Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours, we wish you a Merry Christmas. May it be a day filled with love and memories with those you love!


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Sunday, December 23, 2012

Sweetest Mommy Moment

The other day E and I were cuddling on the couch. I often use this as a time to tell her that she is smart, kind and beautiful. Sometimes she will say nothing. Other times she'll say, "I know." So modest, right? However, our conversation the other day went something like this...

Me: E, you're so beautiful.
E: No I'm not.
Me: Yes you are! You're the most beautiful girl in the world.
E: No Mommy, you are!

Insert tears here! She is the sweetest more adorable little girl in the world.


I am the luckiest mommy in the world!




Saturday, December 22, 2012

Dear Santa...

All I want for Christmas....

Dear Santa,
We are leaving today for 12 days of travel with a 3 year old. We are going from CO to CA to TN, back to CO. Please let us stay both sane and healthy. Please let E soak up time with her friends and family. And, let this visit tide us all over for months, as we don't have any future trips on the calendar. Santa, please ensure our friends and family know how much our time with them this trip means.

Dear Santa,
Please let 2013 be a year of less significant change. Please let us settle down in our new home and rejoice in how incredibly blessed we are to live our lives. And, please give me both the time and $ to make my house look more like my "house" on pinterest. =)

Dear Santa,
Please let today be the day our wonderful little foster dog finds her forever family! She has only been with us about a week, but we hope for her a loving home that will help her come out of her shell. The family she is meeting today seems perfect and we'd love for her to be their perfect Christmas present!

Dear Santa,
Please keep us happy, healthy, and gainfully employed in 2013. We're incredibly lucky to have good jobs during this economy, and we hope to stay that way, and professionally fulfilled in 2013.

Dear Santa,
Please give us the time and strength to make 2013 a more healthy year for our family in terms of activity and eating. We hope to do more hiking, running, walking, and maybe camping this year. And, maybe dance classes for both mommy and daughter.

Dear Santa,
Thank you.


Friday, December 21, 2012

Advent Traditions

Preparing for Christmas is hectic. Our family is pretty much running around crazy getting ready for 12 days of travel for the holidays. I love our family traditions, but I have to admit that it is a lot harder to accomplish all of them when we are 1200 miles away from our loved ones and the family that makes our traditions so rich.

One of the traditions we have not begun to fully explore is an advent calendar. I talked before about our family traditions and how this was something I looked forward to adding to our lives... I'm not yet sure how I plan to accomplish this, but I'm working on it, thanks to pinterest and my bestie, bri. Brienn and her family have a long understanding and celebration of advent. Now that their sweet, sweet girl is old enough, she, too, is getting to participate.

Hop on over to Klahnsense to learn more....

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We leave tomorrow for the holidays... eeeek! We are so excited. Safe travels friends and Happy, happy holidays!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Wrap it up with a BIG RED BOW.

I love gifts. I love giving them. I love getting them. I love thinking about what to get the special people in my life. But, if we're being honest, my favorite gift is one for me that is a big surprise. I'm not good at this. I snoop. I send direct links to things I love for months in advance. Jason is a great gift giver and always finds a way to balance the items I know I want with those I don't know that I'll love.

But, this year there are a few things that I think are great gifts for the ladies!

1. Luke Bryan concert tickets. I mean, I guess any concert tickets, it's an instant date night and reason to get dressed up. Although, the prospect of Luke Bryan shaking it for me is pretty appealing!

2. Punjammies. These adorable jammies are always on my want list. The profits from the purchase of these products directly benefit the ability to get women out of the sex industry, primarily in India. This type of gift combines doing good with adorable comfy products. In fact, they are even hand made in India by the women the organization services. Learn more here.

3. Jewelry with meaning. Sure, a robin egg blue box is always welcome, but finding a piece of jewelry that has meaning goes a long way. I'm talking something with your wedding date, child's birthday, initials, etc. Some of my favorite products in this category come from Amy Cromwell. She has a great story, beautiful jewelry and at reasonable prices.

4. Pinned items. When in doubt, check out my Pinterest boards. I have all kinds of home decor, activities, clothes, etc on mine, any of which I was be thrilled to get. And, the best part is that it automatically links (usually) to where you can buy it!

5. If you're like me, I would love to get something from the NFL shop. They have finally started to realize that girls like football and have some really cute ladies tees.

Ladies, what are some "go to" gift items on your want list? Link up!


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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

WW - Holiday Edition

Holiday Art by Delaney
A holiday performer, adorned with flowers by her fans...aka mom & dad


Tuesday, December 18, 2012

My mishmash post...

Originally, I had planned to continue my holly jolly hookup with my bestie, Bri. But, I have to tell you friends, I'm struggling to provide you a holly jolly post when my heart is still searching for comfort and answers after the CT shooting last week. We are 4 days removed from this tragedy and I'm still glued to CNN searching for answers and celebrating the lives of these beautiful babies and the 6 heroic teachers that died.
On Friday, I saw a news flash come across about police responding to a shooting at a CT school. I assumed it was a high school and didn't think all that much of it. How terrible is that? Even the lost life of a few HS students didn't make me take pause. That is such a sad reflection of our country. But, later, when I realized it was an elementary school, my heart broke. These are babies. I look at their faces and see E. While she is only *almost* 4, she is a kid, not a toddler. I see her face in each of their faces.
As a mom, my heart is broken more than I imagined. It's broken for these babies, but mostly for those that are left behind trying to live, to celebrate Christmas, and for the siblings who may be too young to really understand. It's broken for memories never created and presents unopened.
I'm not totally sure when I'll stop thinking about it most of the day. But I do know that I hugged my own girl a little tighter. Tried to make a little more of the memories and celebrate her Nutcracker performance a little more.
Christmas morning will be a little more special. I'll probably take more pictures. Eventually, I, too, may go back to "normal." But for now, I'm holding a little tighter to the little things.
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On a funny note... a discovered one way to know you child is fake crying... they cry...while watching themselves in the mirror. It really was funny. I cried tears of laughter, instead of tears of sorrow. My kid is funny.

I have so much to be thankful for this holiday season, like our upcoming trip to CA AND TN! woop woop! I can hardly believe it. I get to see all my friends and family that I love the most in the span of 12 days. It's going to be chaotic, but wonderful. And, because I owe you a cocktail, I want to share a new cocktail I discovered at my work holiday party. And, I love it! It's the cranberry fizz. Oh, little fizz, where have you been all my life!?


Now I've seen it made a few different ways... But I'll give you the way I learned and a "cheater" way.

1 1/2 shots of vodka (or gin)
1 shot of cranberry syrup (which is equal parts cran. juice and sugar)
1/2 shot of lemon (or lime) juice
Shake over ice
Pour into glass (with ice) 
Fill glass with club soda
You can garnish with lemons or cranberries

And, the cheater way is..
 
Cranberry Sierra Mist
Add vodka (or gin)

Happy Holidays friends! Wish you and your family safe and healthy holiday travels!