Thanksgiving and Christmas are my two favorite holidays!   I love celebrating with lots of food, family and fun.   This year, I am excited not only for food, family and fun but also a Disney trip and family pictures!  This trip is a combination birthday and graduation trip for Lily.  It is a girls only trip that includes flights in both directions!

In the past, I have always begun buying Christmas gifts in January and honestly by this time most years I am pretty close to finishing up the shopping.  Lots and lots of gifts are usually a party of this holiday. I can even recall a Christmas where the girls each opened a gift every day in the month of December. This year is different.  I started thinking and talking about how I wanted to give gifts last year. My kids are all teens and older which means they have very expensive taste. They also have all been able to save and purchase expensive items during the year.  We are also a family that enjoys traveling.  In the past year, we have been on a trip to Oak Island, two trips to Myrtle Beach, a trip to Asheville and 2 trips to Disney.   During each of these trips, I have enjoyed buying items for the kids both needed and wanted.   How does this relate to Christmas?  I made the decision that instead of buying alot of gifts, or even buying large items that I would prefer to use money for more trips and entertainment.  For the kids at home, Lily, Zach and Kendall, they each will receive one Christmas present.  We already have a weeklong trip planned to Disney at Easter and a weeklong trip planned for Oak Island in July.  Zach and Kendall are both involved in sports, and I have been willing and able to purchase items above and beyond the requirements.  Things such as hoodies and pants with fancy mascots and such.  For Lily, she has lots of graduation items, extra clothing and a extra Disney trip.   Amanda has requested and will receive season pass for her family to the zoo.  Haley’s family decided they would enjoy a trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.    These gifts are all great options and things that I would normally not give at Christmas but sometimes simpler is better.

I LOVE family pictures!   I will always treasure the last set of family pictures taken in November 2016 with my dad’s death in February 2017.  I am still not ready and don’t know that I will ever be ready for “Young Family Pictures” again.  I am grateful that my mom understands and respects this. But I am ready and excited about my family pictures. The last time we have pictures made Braxton was 4 weeks old.  We have added Haley’s entire family and Braxton is 4.  The plan is for pictures over Christmas when everyone is here.  I was able to purchase all the boys’ shirts at Belk’s!   This is going to be awesome.

Christmas and Thanksgiving both look different this year, but I am excited for simple and less gifts!