Our First Christmas

We had the most wonderful first Christmas as a married couple imaginable!  We had a great time getting together with our families.  Since this year was our year to spend Christmas day with Mitch's family, we headed to Fort Gibson to see my parents, brother, sister and brother in law on Christmas Eve's Eve.  We got there late in the afternoon and began the festivities right away!  After everyone had arrived we sat down to a wonderful Christmas dinner my mother made.  Just like always, it was fabulous!  She is a great cook and never disappoints!  And we actually had another guest for the evening.  My mom's first cousin, George, was in town so he came over and had dinner with us.  After dinner, we all headed to the living room for games and football.  I don't think we have ever spent a night in Fort Gibson without some form of board game being broke out.  I am so grateful that Mitch enjoys games as much as my family!  One of the many reasons I love him so!  After hours and hours of Risk we headed to bed to wait for Santa to arrive.

Christmas Eve morning we woke up and exchanged gifts first thing.  As always, I was spoiled rotten by my family.  One of my favorite family traditions of ours is Christmas morning breakfast.  After the presents, everyone headed off to get ready while Mom and Dad made breakfast.  I know it may be the same thing we eat any given weekend at my parents, but no matter what, Christmas morning breakfast at the Harris household is one of the best meals I eat all year.  This year definitely didn't disappoint.  We had eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausage, bacon, waffles and pancakes.  There was WAY too much food, but it was fabulous!  After breakfast, Mitch and I packed up the car and headed back to start our Christmas with the Days.  It may have been a short trip to Fort Gibson, but we had a great time celebrating with my side!

This Christmas Eve I experienced a first, Christmas Eve church service.  Apparently this is foreign to people that I didn't grow up going to Christmas Eve church service.  I guess that is what happens when you go to a tiny family church most of your life!  I really enjoyed it!  Although I was a little scared for my life walking around people with lit candles in the complete dark walking out.  After service, we headed home for one of Mitch's family traditions of getting together with our good friends the Bartholomews/Skinners.  They came over to Mark and Gwyn's house and we sat around and enjoyed each others company.  Gwyn made some great food and we enjoyed some wine then played games!  It was a game filled Christmas for us!  After they left, we headed off to bed.  We decided to stay the night over there since it isn't really a Christmas when you wake up at your own house and not your parents! 

Christmas morning Gwyn woke us up for breakfast and to open gifts!  I had a great Christmas and Santa even stopped by for me!  Mitch always goes crazy for Christmas and gets me way more than I deserve!  I had so many special gifts that I absolutely loved, but the one thing I got this year that I was most excited about was a camera.  I casually mentioned it to Mitch that I would like a "Mom camera," for my birthday, in AUGUST.  I should have known better than to say anything because he bought me one that day.  Sadly, I don't have any pictures from Christmas in Fort Gibson or Christmas Eve, but I have some great ones from Christmas Day. 

This is the awesome camera my husband got me!  It is a Nikon D5100 and it is AWESOME!

And with this awesome camera came some of the best pictures I have ever taken.  I love it!  And hopefully I will learn how to fully use it in the near future! 

After Mitch and I exchanged gifts with each other, Mitch's sister and family arrived for the big Christmas!  We had so much fun watching the kids open their gifts!  Samantha got the award this year for most excited for Christmas.  She was hilarious!  She got so excited about everyone's gifts as much as she did for her own.  Well, almost. :)  Around noon more family arrived.  We had a great dinner and enjoyed getting to see everyone and celebrate Christmas.  It was a fabulous Christmas and we were so blessed to spend it with both of our families.  Here are some of my favorite pictures, with my new fabulous camera, from Christmas Day.

She is one of the funnier kids ever!  If you look closely you will notice the hot pink eye shadow she got from Mitch and I! 

Samantha and Wyatt playing dress up!

I was getting a ticket from Officer McAfee

Roscoe decided to take a nap underneath the Christmas tree

DD and GG with the grand kids

It was such a great first Christmas as a married couple!  Here is to many more to come!



