Christmas Sights 2014

* written May 2015

The Christmas season 2014 was blessed.  It was our first Christmas spent in our new home, and we had the pleasure of hosting Debby who kindly made the drive all the way from Oklahoma.

Our tree was HUGE and full and beautiful!  ...It looked much smaller in the tent -- and we had to make a second run for more lights.  Oops!

Mokie's nativity fit beautifully on my dining room table, and I loved looking at it every day.  I have adored nativity scenes ever since I was a little girl.  There's just something about them.

The Fairmont Princess resort in Scottsdale does a huge Christmas display every year.  Nolan loved this musical, blinking tree with the gingerbread house projected behind!

Tho the days are lovely, the evenings have called for a fire -- much to the pups' delight.

And our outings call for a sweater!  Love this cheesy grin.  :)

With the addition of a few front porch accessories, this was the extent of our outdoor decorating.  Next year I'll skip the red lightbulbs.  While a good idea on paper, the final product looked like we were conjuring something more sinister than Santa...

David and Marion Henry visited a few weeks prior to attend a family wedding in the area, and gifted us this beautiful print done by a local artist in Rochester.  We love it, promptly had it framed, and hung it on the first wall you see when you enter our den.  A place of honor in our home for our nod to our MN years and friends.

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This was also our first time to attend the Christmas Eve service at our church.  I still struggle a lot not to long for Calvary - especially the music ministry, and ESPECIALLY on occasions like this.  Nonetheless, thankful for a church family with whom to celebrate our Savior.

Cruised round to look at Christmas lights a bit after service.  This house is kind of famous in our neighborhood.

"What's with the giant empty sock, guys?"

2-yr-olds are hard to photograph

Ready for tomorrow!

*****

Christmas morning meant sleeping in, a breakfast of biscuits and gravy (made Grandma style - the best), and opening presents.

Nolan got a toy stroller and a razor scooter from Nana and Papa!  2 big hits!

Had to FaceTime the fam, of course

 

The awesome reindeer (or "rain-day-deer") jammies were from Aunt Lizzie.  She always gets Nolan the sweetest Christmas jammies!  I'm loving that little tradition.  Thanks, AL!

And we have been giving Nolan an owl ornament each year.  Here was this year's

Christmas morning bed head

Mikel and Nolan, both in their funny houseshoes

And a very fancy present from Grandma -- the firetruck!  Writing this now, this thing has a lot of miles on it!
Also big this year from Grandma, a play grill, complete with accessories.  I delayed putting this one together, in favor of lengthening the new toy enjoyment.  (Sorry, Gram!)

And as of Christmas Day this year, trampoline time is a daily occurrance.  Mikel had a trampoline growing up and has long said he wants one for his kids.  I was less sure.... so we compromised on this smaller version.  It's perfect for Nolan.  You were right, Mikel.
Mikel put this beast together all by himself late Christmas Eve night.  I really should have helped him.... but it was cold outside!
He is the hero of the day, as far as gifts are concerned.  :)

https://youtu.be/yGQwN9TCvQw

https://youtu.be/63glR6iUzWo

Not exactly the same Christmas scenery we previously knew...

Sweet old lazy Khaki

And of course Scarlett

Present-opening.  Thankful for all of the blessing we are given.

Rachel and her family sent us a whole box of Sicilian food goodies, including the best olive oil, blood orange marmalade, and pistachio butter!!  I loved this!! (okay, we all did) :)

You might think a blender is a dull gift, but this was on the request list so we were justified.  ha!

This year's tree.

Nap time was enjoyed by all.

...and the evening took us back outside!  We had the heat lamp roaring, and Nolan was very content on Grandma's lap.  

A sweet sight.

Every day is a reason to give thanks for our Savior, but Christmas with dear family reminds us of the biggest blessings of all.

{SMB} : 10 Ways You Know It's Almost the Holidays

My SMB contribution for December was SUUUUPER late.  I mean, way super duper late. Like, over 3 weeks late. 

