothes for 2 reasons.

1. The cost of AG clothing.  Wow. 
2. My Rylee marches to the beat of her own drum.  Her style leans more towards skater than AG does :)

I think I nailed it!

And where would the doll sleep?  Enter Ana-White (again!).

Again NAILED IT (uh sorry Rusty NAILED IT)!  

For Colton I thought a teepee and a campfire would be fun!  This was a bit more work than I think I would do again (the teepee).  Now the campfire is worth it just because of how darn freaking cute it is!

Here is Santa working hard on Jadyn's tether ball pole.  This little DIY project is a perfect example of Rusty and I.  We could have bought this tether ball pole for a little more than the supplies cost us.  My dear husband, though, refuses to pay for something he can build himself.  I love that man.  Notice there isn't an after picture of this.  The weather has not cooperated for us for that.  This weekend it will all be up.  I will update this post then!

Not only did we have fun making it all, the kids LOVED it all!  

Christmas Parade

Aunt Wendi and Uncle Aaron invited us to join them in watching a local parade they go to every year.  We decided to take the kids this year, and they really enjoyed it!

And what parade in Texas would be complete without a tractor/lawn mower?

I also caught one of the amazing, candid sister moments that I am in love with!

Not the perfect picture "technically" speaking, but to get into that position would have ruined the moment for sure!  I caught this without either one of them aware of me.  My heart swells.  And I will reflect back to this moment often when they are beating each other up and wishing they didn't have a sister :)

Christmas Karaoke

Family Christmas karaoke time.  Just another December Saturday night for the Burress family.

This would normally have seemed lame to me, but oh my word!  This entertained us, the girls and Noonie and Poppie for an hour.  I think any excuse for my daughters to perform is good with them!

Merry Christmas

Hoping everyone of our family and friends is celebrating an amazing Christmas season!  We love you all and are so grateful for you in our lives.  

Rylee & Elfie

Disclaimer: This is going to be one of those blog posts that will probably bring not an ounce of entertainment to anyone other than myself.

When I started this blog, I decided not to play catch up with any past events (including Christmas).  I wanted to start with January of 2012 and go forward.  I have decided now to go back just a tiny bit. 

I know, understand and respect those who chose not to "do Santa".  I personally enjoy the innocence and magic that it brings with it.  There is a wonderment for children that I believe is lost once they outgrow this phase in their lives.  I personally, through watching my own children, and looking back on my childhood, believe this magic and excitment far excedes the present aspect of Santa.  Christmas time is filled with so much tradition.  No other time of year is so much time and energy spent in memory making!  I would love to be better at that! 

We have always done Santa Claus in our family, and this year we adopted an Elf on the Shelf (who we named Elfie).  Jadyn no longer believes in Santa and hasn't for 2 years now.  She is under strict orders not ruin this for anyone else (especially her brother or sister).  So far, she has adhered to this warning, and she LOVES playing along.  I am writing this because I fear this may have been Rylee's final year believing in Santa Claus (considering Jadyn's age when she came to us).  I am so sad to see this time in  her life pass.  It marks another milestone that reminds me she is growing up.  There is something ok about the oldest growing up-it is what they are supposed to do, but when the babies start growing up... well, this is all wrong.

Our Elfie (its an Iphone picture-sorry for the quality)

This year Rylee fell in love with our Elfie!  She could not wait to find him each morning, and around a week before Christmas she began crying about having to say goodbye to Elfie.  She left Elfie a sweet note saying goodbye and see you next year. 

 Note reads I love you Elfy.  I will miss you.  You are special to me and my family.  We will all miss you Elfy.  Look in the card.  (Family photo was in the card).  Love: Rylee Burress  P.S. Jadyn is naughty this year.

Of course Elfie couldn't leave without a goodbye to her either.

Mommy dropped the ball and lost Elfie's letter.  I read something along the lines of Dear Rylee, I love you, too.  You are very special to me, too.  I am so glad your family adopted me.  I can't wait to see you again next year.  Love, Elfy.

A week ago she came to me asking if we still had the book (The Elf on the Shelf) out.  We did.  She asked if she could read it to herself before bed because she missed Elfie.  That is when I decided to write this down.  I want to remember my little girl.  The little girl who plays with Barbies and still with her extensive Fisher Price Little People collection.  The little girl who has ALWAYS hated skirts and dresses but I notice her wanting to dress up for school every so often now.  The little girl who asked her big sisters friend to give her a makeover yet once the makeup hit her face she couldn't get it washed off soon enough.  This baby girl of mine who I know one day won't touch her Little People, will feel the need to dress to impress everyday and who will cover her precious freckles with too much makeup.  All too soon. But, for now she is a little girl in love with her Pixie Elf.