Our Christmas 2013

This Christmas was a great one! Agreeably the best one we have had in several years. Gabe and I just couldn't stop high-fiving each other due to happiness. Haha! It wasn't just the fact that we were over the moon excited to give our family our gifts, it was also just that it was a "smooth" season. I attribute most of that to the fact that we started our Christmas shopping at the end of November. That is SUPER early for us! Also, we have a two year old now that loved every little thing about the Christmas season. I feel like it just got really fun with her!!

We had such a great Christmas Eve with my dad's side of the family. We go there every year, and it is always a blast. We took cookie dough to bake for Santa and let Amara get in her new Christmas jammies. Gabe and I stayed up until about 4:30 am assembling toys and finishing our last minute wrapping. We made some turkey sandwiches for fuel and then eventually passed out. I was so excited to see Amara open gifts that it took me a while to settle before I could actually fall asleep. :)

9:30 am came quickly, and I felt as though I had been hit by a truck. Coming off of a head cold and winding down from pre Christmas day festivities really took a lot out of me. I was still so happy though! We went up to get Amara ( who was talking in her bed), and let her color on her cards for Grandma and Gigi. Such a sweet start to the morning.. doing something for the ones we love! We made French toast and bacon and mimosas and just opened gifts throughout the morning. It was so. much. fun!

Amara's reaction to Santa coming? "Wooooow!" "Look, Aunt Jess!" ( who was sleeping on our couch)
We finished off our evening by going to a friend's house and eating with their family while our kiddos played together. Amazing dinner! Great cocktails! Even better company. It was such a sweet time, and I am so grateful.

Not forgetting the real reason we celebrate this day.... Jesus' birth. I will never be able to truly fathom his birth, life, death and resurrection. I am so thankful for His love and mercy on me my whole life! Happy Birthday Jesus! :)

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and enjoy the rest of your holiday!!

xo!

Happy Valentine's Day

It is a beautiful day here in TN, and I hope that you get to celebrate today with ones that you love, and know that YOU are loved. We celebrated a bit early this week as daddy is out of town, but I get to snuggle this little one below! Look at that bed head would ya? Our home couldn't be filled with more love, and I couldn't be more grateful!!

Happy Valentine's Day friends!!

P.S. Who doesn't love a gift on Valentine's day? Even Amara got a little goodie bag full of lovely treats. I grew up with Valentine's Day being celebrated very much so. I plan to carry on that tradition ;)

Anyway, I got a new perfume that I am OBSESSED with. I can't stop smelling it. It is from Anthropologie. It makes this mommy feel like a new woman! ha! Just thought I would share.

xoxo

Happy Birthday BFF!!

Okay....this party was on Dec. 16th and I am just NOW blogging about it. I am running behind as always people....


So, it was my BFF, Lori's, 30th birthday party disguised as a "holiday party". She and her hubby Heath kindly opened their home to all of her sweet friends! Everyone brought Lori a gift because we knew what was up!! ha! Lori just didn't want to celebrate the big 3 - 0. It was so fun to get together and celebrate her! The party was so adorable! I contributed some props for us to take some pics.

The birthday girl!

Friendship Tea.....delish!

This girl is seriously one of the most selfless, giving, joyful and GENUINE people I know. I have never been greeted by her with anything less than a hug and a smile. I appreciate everything about her spirit. Our husbands both travel a LOT, so we completely connect on that level. She has spent many nights with me and has become like a sister to me. She absolutely deserves all good things that come her way!!! The best part is that is LOVES my little Amara probably just as much as I do. She has more pic of her on her phone than me ;)

Stupidity at its best!

Holiday Card Garland

This week we have Amara's great grandparents coming from San Francisco to visit her for the first time as well as visiting our home for the first time .......Needless to say, things need to be in tip top shape for the holidays. I have a lot on my plate this week, but need to find time to CLEAN. hahahahahahaha......but seriously!

Anyway, out of slight boredom ( my husband was out at a party....no girls allowed) I decided to make a garland to display my Christmas cards. I usually toss them in a bowl of some sort and place them on a table, but this year, I wanted to display them a little bit better.

Using yarn, ribbon, and double stick tape......whalaa!!

I just tied ribbon onto the yarn with scrap pieces of yarn!

Yes, I even put our holiday card up.....Gotta show off baby girl! :)

Oh December.....

This month is just flying by for us....I was itching to have some girls from my neighborhood over and do something festive. I decided we should all do a craft of some sort and eat some yummy food. I found printable labels,tags,menus that were FREE. This whole gathering cost me about 30 dollars :) Most everyone came to just hang out with no craft, which was fine. I took it upon myself to create some Martha Stewart trees made out of card stock, which I actually didn't finish until a day later. I got a little frustrated and needed a break.

I honestly didn't take many pics because I got so overwhelmed with cooking my food that I didn't get to the picture taking until everything I had set up had been tampered with. For some reason, I haven't mastered the art of timing when it comes to my little shindigs. A work in progress .........

Anyway....just some pics for fun!

Martha Stewart cupcake decor

To go bags for leftover cookies and cupcakes :)

I filled my paci jar with some Keurig cups ( coffee, cider, hot chocolate)

ALSO......

  So I have been following this new blog  called Brooklyn Limestone. I LOVE it!!! She is so creative and it is fun to watch their renovation process. Anyway....found these adorable tags you can download. They go perfect with my kraft paper wrapping and my $1.97 roll of yarn :)

My Christmas trees....YES, they are crooked, and I am totally okay with that :)

I am thankful for......

     EVERYTHING!!!! This year has been better than ever, and God has just "blessed our socks off" as my dad said in his dinner prayer. It couldn't be farther from the truth though. So, we cooked it all up and just enjoyed a beautiful, sunny day at home.


     Amara spent most of the day in her swing. I don't want to wish her life away, but I couldn't help but daydream about the first time that I can teach her something in the kitchen! Jackie ( Gabe's mom) came over to watch the parade with us and eat a little breakfast, then it was off to prep the turkey and start cooking! My mom joined later and helped us finish up! We were all missing my sis, Jess, as she was in Austin, TX working, so we skyped! My younger sister, Jordan, was with her dad so the weight of my family was a lot lighter this year, and I felt it. Gabe's younger bro, Marcel, joined us and the 5 of us had a nice dinner. I couldn't get out the words to tell what I was thankful for without bursting into tears, but hey.....I am an emotional one.




  Gabe surprised me with my dream kitchen gadget........ a turquoise KitchenAid Mixer. I walked into the kitchen in the am and literally walked past it several times before my we ( the mixer and I) caught eyes, and fell in LOVE!!! I really wasn't expecting it at all just because it is a lot of money to spend for us Patillos, but man I was soooooo grateful!!!!


Hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving! There is so much to be thankful for no matter who you are or what you have been through this year! Blessings!

Skyping with Jess

New favorite contraption for both baby AND mommy! She didn't like the swing at first, but now she loves it!

One of our attempts at a family picture for Jackie's Christmas card :)

Amara spit her paci out onto her growing belly and passed out/ the way I felt by 9 pm on Thanksgiving night!