We Had Ourselves {A Merry Little Christmas}

It was filled with two little kiddos. One of which could hardly stand the count down to Christmas.

Who played non-stop with all his visiting relatives.

Who ripped open his presents.

Who experienced Christmas in such a way that made it all the more magical for the rest of us.

Our Christmas was filled with sugar cookies and chex mix.

And booze.

Lots and lots of booze.

 

 

We had someone in the kitchen who, with his sous chef (not pictured), whipped up beef stew with horseradish mashed potatoes and blueberry bread pudding (both now are tradition).

Gifts of dolls and toys. Books and movies. Games and clothing.

All gifts from the heart.

And more food.

There were stockings and greenery.

And more booze.

There was laughter and lounging.

Playing and visiting.

Bonding and more booze.

Ice cream in 10 degree weather (magnetic and SUCH a hit!)

Crowns and smiles.

Prayer and Thanks. Blessings and happiness.

In all this, not for one second -- not for a moment, did we take it for granted.

It was everything Merry, joyful ... and more. Much more.

Weekend Update

I have no idea how the weekend whirled by as fast as it did. But it did!

1. Friday Wayne came home from Seattle. That night I went to a Christmas party in my Mom's neighborhood. She has the funnest neighbors!

2. Saturday morning took engagement pictures of Andrea and Jake. Beautiful couple who were so fun to hang out with! Getting married in June. Makes me hug Wayne a little tighter. All together!

Awwwwww...

3. After pictures, went to Anne Be to watch my little sister try on wedding dresses!!! She looked gorgeous and amazing in most, but it wasn't until she put on a veil that I cried. The veil is not her at all, but it looked so ... so ... innocent and pure. She looked like love feels.

4. Chips and Guac with the girls after that.

5. Sunday I hosted a cookie exhange party. Everyone brought dough with baking instructions instead of baked cookies. Less to do for all of us, and brilliant because now we all have a freezer stocked full of cookies ready to be freshly baked in a moment's notice. LOVE this.

6. We drank this cocktail:

1 1/2 C. POM Juice
1 C. Pear Juice
1/4 C. Orange Liquor

Topped with champagne and finished with a cranberry cocktail garnish.

YUM.

7. We ate this dip from Melissa:

Cream Cheese
Green Chilies
Artichoke Hearts
Mayo
Parmesan Cheese

Bake at 400 until hot and bubbly.

AMAZING. I want to make it tonight. And lick the bowl! (And I HATE, LOATHE Mayo.)

8. We made mini sleighs out of candy (posted this idea last year).



Woke up this morning and realized I have some sort of ear infection. Guests will all be here tomorrow and I have no menu planned for the week. Nothing.

And there it goes.

XO

Val

A Message From Santa

If you haven't seen this, you REALLY need to check it out. Coolest ever. Thank you to all of you who sent the link to me. Caeden cannot stop smiling.

Let Santa send a message to the ones you love.

{ Happy Weekend To You }

How are you displaying your cards? I am totally doing this as soon as I can find some twine.

My Mom cut apart a real garland from Costco and put the boughs all over her front porch.

I'm thinking (if they have any left) I might staple some to my mantle (using plywood underneath).

Just mist with water daily to keep fresh.

How about these canvas'? How cute in a playroom or bedroom.

Use paper and modge podge for an easy DYI project.

 

Not for my Southern friends, but these colored ice blocks are genius.

Or, if you don't want to go to the trouble of the blocks, remember you can just use food coloring in misting bottles for loads of fun. Just don't eat the yellow snow.

All ideas, "how to," and photos were found here.

Last but not least. My favorite wreath "how to" idea ever. I wish I had found this 4 weeks ago!

This is the result from using a wire hanger (reshape as a circle) and stringing ornaments onto it.

Clever and beautiful. Found here.

Overload Paused.

I just read my favorite (non-friend/family) blog: Snapshots. (She was my photography teacher.)

How her blog entry today rang so true. She talks about expectations. The expectations she has of herself, of her children, and of her family. How she wants things to be Norman Rockwell and if they aren't, she is disappointed and irritated ... and defeated.

Some days I feel like that, too.

In fact, I have been like that most of my life.

Lately I have been going to the gym and getting back into running. The weight machines intimidate me, and as much as I KNOW I need to use them, I don't know how and I get flustered and self-conscious and just end up running. Anyway, it has helped me manage my expectations a bit better. And my stress.

