Life Lately in December

So here's what's been happening lately, in no particular order or sequence.

I was out shopping on Saturday for Christmas.  I did most of my shopping online this year, there's something so nice about having the gifts delivered right to your front door.  So it's the Saturday before Christmas and there is a frantic energy in the air.  I can totally feel it.  Must buy.  Must find gift.  I got stressed just being out there.

We've been listening to quite a bit of Christmas music around here. There are, of course, some local stations playing holiday music.  It took until this week for me to realize that they don't play any of the religious songs, not that I really expected it but there really aren't that many secular Christmas songs.  I've heard "Baby It's Cold Outside," about 10 times too many.  I guess I'll be shifting over to the Christian Christmas station (sounds so redundant, but not really).

We drove over to Bull Run to see their light display.  It was neat and I enjoyed it.  I would not, however, go over there on the weekend.  My friend said the wait was long and there were SO many cars there.  I'm not really one for crowds.  I have enjoyed seeing the lights around town too.  Our neighbors across the street have lit up their entire front yard.  I guess Heb and I will have to step up our game next year.

We did our traditional gingerbread house decorating last weekend.  I invited some friends to join us.  Our house, while not very pretty, was fun to build. 

 

 Amy has discovered the stairs and shoots up them every time I turn around.  We got the gate put up but there is nothing she loves more than climbing those stairs.  She has also started walking with help.  She is going to take off here any minute.  Where did this year go?  Seriously.

This is old news but I taught our preschool coop recently about the sense of hearing.  I got the cutest picture of the kids in our craft.  I was dying.

The weather has had a few good days here and there.  Leo loves to be outside.  So much.  We have big trees which means lots of leaves.  I can't complain though. 

So that's the latest.  I'm not quite ready for Christmas yet, still working on some new family traditions but we are just days away.  Merry Christmas all!

Icicles

When I was little, we had this set of glass icicles to hang on our tree.  My parents must have been brave because we hung them there as long as I can remember.  We also had this great strand of dove lights.  Oh Christmas!

 

A couple months ago, my sister called and ordered a dozen icicles.  She was decorating her beautiful home to be in a holiday home show.  I set to work creating a set of 6 inch long icicles on the torch.  Here's some shots of what I came up with.

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If you look closely, you can see them dangling on the tree.  The pictures really don't do them justice.

A Birthday Visit

It was my mom's birthday a few weeks ago.  I'm pretty sure that I'm a few weeks behind on everything but that is just life at this moment.

 

So, it was my mom's birthday.  She has been the most influential, tirelessly supportive and wonderful person in my life.  She is who I turn to for advice, for help.  I can unequivocally say that I am who I am because of her influence. 

Leo likes her too!

Lunch in Old Town

She came into town over Leo's birthday and we celebrated the birthdays big.  My only regret is that we didn't get into Georgetown for a celebratory cupcake.  Next visit I promise!

The night she flew in (on a delayed flight at midnight), we took a jaunt into the city to see it all at night.  Because, when you are that close, you take the detour, even if it means we got to bed very, very late.

 

We sewed and did projects together.  Watched movies.  Ate good food.  Witnessed the wildest 3rd birthday ever and got out to see some fun things.  I watched Leo and Amy interact with her and it felt like a vacation for me to have someone to help me with everything.


My favorite of all was our visit into Eastern Market.  Mom, come back and stay again!  And happiest of birthdays to you!

Old Town Magic

 This past weekend, we made our traditional holiday trip down to Old Town Alexandria.  I find myself down there a lot more often than once a year, but we always make it a point to go.  Why?  I think the decorations down there are so fun.  It's a mix of old world colonial and modern.  Where else do you see wreaths with artichokes and apples and displays with pineapples (which is a colonial symbol of welcome and hospitality). 

 

Leo checking out the train in the Christmas store.

We shopped at some of the stores and had lunch.  The highlight really was the trolley (bus that looks like a trolly) ride.  Leo saw one and asked to get on so we did.  He was excited enough just to be riding but at one of the stops, guess who gets on?  Santa Clause.  If that isn't holiday magic, I don't know what is.  We've been trying to get to a Santa, ok, not really hard because it's not my favorite thing.  Onto the bus he hops and he was so kind.  He stayed in character and asked Leo what he wanted.  By this point, Leo was frozen to the chair, which was basically what I expected. 

