Friday, December 30, 2016

christmas cheer | our annual traditions.

Two stops during the week leading up to Christmas, three stops on Christmas Eve, four stops on Christmas Day, and three days to recover once all stops were complete. Whew! I love this time of year - the hustle and bustle mixed in with the stillness of those first few moments + last few moments of the day - and I am always so sad to say farewell to the trees and lights and gifts and traditions for another year. Braxton didn't nap for two days during the hustle + bustle part, but aside from being very zombie-like a couple of times, he handled his second Christmas season like a champ. He loved having all eyes on him while we visited with family, and all those brand new toys he got are still getting looooots of attention. It's like Christmas every day when he wakes up and sees that all of them are still here!

We got lots of new stuff for our new house, including a surprise Kitchen Aid mixer that was a total shock and may or may not have made me scream like a little girl, and it has been so fun to tinker and place things throughout the walls and rooms of our new bungalow. I originally thought that I would leave all our Christmas up for a few extra days, but I quickly changed my mind when we brought in all our new décor. So much so that we have been packed up for three days! I can't believe it either, y'all. But seeing our house as it will be for most of the year is absolutely worth this veer in tradition - we are so smitten with how it all looks (don't worry - I will reveal more soon!).

On Christmas Eve we went to Pop + Gigi's house, Nana + Papa's house, and then we had our annual Phillips Christmas at Linda + Dennis' house. On Christmas day, we opened our gifts to each other before the madness began, joined our Capstone family for a beautiful service that focused on the hope, joy, and peace in Christ that we celebrate this season, went to Granny Pat's house, met Grandma (my mama) and the family at our new house to exchange gifts, and then ended our day at Pops + Mimi's house before coming home to crash. And we certainly crashed hard.

Call me crazy, but I love the fullness that this season brings. I really, really do.

Here's to making that fullness last into and throughout the new year, starting with a heart full of gratefulness.
Merry Christmas to you from us!

Saturday, December 24, 2016

this Christmas season.

'Tis been a season of fullness! Full bellies, full schedules, and, most importantly, full hearts.

We've had plenty of merry scenes over the past month, many of which took place within the walls of our new home. We have so much to be thankful for, especially the precious people that we have been celebrating with throughout December and the past year.

In this season of so much change and chaos, I have never been more grateful for my camera!

Yep, here's your evidence that I've actually been taking photos over the past few weeks even though there has been limited (basically none at all) sharing of all these sweet treasures.
Only one more sleep until CHRISTMAS, people!

Friday, December 23, 2016

home sweet bargeron | chrismas edition.

This year's Christmas decorating got pushed back a couple of weeks due to our big move and a whole lot of rain. It was thrilling to get our new home ready for my favorite season, but I won't lie...it was slightly (read: very) overwhelming to decorate for every day use AND Christmas. Whew! Those first couple of days of moving everything in and putting it all in its own place were filled with moments where I just stepped back and stared at the mess in front of (and all around) me. My brain felt like a cooked pot of spaghetti, y'all!

But I am so happy that we pushed through the chaos and got our home fully ready to celebrate this blessed holiday. Seriously, so happy! I may or may not leave all of the red and green out through January to make up for the delay. Yep, I'm definitely considering it.

It was certainly strange not decorating our first bungalow this year, but the excitement that came with getting our new bungalow ready provided so much joy and giddiness that we really weren't sad. If you had asked me two months ago if that would have been the case, I would have looked at you like you were crazy and then busted out in tears. It was so hard to leave that first home. So, so hard.

But this new home of ours is proof to us that God never asks you to give something good up unless He has plans to give you something even better. We reflected on His faithfulness and generosity towards us as we strung lights and perfectly placed trinkets, and I truly believe that that same reflecting will be a regular tradition for as long as we are blessed to live in this beautifully orchestrated-just-for-us home.

In honor of Christmas only being two (!!) days away, I am proud to show you a glimpse into what the past few weeks of calling this house our home has looked like. We are so thankful to be spending Christmas here this year, and we look forward to every new Christmas season being even more magical than the one before.

Christ is the reason for this season, indeed. But He is, also, the reason for so, so much more.

Without further ado, we welcome you in for a quick tour of our new home: our very own (and very festive) Bigger Bargeron Bungalow!
Merry Christmas from the three Bargerons!
May your days be merry, bright, and full of Christmas cheer.