Christmas morning bicycle

vintage wrapping paper

This paper came straight from Mexico with my relatives who live there and I don't know that it is vintage but I LOVE it's vintage look.

I also love that my family dug into my stash of vintage wrapping paper found at a garage sale a couple summers ago.  (Have I mentioned that Colorado Springs has amazing garage/estate sales for vintage stuff?) 

Fun scenes from under the tree for this vintage loving girl.  

Where do you like to buy wrapping paper?

unwrapping

front end loaders can carry scraps of vintage wrapping as well as dirt

Last year I got clearance wrapping paper at Target but was very disappointed in how thin it was and how easily it tore as I tried to wrap.  I was considering going to Hobby Lobby's after Christmas sales and when I was in Pittsburgh at a Marshall's I saw some really cute kraft paper with white polka dots which could be used for Christmas as well as other things.  I may have to stop by both as well as any suggestions you guys might have.

Kelly

look what Baby Girl got today

Thank you, Grandma, Uncle Edmund and Aunt Cecy and Aunt Gail!!

so fun!

Kelly

Merry Christmas!

I hope you are all having a happy, healthy day!

Thank you for stopping by here and sharing in our lives!

Merry Christmas!

Kelly

the Christmas tree

So we got our tree today.  

Yeah, on the 23rd. 

That's just the kind of Christmas it is this year at our house.

We couldn't very well get it before we left town for 10 days and let it become a fire hazard and then the flu, pink eye, sinus infections, etc. hit our house and so here we are.

I LOVE David's expression in this photo and I'm not really sure why he was looking at the tree like that but it is so funny to me that I just keep laughing.

That could also mean it is late and I NEED to go to bed too. 

Hope your day has gone well!  

Kelly

love this quote

So we've been in Pittsburgh visiting family and then they came back with us for Christmas! So fun!

One of the things that we got to do while we were in Pittsburgh is that Grandma, David and I went to the Children's Museum.

Pittsburgh happens to be where Mr. Fred Rogers is from so there were a lot of things in the museum dedicated to him.  

 I like this quote that was on one of the walls.

I struggle sometimes in playing *with* David but I dearly love watching him play and seeing/overhearing what he comes up with.

I am trying to learn the balance between letting him do his own thing and being right there with him.

Do you have any thoughts about play?  

Kelly

Union Station

On our way to and from Pittsburgh last week we got to spend a little time in Chicago.

Boy do I love that city.  

It was my first time to be there in the Christmas season.  Lots of beautiful lights and lots of holiday decorations that reminded me of things we'd seen in Montreal.  

I will admit that by our fourth night sleeping on the train out of nine, with half of us running fever, the romantic notions of train travel conjured up by this photo were a bit lacking for us in reality.  

Ah the adventures!  Wouldn't really live without them but I am so glad to be home!

I woke up at five this morning and while trying to fall back to sleep "There's no place like home for the holidays" kept singing itself in my head.  

Are you spending your Christmas holidays at home or traveling?  Boat, train, car or plane?

Blessings on you wherever you go!

Kelly

ten on ten - ten days late! December 2012

So here's the scoop, I took pics on the 10th, left town on the 11th and never got a post done.  

BUT, now we're home and here's my ten:

all dressed in his snow bibs and flannel shirt for going outside but distracted by trains 

I love seeing the things he puts together in play these days!

new mittens!

(I was going to save them for the Christmas stocking but to be perfectly honest, I didn't feel like going out to the cold car and hunting down other mittens that might or might not end up being there - it was easier to dig in the gift drawer)  

playing in the snow!  

a special Christmas mug from my Grandmother, my dad's mom

making eggnog coffee cake I'd seen on pinterest

a very good little kitchen helper - he's going to be baking *for* me before I know it!

another case of laziness in one day - so see that back beater?  It wouldn't snap in all the way, I fiddled a while then gave up deciding it would work fine.  Well, then my little helper and I got a spatula jammed in between the bowl and beater and before I knew it this beater had completely "mangled and tangled" itself (as David said over and over) beyond use.  Bummer!

The space program is alive and well in our house!

(and no it wasn't cold inside but someone enjoyed wearing his winter gear all the way until naptime)

an afternoon treat of a video - I don't remember which one but probably Boz or Chugginton

I was really enjoying this book I got via interlibrary loan but I  had to return it before our trip without finishing it.  Bummer!

Ready to go into the oven!  (It had to chill for 8 hours)  I took it to the second annual sock exchange party with women from my church and it was yummy if I do say so myself.  I have another one and a dairy free one for David in the freezer waiting to be pulled out for breakfast one day this week with our company here.  First I have to get past my glucose test tomorrow.  Uggh!

Daddy's off work, let's drive trains over his head!

Hope you are having a lovely December.  I'd love to hear your comments and what you're up to.

Kelly

a big night

Last night was a big night.  

We went to the zoo's Electric Safari to see all of the Christmas lights and some animals.  The giraffes are kind of the focal point of the zoo here you might say.  I think there are 22 of them, including a baby born on my parents' anniversary in August!  That little baby is soo cute.  

Well, last night my "little baby" who has been scared of the giraffes from day one when we're up close and yet lately has been saying at home that giraffes are his favorite animal, asked for some lettuce.  

I couldn't believe he wanted to feed them so you'd better believe I forked over the $2 for lettuce to feed the giraffes.  He had so much fun!  It was adorable!  

This is him feeding the baby giraffe.  So cute.  He was thanking the giraffe too.  Adorable and so sweet.

Does the zoo in your area do anything for Christmas? 

Kelly

We love the library

Hope you're having a great day! Any favorite book recommendations for us or library tips?

Kelly

Christmastime is here

old photo but I still like it

taking a walk

I love this photo.  It was taken last year about this time.  We had gone on a family walk and the weather was gorgeous.  I hope you're having gorgeous weather where you are today.  

Kelly

ten on ten - November 2012

Once again, better late than never, right??

We started off Saturday morning with a photo shoot since we found out that we're expecting a baby girl to be a sister to our precious big boy!

Very shortly after the first photo was taken it started to rain so we ran to a nearby coffee shop.  

For lunch we ended up at an adorable little German cafe that we had been wanting to try out.  

The food was amazing and the service couldn't have been more attentive.  They had a little German "grocery" too where we picked up some stocking stuffers for each other.  

It was a fun family date on a Saturday!

stroller and balloons waiting for us outside

what was waiting for me when I got home - a little weekend cleaning was in order after a busy week

"I waked up!" 

(maybe so or maybe you never went to sleep)

self portrait on the way to a wonderful date night with my sweet husband

My terrific parents kept the boy!

Nosh

an amazing cheese plate!

Those nut encrusted things?  Grapes filled with cheese!

(don't worry, my doctor cleared me to eat all cheeses that are pasteurized so I'm good. If this baby has a dairy allergy like her brother I'm looking at a year or so of no dairy in my diet while I'm nursing so you can bet I'm filling up on all safe dairy now!)

And speaking of filling up on dairy, the creme brulee sampler bowls stacked up at the end of a very satisfying meal with great company!

creme brulee flavors in case you're wondering were almond, salted caramel and coconut!

photos 1, 8, 9, & 10 taken by Adrian

linking up here

baby on the way