Addison Turns 8!
Once again, where on Earth did the last eight years go?!? As much as I just want to cry my eyes out at every new birthday, I am equally so amazed and proud at the sweet and talented young lady Addison (AddieBelle) is becoming. And someone totally used the word “tween” on my Instagram page today and I think I spewed my coffee all over my computer screen. I have a tween?!? I’m not sure I can even break that news to Mark. Our minds haven’t quite gone to that terminology yet. I think I need a drink.
Anyways, back to more bearable news. It’s so hard to believe that 6 long years have gone by since my sweet little blue-eyed blondie inspired me to create Addison’s Wonderland. At that point in my life, my entire world had in fact become her wonderland. And as much as I wanted her to be inspired by her wonderland of a bedroom and follow in mommy’s creative footsteps, I of course would always support her in any way that she went. For several years Mark thought maybe, just maybe, she would be his little sport’s girl. We signed her up for soccer. I think she twirled her pigtails way more than she even glanced at the ball. We tried gymnastics. Although she liked it, she didn’t loooove it. And then we signed her up for art class. Her eyes literally gleamed at every class and at every chance to show us her creations. Her love for art has grown so much over the last couple of years. I am pretty confident that she will surpass my artistic abilities before she graduates high school. And Mark, well I think she surpassed those in K4. Love you dear. But when we’re playing Pictionary with friends and we mistake your “ledge” drawing for a dinosaur eating a candy bar, that’s when you know I’m right… 😉
So if you remember, last year I kind of went all out for her big day…
Remember this craziness? Click HERE to read more on “Frozen Over”!
This year I did things a weeeee bit different. You see, now our sweet Addie takes art as well as singing lessons which she started about two months ago as well as piano lessons which she started 4 months ago. Both of her recitals fell on her birthday weekend and since last year’s sleepover party got me out of at least one huge birthday party per my logical mommy thinking, we made the festivities a little low key this year. On Sunday, we attended two recitals and then celebrated with a family birthday dinner. She is blossoming into such a little talent and I wanted to be proud mommy and show you all some of her work! And seeing as though I am juuuust starting to play around with video editing, I thought I’d have some fun with a little video of the weekend’s events…
Thanks so much for reading and thanks for watching!
XOXO, Brittany Hayes
We go to a big party in my aunt’s basement..it’s my favorite night of the year because I get to see so much family!
My family has a tradition of going to my parent’s house on Christmas Eve. We play Dirty Santa with grab bag gifts under $25 and then bake a birthday cake for Jesus with my nieces and nephew. We also have one of the kids “read” (pretend to read while we tell them what it says) the Christmas story. It’s my absolute favorite day of the year!
Our family would wear matching PJs and have a picnic next to the Christmas tree and the kids get to open 1 present before bed time.
We eat cheese and sausage and crackers for dinner while listening to Christmas music. Next, everyone gets to open one present. We finish off the night by going to church for the candlelight service and singing lots of Christmas songs and remembering the birth of our Savior,
Growing up, my family dressed up, had a fancy turkey dinner, then sat by the fire and read the Christmas story. My husband and I haven’t started any of our own traditions yet, but this is our first year with our newborn daughter so we are excited to create our own!
Loved the video of your daughter Addison. You must be so proud! I will be spending Christmas Eve with Family! We will be going to Christmas eve Mass and then over to my Grandmas house where we will gather with all my aunts, uncles and cousins from my Mom’s side of the family. My mom is the 2nd oldest of 16 kids so we have a lot of cousins and second cousins. We are all loud and fun. It will be a great time!
I will be on the beach in Puerta Vallarta celebrating the blessings God has given us for this past year!
We have an early dinner and open one present. Then we go to the candlelight service at church.
Eating seafood and playing games with family!
My parents are divorced so every Christmas eve I celebrate Christmas at my dad’s. We have a yummy lobster dinner and open gifts. I love spending Christmas eve with my family!
Also… holy wow. I kind of want to buy some of Addison’s art work! So amazing!
Happy Birthday, Addison!! Your art work is outstanding and simply beautiful! Great job during your recitals, too!!
Christmas Eve is pretty low key around here. .. we read the Night Before Christmas, the Christmas Story from the Bible, open new Jammies and watch Christmas movies while we all snuggle. Then the kids have themselves a big sleepover in the playroom. Me and my hubs are usually up til all hours finishing wrapping (we’re last minute like that 😉 ). My birthday is the 23rd, and my youngest sons is the 26th, so it’s a pretty packed week for us.
