Our Christmas

Another heart singing holiday it was.  Every second of last weekend was filled with joy.  Oh how I love Christmas and this one did not disappoint.  It started with Christmas Eve.  We woke up and excitedly shouted, “It’s Christmas Eve!” and then watched as the kids did a happy dance around the tree while gleefully chanting, “Santa Claus is coming tonight!”

We celebrated the morning over at Papa’s house with a huge, delicious breakfast.  The kids rolled down hills, ran around the yard, played with new friends and shared their excitement with all.  They took a nap when we got home and then prepared for the night’s festivities.  Our tradition is to get dressed up in our very best, go to the Flynn’s house for a homemade pizza party, and then head to the Ponte Vedra Inn for some caroling.  Isla looked like such a little lady in her black, velvet dress, Leo sported his penguin shirt proudly, and I wanted to eat Palmer up in his blue dot overalls…




My three children (I still can’t believe they are mine) were ready for the magic!

After a little sprinkling of reindeer food (i.e., oatmeal, sprinkles, and glitter) we were off…

The pizza was delicious as usual and the parents enjoyed wine and great conversation with old friends.  Palmer’s favorite part of the night was the paper plate that found its way to the ground. 

Down at Ponte Vedra, Isla and Leo met the REAL Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  They had been hiding here all along.  Santa even told Isla he parked Rudolph out on the beach.  They were beyond thrilled to meet the jolly old St. Nicholas.  They must have sat talking with Santa and Mrs. Claus for a good 10 minutes.  Santa even rang his sleigh bells for Leo, who was extremely tired but wouldn’t have missed this moment for the world. 



Palmer had been sleeping but woke up just in time for the Christmas Caroling we look forward to all year long.  Our family keeps getting larger each year and we took up practically the whole seating area…Heather, Brannon, Isla, me, Palmer, John, Leo, Ava, Mom and Dad soaking up the night. 


Uncle Tommie, my Dad’s youngest brother, even joined us this year…

Loving on my Christmas angel before we headed home and tucked the kids in for a long winter’s night. 

And then it came…Christmas was here!  Oh, the joy, Oh, the wonder, Oh, the happiness that filled our hearts that day.  A day filled with family and love that warmed our souls to the core.  I can’t express how much I loved every second of our Christmas this year.  Maybe it’s because we added one more to the crew and maybe it’s because I felt this overwhelming feeling of “this is exactly where I’m meant to be.”  Whatever it was, it was perfect and I filed the memory away forever.  I’ll pull it out whenever I’m feeling lost, or stressed, or sad, because it was a day that reminded that there may be hard days, but it’s a  lovely life! 








Merry Christmas!  Love, The Halmans

Christmas Fun

We held our annual Christmas Cocktail Party last Friday night.  To me there is nothing better than getting together with great friends, sipping wine, telling stories, and just enjoying each others’ company.  I haven’t stayed up that late in a long time but it was well worth it.  We had a wonderful time and I’m again reminded of all the blessings in my life.  We are truly so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people. 

Shanan and Drake are our newest friends.  Our daughters found each other in their 2 yr. old preschool class and have been inseparable ever since.  Isla and Riley will go to separate schools next year but I feel will be friends forever! 

Katie and Ian are awesome.  I went to highschool with Ian and happened to become friends with his wife when I joined a mom’s group when Isla was 6 months old.  We’ve hung out for the past 4 years and Katie was the first friend to show up to both my boys’ hospital rooms after they were born.  Great friends!

Krista and Marcel are the picture perfect couple..which is fitting since Krista is our amazing photographer.  We met them through Katie and Ian.  They are such a laid back and fun couple and have a 4 year old daughter, Ave, and 2 year old son, Connor, whom Isla and Leo adore! 

Joey is the husband to Heather.  The Malone’s are the sweetest.  They are the parents to Addison, another one of Isla’s best friends.  They are members of Palms as well and amazing friends.  These were the only ones that would let me take pictures of them but we were surrounded by the best of the best.  As I get older I’m realizing what makes a true friend…basically it comes down to who makes you smile, who are your shoulders settled around, and who brings the least drama.  I think our circle is perfect! 

You know what else is perfect?  My littles…..

Isla’s class went to Adventure Landing for their Winterfest this week.  They frosted sugar cookies, made ornaments, danced under “snow”, sat in Santa’s lap and played reindeer games. 

And neither one of them cried this year…score!   Insert the story that came from “santa’s” visit to Palms the other week.  Isla was so excited to see Santa and sit on his lap.  Well turns out sister is a detective in her spare time.  She knew immediately “Santa” was Mr. Don, who reads stories to them every Monday.  I picked her up and enthusiastically asked her about Santa and she depressingly said, “Mom, Santa, is Mr. Don.”  I was put on the spot and the best I could come up with was, “well, Isla, I’ll tell you a secret, none of the Santa’s you see are the real ones.  Because the real Santa is magic and noone ever sees him.  He’s busy at the North Pole making presents.”  She is only 4 for goodness sake.  And as my friend, Katie Hathaway, reminded me the other day, I still believed in 5th grade.  And let me tell you a secret….I still believe, because I saw him when I was 8, eating cookies on my couch, and I’ll never forget that…

“The true meaning of Christmas lies in your heart!” ~  Polar Express

S-A-N-T-A

Isla’s dance class was invited to perform at the lighting of the tree in Atlantic beach last weekend and boy was she excited! 

Despite the chilly and misty weather, they tapped their little hearts out to a remake of BINGO was his name-o…instead they sang and danced to, “S-A-N-T-A, S-A-N-T-A, S-A-N-T-A, and Santa was his name HO HO!  It was adorable and Leo loved watching his sister perform.  They have the greatest relationship and simply adore one another. 

I’m loving seeing my little angel girl perform in all of these Christmas programs…it makes my heart smile!

It’s here

Christmas, that is…And this weekend we soaked it up!  It started with Isla’s pre-k Christmas program.  She’s participated in it for the past 2 years, but this, her 3rd and final year, made me all teary eyed.  I suddenly realized her preschool years were coming to a close and this would be the last time I would see her singing her little heart out on the steps of Palms church, at least for a preschool program.  She did wonderfully though, the voice of an angel.  They sang silent night with sign language, Santa Claus is coming to town, and We wish you a Merry Christmas.  It was short, but oh so sweet! 




We dubbed Saturday night, “Family Fun Night.”  On the list of things to do was decorate a gingerbread house, bake Christmas cookies, drink milk from the North Pole, and watch a movie.  Cinotti’s provided a Gingerbread house kit and the kids brought creativity and a sweet tooth…



They ate so much frosting, m&m’s, skittles, mike and ikes, and fruit loops, that I thought for sure they’d be sick.  Turns out kids have stomachs of steel and were ready for more sugary treats…





So we headed into the kitchen to bake some cookies….


After dinner I surprised the kids with milk from the north pole and sugar cookies….an idea straight from one of my favorite blogs of all time, Enjoying the small things.  They LOVED it…


And this one, he’s going to be crawling very, very soon.  All he wants for Christmas is to be mobile, baby!  We are loving this time of year and can’t wait for all that the next 2 weeks have in store!

May you all be Merry and Bright!