Christmas 2010, round two!

Holly and Ben finally arrived on January 2nd, to celebrate Christmas with us. This post covers their four day visit, so you might want to read it in pieces! lol And clicking on any photo will bring a bigger copy up for you to see.

When we got home from the airport, we went straight to opening presents:

Here is a painting of an octopus that Heidi did for Chloe:

 and hamburger earmuffs!

 Ben got his PS3 and was a happy guy!

Heidi got Holly some hot pink furry mittens!

And Holly got Rich a Canada trivia book. Just what I need: my husband to know more about my country than I do... lol

Chloe made her siblings tiny photo scrapbooks. They were so cute when they were little!

Holly also got Rich a Roots sweater- Rich loves to wear Canada things when we go out, and especially when we travel.

And the winner of our Christmas photo prize for this year is: Holly! 

We surprised her with the entire Little House on the Prairie TV series on DVD.

Holly made me this to hang in my studio. I love it! 

This is the inside cover of a lyrics book Ben gave to me- he is writing the lyrics and music for a CD.

We finished the day with a great turkey dinner and all the fixings! I would have liked to stretch out the Christmas stuff, but for such a short visit, we just didn't have the time.

Monday we did a little shopping, as another of Holly's gifts was a Macy's gift card. Ben and I dropped the girls off at the mall and went to a guitar shop so Ben could play me a couple of the songs that he has written. Here we are in one of the local shops:

We picked the girls up, went home for lunch, and headed in a different direction after that, we had a little more shopping to do.

Tuesday we took the light rail in and spent the day in Denver. What fun! We started the day at the Tattered Cover, we all love to read. The kids all had fun choosing something to buy and I was good, I didn't buy anything for myself- I have new magazines coming in the mail soon!

At the very end of the 16th Street Mall- I thought we could get somewhere walking but it was way further than I thought- so this is our turning around spot!

This sculpture is called "Cowboy Pajamas". I like it. I don't understand the pajamas part, but that's okay.

I HAD to order the Local Legendary Burger- which turned out to be a 13 oz. Bison burger, topped with mashed potatoes and gravy (hey, I AM Canadian!!!), cheese, and french fried onions. It was BIG. And yummy!

Our waiter took our picture before we left. The kids were very excited to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe! They did have some very cool memorabilia.

Another quickie picture before getting back on the light rail- we have more bags and stuff, everybody found something to buy.

Our last day was last minute shopping, and an eye appointment for Holly and Ben. Neither of them needed glasses and so were able to choose a good pair of sunglasses instead. Aren't they cool?

I should have gotten a few photos of Ben with his new guitar, but I forgot. Hopefully he will send me one.

Then we did the obligatory photo shoot. I try to remember each time the four of them are together, to take a whack of photos and I have to say, my kids are very obliging. Of course, the deal is, we get some serious photos, then they get to be goofy and I have to take those too. Easy trade off!

So here is one of the good ones- when there are four of them, it's hard to get them all looking good in one photo!

And here is one of the goofy ones. I don't listen, I just click... lol

And then, before we knew it, it was over. Already. Took the drive to the airport yesterday and Holly and Ben were home safe and sound by around 11 pm their time. 

Heidi and Chloe are back to school today, and the holidays are officially over now. 

I will take today to relax with Rich (his off Friday) and catch my breath from all of the cooking, cleaning, shopping, wrapping, preparing, and running around I have been doing pretty much since Thanksgiving. Speed wobble, indeed. 

My new year will officially start on Monday. Just so you know.

Christmas 2010, round one continued

Each Christmas is different here, I guess that is the way it goes when most of your children no longer live at home.

In 2008, our first Christmas in our new home, our kids' visits overlapped, with Rich's kids coming first and mine second. It was new and a little awkward, but fun just the same. And so lovely to be in our new home, TOGETHER.

Last year, we had all seven kids at home for the holidays and it was a bit of a madhouse! lol But good just the same.

This year, Rich's boys were here for the actual Christmas celebrations and his daughter couldn't make it. We hope to see her in January sometime. Christmas was quiet and nice. No snow or even cold weather.

Holly and Ben will arrive on January 2nd for a whirlwind belated Christmas celebration. That will be round two!