And what a talented little lady you have on your hands!! Happy Birthday Addison!!
On Christmas Eve we typically do all of the Christmas cooking that can be done in advance. We go to mass at midnight and so before then we stay up late and open all of our gifts from the immediate family. It’s become quite the tradition! Who wouldn’t stay awake until midnight and well past it for gifts! It’s so fun seeing my kids get excited to basically celebrate Christmas twice (the day before and the day of).
We spend Christmas Eve with both sets of grandparents and enjoy a casual meal before the more traditional meal of Christmas Day!
We attend church service early evening and gather with family and close friends afterward. We share food, laughter, and many wonderful memories from the past year. We all look forward to this time every year to be together and enjoy our company.
We spend Christmas Eve with my husbands family at our house! It is a great night of good food, good drinks, lots of gifts, joy and cheer!
My mom & I drive to my sister’s house so we can be with her family Christmas morning. On the way we always stop and eat at the same little family restaurant.
I will be spending Christmas Eve with my family and also telling my family that I AM PREGNANT – 9 weeks!!! This is my first child after trying for 2 1/2 years!
We spend Christmas Eve with our family and extended family.
Baking cookies, eating yummy snacks, watching Christmas movies!
With lots of family opening presents and playing dirty/nice Santa! I love it!!!
Sadly, my side of the family is mostly overseas and we can’t spend many holidays together. Our traditions from the past have fizzled out with the family spread apart so far. And my husband’s side of the family doesn’t do anything. Sad. I know. BUT, this year my family has rented a cabin and we will all be together for Christmas, for the first time in over five years! I have two nieces I haven’t even met yet and am THEILLED for Christmas 2015!
Our family attends a candlelight service at our church. Then we return home and each child gets to open 1 early Christmas present.
On Christmas eve we start with have each of my 3 kids open there special Christmas eve box. Each box contains some Christmas eve pajamas (which we wear all day), some type of game or movie, and some special treat like candy or popcorn. We spend the day relaxing and hanging out around the tree waiting for Santa! I love this tradition and I hope my children pass it along to their children!
We attend church and then come home and have appetizers and play games.
I spend Christmas Eve with the family! We drink apple cider and eggnog and the kids like to watch Christmas movies and open presents from the family. We also watch family home videos.
I spend it eating dinner with my family and going to candlelight service at church.
We spend our Christmas Eve with our family and eat breakfast for dinner. My family always gets to open one gift which are pajamas to wear for when Santa comes that evening.
We make cookies for Santa and the elves and put them out and then watch Rudolph the red nosed reindeer before bed. Now that we have a little one the magic of Christmas is so much fun!
I spend Christmas Eve with my parents in Santa Fe, TN. They are my two favorite people in the world. There will be good food and gifts and dachshunds all around.
As a nurse, I usually spend Christmas Eve or Christmas with my work family taking care of people who are unfortunately ill. This Christmas Evehowever, I will be traveling back to my hometown to be with my family in Ohio! Nothing like being home for the holidays!!!!
My husband’s family has a tradition of ordering Chinese take out and watching Christmas movies in our pajamas! I have recently been incorporated into this tradition the last 4 years and I absolutely love it!
Opening our Christmas pajamas and reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” everyone in our bed!
We have Christmas Eve Candlelight service with our church family, then the whole family comes back to our house for a big dinner (usually PW’s Best Lasagna Ever, and it is!!) and then we open presents just from those family members before they go home…..aunts uncles cousins. Then, the kids get their Christmas PJ’s, some hot chocolate (if it ends up being cold enough in GA this year!), watch The Grinch….and off to bed! I’m ready for it!!! Not LITERALLY (only a million things left to do), but I’m ready in spirit;) ha!
Last year started a new tradition for us. Our sweet baby boy was a month old for Christmas last year. We are huge Disney fans, so we baked Gingerbread Mickey’s, read The Night Before Christmas, then helped Santa :). It was so much fun, and we can’t wait to experience Christmas through the eyes of our now 13 month old!
Will be spending Christmas Eve with my furry babies as my hubby has to work
On Christmas Eve we make ginger bread houses and all sorts of cookies for Santa. Then we sprinkle the reindeer feed outside and carrots too! Then we watch either the polar express or the elf movie in our Christmas pjs! Then the big girls (me and Ashlyn) get to work after the little ones go to bed to help Santa out!
