Nutty Fetish

I love the Nutcracker, the story and yes, the ballet. I used to "ice skate" around my kitchen in my socks to the Nutcracker music when I was a girl. I still LOVE the music! I started collecting nutcrackers when Kelly and I won a table full of these guys at a company Christmas party. Then, when I took Bailey to her first production of the Nutcracker Ballet, I picked up another and then never stopped! My favorite is my Scottish bagpiper which was last year's pick. This year I got a fisherman for Kelly (one of his favorite hobbies). I love to find a nutcracker with meaning to one of us every year! (A pirate for the boys, a baker for me...etc.) It is a fun collection-bright and colorful and the kids love to look at them!

As Burl Ives would say, "It was the storm of storms!"

Yes, we got dumped on up here in the mountains yesterday. I thought I'd post some pictures of our "marshmallow" world for all you who felt jipped by the storm. Eight new, gnarly tires later, Kelly and I dream of our life in CA...no snow, no ski coats, gloves, boots...ahhh those were the days! BUT, (yes but), the kids just LOVE the snow and it is cozy...until Jan.1st.!

tradition

fresh tree

cookie making

days of christmas

seeing the lights

pageant

singing silent night in German

musical instruments...

christmas plays

movie night

secret elves

sledding, skiing, iceskating, snowman making, angels in the snow

fires in the fireplace

sneaking, whispering, tee heeing

stories-candle in the forest, luke

king's cake and stollen for breakfast

hot cocoa mania

games

pj's, soft and new

cookies for santa

eggnog milkshakes on christmas eve

white elephant party with the adults...laughs!!!

candle light

rockin around the christmas tree

listening for santa

visiting, caroling, hugging

children decorating their own trees

cranberry salad

mistletoe or no mistletoe, kissing is mandatory!

Mom, this guy scares me!

Last night Sam told me he had to tell me something. It seemed like it was hard for him to say what he wanted to say. He ran and got this "guy" and brought him to me and then told me that he was scared and couldn't go to sleep. See, Sam and Noah put this ornament on their Christmas tree in their room. It sits by Sam's bed. He said it was staring at him all night and he wanted it removed from his room! So I did. Story about this ornament: It was a big laugh at our ornament exchange party 2 years ago! I was "lucky" enough to win him! This is the kind of ornament from my childhood so it's now "vintage" and therefore-cool! He is bendable so at the ornament exchange party everyone was making him do crazy poses. Anyway, Sam is now happy and sleeping well and I just had to LAUGH!

Remembering

I have to admit, I was not overly excited to get out all the decor for Christmas, rummage through boxes, sift through old, tacky items that should have been thrown out long ago. No, I was sort of going through the motions for the kid's sake. But, then I found a few things that made me smile and I let myself get swept into the "spirit of Christmas". I wish I knew how to capture all the things that made Christmas so magical for me as a child! Christmas holds a special place in my heart. I grew up not having all the luxuries that so many kids had then. I felt like my parents did a darn good job making us feel like we didn't go without. They had 10 children to raise and my mom was a stay at home mom. We lived in an old turn of the century Victorian 5 miles out of town in the heart of grape vineyards. As a young girl, I thought it was a dreamy house. It did have amazing details that were both historic and beautiful! It did however have it's quirkiness. (We rented this house on a ranch for 25 plus years). At Christmas time our house was transformed! It was literally the most gorgeous house I had seen! My mom was a talented decorator/seamstress/make something out of nothing/most creative women ever! Our house had two fireplaces in the front two formal rooms. This and a wood stove were our only heat sources. At Christmas time those fireplaces were constantly lit, warming our cold house, and warming a child's heart! My parents worked as a team to hand make toys, paint, sow, and literally surprise us with unique, cherished gifts! I think to this day we children talk and reminisce about these presents of pure sacrifice that showed how they loved to create and loved us enough to take the time to do it! One gift was a little doll house with old fashioned clothespin dolls. My dad could build anything and he was a sign painter/artist. My mom would sow and paint. I feel like this magic they created has stayed with me through the memories I hold dear. Every Christmas we were always amazed at what Santa brought, the amount of gifts under the tree (my parents waited until Christmas Eve to wrap and set out gifts), the amazing food, and the feeling that we felt in our home! My parents helped us see what Christmas was all about by encouraging giving between us as siblings, kind deeds, visiting the widowed, and our family Nativity Pageant. So, as I dig through the tackiness, I have to remember that the kids don't see it that way. These are their memories and items to cherish. I didn't make them anything with my own hands like my mom and dad but I can cook and I did make photo books for each child so that will suffice for now. Maybe I'll come up with something else that will not be bought from a store. It is fun to sit here and envision myself back at our home in the country...10 kids...a Christmas tree...and 20 big eyes full of wonder!!! Ah, remember!

A Cup of Tea

I have a new favorite drink. This is definitely an acquired taste that happened this fall. TEA! Not just any tea. Some aren't very tasty. The Lemon Zinger with honey is my favorite. I drink a cup morning and night. I love how warm and relaxed it makes me feel! I asked Santa to buy me some pretty little tea cups for Christmas. Maybe something like this above photo! Also, I just learned about loose leaves and an infuser....Santa are you listening? Teavana, here I come!

an afternoon at the farm

This is only our 2nd time to Wheeler Farm, 1st time as a family. I love it! So fun for pictures! Sam is sad in this last shot because he got a sliver. The kids ran around laughing and playing the entire time until they realized they were popsicles! I want to go back for the lights!!!