Wayne was gone in Kansas City (which I am still jealous of), went to Vegas, and then spent the entire last week in Seattle. Not one time did the kids and I have a melt down. - Usually Caeden gets hungry, Claire gets tired, and I am stressed out at the exact same minute and all hell breaks loose. Usually me telling them (like they can understand) that, "Do you know how long it has been since I have taken a shower without someone interupting/needing me/having enough hot water because everyone else goes first?" Or, "Can't I just have 5 minutes without someone needing me? Just five??" -- Yes, I get stressed out and easily feel sorry for myself a week or two into parenting alone.


So anyway, all the while Wayne has been gone that has not happened once. Not one time have I felt overwhelemed or stressed out or too tired.

We've played, we've laughed, we've had a lot of fun together and I think it's all because I am exercising everyday. It's the thing I do for myself and it is making all the difference in the world! The kids are picking up on it, too. I am more "there" for them and funny how when that happens, they need me less (By 'they' I mean Caeden. Claire is a honey and needs me at all times. :)

My expectations are this: I will work out everyday.  I will not let the little things become the big things. I expect that everything will be OK.

I say this just as the holiday ramps up.

Talk to me next week when I am stressed out and wonder who this irritatingly optimistic and motivated woman who wrote this entry is.

P.S. The picture is a completely non-related. Thinking of this wall color for my dining room. What do you think?

Denver Engagement Photographer | Denver, CO In the Moment Photography | Valerie Koop Engagement and Family Photographer

Posting of many more engagement pictures can be found on my photography blog: peek at your moment

Congratulations Lindsay & Jordan!

... Let the wedding planning begin!

{She Said Yes}

Yesterday Jordan and Lindsay became more.

More than the sum of two years.

More than commitment.

More.

They became everything promises are made of.

The future.

Visions of family.

Of happily ever after.

She said Yes.

I have a million pictures to edit and post and I really want to tell the story. But it's not my story to tell (I did, however, document every little thing). I'll see if I can get them to write it. Maybe a "he said she said" piece. With more pictures. More everything.

Let me tell you this, there is nothing like seeing my little sister in love. Seeing her happy and swept off of her feet.

Nothing like it at all.


XOXO

Val

{Caeden's Christmas Program} 2009

Little Blessings Christmas Concert 2009

As Caeden and his classmates prepared for their concert, they walked in line down the aisle that was centered in the middle of the audience. We were lucky to score seats in the back middle section, so when the kids went by, I heard his teacher say, "Caeden, did you see them??"

I love how his shirt is untucked in the back. Especially after all the fussing I did getting him dressed.

I really love this picture because it shows him really getting into it. Such a change from last year when he refused to sing a single syllabl. This year he was really into it. My heart grew two sizes watching him tonight.

The sweet buttoneer is from my Mom. She pinned it on him tonight before we all came to the Church. He was the only one wearing one, and I really love the sweet gesture. The told her, "Oh, Mimi, it's the perfect gift!"

A Merry Christmas to Wayne and I a bit early.

It was the perfect gift.

Meet Finley

Meet Finn. He's our very own Christmas Elf sent from Santa to make sure Caeden (and Claire) belong on the "nice list" for Santa.

Every night after the kids are in bed, he zooms to the North Pole to report the day's happenings to Santa. Each morning when the kids wake up, Finley is in a new location - proof he was gone in the night.

Finn is magical in more ways than one. Having him around is an automatic guarantee that sharing, kind words, and sweetness ooze out of our son.

I wonder if Cupid, Easter Bunny, the Leprechaun ... have some one they can send too?

Elf on a Shelf found here.

{In the Details ... }

This morning I made a pot of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table to make my baking list. I was listening to the kids play in the living room, thinking it was nice to have them to myself this weekend (Wayne is in Vegas). After awhile, it got pretty quiet. I glanced up at the kids, and this is what I saw ...

Claire at the tree, touching ornaments that she knows she is not supposed to. Here she is looking over at me saying, "No, no?" Like, perhaps, I have changed my mind and now all ornaments are fine to man handle. I wasn't too concerned as the ones she can reach are the unbreakable ones I mentioned a couple of posts ago.

I think what she was really going for was the Golden retriever ornament (bought our first Christmas with Lucy Goosie). The head sort of bounces around and it never fails to make Claire laugh. That's when Caeden got in on the action.

 

"Mom, this is what I want Santa to bring me ..." - And there he is on number 3 (I told him Santa only brought a few things because he doesn't have room on his sleigh for everything).

Here's Caeden's favorite ornament. We got it when we visited Durango for our Polar Express ride. I think I love it as much as he does...

