Christmas Magic

Well, our stockings are hung with care and the tree is decked out to the nines.  I cannot believe Christmas is almost here!  Although stressful with the many projects I have been working on, this has been one of the most laid back holiday seasons.  So nice!  This year we sort of mapped out what we were going to get everyone, and did a lot of shopping online (Amazon, Snapfish, etc.)  Only one trip to the mall and that was for just one item I wanted to get for Todd.  I just did not have the desire to wait in long lines surrounded by cranky shoppers and disgruntled employees.  Of course there have been several trips to Target and Michael's, but that is nothing unusual for us.  Costco, Target, and Michael's are our playgrounds.  Although the closer it gets to the 25th the more I try to avoid these places. 
I am not sure if I am getting more jaded as I get older, if it's the economy, or what, but I just don't like the superficial aspect of this time of year (stores displaying Christmas stuff before it is even Halloween?  Really?!)  Yes, I love to give and receive presents (who doesn't?!)  Giving is what this season is about - goodwill toward others.  But I don't like the mob mentality, self-absorption that people fall into, the constant pushing of retail purchases, people buying crap just for the sake of giving something with little thought into the gift itself.  Gifts should come from the heart, have some meaning behind them, or be something the recipient genuinely wants or could use.
Not looking to throw money down the drain, this year we really challenged ourselves to find gifts that measured up.  It took some serious thought, but it was fun.  Working hard to hard gifts with meaning and purpose.  I will admit, there are some family members who are very challenging!
In addition to our quest for thoughtful gifts, we have also spent a lot of time decorating the house.  It is so fun to watch the kids' reaction when their home is turned into a Christmas wonderland.  Maddie gets so excited and Lucas is just in awe.  Despite our objections he loves to play with the ornaments on the tree.  I think at this point it has become a game for him.  Maddie gets so happy she glows when she sees how we have incorporated her projects into our Christmas decorations.  She made some paper houses with Grandma this year that I added to my chipboard village.  Watching the two of them reminds me of how magical Christmas was as a child.  Everything was so spectacular, the world around me seemed to sparkle!  Nothing was tainted with the hustle and bustle of shopping, or the overall grumpy attitude people seem to have.
That magic is my goal.  Remembering the actual spirit of the season.  Don't let the other stuff get in the way.  It is so hard not to get caught up cesspool of holiday worries.  Projects to finish, class parties to attend, gifts to wrap, etc.  But we need to remember, is it the end of the world if the store is out of boxes?  Is it really necessary to berate the employee when the store is out of the size/color you want?  Five years from now is your child going to be scarred for life because they did not get the must-have toy (that will more than likely end up collecting dust by March)? 

As we dive headfirst into Christmas tomorrow stop and take a breath.  Take a moment to remember how magical it all used to be.  The surge of excitement December brought.  The importance of kindness towards others.  And let's all try to recapture some of that, because that is what meaning of Christmas is all about.  

October Re-Cap

Since I have been gone so long I figured I would just post a photo re-cap from October's festivities. It was a great month. My parents were doing much better, we had Halloween, I got to make Maddie's costume this year (love homemade costumes!), we trick or treated with good friends (including Sarah's mom who was visiting from Nebraska!) and family, our October tradition: Lemos Farm, the Half Moon Bay K9 trials, Todd's birthday, Lucas discovered my shoes (so stinkin' cute!) and the magic of colored pencils (when he wants to color now it's, "col!"), pumpkin carving, and just hanging out/being a family. All in all, a great month!





Blog Sweet Blog...

...Oooh how I've missed you!
It has been a ca-RAY-zeee four-plus months since I blogger. In the span of two weeks I almost lost both of parents to serious (yet unrelated) medical dilemmas. Dad had a hemorrhagic stroke and Mom was so busy taking care of Dad that she ignored her own illness until it was almost too late. She came down with a severe case of pneumonia and sepsis. No one should ever have to get a phone call that their mom has been found on the floor unresponsive. UGH! What an awful feeling!!! But both are doing well and are on the mend! Yay for my parents!!
In addition to medical brew-ha-ha Todd and I took an adults only trip to Maui. The trip was great except for my 24 hour bout with the flu. That royally sucked! Fortunately there was only one day where I was really down and out. Due toa lack of appetite my first few days post flu I think this was the first time I came home from Hawaii weighing the same as when I left! No matter how much sun block I used I still got a killer tan. Todd was pissed. He is the one with Middle Eastern heritage and I'm the one who, despite my Western European heritage, gets a tan after being in the sun a mere 30 minutes. Apparently Todd inherited all of the Scottish genes and none of the Syrian. But some of my Maui favorites were the soft velvety sand on my feet, listening to the waves crashing as I drifted off to sleep, the amazing seafood (Duke's!), lounging by the pool with a good book, the shopping, and most of all being there with good friends. Sigh... I love me some Hawaii!
This fall I began an Adobe Illustrator class. With all that went on early in the semester I had to drop my other two classes. But this one has kept me pleasantly busy. My teacher rocks and Illustrator is a program I have grown to love (maybe even more than Photoshop!)
Thanksgiving left us with lots to be thankful for this year! Just having us all here and healthy was reason enough for me! Our little home was filled with laughter, joy, and some fabulous food. My Martha Stewart mashed potatoes and apple crumb pie had enough butter to clog more than a few arteries. My mom's stuffing was to die for! Thick chunks of bacon in stuffing, who woulda thunk it? We had turkey and stuffing sandwiches the next three days. Although delicious, I think I have had my fill of turkey for a while. Even the dogs discovered turkey surprises in their food. I just can't believe I didn't take any photos!
Now we are in the throes of Christmas decorating. Tree up and decorated, check! Department 56 village displayed in hutch and china lovingly packed away, check and check! Chipboard houses on fireplace mantle? Check! Stockings hung with care, check! Wreath above fireplace and a fresh pine scent lingering in the house? Check, check! Plus I have my dining room table decorated, Todd hung the lights outside, and I have my yard decorations displayed along our walkway. All that is left are decorations for the entertainment center, garland along the stairs, decorating the kids' tree, and hanging my banners. I swear, we have been like two busy,little elves since Sunday!

