Checking In and Christmas 2016

Hi friends, I know it has been awhile. Before I get into talking about how my Christmas was, I just want to say thank you so much to everyone that has and continues to checkin with me.

I’m still taking things day-by-day, especially since some days are harder than others. It’s a process, but knowing I have people out there that care and have shared their stories with me means so much to me, more than you will ever know. So thank you. ❤️

While my Christmas overall was nice, I must admit I am glad it’s over. This past week was really hard because this was when I was originally planning on sharing my pregnancy with my family.

Tuesday the 20th we had our last Christmas in Placerville with Joshua’s adopted family because they’re moving to Washington next month. My parents and both sets of Joshua’s parents were there along with all the siblings. It would have been the perfect time to announce my pregnancy, with all our family in one place.

We ate, we laughed, we cried, we celebrated, but I still couldn’t shake my sadness. It was just hard, not only because I’m still grieving my loss but also because this is the last time we’ll get to be together like this here. Overall, we did have a really nice Christmas with all the family. It was bittersweet, but there will be new memories to be made next year.

Christmas Eve

After Tuesday’s festivities it was pretty low key the rest of the week. On Friday I exchanged gifts with my friend Ely, and then I had a couple friends come over to do a gift exchange later in the evening.

On Christmas Eve, Joshua, Dani and I went to mass at our nearby Catholic church with my parents, and then my parents came over for dinner. Before they left, they gave us our first Christmas present: a brand new coffee maker. Our 3-year-old Keurig died a week before Christmas, so it was a much needed and appreciated gift!

Soon after my parents left, we all changed into our PJs, grabbed the dogs, and piled into Joshua’s car to go look at Christmas lights. We explored our neighborhood, Placerville, and Folsom. Placerville was a bit of a letdown but Folsom made up for it. We’re definitely hitting up Folsom again next year!

Christmas Day

Since we didn’t have to be anywhere Christmas morning, we slept in and took our time getting up. We enjoyed coffee from our new coffee maker and exchanged gifts from each other. Joshua cooked breakfast for us all, and then we got to work cleaning the house and prepping for dinner.

My parents, uncle, and cousins showed up around 5pm where we watched Home Alone 2 while waiting for the roast to finish cooking. Dinner was served around 6:30pm followed by opening presents and eating dessert (homemade cheesecake).

My Loot

• Mini mailbox filled with chocolate lollypops from See’s
• Personalized photo frame for Joshua and I
• K-2SO action figurine
• Framed photo of the Little Mermaid statue that my friend took when he visited Copenhagen
• Rossi Gluten-Free Pizza & Pasta Sampler
• Framed image of a dachshund that says “Be strong & courageous”
• Princess Leia bottle opener
• Ninja Coffee Bar Glass Carafe System
• Holiday sachet bag and stickers
• Blogging Day mug
• Star Wars sweater mug
• Aquarius necklace
• Custom necklace made by my niece
• Scarf
• $25 Regal gift card
• $75 Amazon gift card
• $25 Sephora gift card
• Studio Movie Grill gift card
• The World According to Mister Rogers book
• Burt’s Bees chapstick 4-pack
• The Making of Outlander: The Series: The Official Guide to Seasons One & Two book
• domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home book
• Russell Stover Chocolates
• $25 iTunes gift card
• Apple Pencil
• iPad Pro
• North Face Jacket (not pictured)
• Logitech mouse (not pictured)

Home Decor

Here’s a look at how I decorated my dining room and living room for Christmas.