12.28.2017

dd,

christmas photos from afar !

cheers !

12.26.2017

dd,

we finally played the christmas oven mitt game.

hysterical laughs for 5 minutes.

look who won !

nice prize !

12.25.2017

dd,

a new board game for the family.

go.

we are already attempting to figure out the strategy !

any time together as a family,

is just good stuff.

cheers !

12.25.2017

dd,

merry christmas !

12.24.2017

dd,

christmas eve candlelight service at church.

maggiano's take out for dinner.

perfect combo.

cheers !

12.24.2017

dd,

love savannah's smile as she opens

the last day of her fisher price advent calendar !

cheers !

12.18.2017

dd,

goal today.

mail christmas cards.

made it just in time to the post office !

small pile going out this year.

cheers.

12.17.2017

dd,

our kris kringles this year -

we got aaron, lauren & savannah.

theme:

oh the places you'll go.

a new mode  of transportation for savannah.

had to replace her rubbermaid plastic container.

and after she was done driving around,

she decided to take a rest in the basket.

cheers !

12.12.2017

dd,

the wrapping center is officially open for service.

i always wanted to be one of the gift wrappers at jenss department store growing up.

they had the coolest job ever.

they had hundreds of sizes of thick dark blue boxes to pick from.

they often chose one or two just to see which one was 

a better fit for your gift.

not like the flimsy boxes of today.

they ripped that paper off large spools - no cutting by hand.

nice crisp straight edges everywhere.

they wrapped and swiped the excess paper on the floor -

just like peanut shells at ground round.

they taped beautiful pre-made bows on top.

then found the perfect size bag with handles to allow you to carry

four or five bags in one hand.

-

now i have my own christmas wrapping center !

love wrapping the gifts !

cheers.

12.11.2017

dd,

nathan knows i love to receive photos.

here is his recent text message to me.

photo of the gang from christmas 2016.

photo of the gang this year.

same place.

i think he has the "tradition" gene built in.

he knows i love this stuff.

may all your holiday traditions continue.

cheers.

12.11.2017

dd,

we are so playing this game at christmas.

will use our kitchen island.

have the two boxes all set.

have a brand new set of dice from las vegas.

have oven mitts - slightly dirty pair.

need to pick up a santa hat.

need to get a surprise gift.

i can already hear the laughs !

cheers.

12.10.2017

dd,

book club holiday dinner party.

i did wind up wearing socks and shoes - no flip flops tonight.

do you ever get an idea in your head and you just have to fulfill it ?

i got this idea last night.

it was really a backup idea.

my first idea failed when i was unable to locate all 9 book club

books from the past year in this house.

then i remembered after searching forever,

that i never bought the january book.

i borrowed from the library.

ugh.

so taking a picture of all the books piled up, sending to walgreens

to have 12 copies made in one hour or less, driving to pick them up, 

finding cute frames to put them in and wrap each one up is no longer an option.

idea # 2 now needs to become reality.

this idea is a little more time consuming.

but hey, i have almost 24 hours to make it happen.

download template here.

find picture of spine for missing book on internet.

draw each title.

run through copier.

reduce size to 95% to fit in a 4x6 frame.

check ikea online for availability of frames in stock.

narrow down to 2 frame options.

drive to ikea.

find a 4x6 picture frame in a store the size of rhode island.

stand in line behind a couple redoing their entire house in ikea furniture.

think about all the fun they are going to have this week.

think about all the washers, nuts and screws are in those boxes.

make a rough estimate.

1,000,000.

laugh again - quietly inside my head.

go home.

make 12 copies on thick white cardstock.

trim each one.

open up each frame - why does this cellophane wrapping what to stick to my hand?

check time on clock.

pick up the pace.

load hand drawn xerox copy into each frame.

press those little tabs on the back of each frame.

dust with shirt and add a bow.

easy.

love it when an idea turns into a cute, pinterest worthy gift.

stayed up past my bedtime.

lots of laughs, drinks and food tonight.

cheers.

12.10.2017

dd,

i am cold just watching this game on tv.

i am laughing at the ice skating plays.

i am searching for the football as if it where waldo.

i am cheering for the bills in overtime.

nice win guys !

i am dreaming of snow, freezing toes, bone chilling wind & watering eyes.

just kidding.

i am actually trying to find an outfit i can wear tonight with flip flops.

cheers.

12.9.2017

dd,

special cousin kris kringle package was mailed out yesterday.

today we are headed to barnes and nobles for two more gifts.

searched the internet to help nate and colin with their book ideas.

found 4 ideas.

made them research each one and pick.

they based their choices on goodbooks reviews.

two titles in hand.

off to book store.

headed straight to the customer service desk

to seek assistance with our requests.

friendly person types away forever on her little computer.

really - the title only has 4 words in it.

she promptly heads us through the store to

the best sellers cases in the front of the store.

"see this empty spot here?"

colin and i adjust our invisible glasses & nod.

we confirm that there is an empty spot on the shelf.

"this is were the book you want goes."

"we are out of it"

well, thank you for the show and tell.

perhaps you could of prepared us for this unveiling back at the 

customer service desk 200 steps ago.

maybe this is in the employee handbook.

rule one - show customer that there is no books available - 

do not tell them about this in advance !

ok - can you help us with title #2 on our list ?

200 steps later &more typing on the computer.

"we are out of that title also"

i believe she was actually going to take us to the empty

spot on the shelf again but we quickly avoided that scene again.

my heart could not handle the sight twice in one day.

good news - the boys have obviously picked great

cousin kris kringle books.

bad news - barnes and nobles didn't think to maybe

stock up on them.

but i have connections and her name is amazon !

by the time we reached the car,

amazon had already received my order and i

received her 20 digit confirmation code !

-

late breaking email received last night.

book club holiday dinner party tomorrow.

humm - what party favor can i bring when we didn't read

a december book ?

wheels are spinning in my head.

ideas are forming.

obsessed with idea.

next, must find all 9 books we have read this year.

this is a small challenge but i am ready for it.

cheers.

12.8.2017

dd,

thank you for sending some holiday weather our way.

it was actually exciting to wake up and see some snow on the ground.

no snow day for colin.

sorry dude !

this little snowman on our neighbors lawn 

was gone by lunch time.

i wish i had a ruler - it was a whopping 8 inches tall.

break out the holiday boxes.

the christmas spirit has arrived.

cheers.

12.8.2017

dd,

thank you santa for sending my christmas present early this year.

i woke up at 330am to find it on my netflix account.

i couldn't wait to open it until christmas.

i hope you don't mind !

season two of the crown has arrived.

3:31 am.

watching episode one in bed with a cup of coffee.

really - great way to start a friday morning.

great episode.

temptation to watch episode two

BUT i resisted.

very proud of myself.

need to not binge watch this season.

keep you posted on that binge diet.

cheers.

12.7.2017

dd,

did you think i needed some holiday cheer today ?

nothing says its beginning to feel a lot like christmas like a

dusting of white confectionery sugar !

turned the furnace on.

snapped some photos.

made a fire in the fireplace.

colin's third time actually seeing and remembering snow.

the street was filled with families tonight

as we all opened our doors to stare at the wonder.

colin is already dreaming of a snow day tomorrow.

cheers.