December Photo Dump

O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree

my favorite little reindeer

WE HAVE DOORS in the basement

She is the happiest baby

#friends

Introducing her to all the classics: 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the bed

#GoPackGo

Hot stuff holding her own head

#MarshallFamily

Our chickens ROCK

Happy Baby at daycare

St. Cloud Fun

Lucy playing with Dad

Triceratops Hats
Pattern by Micah Makes

Best Friends

Lucy loves her friends

Dad on ugly sweater day
Lucy just because she is ridiculously cute

Christmas lights and Best Friends

Festive Photo Shoot

#worldshappiestbaby

Grandpa & Lucy devouring some night time reading

Uncle Cubby & Lucy at the Aquarium

My immediate family

Lucy & Great Uncle John

Post Christmas Eve Family Photo

Great Grandpa & Lucy
She would have sat in his arms forever

Someone thinks she's hot stuff when standing

O Christmas Tree

 Our Christmas tree has been up since the Sunday after Thanksgiving. However, it apparently has taken me until now to get the pictures up here, who knows why, I am going to blame the infant and my lack of sleep.  While in my dreams I had hoped that we would go to a Christmas tree farm and cut down our own tree, however, that didn't happen. Mostly due to the fact that we couldn't find a Christmas tree farm within a couple hours of us. Naturally AFTER we had our Christmas tree someone told us about one, so next year perhaps we will get to cut down our own Christmas tree. 

We got our tree at Costco, we looked at several places and due to our ridiculously wonderful and high ceilings, we didn't want a small or short tree.  We wanted something big, something huge, and something that would fill our space a little bit. We also didn't want it to cost us our kidneys and a limb or two. I was a little impatient for the first couple days. I desperately wanted to put lights and ornaments on the tree. However, Marc talked some sense into me and we waited a couple days while the branches settled down and the tree drank at least 1.2 million gallons of water (it felt like every little while we were filling the base with water). 

Our tree is nothing crazy in terms of decorations, however, it is filled with much love and most of the ornaments tell a story (okay not all of them and we do have some filler ornaments but I would bet 75% are story tellers). For example here is the bell ornament my Godparents gave me the year I was born, it is engraved with "1984" and "Baby's first Christmas"

This is one of Marc's ornaments he really does "Live to bike" and he got this ornament from his grandparents one Christmas (or so he told me).

 You had to anticipate seeing at least one of these, I seriously LOVE these HUGE Mickey head ornaments. I got this one a couple years ago when I was down in WDW for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon.

This ornament is also from my Godparents (I actually have gotten a Christmas ornament from them every year since I was born), they gave this to us the year we were married. They have given me the entire Lenox collection of the 12 days of Christmas as well as several other Lenox ornaments. I think these ornaments are GORGEOUS and LOVE putting them on our tree every year. 

I think Marc found this ornament last year just after Christmas for a quarter or something goofy, it was PERFECT, we had just moved into our current house days before Christmas and we were still unpacking on Christmas. 

This ornament my mom brought up for Lucy. It is in the Lenox collection again and is a "Baby's First Christmas" ornament with "2014" and "Lucy" written on it. Perfectly sweet.

Here is my favorite thing about our Christmas tree, I can sit in our chair or on the couch, stare at the Christmas tree, snuggle my sweet babe, and crochet. I will miss this tree when it is gone.

Do you like having a Christmas tree?
What kind of ornaments do you have on your tree?
Do you have any favorite ornaments?

Six Months as a Mrs.

The Wonderful Things:

• WE ARE IN OUR NEW HOUSE




• so I totally thought the 3 stall attached garage was excessive and totally unnecessary until we put in it: 2 kayaks, 5 bikes (3 are Marcs, 2 are mine), camping gear on these built in shelves, the hopes of building a dog kennel, snow shoes, skies, sleds, and a snowboard


• attached garage = brilliant - love love love having it attached - I was clueless on how wonderful this really is


• yes, I hope to get pictures of our house up soon


• so thankful to have my stuff back - I was getting annoyed at only having one pan, minimal clothes, no couch or sewing machine - first world problems indeed 