 Here's mine from Durango. Got it in a little boutique that smelled like vanilla. All the ornaments were vintage and lovely. My favorite kind of place ...

 

And as long as we're talking about ornaments, here is a sentimental favorite. A bell inscribed with the year Caeden was born. I never get tired of holding it (it is heavy and substantial. I love that.).

 

And this is the first ornament we ever purchased. The year was 1994 - the year we were married. I was really into Precious Moments stuff (have a hilarious story about my wedding topper: bought the "tan" version of the Precious Moments couple to sit on top of our cake. I thought it looked more like us because the girl had dark hair. Then I was told it was the African American version and the man looked nothing like Wayne.)

This is an old ornament as well. I love the glitter and the patina.

And here's Claire with another ornament. Knowing I was taking pictures of other things, she made her move. A cute move it was.

Have a wonderful weekend!

P.S.

Wayne may be in Vegas, but I am dreaming of Mexico!

Christmas Ornament Decorating ... Off the Tree.

 (Photo Credit: Country Living)

This is a similar idea to one I shared a while back with baby shoes (display the gradually increasing sizes of your child's shoes in a cute shadow box. Tag each shoe with the size and age of your child at the time).

Score a shadow box (always on sale at Michaels and Hobby Lobby) and adhere paper to the back (I use paper from the scrapbooking section). Use double sided tape to stick your favorite ornaments on top of the paper.

Wha-la!

Freebies: Christmas Links & Ideas

This year things are a bit tight for all of us. We're in a recession, our homes are worth less than ever, and our children want EVERYTHING (well, I speak for Caeden...). We did not experience job loss like so many did, but our year was full of health care related expenses. What I mean to say is, regardless of our individual situations this year - it has been a tough one for most.

That really doesn't stop me from wanting to give presents to those I care about and be crafty as much as possible, so what's a girl to do? Here are some thrifty ideas and links to get you started:

Free gift tags that you just print! Link to tons here.

Make the neatest holiday candles ever (super inexpensive!): Link to short video tutorial here.

And, a $5 coupon code for all the goodies you'll see on the House of 3 site.

(An aside, I made these candles a couple of years ago and instead of printing off graphics, I used stamps and ink and they turned out fabulous.)

(Photo credit Heidi Swapp)

Free downloadable Holiday Cards here (stylish - not el' cheapo).

Create a winter village craft with the kids with old cereal boxes here.

It's a bit late for the Advent Calendar, but Caeden and I are printing off this free one today and decorating it as his official "countdown to Christmas" visual.

Here are tons of felt craft ideas you don't want to miss: The Long Thread Blog.

And last, these are not free, but super cute. These ornaments are not breakable - making them perfect for the lower portion of the tree that was all but bare because of a certain baby named Claire. I love these! Curiosity of Land of Nod.

Tick Tock

 Caeden says a prayer before lunch and snack time at school. It goes a little something like this:

Tick Tock Tick Tock 

This is the way we Pray

We thank our Lord Jesus Christ

For our (dinner/meal/snack) today.

Amen!

Dinner time was fast last night - 

Wayne was at the store,  Caeden was "starving!" and Claire was tired.

So I was whipping up dinner and fixing plates without time to think about much. Except, I should have thought about prayer.

Claire starting praying and looked at me as she did it. It was like she was looking right through me. I know that might seem weird to hear, but honestly, it was like the Lord was talking to me through Claire. "Pray Val."

Claire is 18 months old. She has 1 tooth. She does not walk. She says things like, "Daddy, Round and Round (ceiling fan), bye bye ..."

And now she says, "Tick Tock, Tick Tock ..."

I get choked up even now when I think about how powerful it was.  It's all I have been thinking about. 

Behind the Scenes

(Here's a picture from that awful photoshoot when Claire broke her arm.)

So ... would you like the behind the scenes scoop on our fairy tale yesterday?

Of course you would!

Caeden started to get really sick as we were driving to Durango. He was complaining of a stomach ache and had a bad runny nose. For those of you at Nikki and John's wedding this summer - a lot like that (Caeden felt so horrible that he refused to walk down the aisle (he was the ring bearer) so I had to bribe him with cupcakes (well before the bride and groom got one) just to make it down the aisle. He then proceeded to throw himself across the alter (at the feet of the celebrated couple) and lay there until Grandpa and Grandma rescued him.).

We arrived at the hotel 7 hours later and fed him some medicine and put him to bed. He didn't protest. That's when I knew he was not feeling great.