We are supposed to submit our posts by midnight of the last day of the previous month.  I,  Master Procrastinator that I am, usually get mine put together and hit "submit" somewhere around the 11 PM mark of the due date. This isn't *entirely* out of laziness -- I weirdly work better on a deadline -- and I'm such a perfectionist, that if I write it sooner, then I just tweak it and revisit it and obsess over it until the due date.... whereas this way, I just have to get it out and send it off.

Moreover (confession time.): I most often really, really, reeeeeaaaaally struggle to come up with a topic or theme to write about!  Usually satisfied once it's on paper, but man... dreaming up where to start doesn't come easily for me.

For this month, I submitted my post on the 22nd.  Yes, of December.  For December.  That is, it was 22 days late.  Why they didn't boot me, I have no idea, but whatever.  Thankfully this was my first offense.

And I think it shows...  This post just feels to me like kind of a flop.

In hindsight, I don't know if my "meh" feelings about this piece are in regards to the piece itself - or because of the circumstances I now know, which are that 2 days after writing this, we would begin to see overt signs of a miscarriage.  I suffered with a lot of anxiety (more than my own usual.) in the months of November and December, and now I look back and see I just wasn't myself, in lots of ways.

More on that later (maybe), but for now --- here's what I came up with for December.  It doesn't reflect in text any of that (it's a shallow humor piece, after all) ---- but in my mind, when I read it, I remember how I was feeling writing it. 
http://www.scottsdalemomsblog.com/2014/12/24/10-ways-you-know-its-the-holidays/
(PS -- my original title said "almost Christmas", but the P-C Fairy made some edits, not to my total surprise.)

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10) You stroll each of Target’s home decor aisles, repeating: “Would she like that? Would she like that?? ……Would IIIII like that?????”

9) You bake cookies for the neighbors. And then bake more to actually take to the neighbors.

8) The fur-lined parkas come out in droves. (It is sub-70, after all.)

7) You spend hundreds of dollars at Costco, yet purchase not one food item. #garlandfordays!

6) You step on an ornament hook and almost-just-almost wish it had been a Lego.

5) Your toddler thinks “pie” is synonymous with “breakfast.” As in: “Who ordered this oatmeal? Take back these pancakes. I shall only eat pie.”

4) You make fudge for the neighbors. And then decide it required too much work to be given away…

3) The $150 for an indoor tree which you will keep for mere weeks suddenly looks like a “Great Deal.”

2) You suffer from Acute Hyperaddressmatosis of the Phalanges: A seasonal condition in which one’s dominant hand suffers transient but intense cramping and deformity secondary to lengthy sessions of card addressing.

1) You visit Amazon.com so often that it requests to become your home page, and your friendly neighborhood UPS guy (Mike) earns himself one of those holiday cards. #hiagain

I turn 32

*written May 2015

32 started out right for me!  Of course, I (like everyone else) only know what it's like to have a birthday when I do.... but let me tell you, it's a whole lot better having a December bday in AZ as opposed to MN!

My precious next door neighbor, Kathy, came knocking at the door with this surprise delivery of a delicious coconut birthday cake.  It was so thoughtful!

The view from our balcony that day during nap time.  I love when the sky is split like this as a storm blows through.

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Mikel was on call for my actual birthday, so the celebrations continued into the following evenings.  First was dinner out with friends -- L to R: Carolyn (front L), Maggie, Krista and me.  We all are physician wives and moved here from Rochester, tho none knew any of the others there.  Crazy!  They have been super easy friendships.
Funny enough, I don't remember where we ate dinner, but I do remember that we all wanted ice cream and so ended up together at a grocery store to get it.  ha!  We figured everyone would want our lives if they knew.