It’s been a family tradition to hang out at my parents house!! My birthday is December 21 and my sisters is December 25!! We celebrate our birthdays together the day before Christmas!!!
Christmas Eve has always been The time when our family has opened gifts- maybe because we aren’t morning people 🙂 but my mom makes apple cider and we open gifts then watch a movie together the next morning is when we got stockings from Santa 😉
My in laws come in from Michigan to visit. We attend mass together, go eat a “fancy” dinner (as the kids would say), and race home to prepare for Christmas. We make reindeer food and sprinkle that outside. We watch the movie Elf and my husband reads The Night Before Christmas to our three kiddos.
We go to the Children’s Service at church and then come home, have yummy appetizers and go to bed early to wait for Santa!
Christmas Eve is spent with my husbands family, eating, opening presents and all of the wonderful things we do this time of year!
We are usually getting ready for the next morning when all the family arrives. Usually involves my sausage balls, quest dip and wine!!
Going to the inlaws
Christmas Eve is spent at my favorite church service of the year, Candlelight. After church we eat fried shrimp and seafood gumbo at my husband’s parents home before opening gifts by the fireplace. After our bellies are stuffed and the house is wrecked with tissue paper and bows, we sit at the family table for desert and games with the kiddos. I have been blessed with amazing in-laws and look forward to this day every year. Merry Christmas!!! Andrea
We go to my parents place on st croix part of US Virgin Islands and have a reindeer watching party with a nice dinner, drinks and games. Always the best to just be with good friends and family enjoying the company and holiday cheer!
I will make dinner and bring to my mother-in-laws to spend time with her.
We go out for pizza, then pile into the car to look at all the pretty lights. When we get home we put our new Christmas Pjs on and everyone gets to pick one present from under the tree to open!
On Christmas Eve we attend the candlelight service at our church and then I host a big dinner for my entire family. Later that night we play games and exchange gifts among the adult siblings! The kiddos get Christmas Eve jammies! I can’t sit!
Ever since I can remember once we’ve moved to the US from the Philippines we spent Christmas Eve going our church’s Christmas Eve evening service. Afterwards he head to two homes of my parents’ friends and join their party. There’s lots and lots of food and seeing new and old faces. By the time we get home it’s pretty late, usually 11 pm or midnight. We don’t open our gifts until Christmas morning.
Now, my husband and I continue to go to our church’s Christmas Eve service, usually both of us are volunteering with me singing in the worship team and my husband working on the technical computer side. Depending on how we feel we may attend a party afterwards or just head home and rest after a full day of working and then volunteering at our church. This year we will spend it at my parents’ home after we’re done with our church service and eat dinner and late night appetizers with them.
Debbie
We spend Christmas Ev watching Christmas movies, drinking egg nog, and have worship by each person in our family expressing to God what his birth means to them!
Christmas Eve is all about family. As a kid, the grown ups always had a “fancy” dinner after we went to bed…we’ve changed it a little…we have s “fancy” dinner with the nice napkins and good china, but it’s the whole family…us, kids, grandparents. We open one present, listen to Xmas carols and wait for Santa! Christmas Day is pajamas and brunch for anyone who wants to come!!
Our Christmas Eve is spent cooking, baking cookies for Santa, reading the Christmas story, followed by unwrapping new Christmas jammies and a family movie. After putting the excited kiddos to bed, the last-minute wrapping craziness ensues! I always think that I should do this earlier next year, but it never happens!
We go to church with my whole family and then have dinner together afterwards. When we come home we read from the Jesus Storybook Bible and then watch Home Alone before bedtime.
My family and I eat dinner with my grandparents and then we all head to church for a candlelight service. My favorite Christmas tradition!
We have Christmas Eve dinner before attending the candle light service at our church. We always enjoy looking at Christmas lights on the drive home.
Our family has a tradition of making oyster stew and a light supper before going to Christmas Eve mass. A great way to start the festivities!
My husband and our 2 daughters (6 & 2) dance for hours to Christmas music. It’s so much fun! And of course open a few gifts.
We all gather at my sister’s home on Christmas Eve. We have a wonderful dinner, play games, and the kids get to open one present. This years feature game with the family is Pie in the Face! Should be a blast!!
We spend our Christmas Eve with my husbands family. We eat, open presents, then play board games until midnight Church services! It makes for a fun and eventful Christmas Eve every year!