The next day we had grand plans to discover Durango's cute downtown area, have lunch at a great place, maybe some light shopping for a Christmas ornament and a souvineer, but poor Caeden was out cold. 

Instead, we went to Wal-Mart and scored the Wii (thank you Cassie for the great tip!!). We played Super Mario Bros. while the kids slept the day away. (But, really, who am I kidding? I snuck out and shopped. Scored a CUTE ornament (little snow village inside a clear ball ornament) and a hat for Wayne (wanted to add to his mountain town collection).

That night was the train ride, and Caeden, all doped up on medicine, rose to the occasion and had a wonderful time. I didn't get the photos I had planned on or imagined, but Caeden was such a trooper and indulged me while feeling not so hot.

On the way home from Durango, we hit 3 snow storms. Not a big deal for snow lovers like us. Wayne is a great driver (although we did get pulled over on the way there for speeding - Claire got us out of it by flirting with the Police Officer. Bless her!) and usually handles snow with the best of them. 

But when it is white out conditions every time a car or truck meets us, and we are 11,000 feet up - staring at a cliff that drops off without railings most of the time - it was unnerving to say the least. We were on pins and needles going through the mountains and we so happy to emerge!

Half way through the drive home, Claire scored a full cup of ice water from her brother's cup holder and it spilled down her and her blankets. The water soaked her carseat and everything else. We pulled over to change her, couldn't find any clothes, and put her in Caeden's shirt. Fed her Oreos to keep her mind off of the wet seat (covered with a wet blanket) - so miserable!

How is that for reality?! 

We finally got home and, believe it or not, both of us could not wait to do it again next year. Totally worth it.

{ The Polar Express } Durango, Colorado 2009

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Caeden. Caeden loved the Polar Express and dreamed of riding on it one day.

His Mom and Dad planned a surprise trip to the Polar Express in hopes of adding an extra special touch to Caeden and his sister, Claire's, Christmas this year.

And so the adventure of Caeden and Claire's trip on the Polar Express began ...

The tickets were picked up at the crowded counter - golden and as true as the story - and Caeden held onto them tight.

 Dad surprised us all by springing for the First Class ride.

Caeden waited patiently for the Conductor to signal that it was time to board the train.

Claire just took it all in. "Where are we again?"

Caeden was interested in the details and asked questions like, "Where is the smoke stack? Will the light bulb burn out? Will the train slide on the ice?" 

Finally it was time to board the train. Our coach was named the Alamosa. 

As the train pulled away from the station, Caeden sat quietly and looked out his window, watching the lights and bustle of the station slowly fade behind him.

This is the point in the story that the lights on the train dimmed, and only the colorful glow of the candles on our table lit our coach. This is also where the narrator started to freak out that she did not bring a flash and could not take any more pictures ...


All of a sudden, a man in a white coat and hat appeared. He danced to some music, "Hot! Hot! We've got it!" and served us delicious hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles. 


Caeden continued to stare out the window in silence as he watched the city lights pass by.


Then the story of the Polar Express was read...


The story ended just as we pulled into the North Pole. We saw reindeer and elves from our windows. Just as we began to wonder where Santa was, he appeared in our coach!!


He talked with Caeden first, hugging him tight. "What do you want for Christmas," he asked? Caeden replied, "A Polar Express train and a REAL workbench. Oh, and a Big Foot monster truck..."


Santa looked at Caeden and smiled. "I will see what I can do, Caeden." And then Santa handed him a silver bell.


The look on Caeden's face was precious. Incredulously, he said, "Santa talked to me, Mom!"


The ride home from the North Pole was magical. The passengers sang Christmas carols and Caeden happily rang his silver bell to the beat of the songs. 

It was a magical, joyous trip full of memories that we'll treasure forever. And hopefully we'll be able to do it all over again next year.

We witnessed the joy of the season through Caeden's eyes this weekend. I wish it to be like this all season long...

Polar Express

Tomorrow morning we are headed to Durango, CO for the Polar Express train ride. Complete with new jammies for the kids, hot chocolate, and a visit to the North Pole to see Santa. Wayne put the entire trip together - using Marriot points for the hotel, booking the trip far in advance to get tickets (sells out quickly and early), and plotting our journey across Colorado's mountains for the first ever trip to Durango.

There will be lots of pictures. LOTS.

I leave you with a link to a new site I found that is amazingly appropriate with their gift suggestions. They break it down by age - gifts and stocking stuffers. Even if you don't order from them, it gives great ideas while bargain hunting locally. Shop Learning Toys.

Back on Monday with our Polar Express Trip update!

XO

Val