The Christmas Mess at Holiday House...

Warning lots of Photos.

Every year my grandmother calls me on Christmas.  Every year she asks me, "did Santa bring the Christmas mess?"  Every year, I think to myself, "that is so true."  Christmas is a mess.

Today, it took me:

10 hours to clean

2 cat naps while nursing

3 diet cokes

and a partridge in a pear tree

to recover

Every year I think to myself....

It was all worth it.

I hope you had a very merry holiday.

We sure did.

Christmas Eve started with our famous pancakes.  Skinny Pancakes of course, we just spruced them up for the holidays.

Jex knows how to make them so he was my big helper.

Here are a few other variations if you are interested.

Halloween Skinny Pancakes

Breakfast in Bed

After the pancakes, it was time to start cooking.  I was making homemade rolls for Christmas Eve dinner.

Click here to find out all about the bread recipe that I use.

I also made Sweet Potato Souffle(my personal favorite), and potato salad.  I have this wonderful recipe that I got from my friend Calli Potter.

Here it goes:

1 bag red potatoes cubed and boiled.

1 Green pepper chopped

Green onion chopped

1 package bacon cooked and chopped

Mix together and add dressing:

2 C. mayo

1/4 C. sugar

1/4 C. vinegar

Refrigerate, and serve cold.  Salt and Pepper to taste.

After the baking was done, it was time to PARTY!!

We had a great night at the Bradfords.  We had dinner, and played Bunco.  It was so much fun.  A new tradition for sure.  It was complete with prizes and everything.  Some of the prizes were CASH!! So much FUN!!!

After we exhausted our children, we took them home to await the morning. 

They left cookies for Santa... and he left them a note.

They made sure the reindeer were fed...

and then they were off to bed.  I was so sad when I went to check on them, and they were fast asleep.  You see... they missed the magic of Christmas.

IT STARTED TO SNOW!!

It didn't stick, but it never snows in Arkansas; only on Christmas Eve.

It was time for Jonathan and I to put out our spread.

We leave our gifts under the tree, and let Santa leave his in the middle of the Family Room.

We buy our children 5 gifts...

Something to wear,

Something to read,

Something you want,

Something you need,

... and something FUN indeed.

This way expectations are never exceeded, and are always met.

We have asked Santa to bring one gift.  It may be one together or one separately.

What did Santa bring this year?

What a Surprise.  A Backyard Trampoline. 

Gifts from Mom and Dad...

  

Something to read...

After they opened it all, we cleaned up... and were off again.  We had breakfast and gift opening at Nana and Papa Bradfords. 

Then after a good long nap, all the guys came up to our house and put the trampoline up.  IT WAS COLD!!  Isaac waited out there for 2 hours, waiting and waiting for his turn.  The kids are spending a lot of time outside.  Even in the cold.  Santa did good this year.

Then after a little jumping, we had dinner at our house; complete with a brown sugar ham which is Jonathan's favorite.

A few games, and off to bed again.

Saturday, the guys hunted in the morning.  The girls antiqued in the after noon.  (I can't wait to show you my new treasures,) 

Then we went to Garvan Woodland Gardens to see the lights.  AHHH!! I forgot my camera.  It was beautiful, and ranked right up there with Temple Square in Utah.  It reminded me of home.

We had a beautiful Sabbath, complete with another nap, and a photoshoot for my friend and her beautiful newborn.  Here is a sneak peak...

Which brings me to today... and the Christmas Mess.  It really is a Mess.  The house is a mess, the kids can kind of get a little messy(whiny), I am a tired Mess... but I really must say it is one of the most beautiful messes I know.

Happy Holidays... and I hope you find yourself looking forward to a wonderful new year.  (A beautifully messy one)