Saturday, December 30, 2017

Christmas With the Wood's

This year Christmas was just delightful! It was so nice to be home and not all crazy and traveling and out of sorts. After all the shopping shenanigans came together and I was finally  on break we could relax and enjoy the glory that is Christmas!
We drove up to Platteville on Saturday afternoon and spent the night at Brien's parents. It seriously the best! The kids were almost all getting along, we had yummy treats, a hot cocoa bar that my sister in law put together, a gingerbread house competition and a pajama party! I love my sweet family SO much!




  Phanneth had the best idea to these chocolate, spoons using the fancy looking plastic spoons, melted chocolate and crushed candy canes! We saw them at Vintage Market a few weeks ago and they were selling for $4 a spoon! She totally nailed it! Until we put them outside to harden up and it started snowing and it was windy and they got a little wet, but no one seemed to notice or care! 


Someone was not thrilled with sitting in the chair with 4 other cousins....

The next morning we had a breakfast feast complete with mimosa's and cinnamon rolls! Then we let the kids run loose and do their annual scavenger hunt. My mother in law is poetry gangster when it comes to making up these clues!


These little critters found all of their treasures in a hurry! Then it was present time! I love my mother in law's philosophy of  something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read!

After presents we had a delicious lunch! I have never had lobster before, that was amazing. I get it, now! After visiting and playing we packed up and headed home to get ready for Santa! 

At home we lit a fire, watched a little Rudolph (which as an adult, I think is a terrible movie! How did I miss this as a child?) and laid out the cookies and hit the hay!
Brien and I did our traditional last minute terrible wrapping and watched Love Actually and it was off to bed for Mr. and Mrs. Claus.




The children were up at the crack of dawn of course and ready for presents. Kellen got his prized dinosaur volcano and Callie got a phone. We finally broke down and got it for her, really as an emergency, safety thing, but she thought it was pretty great and totally unexpected!








After presents at home, it was a mad dash to get my parents and have Christmas with them. It was whirlwind of presents and laughing and finally just relaxing and really enjoying family and Christmas. I was a little caught up in the days before, but it kind of hit me, that these little nuggets will only be little so long and I want to make sure that Christmas is magical for them, just the way my parents made Christmas magical for my brother and I.

It was such a fun day with family, I was super sad when the day was over so quick. Christmas came and went a little too fast for me this year! 

We were beyond blessed this year and I can't say it enough, we have the most amazing parents and extended family.  In the words of my little/bigger brother--"Merry Happy!"





Friday, December 29, 2017

December to Remember

What a month it has been! I don't know how we made it but somehow we have and now it's almost over... Sad times! December, minus the frigid weather, which in reality was unseasonably warm, is one of my favorite months! 

School went right up until the last minute, which was SO stressful. I told anyone who would listen how rough it was keeping 7 year olds' busy until literally 3 days before Christmas! In the meantime I totally neglected my own families' Christmas shopping, it was pretty much an underwear and socks kind of Christmas until my fella swooped in on his day off and saved the day, while I was at school working on report cards! (which PS I just finished about 5 minutes ago. Only a week late.) Well, him and Amazon! Next year I am doing ALL of my shopping online. In October.

Besides ordering presents and teaching my heiney off all month we did other fun stuff too!
The first weekend in December we went to our future small town, country Christmas. It was delightful and fun! The first weekend of Christmas season, little ol' Strasburg, does a festival with Santa at the bank, real life reindeer, hot cocoa on every corner, bonfires, cookies, nacho, hot dogs, firetrucks and all the fun stuff. All of the little shops open at night and have fun things for the kids to do. It was a blast! 










It was a super fun night! I can't wait to go back next year when we are real legit country people! 

The next weekend Callie and I headed to Colorado Springs with my sister in law, mother in Law and brother in law's girlfriend for the Vintage Christmas Craft fair. It was worth the drive! I got my shopping started, and got a ton of ideas for crafty things for next year! If my real life job afforded me some more down time, I think I could make a pretty good go of selling fun things I make... Maybe some day!
I mean lets be real...
Literally a cone wrapped in sequins with lights inside--$80

Scraps of fabric and twine...$35

2x4's with a triangle cut into the top $5 each... 
I could be a millionaire. Well at least a thousandaire...


Callie was digging the fudge, candy and this sweet lady playing the harp...

After we shopped til we dropped we headed to Maggianos on the way home for a fancy cocktail and appetizers. I love these ladies. It was a super fun day!

Even though we didn't squeeze in our regular traditions of  Zoo lights and ice skating (yet) we have had a fun month of Christmas-y things! Happy almost New Year!