• really the major thing I missed was my winter coat






• WE GET TO HOST CHRISTMAS WITH 2 BATHROOMS




• we were fine with one bathroom when it was just Marc and I at my house but it always was LESS than idea when there was guests (my parents, brother, brother's girlfriend, and Marc's mom) - seriously someone was always waiting to pee


• here comes testing the water heater




• I love that my neighbors are not able to see in my windows while sitting on their couch (note previous house was this way)


• I found a chicken coop plan that I love and we have all the materials we need to build it and so we are totally planning to build a chicken coop this winter




• Yes, I realize this project could totally flop


• No, we aren't getting the chickens until spring


• Yes, I know it is weird to want chickens


• No, we aren't getting 12,000 chickens, I plan on ordering 5 (assuming 1 will die in route)


• Yes, I am excited


• No, you can't crush my dreams on this one


• Yes, I know someday I will have to kill them and eat them




• seriously doesn't bother me


• yes, I seriously still plan on naming the chickens


• no, I don't want your advise unless it is actually helpful - I don't care that you think chickens are dumb

The Things No One Warns You About:

• blending holiday traditions can be hard sometimes and takes way more communication than you anticipate - who knew we both really cared about what went on the Christmas tree and how many decorations go on the Christmas tree




• my advise: over communicate




• Potlucks that require you to sign up for what you are bringing royally suck 




• Marc's work has some strange deal that turns potlucks into everything but the "pots luck" - they have a sign up sheet to note what others are bringing - sometimes there is even a theme and things that "must" be brought - and according to the "rules" once some one signs up for something you "can't" - I sign up for things as soon as I can so that I can do what I plan - Marc doesn't see the same importance - so twice in the last month we got caught "bringing the same thing" as someone else - blah blah blah - it's annoying


• yes, we've talked about it and we have come to an agreement on this whole potluck deal


• potlucks the day before you move really blow




• laundry isn't my favorite chore and it is now doubled




• yes, Marc does help with laundry both the washing and the folding, which I appreciate and tell him that I appreciate

The Miscellaneous Things:

• Unpacking has been great because I have actually been going through things as we unpack and have gotten rid of a ton of stuff


• the lack of a fenced in yard for Dakota currently sort of sucks because we can't just send her out the back door and have her run lake a crazy pup, rather we have to tie her to something - who knows what she'd do if she wasn't tied down - definitely on the spring to - do list


• If you haven't seen the movie "The Internship" - we watched it the other day and thought it was a wonderful movie for a rental (we redboxed it)


• I am LOVING being a little bit out in the country - Marc is loving being a little bit out in the country - Dakota is fairly certain she has died and gone to heaven

Christmas Tree

I love this time of year, setting up the Christmas tree, decorating the house, playing copious amounts of Christmas music, and baking. Last night Marc and I set up a Christmas tree in my house. Marc lives a block down the street (literally, I can see his lower level apartment from my house) and spends a lot of time at my house, I have his tv in fact because he hated how tiny my tv is. We watch tv/movies/play wii at my house most of the time because I have cable, a fenced in yard, and a couch.

This year we decided to only set up a Christmas tree at my place (partially because we only wanted to buy one and partially because really other than sleeping Marc is usually at my place if not at work) and it was an interesting process. I forget that every family has its own personalities and everyone has their own way of doing things. Marc grew up with a packed Christmas tree, he would fill the tree from top to bottom with ornaments if it was up to him. I grew up with fewer ornaments on the tree, we each picked out some of our favorites and put them on the tree. It was one of those moments last night as we both had to figure out what we would do together, it was a moment of compromise where we realized we need to think about both of us. It was a moment that neither of us anticipated, it was a moment that challenged us (while it seems like a small thing we both had ideas about what a Christmas tree should look like).

These are the things that no one tells you about when you are getting married, about the strange compromises that we make, about the things that matter to you both that don't jive together, the things that cause us to sit and pause and tell stories of why what we believe is important. It is in these moments we pause, we listen, we pray, and move forward in compromise.  Being engaged is definitely a learning process for me, and I am really learning to appreciate the importance of the engagement period. We are learning about each other, about us as a couple, and about ourselves. I am thankful for this time where we still live separately and are learning how to come together. I am thankful for family and friends who support us in this journey and the God who continues to breathe life into us and call us into community with others.