have a wonderful very merry christmas! and a few photos from life lately…

hi! i don’t know how christmas snuck up on us so quickly, but it’s happening! we have been so busy the past few days with all of our holiday prep, i’ve neglected posting here! i did a big deep clean of our apartment tonight once the kiddos went to bed and finished wrapping all of their gifts while listening to christmas music and it put me in the best mood! there are about 5 billion christmas things i wanna go see and do before friday, so we’re going to get a move on it early tomorrow and try to enjoy these last few days of december together in the city!

below are a ton of photos from the last week or so!

he has a hat on and he’s smiling! i repeat, the hat is on his head and he’s smiling! being one year old and keeping a hat on is rough, man. and the past few days have been the first where he hasn’t fought it. it makes me all sorts of proud. ;)

my baby brother isaac came to visit for a few days over the weekend! we had such a good time with him! i cannot believe he will be turning 18 this coming february! the kids can’t get enough of their uncle so we were sad to see him go. i’m so proud of him and all he is doing with his life! he has mad talent when it comes to the piano and i could sit and listen to him play for hours. especially his own stuff, his own stuff is the best stuff.  (and also, cold ankles. i know, i know.)

my girlfriend morgan sent us the sweetest little manger and book last month for the holidays. when i opened the book and read it to the kids, i was brought to tears. i told her i had to share it on my blog because i was just so moved. it’s called the giving manger if anyone is interested in doing it with your kiddos (or even on your own!) next year. you place a piece of straw in the manger for each act of service done throughout the month, and it has gotten the idea of serving one another to the forefront of eleanor and samson’s mind. i am so thankful. it’s been a fun few weeks of doing kind acts for one another.

eleanor and samson have started proper piano lessons outside our home and it’s so cute, i die. after we toured the MIM in arizona the other week, eleanor has been asking for several instruments for christmas (with the tuba being the top of the list every day, lol! she actually asked for the tuba last year too!), so we told her that since she probably can’t play that one just yet, if she starts on the piano, then she will be able to play other instruments down the road. they’ve both been so diligent at practicing! i’m proud of them and thankful for nice neighbors who don’t mind the sometimes very loud piano pounding…i mean playing!

by the way, last summer josh bought this self-teaching piano book that comes with stickers for the keys for the kiddos, which they have pretty much mastered in their own time at home! i highly recommend it if anyone is looking!

lunch at parm! you just can’t go wrong with any of it. i crave it daily.

watching a few minutes of Elf (one of our favorite christmas movies) on sunday afternoon on my laptop while josh and i were making dinner in the kitchen! i love how conrad just sprawled out on his uncle’s lap and watched a bit of it. he hasn’t done that before! but he was truly intrigued.

LOOK at that cute little gnome! (ps. he was keeping his hat on so nicely i was nervous to take it off in fear he’d suddenly remember it, so we just kept it on pretty much during our entire outing. haha!)

homemade pierogi! my mom sent a ton of frozen ones out with my little brother in a second suitcase! potato, cherry and blueberry ones! the best! (ps. i blogged the recipe here if you’d like to try them!)

we hope you have a wonderful rest of your week! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

ps. my guide from last year on what to do in NYC over the holidays, if you’re visiting!

also, for all who have asked in the comments, apologies on including links to where items were from the first time around. i completely forgot! my cream sweater shown in the last photo is from free people (and on sale!) and the navy velvet dress is from anthropologie. my black puffer coat is from jcrew this season (additional 40% off right now, too!) and conrad’s little gnome hat is from hanna andersson. my black ankle boots (the most comfy in all the world– wore them for years, including all over amsterdam and paris, love them so much) are from here.