Slave Labor

Since Iquit my job I have been joking about my new role in our home (wife, mother, slave) and the sad fact that I am no longer an official wage earner . Tonight on our way home Todd and I had this conversation:

Todd: "Your wages are your cell phone, gym membership, and car insurance. Why should I cut I you a check when I can pay them directly?" snicker, chuckle, chuckle.
Me: "That's not labor, that's indentured servitude!" scowl

Sigh, the dewy-eyed, romantic phase of our marriage is officially out the window (along with my sanity)! The reality of life with two kids and two dogs.

Easter, by the way, was great. I was exhausted from the festivities the day before. Therefore I should say, Easter was about as good as it could get for a tired, cranky, bitchy mommy (and no, I am notover exaggerating the bitchiness, just ask my husband who vowed to love me in good times and pissy.) My friend's parents host an Easter blow out on their ranch every year the Saturday before. The shindig is on a 5-acre ranch complete with horses, a whopper of a play structure, a goat, jumpy house, face painting, an Easter egg hunt, and all of the food you could ever want. My Weight-Watchers-after-baby thing, not so much on Saturday. I brought a whole new meaning to gluttony: fudge, a nacho station, tri-tip, cupcakes, my yummy brownies. Maddie and I took turns riding one the horses. It felt good to get back into a saddle, even if it was for a brief moment (Luke wailed and duty called.) We left the ranch completely devoid of any of the energy we arrived with. Maddie went straight to bed with a solid dusting of dirt from head to toe and I was too tired to really care.

We celebrated Easter Sunday at my in-laws. Maddie was quite excited to discover all of the eggs the Easter Bunny left in Nana and Papa's backyard. Ahhh, the joys of childhood. I wish I had a bunny that left treat-filled eggs for me in my backyard! How great would it be to find eggs filled with baubles from Tiffany's?! Seriously, that's not such a bad idea. Not sure how Todd would feel about it though... Because it was a holiday we loaded her up on sugar 'til she was bouncing off of the walls. Brunch was finished off with a chocolate bunny AND a cupcake. For those of you who have never seen Maddie on sugar, she couldn't be more high if we gave her a few lines of coke. And for all of the naysayers who say sugar doesn't make kids hyper, you have never seen MY kid! So we save the copious doses of sugar for special occasions and holidays. It makes life easier for Todd and me. We continued the Easter celebration into the evening with Skip and Mary (our bonus-parents). We had dinner at Eddie Papas. Maddie did a few more hits of sugar after dinner (all meals are followed with a gratuitous serving of cotton candy.) By the time we got home Todd and I melted into bed we were so tired.

Christmas Recap

Well, another Christmas has flown by. We had a wonderful time celebrating this very special holiday. The 24th and 25th were filled with copious activities, scurrying from house to house. it was wonderful to spend quality time with family and friends.

We spent Christmas Eve with Todd's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. Maddie joined the celebration around 8:30 that night after celebrating with Dad and his mom's family. Our niece is now nineteen months old, so she is now starting to get the hang of opening presents. It is so fun to watch. Maddie received a Barbie electric guitar from his sister and brother-in-law. She loves it! Todd and I can't wait to repay the favor of noisy gifts for our niece's birthday. Hee hee...

Santa came at some point during the night. Maddie found proof at the bottom of her Christmas tree on Christmas morning. Watching the magic and excitement in her eyes is one of my favorite things about Christmas. Her yelling "Santa came! Santa came!" through the house reminds me of my childhood. I cherish these years because I know they will not last forever. Santa was good to all of us this year. Despite the poor economy we were still spoiled. Santa Todd left not one, but two blue boxes from Tiffany's under the tree for me. I received two shiny charms for heart tag bracelet.

Mine is an "M", not an "A". Apparently there was a theme among the men we know this year. They were all told not to buy jewelry due to the poor economy and high cost of baubles. But they all ignored their wives. My mother-in-law received a new bauble as well as our friend Jamie. I think we were all excited that our husbands chose not to listen to us!! I also got my Cricut cutter (YAY!!) and cannot wait to use it! I have been coveting them ever since they arrived in to the scrapbooking market. Todd and I received our Thule cargo bin for the top of his car. This will be essential for any travel we do with two kids and a dog.

