Christmas 2014 + Ringing in the New Year

Braedon and I tried to really soak in the Holiday's this year as we realized it would be our "last" year just the two of us.  We were kind of giddy thinking about how different this next year is going to be and how many new memories we will get to make with our little man.  Having a baby is intimidating and exciting all at the same time.  It's a constant mix of emotions- how excited and happy we are, mixed with how inexperienced we feel!!  Am I ready to be a mom??  Is our life over?  Starting our family has felt so right, and I love the little moments of peace I feel that are surely coming from Heavenly Father.   

This year we did Christmas Eve with the Murdock's, and then split our time between families on Christmas day.  I had to work the night shift on Christmas so I had to sneak out on all of the fun a little early, but we made every moment leading up to work worth it!  

Tradition on Christmas Eve with the Murdock's includes dinner at Asian Star and "predictions".  The predictions are one of my most favorite traditions!  We predict things for each family member for the new year and wait until the next year to read them again.  Almost everyone predicted last year that we would have a baby announcement by this Christmas.  Looks like they were right!!  We had fun predicting things like the little man's actual birth date, his birth weight, features, etc.  Can't wait to see what "comes true"!  

Christmas morning at the Murdock's.  Elise surprised me with the sweetest charm necklace engraved with "mom".  

Don't mind our sleepy faces!!  Fun fact: Braedon and I have never been able to wait until Christmas day to open our gifts to each other.  This year Christmas came around December 7th for us!!  We have too much fun and get too excited to wait.  We just start giving gifts as soon as they arrive which makes it last a little longer I guess??  We'll see how that changes with a baby next year!

My parents spoiled us with lots of gifts for baby.  He is already so spoiled and so loved.  My cute grandma has already made him the cutest little receiving blanket with a matching burp cloth, and got started on the most beautiful blessing blanket that will be passed down.  

New Year's Eve we played games with the Murdock's, ate candy until we were sick, and toasted to the new year at midnight!  

Some highlights of 2014….

-Stef's new job at St. Mark's in the nursery

-A spontaneous girl's trip to visit Missy in Carlsbad

-Another trip to California with the whole Aiken clan

-Another few semesters under Braedon's belt ;)

-Braedon taking the MCAT

-Stef graduating with her bachelor's degree in Nursing

-Evan and Whitney getting engaged

-Visiting New York for our first time

-Moving into our new Apartment

-Teaching the 16 & 17 yr old's in Sunday School and slowly realizing each of them had added us on Instagram and Snapchat

-Braedon's new job with ID marketing

and last but not least…

BABY

need I say more??

Christmas 2013

Christmas eve was a little different than usual this year.  After dinner at my parent's house we got to deliver Christmas presents to four families that otherwise wouldn't have had anything to open the next day.  The Murdock's are serving a mission in the Kearns branch and did all the work- we were just lucky enough to be a part of the delivery!  It was so fun to watch the excitement on their faces and it really helped Braedon and I realize what's important at Christmas time.  All we really need is our families.  

 Christmas day this year was so fun.  We feel pretty lucky that our families live so close and we can bounce back and forth between all the fun festivities.  It makes for a busy day but I wouldn't trade it!  We woke up and opened our stockings at the Murdock's, ate some incredible breakfast, and then headed to my grandma's. 

We also learned that the kids really didn't even need presents.  They were entertained with the balloons for the remainder of the party! Caden would not stop giggling!

 When I was seven my aunt Carrie passed away unexpectedly from a car accident.  Ever since then we have a tradition where we write notes to those we love who have passed away.  We roll up the notes, stick them in helium balloons and sing, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" while we send them off to "heaven".  It used to be a tearful event but now it's just a fun tradition we have.  

That night we headed over to Braedon's grandma's to eat more food, play games, and spend time with family.  We had a blast!  I love the holiday's and the time we get to spend with our families.  

Last Minute Christmas Treat

If you’re looking for an easy, inexpensive, and tasty holiday treat for your neighborhood Christmas gifts, look no further!  This salty sweet combination provides the perfect amount of crunch, chewy goodness, and holiday flare. 

What You’ll Need:
*Melting Caramel
*Melting White Chocolate
*Melting Milk Chocolate
Candy Canes
Pretzel Rods (1 bag of 30)
Parchment Paper


*You’ll need to purchase your caramel, and chocolates from a store that sells melting chocolates.  I bought all my supplies from Orson Gigi.  

I like to start by placing my candy canes in a bag and crushing them with a rolling pin. I crushed all 12 of them and had plenty to spare- I made about 40 pretzels.

You can leave the chards in a bag or place them in a bowl to use later.  Next I cut my caramel into squares.  I used about 1/4 of the block.  I chose to just fill a tall mug with the melted caramel so that it would make the dipping easier.  If your microwave is tall enough a pitcher would work great as well. 

You can use a stove top to keep your caramel and chocolates melted, but you want to be very careful they don’t burn.  If you use a stove you need to have a double broiler.  The microwave was an easier option for me and if my caramel started hardening I could just pop it back in for a few seconds!

Every microwave will differ, but these are the general cooking times…

Caramel: 30 seconds, stir, 30 more seconds

White chocolate: 30 seconds, stir, 15 more seconds (the white chocolate melts the fastest)

Milk Chocolate: 30 seconds, stir, 30 more seconds

The key to finding out the perfect time for your microwave is start low!  Try 15-30 seconds increments at most… You don’t want your candy to burn!

Now you can start dipping!  The caramel should stick pretty well to your pretzel.  If it’s falling right off, it’s too hot and you need to let it thicken up a little.  

I do a few twists and then set it down on my wax paper.  When you’ve finished with your caramel you can heat up the white chocolate (or milk chocolate, whichever you prefer).

And the process starts over!

Just dip…

And twist! 

While the white chocolate is still soft, sprinkle your peppermint over the top.  Make sure you do it soon after you’re finished dipping, or it won’t stick!

And now for the finishing touches!  This part can get a little messy.  The chocolate I used wasn’t thin enough to “drizzle” so I kind of just had to wave my spoon back and forth.  I think it it made my lines a little more artistic ;)

And you’re done!  Easy, inexpensive, yummy (and cute).  I paid $60 for my supplies and I’m going to be making these every weekend for the rest of the month if I want to get rid of them!  Consider it this way; you give 20 neighborhood gifts and they’re only $3 dollars a piece! (Plus you’ll have plenty to spare for those holiday get togethers).  

Just wrap it up with some cellophane and finish it off with a bow. Thanks for reading, hope you have a Merry Christmas!

More From Mexico + Christmas Devotional

With all this snow, I thought it fitting to post a few more beach pictures.  I'm already planning our next tropical vacation... Braedon just doesn't know about it yet.

  

I just want to eat her up.  Such a beautiful babe!  

A little squinty, but I could not be happier.  The sun, some beach, a diet coke and a book.

The Tennis Crew

Posed a little for that one...whoops.  I just can't help the foot pop.

Had so much fun with my family!  

By the way, the LDS church put on a fabulous Christmas Program tonight.  It's only an hour and pretty much incredible.  Perfect for family night.  You can listen to it here or watch below :)