Then over the weekend, Mikel and I had a date night to go to one of our very favorite restaurants: The House Brasserie, a French restaurant in Old Town Scottsdale.  We had the chef's tasting menu, which did not disappoint.  We love to go there, sit on the patio under a heat lamp.  The white tablecloths and big fireplace plus the setting of the old house in which it's built are so picturesque.  I really love it!
--- The only minor hiccup was dessert (Nicole, if you're reading this, it doesn't surprise you, does it?!) The one provided was a dense, rich chocolate cake.  I, not remotely a rich chocolate fan, mentioned it wasn't my personal preference --- so they brought me something much more up my alley: the disassembled strawberry cheesecake with coffee.  YUM!  Mikel had to take my pic with my two desserts.  :) (Tho he ate the chocolate one, in addition to his own, and even HE - the chocaholic, almost couldn't finish them.  So rich!)

One of the very best treats at The House, though -- and something I look forward to the most -- is this: house made cinnamon whiskey.  Not a whiskey drinker?  Neither am I. But this is not the same animal.  It's like a warm, cinnamon syrup with just a little kick.  Perfect for sipping after dessert - and really perfect for a December evening.

Thank you, Mikel, for always making me feel special with evenings like these.
When can we go again??
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A few days after my bday, a very unexpected gift arrived in the mail: this cute necklace, given to me by Steph and Rachel Sviggum!  So kind!  I wear it a ton.  Thanks again, gals!

Thankful for another year and for the friends and family who make every day special.  I am blessed!

November in a minute

* written May 2015

In case someone reading this blog doesn't get their overfill of Nolan photos, here is another photo dump for November. :)

But first: a video of a favorite game.
https://youtu.be/xEZpeY1o2xs

November in Arizona is beautiful!

You discovered the big boy swings, and you think you're hot stuff!

I flipped you forward facing a couple of weeks before your birthday.  What a game changer!

We joined Krista and her kids in Fountain Hills.  Oh how great it was to be outside!

Guess I'm officially that mom now.....

More helmet. haha!

You like to climb up to see what I'm cooking and "help". Love this messy face!

And these silly glasses are a hit.  Grandma Debby gave these to you - and if Dad is around, you make him put them on every single time.  As soon as he does, you dance around.  It's a funny game!

Silly. :)

Hiking Pinnacle Peak on a Saturday, one of our favorites

Our church held their annual block party, which was quite an event.
You are a super animal lover, Nolan.

This cracked me up.  These middle school girls could barely hoist the little kids up the slide, but they were trying!

FaceTime with Papa

Did I mention we love November in AZ??

Nolan, you caught a cold and didn't feel well for a couple of days.  One day after your nap, you insisted on this combo of accessories while you sat on our bed to watch TV.  I was dying laughing.

Weekend at Bernie's

But you got better!  And you looked soooooo sweet in this sweater!

You were good to us, November.

Nolan turns 2

*written May 2015

Dear Nolan,

You turned two on a Sunday this year, and it was a lovely day.  We had just arrived home from our Thanksgiving trip to Texas the evening before, so it was a day filled with errands as a family, but you didn't mind.  :)

We started your day with breakfast at one of our favorites, Modern Grove, where you got the fluffy waffles you love.  And we get to thank Grandma Debby for teaching you to dip bananas in Jello powder, which is what's in your photo!

Love our lefty.

We normally attend church on Sunday mornings, but this particular day held a long to-do list (and our breakfast celebration ran late...) so we decided instead to get groceries at Target...

...and go pick out our Christmas tree!  You got a little tiny candy cane.  We haven't had a real tree since our first year of marriage.

After lots of travel, you took a big nap and then that evening came our little family party for you.  You had a chocolate cupcake (your favorite!), and you fixated on the "hot candle" when we sang Happy Birthday (see the YouTube video for that) :)
https://youtu.be/QI_wsOD69pE






Love you, Bud.

For the next couple of nights, you sang "Yappy Booday" every chance you got.  I managed to catch one go around!
https://youtu.be/FhYYDQsqEz4

*****

Nolan, you're talking, pretending to count, and singing your first songs.  We love you, we love watching you grow, and we are so very very happy to be your parents.  This will never change.