Reading letters from Santa early Christmas morning
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Christmas Around Town
Grandpa Bob & Grandma Nadine's Spectacular Supper Soiree
Grandma Bonnie's Phenomenal Pasty Party
Grandpa & Grandma R's Radiant Rendez-vous
Grandma Bonnie's Phenomenal Pasty Party
Grandpa & Grandma R's Radiant Rendez-vous
Tu-woohoo-bing
We decided to combine Emma's & my birthday celebrations this year by taking a quick pre-Christmas overnight trip to Vail for some tubing, pizza, snowflakes and gelato. (Not to worry...Emma entertained herself on the long drive by texting incessantly-haha).
Anyway, we were a little worried about rumored heavy snow (the news called it "epic") and treacherous road conditions in the high country but it turned out all that hype was just a very a clever marketing trick by the ski resorts...we had dry highway the whole way and only a couple of hours of falling flakes (while we were tubing) the whole trip. Vail was decorated beautifully for Christmas and it was nice to get away and play in the snow!
Lionshead
seriously...who had to decorate that tree!
The tubing lift--not easy when your tube is as big as you are!
Before
After
Apres-tube hot tub adventure (outdoor hot tub at the hotel--the tricky part is getting in and out without turning into a popsicle!)
yes-that little dot above them is the moon
Anyway, we were a little worried about rumored heavy snow (the news called it "epic") and treacherous road conditions in the high country but it turned out all that hype was just a very a clever marketing trick by the ski resorts...we had dry highway the whole way and only a couple of hours of falling flakes (while we were tubing) the whole trip. Vail was decorated beautifully for Christmas and it was nice to get away and play in the snow!
Lionshead
seriously...who had to decorate that tree!
The tubing lift--not easy when your tube is as big as you are!
Before
After
Apres-tube hot tub adventure (outdoor hot tub at the hotel--the tricky part is getting in and out without turning into a popsicle!)
yes-that little dot above them is the moon
Solstice
This time of year, the weather turns colder and daylight grows shorter and Steve's stew cooks longer and we eat a lot more. That was my attempt at poetic prose.
Real good, huh?
As usual, Steve's annual solstice stew warmed our hearts and our tummies and we already can't wait until solstice rolls around next year!
Karen & Mark getting cozy
Hijab Julia, mom & dad
Susan, Jeff & Steve
Bob--aka the Virgin Mary
Real good, huh?
As usual, Steve's annual solstice stew warmed our hearts and our tummies and we already can't wait until solstice rolls around next year!
Karen & Mark getting cozy
Hijab Julia, mom & dad
Susan, Jeff & Steve
Bob--aka the Virgin Mary
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Family Party
We decided to have Emma's 12th birthday family party a little early this year to fit it in around all the upcoming holiday shenanigans. We had brunch complete with french silk pie--her fav!
(Emma has some upper respiratory issues at the moment so I opted to put her 12 candles on pumpkin bread rather than rain germs all over the pie...I know...I'm psychotic...you all can thank me later when you don't have her cough! haha)
(Emma has some upper respiratory issues at the moment so I opted to put her 12 candles on pumpkin bread rather than rain germs all over the pie...I know...I'm psychotic...you all can thank me later when you don't have her cough! haha)
And more parties...
We also just had Emma's 12th birthday party with her friends this weekend. We thought and thought about what party activities to do so that it would be not all the way lame...and maybe even a little cool. Quite a challenge!
We decided on an Amazing Birthday Race party (like our favorite Amazing Race tv show). I made a treasure hunt with clues all over the house and neighborhood and the girls had to do challenges (hula hooping, searching for hidden pennies etc) to get some of the clues. They got to run around outside in dark, goof around, and get a prize at the end. Sounded about right to me for 12 year olds! Then they ate pizza, red velvet cupcakes & S'mores & watched Fantastic Mr. Fox. They all seemed to have a good time...and I did too (shhh--don't tell the 'tweens!)