A few days before, we wrote our letter to Santa and put it out for the "elves" to pick it up.  It's fun to see these little traditions from my childhood alive again.  And, I guess he did technically ask for what he wanted, which is a Mac truck (I may have made sure that was what he wanted :))

Oh, Christmas magic, you certainly brighten my life.

Happy Golden Days of Yore....

 

 

Last night I watched "Meet Me in St. Louis" for the first time.  Oh, Judy Garland is so wonderful and the colors, it was so good.  In the movie, her family is getting ready to move to NYC from their beloved St. Louis and the whole family is up in arms.  The part about moving is set right around Christmas and she sings "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas."

This tune has always been one of my favorites of the holiday season.  Way back in high school my solo was from this song and I've loved it ever since.  One of the stanza's goes like this:

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years
We all will be together,
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself A merry little Christmas now. 

With this being one of our first Christmas' away, I've been thinking of all the Christmas' past.  All throughout my childhood, they were all the same.  The same parties, year after year, the same beloved faces and traditional foods.  I wrote about one of those times here.   

I hardly know how to celebrate Christmas this year because Christmas is that, those big family traditions.  I think of those "olden, golden days of yore."  We are planning on staying in Virginia for the holidays, but even if we were there with our families in Utah, it still wouldn't be the same as the magical ones of my youth because people and situations change, people pass away and families grow bigger and spread apart.  Nothing can stay the same.  

It will be a year of new traditions for us around here.  I can only hope that I can make these holidays as wonderful and memorable for my little family as mine did for me.   

Here are some of our holiday decorations (and a glimpse of our house too!)

 

Can you see her new tooth that came in this week?

The Real Christmas Letter

The Christmas season is upon us.  I've been working on our Christmas lists for a couple of weeks and have even snuck in some Christmas music.  I dragged all of the Christmas boxes up from the basement today and set about decorating our new space for the first time.  I love to see what those boxes hold, the ornaments and memories.  Christmas is such a wonderful time of year.  

I have been working on the Christmas cards this week.  I always enjoy writing an annual letter about what we've been up to the past year.  I like reading them so I write one too.  As I sat to write the letter and thought about this past year, it was hard to fathom all that has happened.  Essentially we have:

- Packed, moved and set up two houses (because the first move was in November)
- We changed our whole life two times and started again.  New friends, new classes, playgroups, doctors, grocery stores, everything.
- Amy was born (which is a huge change all by itself)
- We entered and enjoyed (were driven crazy) the toddler years with our son.  We even went through potty training.
- We lived in a hotel for 32 nights all while finding and purchasing a home
-  I have never been so tired in my life (nobody slept for months).
-  We chose to change our lives and move away from our family

It has been one of the most stressful and difficult years of my life.   I can't deny it. 

Well, that would be one depressing Christmas letter.

Instead, perhaps I will think about some of the wonderful things that have come into my life.  I have a new deeper trust in God and in his ability to guide my life.  I appreciate Heber and his ability to work hard for us.  I learned that people are so kind and willing to reach out, there were some wonderful Logan folks that forever impacted my life.  I value so much good friends and family, they've really been there for us. 

I am happy to see this 2014 come to a close.  Here's to non-depressing Christmas letters.  I guess it's back to the drawing board for me. 

Founding Farmers

Heber and I went on a date in the city a few weeks ago.  It was so fun to escape into the city for the evening, it has such a different energy.  With my mom in town, we took the evening and drove into the city to Founding Fathers.  I had heard good things about it and it didn't disappoint.  The food was delightful and local, but how could I complain about eating delicious waffles.  Their signature dish is just that, chicken and waffles. 

 

You know what I enjoyed most?   Spending time with Heber.  One of the downfalls of living away from family is that it is a lot more complicated to go out on dates so I really enjoy those times we get a moment away.