So I’m really good at making a short story long and this will be no different. Every Christmas Eve we spend the evening with the only family I’ve ever know… My parents should not be married. My dad was promised to someone else and when he went against his parents and married my mom they disowned him. Literally. However, his best friend’s parents, being the sweet, amazing people they are, sort of adopted him and so every Christmas Eve we spend it with them. Because family isn’t blood, it’s the people that love you no matter what. And I’m so glad I get to call them my family.
Church with family, preparing for baby Jesus’ birthday party and reading Christmas stories. We also open a very special gift every Christmas Eve. 14 years ago my loving grandfather passed away. Every Christmas Eve since, I present my Mom and Nana with a gift in his memory. In the past it’s been a special ornament, piece of jewelry, Angel figurine, donation to lung cancer association, cement bench for the garden, etc. It’s a time we love, laugh and cry and remember the wonderful Christmases when we were all together.
We spend Christmas with family and let the some of the older kids read verses out of the Bible. We exchange our gifts and go home to prepare for Santa and a party. My oldest daughter was born on Christmas Day so we have santa presents in the morning and Birthday for lunch! I love the holiday season!
Kids grow up way to fast! I wish there was some way to slow them down just a bit. 🙂
We spend Christmas Eve at my in-laws with all of my husband’s family. We eat lots of snacks, gather round a long table for dinner and then spread out across their family room for a reading of the Christmas story. Then come the presents between all extended family members. After returning home the kids open their Christmas pajamas and we watch a movie while drinking hot chocolate. Precious memories!
Hi, thank you for a chance at this great give away! Well, we always spend our Christmas Eve celebrating our youngest daughter birthday!!
Christmas Eve we will be celebrating with family and friends hosting our white elephant gift exchange. Lots of food, lots of drink and lots of fun!
Annual traditions! Last minute stocking stuffer shopping with my sister in law. Big party at my best friends that night. Santa comes to the grandparents. It’s my most favorite day of the year.
Christmas Eve! Such a time of anticipation! We invite family (and friends who have no family in town ) to our home for chili and cornbread. Lots of twinkly lights and Christmas music. Then we go to church (either the pageant or the midnight service, depending on what stage if life our children are in). My favorite night of the yeat! Christ is coming. YIPPPEEEEEEE!
We always go to my grandparents house for lunch and gift exchange. The kiddos get to make gingerbread houses and then we make cookies for Santa to leave out before bed!
We spend Christmas Eve with my Dad grubbing and watching Christmas Vacation!
My favorite Christmas Eve tradition is the candlelight service at church 🙂
Since moving to Seattle, we don’t have family to spend the holidays with. So we will Skype with them, go to church, have a nice dinner, let our daughter (also named Addy, 5yrs!) open one gift, do tuck-in and then open a nice bottle of wine over a Christmas movie while putting gifts out. Merry Christmas everyone!
We start the day with everyone trying to be the first to tell each other “Christmas Eve Gift”…whatever that really means…Then we get together every Christmas Eve night with my husband’s family and his mom’s side of the family. There is always plenty of food and laughter. We all bring a “dirty Christmas gift” and play the game! We end by taking the early family picture and wishing each other a very Merry Christmas! Fun night indeed!
I pack a thermos full of Hot Cocoa and we take the kids to see Christmas lights while the roast cooks in the oven!
Christmas Eve is spent beginning to enjoy delicious food as a family, playing games and enjoying each other’s company. We have a baby that will be celebrating her first Christmas so I’m such much of our time will be spent fawning iver her. Thank you for offering the giveaway.
The kids open one present that contains new pjs, snacks and a movie that we watch that night.
We have different traditions with each side of our family, because everyone lives local. When we are with my family, we always go to a Christmas Eve service, and then we have a dinner made up entirely of appetizers. If we’re lucky, we might get to open one gift (even though we’re all grown now)!
When we are with my husband’s family, we always have dinner and then go to the midnight mass service at his parents’ church. It’s so beautiful and traditional and the singing is magical! I love both traditions so much.
We attend a candlelight service at our church, eat white chili with our church family and then come home to spend the evening with my parents and grandmother. Before going to bed we read Luke 2 so we go to bed with Jesus in our mind as well as Santa.
My family goes to my aunt & uncle’s house and play dirty Santa. We laugh, eat Christmas cookies, and drink eggnog. It’s magical! Then get home before Santa comes 😉
Christmas Eve breakfast with in-laws, followed by napping and movies!