 

Blog Hiatus

It has been a crazy few weeks in my neck of the woods!  We have spent the last few weeks celebrating Christmas with our families, winter vacation in Taos, celebrating a new year, back to Oklahoma for work, out to Perryton to move, being sick and getting back in the swing of things.  So, needless to say, the blog has taken a vacation as well.  I have so many things to write about, but I wanted to wait until I get my pictures so I can make it interesting!  I promise I will get it together in the next few days!  It has just been a little crazy and I haven't had a chance!


 

Christmas Traditions

Since this is the first year of Mitch and I being married, we haven't really gotten in the groove yet of our family traditions we have with each other.  I am sure they will come with time.  Here are some of the things I would like to start next year or at least eventually.  I say next year because this year we haven't lived in the same place for some of the time.  So, next year will be our first family Christmas in our own house!  Can't wait!! 

First and for most, the Christmas Tree debate.  I would like to start the tradition of having Christmas decorations going up the weekend following Thanksgiving.  Since Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday, the weekend after would be a perfect time to decorate the house.  Or at least get everything down from the attic.  I am wanting to go all out next year so, I am thinking it may take more than a few hours to decorate the tree and house. 

Second, an advent calendar.  This may have to wait a few years until we actually have kids, but still one day, I would like that to be a tradition. 

Third, Christmas light drive around.  I would like nothing more than to load up with some hot chocolate and drive around the city to look at Christmas lights.  That sounds awesome to me!

Fourth, going to the angel tree and everyone getting an angel.  I have been so blessed in my life and there is no better time than giving back to someone in need than Christmas.  It breaks my heart to think that children may wake up on Christmas morning expecting Santa to have came and they wake up with nothing.  I truly hope if nothing else, I can teach my kids the gift of giving. 

Fifth, Christmas Eve service then dinner.  I have big plans for this!!!  Maybe eventually this will move to Christmas Day dinner, but for now I like the idea of Christmas Eve dinner.  I see it perfectly in my head with coming home to a great meal on my Christmas dishes, everyone getting to open one gift (of my choosing of course) then, getting your Christmas pajamas (the ones everyone got for one of their advent calendar gifts) and playing games until you are too tired to keep your eyes open.  Sounds perfect to me!!

Sixth, waking up early and opening gifts then having Christmas morning breakfast.  This is actually a tradition that my family did growing up!  We would always wake up on Christmas Day, open gifts, go get ready to head to Stilwell while Dad made a huge breakfast for everyone.  This is one tradition that will always stay in place no matter where we are. 

Seventh, head to the mountains the day after Christmas for a few days.  Mitch and I have done this the last 2 years and we are going to try and make it something we do every year if possible.  We love being up in the mountains!

Last, taking the Christmas decorations down.  I would like to have a goal to have it all taken down and put back up in storage by January 5th.  Random day I know, but if we continue to go to the mountains after Christmas, it makes it a little longer before we are able to do that.  Maybe I should just say within 3 days of returning home from our mountain vacation.  That way I give myself one day to rest and do laundry after getting back, one day to take things down and put it up in the attic and another to get my house put back together for the new year!

I love traditions and I hope there are many more to come in the following years!


 

Christmas in Eufaula

This past weekend we had Christmas in Eufaula with Gwyn's side of the family.  We had a great time as usual.  We spent all afternoon playing games, snacking and just enjoying each others company!  We always play Dirty Santa and I have to say, we really did well this time.  Mitch took one for the team and I will actually say I ended up with the best gifts in Dirty Santa.  Mitch walked away with the most comfy, fuzzy blanket and some candles for me.  Here is what I walked away with.

How awesome is he!?!?!

After a day of fun in Eufaula, we headed back to Fort Gibson to stay the night with my parents.  We played games and got to see DJ and Johnny.  It sure made my night getting to see them!  We don't get to see them near enough.  They have sure made an impact on my life and I wish they knew just how much they both mean to me.  

I am getting excited for this next week!!  It is going to be very busy, but so much fun!  We have Christmas at Opeco on Thursday, Friday after work we are heading to Fort Gibson for Christmas with my family, driving back to OKC Saturday afternoon for Christmas service with the Day's, the Bartholomew's and Skinner's are coming over for game night on Christmas Eve, opening gifts with the Day's Christmas morning then, heading to Perryton Christmas night with Mitch to leave Monday for the cabin in Taos!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What a week!!!!  I can hardly wait.  And I won't lie, this Mrs. Clause did very well shopping this year and I can't wait to see all the faces when people open up their gifts.

