12.06.2011

Annual Christmas Traditions at the *K's*




(You may be wondering what I put in Billy's drink to get him to pose like this with our sweet Rocky, but I swear, he's 80% sober and I actually caught this at the right time..)


There are certain traditions Billy and I do throughout the year that we really enjoy doing together. In the past year I've been married, I've found that it's really fun celebrating the little moments...so continue celebrating we will! Billy's favorite tradition so far is the one we did this past weekend. Every year I make my Mom's killer (meaning delish) lasagna recipe for the night we put up our Christmas tree and we watch Christmas movies all night long. I only make my mom's lasagne for this ONE night so that it's extra special, and Billy is always so excited to eat it because it's his favorite!





{for those of you who are wondering if I ate the lasagna since I'm a vegetarian, I did eat some. This March I will be a vegetarian for a year now, and I figured since I only make this recipe once a year, that I could just not skip it!}


After we scarfed down the lasagna, Billy gave the sweetest toast {that was completely unexpected} before we got started on putting up our Christmas tree. I won't get into all the mooshy gooshy details that you don't care about, but he thanked me for making the meal and told my Mom how much we miss her and how much we love her lasagna.

It was incredibly sweet.

...and just reminded me just how lucky I am to have him as my husband!


This year we decided to put our tree in our office in the front of our house, instead of in the family room. Our tree was given to us by my best friend Lindsay's parents and is really big. After one last minute trip to Tar-jay because we were ONE box short of white lights, the lights were on our tree and we were ready to start decorating. We stuck with a red, purple, and silver theme this year. You can barely see the purple in these pictures, but I promise it's there! My Dad gave me many ornaments from when I was younger and also some of my Mom's favorite ornaments to put on our tree, so I always have to add those as well.


These pics are taken with my iphone - 'scuse the blurryness..




view from our stairs



...and I love that you can see it in the mirror when standing on the steps :)



I really hope we can continue to decorate our tree together every year.
 Maybe this will change when we have kids and we are super busy, but I hope it stays for at least a couple more years!


Lastly.....
our other Christmas tradition is to exchange Christmas ornaments every year on Christmas morning. Here are the ornaments Billy has got me the past 2 years:


Our first home in 2009




Our 1st Christmas as *Mr and Mrs*
in 2010



After the tree was put up and we realized part of it is falling apart at the bottom, we just sat in the room and enjoyed the tree for a bit. Go on, call us dorks all you want. I know you're thinking it.... ;) 


but it was just so cute to see Rocky sit there & stare at it!





What Christmas traditions do you have?

I would love to hear some others so we can incorporate them next year!
I would typically share my Mom's lasagna recipe for Tasty Tuesdays, but this is one recipe I want to keep within our family aka my lips are sealed. Sorry guys.


Also, yesterday Blogger and I were fighting, and it didn't publish my Bloggers Do It Better post until hours later...so if you didn't see it, go check it out: here.


I talked about what happens when you get 18 bloggers together in one room! ;)





34 comments

  1. OMG! This post is so sweet!!! My mom made an amazing lasagna too... but I don't have the recipe! I love love love traditions like this! Jake and I decorate our tree together, and I think you can continue it even when you have kids. They can help put the less breakable ornaments on! That's what we always did!

    Love the ornaments Billy gave you... he's definitely a keeper! :) Such a sweetheart.

    The tree looks great!

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  2. I am seriously in love with this post!! I saw the picture of Billy & Rocky on your twitter and thought it was so sweet! {definitely thought you made him pose} :) I love traditions....and yours sound so fun! That lasagna looks amazing and I love how it's Billy's fave tradition to eat that and decorate. So cute :) And I love your tree!!! Sooo pretty! I've gotta get mine up and decorated this weekend. Have a good one pretty lady! xoxo

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  3. Dangit, I was just about to ask for her recipe. But I understand. :) Cameron does the same thing when he gets something accomplished around the house, he'll call me into the room and we'll just stare at his hard work. haha. And seriously, could Billy be any sweeter? I don't think so.

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  4. oh my goodness - that tree is gorgeous! nice work. =)

    traditions? my family always does the pickle tradition. google it - it's fun...and great when you have kids! =)

    xoxo,
    megs [at] Shine On

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  5. So adorable! I am so excited to start creating our own traditions...we each have traditions with our families that we have adapted but I want our own! Your tree is gorgeous...and as usually I am obsessed with Rocky {Billy is alright too.}

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  6. OH SO Sweet... we put up our tree together every year and always drink apple cider and watch movies, but I think putting a once a year dinner with is an amazing idea!!

    In my family we switch pjs on Christmas eve and always make gingerbread houses. The hardest part of my Christmas shopping is making sure I get Andrew( and our two pups ) the best pjs!!

    follow me at
    adventuresofthesouthernwife.blogspot.com

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  7. Awwwwww Rocky is too cute staring at the tree!! It looks great. Love your traditions... the lasagna sounds yummmmyyyyy.