The times I feel like a person, and not just a mom are far between lately.  I'm seeing them come more and more often as Amy is growing out of the new baby phase (and I even snuck away this weekend and taught a class at the bead store!).  It reminds me of all the years we had together before we were parents.  Those were some good years, it's good now too, but I will always be glad we had those years just the two of us.  

We took a quick detour to see the Lincoln Memorial.  This is one of those places I've been to so many times at different times in my life.  It's one of my favorite spots in D.C.  We went there together way back when we were dating too.  Oh, good times.

 There was one interesting thing I noticed.  It was this building, right across the street from our restaurant.

Isn't it fascinating?  Do you see those two "old" buildings sandwiched in amongst this glossy new building?  I wonder what the story is.  Do you think that something significant happened in those buildings and they had to be saved?  I wonder what the expense and hassle it was to design and build a building around these two small structures.

I like that they didn't tear them down to make the building all glossy and new.  I think I'm like this building, I'm a jumble of where I've been and who I've loved.  I don't want to mask over it I want to honor all the parts of my life. 

So, all in all a great night.  If you are ever in town, book a meal at Founding Farmers!

Leo at Three

It was Leo's 3rd birthday a few weeks ago.   3.  I still can't believe it.  I was looking through a whole bunch of pictures to do a display for his birthday and it brought so many memories back.  He has been the most joyful boy his whole life.  He makes us laugh all the time.  I am so happy to be able to be his mom and to be the one who is teaching him.

 

 

 I thought about when he was born and as a newborn.  He was this 9 pound boy and I just remember feeling these bursts of happiness that he was in our family.  It was him who taught me how to be a mother, something I will continue to learn for many years to come.

My favorite phase was when he was about 7 months old.  He was sitting up and just learning how to crawl.  He crawled everywhere and was so fast.  He'd put his head down and go like crazy.  He just had this sweet excited face.  He has always been a book lover, even at that young age, and I can remember reading him the doggie book with the finger puppet and he would laugh and laugh.

When he was around one, I got this little house with a mailbox.  He spent hours opening the door and going inside.  He'd look at me through the mailbox and laugh and laugh.  He's always loved to play with other kids and be a friend.  I think I will picture him at age two at the park, running around, climbing up things and going down the slide.

When we moved to Logan just before his 2nd birthday, it was an adjustment.  He loved being outside with dad though and scrapping the snow.  He loves matchbox cars and will play with them for hours without tiring.  When Amy was born soon after, he loved his sister.  She had to be on a billi light for several days after coming home and she did not like that at all.  He brought over his most beloved doggie and put it by her.  He is a sweet thoughtful boy.

In that 2nd year, we started going to a music class.  Leo was the most excited to be there, he's always been a music lover.  One of his special gifts is his joy, when he is happy about something there is no containing the joy for him.  And you know what, we all need to have things to be excited about.  He sings and talks all the time.

Lately, he's started really playing with other kids and even trying to make new friends.  We were at the park several months ago and he went up to a little guy who was obviously upset.  Leo says, "you lost your momma?"  The boy was looking around for his mom.  Leo turns to me and says, "this guy's lost his momma.  We've got to help him?"

Leo has a pair of light up shoes that he loves.  Excessively.  He won't wear any others but they light up so I can't blame him.  We were at the park a few months ago and he went up to a little boy there at the park and said, "my shoes light up."  And the other little boy responded and back and forth they went.  It's so fun to see him making friends. 

And now he's 3.  He's our big talking, potty trained guy.  I never expected what these three years brought into my life.  I am profoundly changed and so happy he's with us.

We threw him a big party to celebrate and invited a bunch of his friends.  For months he said that he wanted to have a "paw patrol birthday" and so we did.  I did some little games (balloon toss, bean bag toss at cups and a rice bin with construction vehicles, which was the hit of the party), and had some treats, mostly different kinds of popcorn.

It was wild, 10 2 and 3 year olds and 4 infants plus adults.  The moment I want to remember from it all was when we were all eating treats.  Leo was sitting on the living room floor on a blanket next to his buddies, he was eating his popcorn and just so joyful.  My mom even came out and spent a week with us to be involved in the party.

 

It's been a great three years.  I can't wait to see what all the next years bring.