Todd was giddy with his new Thule toy. He never expected to get one and could hardly contain his excitement when he opened it.

Santa brought Maddie a pony, Madame Alexander doll, and some American Girl outfits. We were pleasantly surprised at how excited she was with her Santa gifts.

In addition to Santa gifts she received lots of darling clothes, a new Olivia book (one of her favorite characters), and many new toys.

Due to my bed rest and the pending arrival of our little one, Todd and I decided to do something different for our parents this year. Normally we buy lots and lots of gifts. Instead we went small this year. The "big" gift to both sets of our parents were 12x12 leather bound photo books that we made at Snapfish. Each book contained photos of our families from the past several years. There were pages of the kids and grandkids, family trips, holidays, our wedding, etc. Our parents were so touched. The books may not have cost the same as gifts from past Christmases, but they were the most treasured. Their reaction definitely gave me the warm and fuzzies! My mother-in-law cried. Very hard for pregnant me to hold back my own tears with a reaction like that!!! But I was so touched that she was so moved. Words cannot describe.
After the gift extravaganza we went to our bonus-family's (the Switzers) house for Christmas dinner. My parents and Grandma joined us for this entertaining and delicious holiday feast. We had a great time gabbing and noshing. Plus it was great to see the men in the kitchen doing all the work while the women got to catch up. How often does that happen?!? Celebrating the holidays with our bonus family has become another favorite holiday tradition of ours. It feels so good to watch all three families enjoying eachother's company and celebrating together. It puts an ear-to-ear smile on my face. Here are some photos from Christmas and Christmas Eve:

I also have a recipe to share with you. I made this decadent dessert for Christmas. It was super-tasty and rich! Yummy in the tummy!

Mississippi Mud Pie (Cooks.com)

2 pints vanilla ice cream

2 tbs. bourbon or Kahlua (I used Kahlua)

1 Oreo cookie crumb crust (ready-made from the grocery store)

fudge sauce (see following recipe)

2 pints coffee ice cream

whipped cream

Soften the vanilla ice cream in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, then spread it evenly in the pie crust. Top with half the fudge sauce and freeze for an hour. Soften the coffee ice cream and spread over the now firm first layer. Mound the coffee ice cream in the center as necessary. Top with the rest of the fudge sauce. Decorate with whipped cream and cover loosely. Freeze overnight or at least for four hours.

Fudge Sauce Recipe

4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped (remember, if you have a dog, keep this out of their reach!!!!)

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C granulated sugar

3/4 C heavy cream

1/4 C light corn syrup

2 tbs. butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tbs. bourbon or Kahlua

Combine chocolate, brown sugar, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and corn syrup in a bowl and microwave three minutes. Whisk every 30-60 seconds. When the mixture has thickened somewhat, whisk in the last three ingredients.

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Here are the photos I promised. This is our family Christmas tree. Some people prefer to have a tree that looks like it belongs in a showroom. Ours is packed full of memories. Memories of Christmases past, trips and vacations, family members, etc. Plus I have several vintage goodies that I have found over the years. Our gold star sits on top. Having a gold star tree topper was something I dreamed of all throughout my childhood. It was not until I became an adult that my wish was fulfilled. Here are some of my favorite ornaments:

These were hand-me-downs from my grandma. I remember them being on her tree when I was a child.

These are from my/our travels: Yosemite 2006 Kaua'i 2008

Maui 2006

Richardson Grove Camping Trip 2008

Yellowstone 1996

I also love to collect chipboard houses and bottle brush trees. Todd says I have enough at this point because they now fill the mantle. But let's face it, a girl can never have too many! This year I created some "snow" and back lit the village with small, white lights. Some of the houses have been gifts from Todd, and the trees were Christmas gifts from my parents. I created the little pink and blue gift boxes this year while on bedrest. I thought the trees needed some presents!

For the past twelve years I have been slowly collecting the Dept. 56 village. All of the buildings have been gifts. I write the year and the giver on each box so I can remember who they came from and what was going on the Christmas I received them. Like I said, Christmas is all about memories for me! This year I put the village in our dining room hutch. Todd and I agreed, this is the perfect home for the Village.

The pub was an early Christmas present from Todd this year. We both loved it. We're not Irish. But we figured our Scottish ancestry was close enough :)!

Here's our ledge in the dining room. Gail's trees at the cabin were my inspiration. The flag banner was a project I began right around Christmas last year, but did not finish until this spring.

Here are some other tchotchkes that I have around our home:

More of Grandma's hand-me-downs. These three little statues are some of my favorites.

My pink marabou tree (a gift from my mom). I think I can safely say this is not Todd's favorite! I made all of the little ornaments on it. A project I found in Somerset Studios Magazine.
Here are our stockings. Todd's is from his childhood. This is probably his favorite Christmas decoration hands down. Here are a couple little do dads that I whipped up. I stumbled upon this photo last year on another blog and it inspired me. It's amazing the things you can create with your "spare" time while on bedrest.