A Rotten "Married" Christmas...

...SPOILED ROTTEN, that is!

Wow! Who would have thought that your first "married" Christmas together would be one of the BEST so far! Sure, I've had many fabulous Christmases growing up and remember some of the best when I still believed in Santa, but this one TAKES THE CAKE! 

{2010 "Married" Christmas Card}

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without setting it right from the start with Christmas Eve service at church. Four short years ago, the Flemings and the Mays started a tradition to gather together on Christmas Eve and enjoy dinner {usually Italian} at our house and then attend the church service at Peachtree Road. This year was no different...except, we ran out of time and weren't able to TAKE PICTURES! uggg! But the food was delish, the service was inspirational, and the fellowship was even better.

One of the gifts that Adam and I gave each other this year was our wedding album. This was not his ideal gift, but I really wanted it and once it arrived, we both agreed it was money well spent! It arrived a few days before Christmas and we were able to share it with our family.

On to the rotten, spoiled rotten part...

One of the May family traditions is to open one gift on Christmas Eve...AND, it has to be a gift that mom gets to pick out from under the tree...AND the gift is always new pajamas! Yes, this married Christmas I still got my pajamas. Adam refused as he enjoys wearing old t-shirts and football shorts or sweats.

This married year, mom also brought one more very special gift for us to open on Christmas Eve. Let me give you a little background on this one. There a beautiful quilt that my parents own that I've always adored. Growing up we used it for picnicking, movie nights on the floor, tents, you name it...and my sister and I recently said we'd fight over it one day on who will inherit it. That very quilt was given as a wedding present to my parents from my mom's aunt .

So on our first married Christmas, we got our very own "Aunt Lis" quilt {HANDMADE with love from my mom}.  I boohoo'd when I opened the present. What an amazing gift!

{front and back. complete with a bird}

 

Here is Adam in his Christmas Eve outfit...red pants, green sweater...and slippers. Isn't he cute? And funny? I think he was channeling his inner "Cousin Eddie"...

And starting a tradition of our own, {as my family does each Christmas Eve} we watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. This movie will never get old and the squirrel part gets funnier each time.

Fast forward to Christmas morning.

{Adam's idea: "Hey, let's take the dogs' presents and put them in a box and poke holes in it so they can smell it". Perfect. 

 And while the dogs were occupied, we opened our gifts.

{I going to spare you the early morning photos. But we both bought each other 2 pairs of shoes and a lot of other small things.}

 

Later that morning we headed to my parents' house {with my new Tory Burch flats on} for Christmas Day brunch. 

oh Tory...*sigh* Thanks to my ah-ma-zing hubs! 

Brunch was delish and if your from the South, you know it is only complete with the traditional breakfast casserole along with fruit salad and cheese grit casserole.

Then we opened presents and WE ALL GOT iPads!
{Oprah line: YOU get an iPad! YOU get an iPad! EVEN YOU get an iPad}!

{This was me later Christmas night in my new pajamas}

I bought my mom and Adam's mom the next item... It's a great inexpensive gift and they were a hit! It's called the Carrie and Tuck Note Tote. You can purchase them at Swoozies. It's a little zipper portfolio {with your monogram, of course} that has a cute clipboard with paper, and 2 sets of stationery note cards and envelopes, complete with a pen. It's perfect to throw in the car with you to scribble notes. You can find it in Swwozies' catalog here.

 Love my wonderful parents!

Mom and Dad also got us new "every day" plates...with BIRDS on them.

 Aren't the bowls and mugs cute too?

After my parents' we headed to the Flemings.

Where we opened....MORE SHOES! Adam and I both got FRYE'S! I love my new Frye Melissa Buttons! {and so does my double chin in this blurry picture}.

 We gave Austin his graduation/Christmas present...A diploma frame. Perfect gift for the grad! I still remember going to his high school football games...he's getting old like me and Adam!

 We also got moolah to purchase a new couch! Whoohoo! I'll post soon about what I'm thinking with the couch.

Had to put on my Frye boots for the second part of the day. After all, it was SNOWING.

At the Flemings.

 It was Gracie's first Christmas with the Flemings. She was so cute! Adam, Gracie and Austin.

Our last stop was at Adam's cousin Michelle's house where we celebrated Christmas with his Dad's side of the family. Little Adam had his Thomas the Train toys set up in the living room when we arrive.

{another spoiled rotten kid, rightfully so- he's the only "little one" around}.

 We couldn't come empty handed...we bought him the train wash to attach to his track...can't let the trains get dirty.

Four generations were represented.

We had to have a nerf gun fight...Big Adam helping Little Adam load his nerf gun.

Christmas picture # 3 {because we didn't get any Christmas Eve, I told Adam he couldn't complain}.

Our first Married Christmas, was a white Christmas. How lucky was that?!

And the day after, it was time to take it all down.  I can't believe how quick it went by. 

 

I think we will be finding needles in the house for many months to come.

And what do you do with all of your Christmas cards once the season is over? Do you just throw them out? I hate that.

Here was my idea to display all of the cards we received.

{there was another door with twice as many- thank you to all who sent us one}.

Two of my favorites: The hand drawn one is a portrait of our wedding photographers and their family. Isn't it cute? Visit their blog, they are fabulous!  The second, my Aunt Lynda made this card out of masking tape and a green sharpie. Can you believe that? Visit her blog too!

 

Our first Married Christmas came and went {fast}.

A BIG thank you to all who spoil us and made it so memorable.

Longest post to date...sorry.