Porter Carroll: TRADITIONS

This Christmas season has FLOWN by and I am sad to see it go. :( We have been able to do so many fun things and I have enjoyed this Christmas season more than any other. I thought there was no way to find time to document EVERYTHING we did, so I decided to share our family traditions (some old, some new) that I hope we will continue for many, many years to come!

(p.s. pictured above is Porter right before bed tonight....eager eyes, and full of excitement! He was enjoying Mickey's Christmas Carol, one more time!)

Oh, and p.s. again.....We are going to have a WHITE Christmas! It has been snowing since noon today and it is GORGEOUS! We couldn't be happier! It REALLY feels like Christmas! Yay! This is a picture of our cozy house today when the blizzard began: (even though you can't see what's going on outside!)

From our patio, we started getting excited this afternoon and wondered if it would "stick"

And then tonight right before Porter went to bed, this is what our front yard looked like:

PERFECTION!

So, on with the Carroll Family Christmas Traditions:

Looking at Christmas lights on Christmas Eve while eating freshly made sugar cookies

Grandmom Carroll's cinnamon bun that I now make every year. It is to die for! We eat one on Christmas morning

Baking. All. Month. Long. This year I made so many things that included: sausage balls, pecan pie, peanut butter kisses, sugar cookies, turtles, etc. etc. etc.

Our Christmas countdown (tradition started by Billy's family when he was young). We started the first day in December and I forgot to take a picture until this week!

Sitting by the fire. This month has been unusually cold for a Texas girl like me, but I LOVE IT! We all do!

Saving Christmas envelopes. I love looking at the Christmas stamps!

Making gingerbread boys. We did this early December.

Putting up lights. This year was our first attempt alone. Yikes! Billy gets all the credit!!!!

And, maybe the most meaningful tradition, our play group moms decided against doing a gift exchange with the boys and instead we donated toys to the kids at Children's hospital and donated toys and gift cards to a boy in the hospital with cancer. (Kara's friend's son) It felt so good to GIVE!

Looking at Christmas lights while eating candy canes. Doesn't get any better.

Going to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular!!

Celebrating Daddy's birthday early. (since his birthday is on Christmas Day!) We had a blueberry birthday breakfast and opened gifts!

Spending time at the Villages in Allen with Santa and his reindeer. It is my favorite way to see Santa, because there are so many fun things to do outside and you don't have to wait in a long mall line! :)

Putting out my Nonna's Santas. She made them from old Coke bottles and I love them.

Watching old Christmas movies. And new ones. We love them all!

Displaying Christmas cards. Probably one of my favorite parts about December is rushing to the mailbox every day!

Spending Christmas Eve Eve (Dec. 23) with the Harris family. This was our 6th annual. We read the Christmas story and make a birthday cake for Jesus. Also, this year was a big first for me because I made a complete holiday dinner for everyone including my Nonna's homemade stuffing! :)