new year's eve party sneak peak

I've been wanting to host a New Year's Eve party for so long.

We had a teeny tiny apartment before that didn't stop us from entertaining but wasn't especially conducive to big groups of people for extended periods of time and plus there was always someone else to host with a bigger space.

Also, we've ended up traveling a lot on new years.

But this is the year!

I am very thankful to God for our wonderful house and also for our family here in Colorado Springs to invite and also for *friends* to invite. We are slowly but surely making friends here in our new city and I am so thankful.

the deer are all ready for the party

now we'll just wait for our guests to arrive

since last we spoke . . .

We had a wonderful Christmas holiday!

{note: I totally stole this Christmas decorating idea from my friend Emily several years ago but I love it!}

I kept in mind that Christmas is indeed for mamas too.

Christmas Eve was a very relaxing, hang around the house, greet family and neighbors who came over and kind of finish up some things like a half finished crafty project and adding a few more decorations.

Then we went to a nice Christmas Eve service with my parents.

David LOVED the candles at the end!

He also loved the cherry sour candy that I gave him from the heavily laden dessert tables set up in the foyer.

See that handsome white collared shirt peeking out from his sweater?

Unfortunately it now has pink candy stains on it.

Should I try bleach?

Unfortunately I didn't do quite enough "finishing" up during the day because that evening it was a baking and wrapping marathon after David was in bed and we were completely wiped out by the time we collapsed into bed.

Christmas morning we started what I think will become a new tradition. I kind of adapted an idea I read about here. We put David's stocking by his door.

When he woke up (at 8 a.m.! It was glorious!!) we told him merry Christmas and showed him and pointed out the stocking. It literally took him about three tries before he was quite confidently and enthusiastically saying "tocking! tocking!"

He loved it!

My grandma, Sweetie, used to always put some bubble wrap in our stockings for us to have the fun of popping. Since David likes the "pop" game on my mom's iPad so much, I decided to put some in for him too.

We opened some presents but learned that 20 month olds would rather just get on with the playing so we saved about half till after dinner on Boxing Day which was fun too.

Question: do any of you moms out there get a shower before noon on Christmas day? I think I would do better if I could get showered and dressed earlier but does that really happen with kids on Christmas morning? I'd love to hear your take.

My parents came over for brunch and we had those super yummy Hawaiian roll ham sandwiches that we were introduced to at more than one friend's house in Dallas. Our recipe is very similar to this.

We also had cranberry breakfast bread.

We had a very white Christmas! So very different for me.

We had Christmas dinner at my parents and opened presents but I don't have those photos loaded yet.

And since then we've been trying to recuperate from all the excitement

stepping over toys

and working on the remodel.

Adrian has been doing a TON!! Building, painting, etc.

I have helped out some during nap time and after David's in bed.

Today I did this:

I'm pretty excited about it.

What have you been up to these past several days?

Kelly

twas the night before

the night before . . .

in which I share some random thoughts and photos because I've missed blogging.

Then I shall collapse into bed because it's been a BIG day!

{my mother-in-law gave me these really fun reindeer ornaments when we were there for Thanksgiving, they're from Ikea Aren't they cute?}

This is my first year where I feel like I'm "in charge" of Christmas.

Have you ever felt like that?

It's interesting because in some ways this has been one of my most "Christ" focused Christmases. It has been a good and enjoyable time of reflection.

At the same time, especially as the "big day" approaches I feel some pressure to "make" the holiday.

I know I am not alone in this as I have read posts on the internet addressing this very thing.

This one I feel like is a very good reminder for moms, so if you're feeling anything like me, do yourself a favor and read it.

This one is really good too.

I just did my absolute last round of shopping for Christmas.

Stocking stuffers . . .

In my head I had them for my two guys, when I checked my stash it seemed woefully small.

It is hard to know when you are just trying to "keep up" with others or the commercial pressure and when it really would be nice to pick up a few more things.

A few things that are rolling around in my head:

1) David's only real concept of stockings I think is that at Nana's house she has a cute little garland with little baby socks that look like Santa and when the boys are at her house they get to pick a stocking and get a little surprise out like a little car or playdoh or rubber spider

so, if he finds a stocking with even two things in it, that will be more than he's expecting!

2) No one in blogland or anywhere else for that matter will know what my son's and my husband's stockings contained

Is it wild that I have to consciously remind myself of that?

But I did just have fun tossing things into the grocery cart that I normally wouldn't buy for my guys and was super excited to find that the Pepperidge Farm gingerbread man cookies (which were a favorite of mine as a child) didn't have any dairy listed on the ingredients so my little guy can have that fun treat!