We decided on an Amazing Birthday Race party (like our favorite Amazing Race tv show). I made a treasure hunt with clues all over the house and neighborhood and the girls had to do challenges (hula hooping, searching for hidden pennies etc) to get some of the clues. They got to run around outside in dark, goof around, and get a prize at the end. Sounded about right to me for 12 year olds! Then they ate pizza, red velvet cupcakes & S'mores & watched Fantastic Mr. Fox. They all seemed to have a good time...and I did too (shhh--don't tell the 'tweens!)
Oh, and did you hear the big news? Emma, aka "the last 12-year old on earth without a cell phone," got the cell phone she's been hoping and praying and begging for since she started middle school. We got her a phone and took a picture of ourselves holding a sign that said "Happy Birthday" and made that the photo that came up on her screen when her phone rang from home. Then we hid the phone on the bookshelf behind her Christmas stocking. Near the end of her party, we called the phone and she figured out it was for her...priceless!
It was only then that we realized that the piddly 300 texts a month we added to her account was going to cause serious financial problems for us as she immediately received more than 10 texts from people...people who were still with her at the party!!
Today, we promptly changed our plan to unlimited texts.
Oh dear...here we go...
It was only then that we realized that the piddly 300 texts a month we added to her account was going to cause serious financial problems for us as she immediately received more than 10 texts from people...people who were still with her at the party!!
Today, we promptly changed our plan to unlimited texts.
Oh dear...here we go...
School Parties
Sophie & Julia had their holiday parties before the winter break. They don't really call them Christmas parties or even holiday parties anymore though. They call them book donation celebrations or something like that (since each kid donates and wraps a book for low income schools in the district). Oh well, it's a great cause and teaches the kids the value of helping those in need...and they still get cupcakes with really gloopy frosting in the deal...
(Julia's class had a "Polar Express" themed celebration by reading the book, watching the movie, dressing in their pj's & riding the "polar express" right in their room...
Sophie's party was a bit more subdued but the kids still got to play holiday bingo, wrap their books & have snacks...
(Julia's class had a "Polar Express" themed celebration by reading the book, watching the movie, dressing in their pj's & riding the "polar express" right in their room...
Sophie's party was a bit more subdued but the kids still got to play holiday bingo, wrap their books & have snacks...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Sounds of the Season
Sophie's school choir had a holiday concert the other day. They've been practicing (every Wednesday 7:00 am) since school began and they sounded great. One song(sung in French and in canon) was so pretty it brought tears to my eyes--no surprise there!
One of these things is not like the other...haha
The Grand Finale: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, of course!
One of these things is not like the other...haha
The Grand Finale: Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, of course!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Joyful
We recently discovered a couple of lab-rescue organizations around town & even mustered up the courage to put in an application for a little chocolate gal who caught our eye (sorry, Sara). She's preggers right now though, so she won't be ready until around February (if she's not too messed up from her crazy chained up life in Grand Island Nebraska). Anyway, their applications are quite detailed and rigorous...you'd think we were applying to possess the soul of the Queen of Bulgaria rather than adopting a labrador retriever but whatever floats their boat...
Today we had a phone interview (stage one of the approval process) and Bob was articulate and funny and charming on the phone with the lady who said that in her notes she's going to put down that we are a "joyful family."
Joyful. That's worth the whole process even if we don't get a new dog out of it...
Today we had a phone interview (stage one of the approval process) and Bob was articulate and funny and charming on the phone with the lady who said that in her notes she's going to put down that we are a "joyful family."
Joyful. That's worth the whole process even if we don't get a new dog out of it...
hohoho
our new lighted star tree-topper (and "Undercover Boss" in the background)
...and we decided to dress up the family room for Christmas too this year so we all got some Starbucks hot cocoa and perused a nearby tree lot for this 3-foot beauty. Nice to have a bit of Christmas in there (we put our big tree in the living room). It's nice to have the pine smell and the town underneath...and flashbacks from younger years!
...and we decided to dress up the family room for Christmas too this year so we all got some Starbucks hot cocoa and perused a nearby tree lot for this 3-foot beauty. Nice to have a bit of Christmas in there (we put our big tree in the living room). It's nice to have the pine smell and the town underneath...and flashbacks from younger years!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
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