Creating the Good Life...

Wishing You Peace, Love, and Joy this Holiday Season

 
Our 2008 Christmas Card Photo - I drug our big leather chair right up to the french doors leading to the back patio, stood out in the rain (with Spike doing crazy things over my shoulder) and captured these two just perfectly.....seriously does not get any cuter than this!!

We have my whole family coming over this evening.  Everyone is so excited....this year (especially) it all seems so magical and special.  We have a tree packed with presents to open tonight (my family's tradition has always been to do gifts on Christmas Eve).  There are so many thoughtful, perfect presents it's sure to be a great time.  Dean is so excited for Santa and after visiting Santa at Nordstrom and telling him she wants a doll house, Addie is pretty pumped too. 

 

The kids are getting exactly what they want from Santa, so I know tomorrow morning is going to be squeals and delight and....well pure magical!!  I LOVE Christmas time!!!!!

Tomorrow, after Santa gifts and a big brunch, we are going to my little brother (sister in law Trish + nephew Ben's) for Christmas dinner with Trish's family.  She is so good to have ALL of us at once....lots and lots of merriment!

Wishing you all love and magic as you celebrate the holidays!!!

XO

Snowed in (in Seattle)

 

 

We arrived last Wednesday (10 days ago) to very chilly (but clear) weather.  Flight was not too bad.  Actually very easy (after the first horrible hour of Addie kicking the seat in front of her with all her might.......as soon as we were airborne and seat belt sign was off I readjusted her car seat so she couldn't' get anywhere near the seat in front.)  The first night my mom was up from 1-4 am with the kids (I was passed out thanks to the powers of a sleeping pill.)  By the second night we had all pretty much adjusted to Seattle time.

Saturday night we (me, my brothers and my sister in law) went to a SUPER SUPER FUN ugly Christmas Sweater party (can't wait to get pics from Trish).  I got to visit with so many old friends (many of whom I have known for 25++ years.)  As we were celebrating the night away, the snow started falling.  Matt and Trish and Ben got stuck here overnight and most of Sunday.  It's now Friday and we have only had one drive-able day (which we put to good use by taking the kids to Nordstrom for pictures with Santa).  It was super fun and exciting at first, but now I just want to get out and see people.  I still have not (thanks to the snow) seen a couple of my very best friends.  We have been canceling plans left and right. One of my first and best friends in England (who has spent the last three years in Japan) is at a hotel only 3.8 miles (I googled it just for effect) away and I can't even get to her and her family.  If I don't get out of this house to spend some quality time with Christy I am going to be SUPER upset!!

We have done many a fun thing while snowed in....

 

We decorated the tree and house (Dean made his own display....jamming as many things as he could onto one space.)

 

He loved doing the tree.  When my mom tried to tell him that maybe all the decs didn't have to go up (she has many she keeps out of sentiment, but don't actually do much for the over all effect) he would not hear of it....he has branches loaded two and three ornaments deep.  It was really too cute to change!!

  

Lots and lots of grandma time!

 

Gingerbread house building with Uncle Jimmy.  My brother is so good with the kids.....they think he is the coolest guy in the whole world (and I couldn't agree more...he has the patience of a saint!)

 

Tons of cooking and sweets making. Sunday morning Grandma did sugar cookies with the grandkids while very tired moms and dads lounged around.

  

Yesterday, needing more baking ingredients, mom and I took the kids on a walk to the grocery store.  They were miserable...about half way there it started to snow so hard it was impossible to see....oops!!

Mike arrives in a few short hours (can you say EXCITEMENT and JOY!!!)  We are thinking he is going to have to take a taxi with chains as even my dad's 4X4 Defender 90 is not up to this compact snow and ice.   

Who would have thought we would be snowed in in Seattle....Seattle never gets this kind of weather.  They are predicting a much bigger storm this weekend (more than the 5 inches of snow we got yesterday) and 90 mile an hour winds.  If we can get past that, it sounds like next week will be cold but get-out-able.  We've got big plans for Christmas Eve and Christmas and don't want anyone trapped by the weather.

Hope you are all warm and safe and gearing up for big celebrations next week!

XO

Giving Thanks and Making Merry

That's exactly what we have been up to!!!

It's been a crazy busy time with Thanksgiving, celebrating Addie's second birthday (although her actual birthday isn't until 26 Dec), celebrating our 8 year wedding anniversary, shopping for Christmas, getting ready to head to Seattle for the holidays and wrapping up school for Dean.

On Sunday the 30th of November we officially celebrated Thanksgiving with 40 of our nearest and dearest friends (and their children.)  We spent the long weekend sprucing up the house, doing lots of DIY (finally getting the new chandelier for the dining room that Spike has been wanting) cooking and relaxing with the kids.  I made the turkey from Nigella's new Christmas cookbook and it was so amazing....truly worth it....I am trying to talk my mom into doing it again for Christmas day.  We had a family night out at Pizza Express and a day at the Christmas Market/Carnival in town.  We combined our Thanksgiving celebration with a party for Addie's birthday.....lots and lots of fun....but remind me that 15 is too many kids to have in the house at one time...LOL!!!

***all pictures in this post were taken with Spike's point and shoot camera...my camera is officially retired (ruined is more like it).....i am asking Santa for a new one for Christmas

From our day at the Christmas Fair

 

Dean went on the Ferris wheel FIVE times...he loved it!!  Every time we came round the top he would yell "CANNON BALL!!!!"  So fun!!!

 

Lils and Beth made Addie a bunny cake (she LOVES bunnies!!!)  She was thrilled with it...she kept saying "my bunny, this is my bunny!" 

We had Polly come do a music session with the kids.....which of course Addie was crazy about.  She especially loved the bit where she got to dress up as a princess!  Her and Daddy sang and made music together (while I did photos and a constant run back and forth to the kitchen to check on the turkey.)

 

 

Dean has had two school productions in the last week.  They had their dance show last week and today was their Nativity play.  I don't think there was a dry eye in the house.  The school has a photographer come, so I can't wait to get some of those photos to share! 

On Friday we went to our first Panto (Puss and Boots at Theater Royal in Bury) and I must say, we thought it was amazing!!!  I could easily become a panto junkie...traveling all over the country during the holidays just to watch pantos.  We had (another) Pizza Express night before the theater. 

 

Spike had a little trouble with his party crown in this pic...HAHA!!

We went with a big group of friends and got two boxes at the theater.  Dean sat in the box next to us and half way through the show we looked over to see him putting his arm around one of the girls next to him (all night he had been mesmerized by her, holding hands with her and basically falling in love for the first time.)  SO CUTE!!!

 

Two Pencil Lines layouts from the last couple weeks and then I am off to organize and pack....I will check in from Seattle....so crazy crazy crazy over the moon excited to get there!!!!!

XO