Also, I haven't mentioned but we've been in the middle of a big renovation all month!

We haven't actually been doing the brunt of the work thankfully but we are about to kick it in gear as our part is starting of painting, installing shelves and cabinets, finding people to lay carpet, etc.

The family room as well as some other spaces are getting a makeover.

Let's see, what else shall I tell you about?

this cutie pie who likes to wear his monkey hat and eat waffles that his daddy made for him is SUCH a joy and a lot of fun right now learning new words daily and imitating us and making us laugh.

{ornament we made from Truth in the Tinsel}

We had a couple of BIG snows this week!

I really can't believe it.

A white Christmas!

A real white Christmas with TONS of snow.

This Texas girl is having trouble getting it through her head.

Do you know that Amy Grant Christmas song "Tennessee Christmas"?

I've heard her singing from my iTunes "There may be more snow up in Colorado than my roof will ever see . . . " as I look out my windows and see huge flakes coming down hard and heavy. It's wild . . . AND really fun!

I mentioned today was a big day.

Thanks to my parents baby-sitting, Adrian and I enjoyed a really fun date day to Denver.

I got dressed up all cute in a new shirt and scarf from Old Navy thanks to my friend Erin reminding me of Friends and Family discount time and we started off with a Chickfila chicken biscuit and sweet tea! Ah the joys!!

I hardly ever go there anymore since David can't eat much on their menu with his dairy allergy.

It was wonderful.

Then we made a quick dash to pick up a kajillion paint chips.

After years of apartment living it is so exciting being able to paint.

Choices, choices!

Then it was onto ikea where I had a clipboard, yep, a clipboard, I really did.

Cabinet front and drawer pull choices, lighting, shelves bought and barely fit into the car, a little toy picked up, a couple more gifts, looking at lots of stuff and making lots of choices . . .

Then onto Maggianno's which is a favorite from our dating days and we got to use a gift card!

Yummy lunch then back home to pick up our sweet boy.

So, here we are on the brink of Christmas Eve 2011.

I'm still working on letting go of the fact that if we get a Christmas card out at all (I really, really wanted to do one of the three of us on our red tandem bike in the snow and I even ironed the shirts and wired a wreath to the front of the bike but it just didn't happen!) it will be electronic and not with the photo I had planned.

And I'm looking forward to

a visit from a sweet neighbor

hanging out with family both immediate and extended

enjoying yummy food

seeing David's excitement and joy

giving David his second haircut hopefully before we start taking too many pictures

wrapping most of our gifts since I've only done a few

opening boxes that have come in the mail

attending Christmas Eve service

starting some new traditions

and most importantly worshipping our Lord

I hope you all have a very, very merry Christmas!!!

Kelly

last year

what will this year bring?

can't wait!

Kelly

kid crafty stuff

Remember how I told you about Truth in the Tinsel?

Well, on day two we made a crown ornament.

I decided that painting and gluing rhinestones was beyond us at the moment but I thought that learning to roll would be really good.

My little mister was very intrigued by the big bag of glitter I gave him.

We rolled our toilet paper tube crown in glue and then glitter and talked about how Jesus is King.

It will be fun to look back at this little crown hanging on our tree year after year and remember how David made it when he was really little. I guess it's the first craft he's made that I'll keep. (The pumpkin we painted rotted after a while and he did paint on paper once but I'll probably just photograph it and throw it away.)

Also, have you seen that ingenious felt tree floating around on pinterest?

I made a version and he likes to play with it from time to time.

Super cheap, easy and fun activity.

My smart friend Julie made a mini version that fits in a ziploc to take on a plane to occupy her little ones!

Happy crafting!

Kelly

yea for iphone pics!

me and my winter ready boy

Kelly

all is calm, all is bright

playing in the snow

last weekend

Has it snowed where you live yet this winter?

Do you think you'll have a white Christmas wherever you are celebrating this year?

It'll be interesting to see if we will. I'd like to as long as I'm living in Colorado and all.

Once we had a white Christmas Eve in Houston!! Yep, Houston, TX! It was so much fun. We jumped in the car and drove around looking at it all.

Kelly

p.s. does anyone else love that song "Snow, Snow, Snow" from White Christmas? One of my favorite scenes in one of my favorite movies.

even better though:

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Isaiah 1:18

ten on ten - December 2011

another idea to try

sorting out the hangars

Mama and David playing chase and saying "boo" around the kitchen (hence the blur)

hanging out outside and ending up getting to chat with neighbors

Costco run and lots of samples eaten

trip to Lowes, selecting lumber to make a Christmas gift

some Christmas decorating

and more

and more

returning

just for fun, see December 2010 here

and more ten on ten entries here

Kelly