 

Sweet Gestures

I have always loved flowers!  I think they are so pretty!!  And usually smell pretty good too.  Well, today my sweet, adorable, amazing Husband sent me flowers.  The card simply read Love You, Mitch.  It absolutely made my day in every way possible!  He is such a sweetheart! 

They are seriously the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen! 

 

Facetime

As most of the millions of readers of this blog know, I am currently dealing with a long distance marriage.  It's awesome!  (Chiller font/sarcasm intended)  Luckily it is only for the short term, but for the time being Mitch and I are living in  different states. 

I see him every weekend and usually it is a four day weekend, but by the time that 3rd or 4th night away rolls around I am really missing him.  Last night was Mitch's 3rd night away.  We are like most couples, we talk throughout the day, text messages here and there and always have a longer chat before we go to sleep, but talking on the phone isn't the same as getting to hang out.  Since we have been apart, I have really missed our nights together.  Whether it is going out to dinner and a movie or as simple as making sandwiches and watching the DVR, I really just enjoy spending time with Mitch. 

Last night during our "I'm about to go to sleep," chat, I decided I wanted to see his handsome face so, I Facetimed him!  BEST. IDEA. EVER.  Our days of staying up all night on the phone are behind us.  Anymore being on the phone for hours just seems awful!  So, most of our conversations are maybe 5 minutes at the very max.  Well, I forgot how much Facetime can change a conversation.  Once we Facetimed, I think we ended up being on the phone talking and carrying on for about an hour.  It was so nice to feel like I was hanging out with him and not just calling to say goodnight.  And I spent the majority of that time cracking up at him making funny faces at me, etc. 

So, long story short, 1) I hope you never find yourself in the predicament of a long distance marriage. But if you do.... 2) I would strongly suggest using Facetime as opposed to just talking.  I haven't smiled that much while talking on the phone in a really long time.  We laughed so much!  Then, I went to bed a little teary eyed because I realized just how much I miss him.  Had to add the sap in there!!  Haha!!  He would kill me, but I decided to share some of our funny pics from our Facetime chats.  These are the faces he makes at me to make me laugh.  And we play this silly game where every time you know you are about to connect to each other, you make a silly face for it to be the first imagine they see.   

Please don't mind the huge pic of me being weird!  Glad he thinks I'm cute!

I love this face!

And I wanted to give a shout out to Steve Jobs and tell him thanks for all he did for my generation and generations for years to come.  May you rest in peace!  You were truly one of the most intelligent and imaginative people that this world had this privilege to have.


 

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

I have taken a little blog hiatus the last week after my month long Count Your Blessings chronicles.  I had so much fun doing that during the month of November!  Now, we are on to December!  One of my very favorite months of the year.  We have a lot going on this month to say the least.  Last weekend was the big Bedlam weekend, not much to report there so I will leave it alone!  This weekend we have a Christmas party in Dallas, Texas.  Next weekend we are going to Eufaula for the Dowd family Christmas then, the following weekend is Christmas.  After Christmas we are headed to Taos with some friends to spend the New Year! 

I really can't believe how fast 2011 has flown by!  2011 has been a really big year for us to say the least!  In February we moved from Shreveport, LA to Perryton, TX.  In May we spent half of the month out of town getting married and honeymooning.  July, I gained a brother in law.  October, I moved back to OKC and now we are waiting on Mitch to finally move back and get settled into our house here.  I can hardly wait to say the least!

I love the Christmas season!  From everything red and green to Christmas lights to Christmas decorations to Christmas trees.  Although Mitch and I aren't in our own house this year, we are still in the Christmas spirit.  We are saving up and not buying too much Christmas decor until we have our own house.  You better believe Christmas 2012 will be the biggest Christmas I have ever had!!  It will look like Christmas threw up on the Day household!  I can't wait! 

Our Family stockings!  I can't wait to hang them up!  And of course Max got one!  He's part of our family!

My first Christmas cards to send out!!  Mitch said I had to wait to send cards out until we were married.  So I jumped on them early this year!!  I can't wait to have them for years to come!