In the meantime, here are some photos from our Christmas 2010:

Feather trying to find the squeaker in her reindeer toy.

My girls, Heidi and Chloe reluctantly posing- nevermind that the light stinks, I was lucky to get both of them smiling in one photo... lol

Rich's boys, Zach and Ben

 Molly getting in the middle of things- she was either under the tree or in a box

Rich trying out one of his new toys, an RC plane (they are apparently not as easy to fly as it looks!)

We didn't cook a turkey since Thanksgiving here was so late; we cooked a ham and a duck. A l'orange. A la Julia Child. Ahem.

NOT a good idea to cook a brand new dish on Christmas when you have company. Just sayin'.

It did turn out well, but I don't think it was worth all of the babysitting I had to do for it, nor was it worth the amount of stress it caused me over whether or not it would turn out! lol

Lesson learned.

The girls and I did the HUGE Thanksgiving cleanup, so we decided that the Christmas cleanup should be for the boys, and we hopped in the car to look at the neighborhood Christmas lights. Some of our neighbors really go all out- check it out!

There is another house that decorates every single square inch of their house and yard, and I took a little video. I will post it as soon as I figure out how to get it off of my camera!

As seen above, I got Rich an RC plane and here we are, out with the boys, trying to figure out how to fly it!

Lesson number one: Planes need a level place to take off from, and a bumpy lawn isn't it... So off we go from the park, over to the elementary school. 

Notice how we are dressed? Does this look like Boxing Day weather to you? Not to this Canadian girl, it doesn't! But I'll take it! 60F at the end of December is pretty nice, I have to say.

Rich got it going! Flew it around for a bit, and then landed it in the tennis courts next to the elementary school lot we were at. lol There were some nice people playing tennis that caught it and gave it back.

Lesson number two: controlling one of these things IS a lot harder than it looks!

But I think he likes it. YAY!

Christmas 2010, round one

Hello all! Hope you had a merry Christmas with your loved ones and are looking forward to a wonderful upcoming year.

This is our third Christmas here in Colorado. This year Rich and I held an Open House a week before Christmas to visit with our neighbors and co-workers and also to give the many workers who put our kitchen together an opportunity to come and see the completed job. We all enjoyed ourselves very much, and intend to make it a yearly thing.

Waiting for our guests to arrive 

Starting to put the food out 

The punch and goodies and other beverages

Rumaki and baked brie in the oven, sweet & sour meatballs on the stove top.

Let the festivities begin!

Stay tuned for more Christmas news!

Inspiring giveaway!

Hey- for a really inspiring woman to read about and follow (on her blog), why not go to:
http://cathybueti.blogspot.com/

Cathy wrote a book about her journey through breast cancer and is giving a signed copy away to one lucky winner!

I haven't read the book yet myself, but am looking forward to it- we women can always benefit from hearing that no matter how tough or impossible the road directly ahead seems, there is a way to get through it.

And while you are at it, if you like art, why not check out Cathy's art blog:
http://artsybutterfly.blogspot.com/

I love both of these sites, and I think you will too!

Halloween 2010

HALLOWEEN ART

Just had to show you the pumpkins that Chloe carved. There is an art to this- even if you are following a pattern!

The patterns were in an old folder; you tape it to the pumpkin and poke a bunch of holes around the design- then remove the paper pattern and set to cutting all the little pieces out.

It's weird- this child has very little patience for much, but for the past three years, pumpkins have commanded her full attention- and certainly command the attention of the adults taking their kids from door to door!

If you click on them, you can see a larger photo of them.

This is pumpkin number two- Heidi didn't want to carve hers, and Chloe didn't have a lot of time, so she chose an "easier" design... wouldn't have been easier for me, but compared to the first one she did this weekend, I guess it is easier...

Where does she get the patience?!?

I wouldn't even have considered it... and it even has a hanging spider.

She actually spent more time on these pumpkins than on her costume- because it isn't cool to have mom's help any more... but she was happy with how she dressed- and even more so because she was able to wear her footie pajamas underneath! lol

I had to cut her little friend off (she was dressed as a voodoo doll and looked great) because I don't publish other peoples' kids' photos without permission. You know.

Hope you all had a happy Halloween!