THE most wonderful time of the year.

I'm feeling a little bit "blue" today and couldn't quite put my finger on it, until I realized this is a yearly thing for me. The Christmas season is over... a new year has begun... yet I find myself still wishing there was a rewind button to re-do the last 4 weeks. 

December 1st came and Tyler took the day off of work... we had just gotten home from a trip to Iowa the night before and he decided to use a vacation day to recover. We had breakfast and prayed together, kicking off the Advent season the right way. The rest of the day we spent decorating for Christmas... we went and picked out a tree, the boys picked out their ornaments, and our favorite season was underway.

Other highlights from December include...

We really had one of the most meaningful Christmas' I can remember this year, and I think the reason for it was our time spent focusing on Advent with the boys. We talked a lot about WHY we celebrate Christmas... such a treat for a parent to feel like their kids are really starting to 'get' it. 

Each morning we read our Advent devotional, followed by prayer, and then the boys took turns opening a 'set' from the Lego Advent calendar. So much fun! 

The Tuesday before Christmas we left for my parents house... it was our year to spend Christmas with my side, and as always, it was an amazing and meaningful time spent with them. 

We always laugh A LOT... eat so much goodness... and play games until wee early hours of the morning. 

The boys were worried about Santa knowing they were at Grandpa & Grandma's, but good ole Santa... he knows everything. :)

Christmas morning with my boys!

Later that day we went hiking... it wasn't a white Christmas, but still a beautiful one. Felt so good to be outdoors!

We came home and geared up for Christmas with Tyler's family... they drove down from Iowa and spent 5 days with us! It was so fun for me to host and have a reason to decorate a table, ha! It's the little things in life, people!

We spent our days enjoying each others company... playing games, relaxing, and of course eating way too many sweets! 

So grateful for our families and the relationships we have... the memories made... and most of all, the gift that was given to us 2000 years ago. Such hope we find in HIM!

Hope your Christmas season was just as amazing!

Quality Time.

You know that "I need a date night soon before I lose my mind" feeling we sometimes get?

I've been feeling that way for months now and have been dropping super subtle (but not subtle at all) hints to Tyler. Usually when we go on dates it's because I've taken care of all the details - but I really wanted him to this time around.

Last night he called around 5pm and asked if I was ready to go.

I almost spit out my Coke Zero and my initial reaction was "but...nooo!" Sorry Tyler, my type-A personality usually has a hard time adjusting to last minute plans.

He had already lined up a sitter and planned a date full of all my favorite things. We ate at my favorite restaurant (Olive Garden), went Christmas shopping at my favorite store (Target), and sat and talked for about an hour at my favorite coffee shop (Starbees, of course).

Consider my love tank FULL.

Thank you Mr. Keith for loving me like no one else knows how. You are my favorite!

Simple joy.

The joy and anticipation my boys wake up to each day nearly makes me jealous. 

They want the simple in life: parents who love them, time time time time time (and more time) spent together, and a warm house. 

What would my life look like if I had a even a glimpse of their innocent joy, their simple expectation for each day, their worry and care-free attitudes. 

My boys are constantly inspiring me to be a better person. To look for the happy in everything.

There's so much less negativity in their sweet little eyes. 

I want to be more like them.

All things Christmas! #TinyPrintsHoliday

Oh I'm so excited for the Holiday season coming up... anyone else?

I love the "coziness" of this season, the quality time spent with our favorite people, and decorating for Christmas.

And the contagious excitement from my boys! The best.

Of course, if you know me at all, I also love the giving and receiving of Christmas cards. December is by far my favorite "mail" month - long gone are the days of only getting bills and magazines, and we start to receive some old fashioned snail mail.

This year I teamed up with Tiny Prints - one of my favorite companies to work with. I love their stylish, thoughtful, beautiful designs, and their quality can't be beat! I'm a little bit of a paper snob, and love their high-quality choices, as well as the option to customize and personalize it all.

They have some really great products to choose from, in addition to their Christmas cards! Stockings, ornaments, wrapping paper, gift tags, and so much more!

This year I decided to get some of my Christmas shopping done with Tiny Prints, so I ordered a few ornaments for some of my closest friends. I love how they turned out!

Packaging these gifts were super easy and fun with their gift tags and personalized wrapping paper!

The wrapping paper is very thick, and has lines on the inside so you can cut straight. Very helpful for someone like me :) 

A little bit obsessed with all things personalized :) The gift labels are so easy to stick on a package and call it done!

Next up, our Christmas cards! If you know me in person, feel free to skip over this part so it's a surprise when you get our card in your mailbox... ha!

This year I chose the Letterpress cards... man oh man, it is hard to see the detailed embossing in a photograph, but in person they are BEAUTIFUL! 

And the envelope liners to match, of course! How fun. 

Last but not least, the finishing touches of the "package". The return address label! This year I chose a "wrap around" design, and love them! 

So how about you guys - have you already chosen your cards? Are they prepped and ready to go? 

If not, you still have plenty of time to order from Tiny Prints! Have fun choosing a card, and good luck! Too many cute designs to choose from. 

:) 

This post is sponsored by TinyPrints.com.  All opinions are 100% my own.  

I was compensated with some amazing cards in exchange for writing this post.

With a grateful heart.

I love Thanksgiving. It's the perfect time to be with family and reflect on the many many blessings we've been given before the rush of Christmas activities bombard us and take over the month of December.

I've been thinking a lot lately what I'm most thankful for. Besides the obvious things - my Jesus, my husband, our boys, the ability to provide for our family, etc.

This year, and more specifically the past few months, I am realizing that I'm most thankful for the idea that this place is not our home.

We can do our best to make a house a home, to make a community feel like home, and make our surroundings home. But this earth... this place... is not our home. It's not our forever.

These trials, the frustrations of life, the struggles of being a parent, the friends who have cancer and ones who have lost a child, in job loss and financial difficulties, through the mundane and loss of direction in our lives...

This place is not our home.

I feel like I've spent the last year of our lives waiting for something to happen. Waiting for a new job for Tyler so we can move. Waiting for the perfect house to come on the market and our financing to line up so we can buy. Waiting for something exciting to happen, waiting to feel like we're "at home" in Kansas City... and yet, have completely missed the point.

Maybe the reason I don't feel at "home" is because this isn't our home. Once I'm able to give up this idea of finding home on earth, I'm able to see things differently. Trusting that THIS is where we're serving Him, because He's called us to THIS place for THIS time... it changes everything!

Thank you Jesus, that this is not our end game! You're still writing our story, and using us in so many ways, even when we don't see it or feel it.

We have so many reasons to be thankful.

Hope in our forever home - Heaven - is high on my list.

So are these two boys.

What about you - what are you grateful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!