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I’m a Christmas gal and I love love love the Christmas season. I love the coziness of the decorations and lights and the shopping for presents and just the general feeling of something-magical in the air at this time of year. I love how this season makes us look outside of ourselves in different ways, and how there is a greater awareness of the people around us. I wish I could bottle the feelings of this season and inhale it all year long, really.

This year, I’m even more excited about the holidays since Ayla is old enough to be involved in more activities and I’m pretty sure she will love opening presents this year. Last year, she mostly just sat and stared at them, hehe. I love traditions and creating special memories, so it’s really fun to be at a stage where she can sorta-kinda get into the fun things going on. It’s going to be a great month!

Here is some Christmas music I’m currently loving::
That’s Christmas to Me // Pentatonix
All My Christmas’ // Jillian Edwards
Noel // Lauren Daigle
What Child is This // Josh Groban

Here are some fun gift ideas::
Fun tees like this, this, or this
Magazine subscription to this or this
Pretty jewelry like this, this, or this
Random things like this, this, or this

Here are some pretty Christmas decoration ideas::
tiny star wall hanging
wreath wall hanging
simple window trimmings
yarn pom pom garland

Enjoy your December, my dears!

What are some of your favorite traditions for this season?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Our fall is finally starting to arrive here in Tennessee, and I have to say that I am loving it. It’s still the kind of slightly awkward weather that has you wearing fuzzy pants and long sleeve shirts in the morning because it’s cold, and then having to change into cut off shorts and sleeveless tees by the afternoon because it warms up so much. But the leaves are falling and the sweaters are coming out of the storage totes and the pumpkin and apple and spice craze is starting to make its way into my kitchen. I do so love this season.

Ben and I spent a week in Redding, California last week at the Open Heaven’s conference held by Bethel Church, and it was such a great week for us. Ayla stayed with my parents in South Carolina, and it felt so strange to be without her for so long! It was the first time we’ve really left her since she’s been born, but it was good for her and good for us. It felt like a kind of dream come true to be in Redding and to see some of my heroes of faith in person…and we left feeling so full and inspired and just excited for more of this life in God. But it was really, really good to get back to my little girl. She seemed to grow up overnight while we were away, and the next morning she jabbered on and on to us like she was trying to catch us up on all that happened while we were apart…it was the cutest!

We’ve entered a new season of parenting with Ayla just in the past few weeks, and it’s good and challenging all at the same time. I feel like up until now, we’ve been able to mostly take care of her…give her the things she needs and/or wants, you know, just keep her alive and growing and napping and etc. But now we have to actually parent. We have to figure out how to discipline and instruct and teach and train in a whole different capacity. We have to really figure out what our boundaries are with her and when to hold the line and when to give grace and how to navigate the waters of this parenting thing. It’s good…really, it is. But we’re just trying to figure it out in this new season. I just ordered this book for some inspiration in parenting…any other resource recommendations, fellow parents?

Here are a few current favorites::
this song, this song, and this song
this recipe
this post
this book
this product