HAPPY NEW YEAR! Married Christmas Recap

Well hello! It's 2014! YAAYYYY!

This post is going to just be one big ol' recap, mostly done with through photo highlights. Let's dive in.

A Mike and Allie Christmas

This tradition started a couple years ago when Mike and I wanted to have a Christmas gift exchange of our own. At the time, I was living in NYC, and Mike flew in the weekend before Christmas to visit. I bought a cheap-o fake tree from the Duane Reade below my apartment and did my best to make my little place feel homey. 

It's fitting that the tradition started that year becuase that was also our last Christmas as boyfriend/girlfriend. A little over a week later we were back in NYC and Mike proposed.

Last year was our first and only engaged Christmas. Living in Atlanta and traveling home for the holidays we once again opted to exchange our gifts in our home under our tree. This year we did the same, and it's safe to say a tradition has been born.

Nativity handed down from my grandma and grandpa. That was a fun surprise to unwrap.

SNOW Place Like Home for the Holidays

That's right guys. SNOW!! I could not have been more excited to wake up to the sound of plows. It took me right back to my school days. The anticipation the night before a big storm. Rumors of school being canceled. The absolute quiet the swallows up the world when it snows. And then, waking up the the rumble of a plow coming down the street. I'd lie there for a few seconds imagining the winter wonderland that waited outside my window. 

When I peaked out by bedroom window on Sunday morning I was not disappointed. I suppressed a small eeeee! (Mike was still sleeping) and scurried out to the living room to watch the snow fall by the lights of our tree. 

Not too much later I was outside shoveling a path to the hot tub. Nothing beats a hot tub in the winter.

Doodle wanted to join in the fun.

Oh look a wintery clip for you...

Mike and I got lucky with our pre-existing holiday traditions. They fit together beautifully with the only downside being a 4 hour drive on Christmas day, but hey, I bet we miss a lot of traffic that way. My family has always been a big Christmas Eve celebrations house. We open our gifts on Christmas Eve. Our traditional holiday meal is our Christmas Eve Reuben. We always, ALWAYS, watch the Grinch (old-school, animated version) after dinner and before present opening. And the first gift to be opened...PJs!

The more matching the better!

Even the pups got in on the action.

Socie Winter Olympics

Inspired by the real-life Sochi Winter Olympics happening this year, I thought it would be super fun to have our own Socie Winter Olympics made up of Minute to Win It -style games. We cued up the Olympic anthem, did a quick opening ceremony with team photos, then got into the games.

Finland, Ireland, and USA

We had 6 events: Clothes Pin Drop, Caddy Stack, Speed Eraser, Face the Cookie, Nutstacker, and MarBowling. 

Face the Cookie was pretty hilarious to watch.

Sorry to have to say this, but Team USA was not victorious. 

Congratulations, Finland! Olympics well played.