The one with a Birthday Morning.

Luca woke up pretty early--but I was already awake and waiting. 

Jose and I went in when he started talking and dumped the 60 balloons I blew up on him. He didn't appreciate it that early. 

We played with that balloons and streamers until he got used to them and loved them. 

Oh the scrunchy nose.

I stuck him back in his crib with the balloons once he was awake enough and liked it. 

He just tried to pop all of them. With his hands and teeth. He only successfully got one, thankfully. 

Then we brought him downstairs--for what I knew would be the main attraction of the day. I went down and put some balloons in it and had Jose bring him down. His face lit right up.

He climbed right in and loved on the thing. 

Clearly. 

Several times he slid right off the seat since he was still in his slippery jams. 

It also tipped over on him several times. The little tykes people really need to weigh those wheels down! 

Here he is answering "how old are you today?"

We went to ihop for breakfast--I didn't need more dishes to do today. Luca did well and ate quite a bit. 

Then we headed back to get the house ready for lunch with Jose's family. 

The one where Christmas leaves

I'm already putting Christmas away at my house--I know it's sad and a little ridiculous how soon it is. But I failed my tree this year and it's totally dead. I can just pinch a branch and all the needles fall right off, and I can snap branches off because they are so brittle. We didn't cut enough off our bottom this year so I couldn't get to the water easily so I just didn't. Yes, I'm lazy. 

However. I'm not going to lie. For some bizarre reason beyond my actual knowledge, one of my favorite things to do is vacuum up all the needles. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to watch them all get sucked up. Plus then my vacuum smells like Christmas tree for a while! This is how bad it is after I took everything off and needles were flying. 

I had to document all the new things we got this year so I could remember! 

We got Luca and grant matching reindeer ornaments (Sara I need to give you yours!). I want to give my kids an ornament every year so when they move away they have some to use! My friends mom did this since they were small, and my mom started a few years ago. It's a grand tradition. 

This one is Luca's and the red one is grants. 

We got a new tree topper--after Christmas. I saw this angel at target and just loved the gold glitteryness, but it was $25 no thank you. So I waited. And then. After Christmas it was 50% off! I can handle that! I'm not even really an angel on the tree person but I like this one a lot. And nobody has good stars anymore. So I gave in. 

Jose's parents brought us a nativity from Peru and it's beautiful! It all fits together, but all the people are separate. I'm still on the hunt for a good big nativity too. I think we will do the willow tree one for now, but I'll keep looking around. My mom has a huge gorgeous one that she painted a shimmery white and I love that one. But again. Nobody has it anymore. 

And if course Luca needed a stocking this year, even though we didn't use them. Whatever. I was going to make his-- because I made Jose's and mine but this little guy was just too cute. Plus I want those other guate stockings so it works out. 

And of course we have our basket of Christmas books! I've found almost all of my favorites that we had growing up, I'm just missing a few now! 

Luca even let me read to him a lot--I could get through like 4 books without a peep from him and then he'd fall asleep. 

Jose and I have a deal that we switch off every other year with fake and real trees because he's lame and wants a fake thing. He's not even cool. 

When it's my turn, I've been cutting a piece of the trunk off and making them into ornaments! They are my favorite! Pinterest is beautiful when things turn out. :) I couldn't decide what to write on them but I figured we would just put the biggest thing (or a few) that happened to us and the year on it. 

This is the view we have walking into Jose's parents. We really don't take advantage of being so close to temple square, that needs to change. We need to utilize it more! 

It's so beautiful and we really don't think twice about how lucky we are anymore. Which also needs to stop. 

The one with the puzzles

Luca and I went to the wisemans yesterday! Anyone who's anyone knows the awesome wisemans, and that you don't go there not hungry. Because you will leave stuffed. There is always tons of food and lovely people. 

Angela and Zack hadn't met Luca yet so that was the main reason we went. He was loved on a lot. Of course. :) all the ladies are natural mothers and can handle a baby without a second guess. It's awesome to have such good hands to give me a break for a sec.  

We chatted away and the Heidi pulled out 8 puzzles and started them ALL at the kitchen table. She said it was a tradition but everyone was complaining so I'm thinking she made that up. But it was still fun, and despite all the comments everyone sat to help at some point. 

The wisemans have such great family time, and I want my family to be like that. They all get along so well and do stuff together (alllllll of them) so often. It's so great! They are definitely one of the reasons I want to have a ton of family traditions because they showed me how great they can be!  

I helped with ALL the puzzles cuz I'm awesome. 

Really...I didn't. But I wanted too. That counts right? I finished the one Heidi started--and by started I mean she left the last like 30 pieces and I put those in. :)

Heidi is aMAZing at puzzles. She doesn't so the edges first, and she can just stare at a pile of pieces and pick up one at a time and put them exactly where they go. She doesn't ever have to try a million pieces together (like me) they just fit. It's amazing to watch! 

This is the one I helped finish. :) and now want to buy cuz it's beautiful. 

Heidi even held Luca and fed him while she puzzled away. 

And I did this WHOLE outside. I know. I'm talented. 

And. Funny story. While I was there I was taking these pictures to blog, and I totally almost said, "I'm gonna blog this shiz" out loud. That wouldn't have been the best. Clearly. Sara you are a bad influence on me and I've been spending too much time with you. Good thing I thought it first. 

It's always fun (and a long) day!! Time flies when I am there!! 

The one on Christmas Eve

The girls spent the day with us on Christmas Eve, we watched Hairspray, and made burlap bows for our gifts.

Jose took them bowling during the day, but we still hadn't wrapped any gifts, so I stayed home to wrap my life away with Luca.  He was tired, so he was on the couch watching Arthur's Perfect Christmas with me while he fadded to sleep.  Don't judge me.  It is one of my favorite Christmas movies.

Luca has started to chew on his hands, and he gets incredibly excited when he makes it into his mouth, which usually makes him spaz out and fling his arms out, which makes them leave his mouth.  But he keeps trying.  It makes me smile to watch.  This picture is blurry but you get the idea.

I hope you enjoy your holidays, and take the time to serve others!

Jose and I have had many surprises this Christmas season, and we wish we could do more for others to pay it back.  Our neighborhood is awesome and we have gotten probably 8 or 9 treats from our neighbors and ward members.  They are all so great to us.
Our biggest blessing this season was a gift someone anonymously left on our porch, which included a gingerbread making kit, a Christmas puzzle, treats, Christmas movies, and some money.  It was incredibly unexpected, and it was a huge blessing for us.  We are so grateful for everyone in our lives, and wish we could do more this holiday season for others.

We are in the midst of making our own holiday traditions for our own little family, and I want serving to be a big part of that.  I want my kids to know the joy of helping someone without expecting something in return, and to see the happiness it can bring to peoples lives.

Traditions are beautiful things, and I want my family to have so many we don't know what to do.  We are planing new ones for Christmas now because last night was way to hard for our little guy, and next year it will be worse.  So we are trying to collaborate both of our families traditions and blend them up and add our own things.
So far we are thinking that Christmas jams come on christmas eve (my tradition), and then the kiddos go to bed normally.  But at midnight (jose's tradtion), we will go and wake them and gather in a room and let them open a gift or two and talk about what Guatemala may be doing at that time, and then go back to bed and do the rest of the gifts in the morning.  That way, we both have a little in there, and a little new, and our children won't be whinny and tired all day on Christmas, because who wants to deal with that?

We are excited to see what next year brings for our little family!

Guatemala at midnight on Christmas.