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  8. ahh, so sweet! i love this!

    we buy a new ornament each year together. we just go together and pick out the ornament that speaks to us. Christmas Eve we exchange gifts together, watch Christmas movies and i make a big dinner for just the two of us. Christmas Day we spend with hubby's family and we exchange gifts with them.

    as the years pass and we add kiddos to the scene i look forward to creating more traditions! :)

    that meal looks amazing!

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  9. This is BEYOND adorable. Your house is so cute! You & Billy are so cute together, and obviously very in love. :)
    I can't wait to start doing traditions like this... now if only I could get Joe to put a ring on it!

    xoxo Alicia

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  10. OBSESSED with the christmas tree picture through the mirror! Love love loveeeeeee

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  11. Oh love the lasagna tradition and your tree looks lovely!! Sounds like a great night! :)

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  12. That's so sweet! I actually made lasagna last night. Shawn and I haven't gotten into tradition in our six years together, but I keep thinking we should. I just don't know what...

    You're tree is HUGE! Love it!

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  13. WOW, what a lucky girl. Billy sounds amaze balls! And your tree looks fabulous!

    I love the ornament tradition, it reminds me of what my mom does for me and my sisters.

    I will be thinking of you this season, I can't imagine how hard the holidays without your mom. Sending you a virtual hug sweetie!

    xoxo

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  14. LOVED this post!

    Aaron isn't the greatest at helping me decorate our tree, however he DID put it up by himself & add the lights in order to surprise me when I got home. AND he hooked the bulbs as I hung them... does that count?

    HA!

    I loved that Billy made a toast before the special dinner. That's awesome, a moment you will never forget!

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  15. I love this tradition that you two have. I sadly put up our tree alone this year, but the boyfriend was thrilled to see it when he got home from work. It was a nice surprise. As for traditions..the only one we have for the holiday season is going to this German Christmas market in downtown Chicago. It only comes this time of year and it is fun to get a bit of some of the traditional German food, while walking around to all of the different huts. It is one tradition I hope we do every year (even when we finally move out of the city).

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  16. Seriously, you too are the cutest ever!!! Love everything about this :)

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  17. I don't know why but I got emotional reading this post. Between the prayer Billy said and the ornaments that he gave you (especially the first Christmas one), I just think it's so unbelievably cute and sweet. I just love Christmas. I can't wait to put up a tree in our house. My goodness I can't wait to go home and light candles and be Christmas-y. Now I just need Florida weather to play along!

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  18. I loooove the little personalised ornaments! I wish we could get things like that in South Africa :)

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  19. Girl that is one BIG tree! It looks great! Brian and I put the tree up last night too and we poured a glass of wine and just stared at it Ha lame, maybe. relaxing? you bet!

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  20. Love this post! Billy is too sweet! Your tree looks great!!

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  21. you guys have some super sweet traditions!! your mom's lasagna looks really yummy. last year was our first married christmas as well, but we haven't made as many cute traditions... i have enjoyed reading about everyone's this year and look forward to starting our own!

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  22. You and your hubby are just too cute together. Your tree looks so warn and cozy...I love the holidays :-)

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  23. This is so sweet! :) I love traditions! I'm doing a guest series on holiday traditions!

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  24. Whoa! Rocky and my baby Foxy could be twins!!!!

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  25. Okay that dinner looks amazing :) &that tree is beautiful! Love this all!

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  26. LOVE everything about this post!!!!

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  27. Does Billy normally not give a lot of love to your pup? It's a very sweet picture!

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  28. Did you buy the ornament that says you and Billy first X mas first marriage together or was it a gift? Where do ppl buy those?

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  29. On CHristmas Eve we read the Night Before Christmas...then watch A Christmas Story after stuffing our faces with good food! THe husband and I also enjoying making gingerbread houses:)

    Your Christmas tree looks gorgeous!

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  30. Awww! Your tree is beautiful, your dog is too cute and your hubby is sweet. Great Christmas post. I always make a big Danish Christmas meal a few nights before Christmas. I have been eating it on Christmas eve my whole life and I don't plan to stop. Christmas morning, our tradition is to drink mimosas after the presents are opened and everyone comes to our house for a huge breakfast. We make fruit salad, orange rolls, cinnamon rolls and eggs "Grillo" which is basically eggs benedict with a beer cheese sauce instead of Hollandaise.

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  31. LOVE your blog! This is too cute. I was just telling my fiance that we need some more Christmas traditions! Ours is to pick out our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving and watch Home Alone:) Your tree looks awesome!

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  32. I love love love that you can see the tree in that gorgeous mirror from your steps! So pretty!

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