It’s DECEMBER!! When did that happen? It feels like just yesterday we were getting ready to tell our families that a little bundle of joy would be joining our family. I’ll never forget the excitement and wonder of what the following Christmas would look like. Well….that time is here!! Our little Andi is 5 months old and about to enjoy her first Christmas. As a new mom I can’t help but want the season to be “perfect”. But what does “perfect” really mean?

Christmas is always blur…with balancing the shop, the frenzy of the season to enjoying a multitude of family dinners, it’s a busy time of year where those little moments are so easily lost. It’s so easy to be overwhelmed with the to do list and the prep that we forget about stopping to enjoy those special moments that memories are made of. So this year our “perfect” first Christmas is about creating memories and new traditions, taking every opportunity we can to enjoy our little girl & time together as a family.

Growing up we always had an artificial tree. The weekend the tree went up was a big deal! It was typically the last weekend in November, my sister, mom and I would get together, blast  Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers while we sipping on 7up & maraschino cherries. The best part, our appetizers were always All Dressed chips & 7 layer taco dip. However, Ryan grew up with a real tree. He always talks about the amazing smell of a real tree! So, this year we decided to bundle up and head out to CD tree farm in Steinbach to hunt for the perfect tree. I can’t believe we’ve never done this before! What a cool experience. With Andi in the sled we trekked out in the forest to find “the one”. It was magical…horse drawn carriage rides, fire pits, hot chocolate and the smell of fresh Christmas trees (the only thing missing was Santa!). It was the perfect way to spend a Sunday. I can just see Andi running through the farm in a couple years telling us exactly what tree will be ours!

I am NOT a baker. I mean if you zoom you’ll see these cookies are the true meaning of homemade. But there’s something so calming about being the kitchen. As a kid I always loved making sugar cookies (a little secret about me, I’m a candy addict). I have this Disney cook book and the only page used is Mickey Mouse’s Sugar Cookies. I’ve held on to this book so that I could one day bake with my kids. I think it’s safe to say Andi LOVED baking day. The girl was all over the candy and couldn’t wait to get her hands messy in the icing. Like mother like daughter!

I challenged myself this year to take a step back from the every day at the shop so that I could make time for these special first moments to happen. This weekend we’ll be taking Andi to the Nutcracker ballet followed by a candle lit service at our church. Moments that one day she will love and hold dear. I so cherish the traditions we had as kids and I’m beyond excited that Ryan and I now get to blend our traditions to make new ones as a family of three.

Christmas Eve and Christmas morning can’t come soon enough. I can already smell the fresh coffee and cinnamon buns baking in the oven. The matching pjs (yes, even Ryan is excited for that) and endless snuggles under the tree!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from our family to yours!