Every Christmas Eve my side of the family comes over and we celebrate an early Christmas and do dinner and presents. We do my husbands family on Christmas Day. But after all the family leaves, we bake cookies and read “A night before Christmas” as a family.
We attend Christmas Eve service with my parents and in-laws and then we have dinner at my in-laws after service. We have a fire in the fireplace (in Florida!) And exchange gifts and listen to music and sometimes watch a movie and snack on Christmas cookies!!
Christmas Eve, isn’t very traditional in my home. My husband works for Ups and… Christmas Eve is a full day of work. He usually isn’t in until late, so the girls and I find something special to do. This has reminded me to look for something we can make a tradition.
We celebrate with our big meal on the 24th! So meal prep and lots and lots of eating! Then we get to spend Christmas day relaxing 🙂
We usually spend Christmas Eve opening presents.
My kids and I wake up..have a good breakfast..watch a christmas movie …we then bake cookies for Santa. A simple lunch and chill time. At about 3:00 we get ready to gomto Grumps and Honey’s house! We have a theme Christmas…my favorite was hawaiian Christmas! We eat, sing carols, gifts, games, and the reading of Twas the Night before Christmas. Kids then put on pj’s and all head back home. My family comes home…reads from the Bible..prayers and talks about our true blessings….put out the cookies and SunDrop for santa. …then tuck in and sleep!
On Christmas Eve, we always go to the candlelight service at Church…then home to make cookies for Santa…and read Twas the Night Before Christmas.
We spend The evening at my fiancés Aunts
House for dinner and then hop on over to my Aunts house for dessert. Such a happy night with so much family and love.
Christmas Eve is spent with my side of the family. We open gifts, have a Chinese gift exchange, and then our children get to open one gift. Cookies and milk are put out for Santa…… & then the anticipation of Christmas morning makes it so hard to fall asleep.
Ever since I was a little girl we always go to the candlelight service at our church then we come home and open 1 gift on Christmas Eve, and it’s always a new pair of Christmas pajamas! Then we have cookies and cocoa and watch a Christmas movie all together in our new pj’s! It’s my favorite tradition and I’m so excited to start it this year with my first baby!
Christmas eve is spent with a bowl of Louisiana seafood gumbo. Later by hot choclate around the tree. Then it’s waiting on the child to fall asleep so Santa can come.
We get new pjs and stay at my parents house so they can enjoy the JOY of Christmas morning! It is such a great experience now that we live away from immediate family! This year we have packed new ugg slippers for the grandparents-a very special treat to spoil them! Can’t wait! Thanks for allowing me to share!
This will be our first Christmas with our new baby. Christmas Eve will be spent in our Christmas jammies hanging out around the tree with our nieces & nephew opening presents and playing board games.
Christmas Eve tamales and we recently started using our cowboy boots for stockings, which means they get cleaned and polished.
After church service the whole family meets at my parents house for a huge spread of appetizers, games and dancing. Then we all change into matching Christmas PJs and open one gift.
Friends and family coming over to the house to have a party!!!! Oh, and wrapping a ton of Christmas presents 🙂
We go to Christmas Eve service at church. I love the candlelight and carols!
I spend Christmas Eve each year with my family eating potato soup and clam chowder… An odd tradition, apparently, but it works. 🙂
We always wear our new Christmas pj’s and take blankets, coffee, and Christmas cookies and we go drive around looking at Christmas lights! Then we come home and read the Christmas story together as a family!
Having the whole family over for food, games, movies and presents!
Christmas Eve I will be working in the ER. Nurses have to change family holidays around so we can take care of other families that are sick and hurting.
Because my children spend Christmas Eve with their Dad, I am blessed to spend Christmas Eve with my brother and his family. Then Christmas Eve service at church and home to get ready for everyone to come to my house on Christmas Day!
The circumstances in one’s life may change but the Spirit of Christmas remains !
I spend Christmas Eve with my brother’s family and attend Christmas Eve Service. Then it is time to prepare for all of my children to arrive for brunch at my house on Christmas Day! Joy!
Christmas Eve we will be with my family in Louisville, KY. Typically we all gather at my Mimi’s house for the traditional name draw This will be the first year we are celebrating at my aunt’s house instead:)
Christmas Eve is our night to get together with family and celebrate. We eat a lot, exchange presents and play games. So much fun!
Would love to see more basements and playrooms in 2016!