santa lucia - festival of lights

The festival of Santa Lucia begins before dawn, on December 13th, traditionally the longest night of the year. Throughout Sweden, the oldest daughter in each household comes to her sleeping parents, dressed in a long white gown tied with a red sash, and wearing a crown of lingonberry leaves and candles. In her hands she carries a tray of coffee and bread. The procession includes her sisters and brothers also dressed in white, holding lighted candles, and singing of the light and joy of Christmas. Awakened by the lights and the singing, the parents arise and eat the breakfast served, thus ushering in the Christmas season.

 After the Lucia portion of the program, they did traditional folk dancing!

hockey

now that we are minnesotans, i think hockey is going to become much more a part of our lives. i wish it were surfing or sunbathing but when in rome, right?! we went to our friends' son's high school game and he's not only the captain, he spends the most time in the penalty box. 
growing up, i actually went to quite a few LA kings games and loved luc robitaille. that was also when gretzky was the man. so i am a hockey fan, it just never crossed my mind that i would be considering signing my three year old up for this sport.

we asked natalie if she wanted to play hockey and she said yes.

then she said, "but i forgot to ask santa for skates." 

crack me up

natalie dressed her baby in a sock. what a great idea! personally, it looks super comfortable and like the perfect swaddle.

santa visit

on saturday we went to the 8th floor of macy's downtown for their display "a day in the life of an elf."

natalie was very excited to go see santa.

but when she saw him she got totally freaked out and froze.

wouldn't you if santa had those choppers?!

she had a really hard time smiling. she kind of looks like she's going to be sick. i can even see the discomfort in her legs. poor thing.

she asked for a kitty piano and a dora toothbrush.

it was sweet though, she did find comfort in feeling his white jacket trim. in the picture they santa's elf took, she has a firm grip on that part of his costume.

she loved writing him a letter.

and i loved watching her write it. too precious. her hands. adore.

she was very proud that she could stand the paper up all by itself.

and mail it!

a cookie from mrs. claus' bakery!

 

unfortunately the threats of santa watching to see if she's naughty or nice aren't working. she rolls her eyes (oh yes she can) and snickers at the idea that he can see her when he's not here.

i said he's magic! he sends elves! i can write him a letter!

"nah, mom. he doesn't know."

friday

i woke up bright and early to make this for MOPS. and i won for best brunch item!

when we got home from MOPS i was ready for bed. (yes, it was only 11:45). it was a glooooomy, chilly, snowy day and i decided it was a good reason to snuggle up in bed and read and relax.
but who was i kidding that that was going to happen?!

natalie wanted to have a fashion party (not a fashion show). i guess she got the hint that i wanted to opt out because she told me i wasn't "uh-vited. only her babies could come." she took every article of clothing out of her dresser and changed her clothes and pajamas multiple times.

even though i wasn't uhvited she was back in my room every half second asking me something. i asked her how many times i was going to have to get up and she said, "only eleven times."

also, she was listening to garth brooks christmas on the cd player in her room. yesssss!

at one point she came in and told me i had a five minute warning. not sure for what though.

p.s. her shirt ain't lyin'.

aunt courtney and uncle john sent her this cute outfit. i love that she paired it with tennis shoes. total runner's body. adorable. she climbed up in the window herself. i let her stay for the picture but it was totally freaking me out so i made her get down. melt down ensued.

look at that face. does it look like someone who wants to be told what to do?!

moving on to the next mess activity: umbrella was retrieved from hall closet. costco bag of rice chips evenly distributed into her bowls and set out for a picnic. the rest of the bag ripped the entire length of the bag and had to be stored in a new bag.

in the end, tinsley was the only one who got to relax.

i read zero pages.

p.p.s. i'm finally reading the girl with the dragon tattoo.

this is a mild picture of where the finger paint was applied. time for her second bath of the day!

and pretty much that's what happens when you try to get in bed during the day!

class picture

sorry, but, TOO CUTE!

i love this list from dave ramsey

What would your holiday season be like if you didn't focus so much on the gifts you get, and instead focused on the gifts you give?

This year, Dave is challenging all of us to give like no one else. So what does that mean? It means you need to get out of your comfort zone, think outside the box, and find ways to bless others. Whether you give some money to help a needy family with bills or give your time and energy to a shut-in, there are plenty of ways you can give like no else this Christmas.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Buy several winter jackets at a discount retail store and deliver them to the homeless in your community.
2. Pay the power bill for a family who is struggling financially.
3. Purchase a restaurant gift card for a young couple who are new parents, and offer to babysit their kiddo for free.
4. When checking out at the grocery store, hand the cashier some cash and tell her you want to pay for a needy family's groceries.
5. Take a single mom on a Christmas shopping spree for her kids.
6. Clean the home of a shut-in and cook for them. Stay and chat with them over dinner.
7. Bless your pastor with a Christmas bonus.
8. Call your church and ask them if they know a family in need of gifts this year. Then, purchase a gift for each family member and drop it off at their doorstep on Christmas Eve.
9. Shovel snow, rake leaves, or pick weeds for an elderly couple in or near your neighborhood.
10. Next time you fill up your gas tank, give the clerk $50 and tell him you want to pay for someone else's gas bill.

Quote of the Month

When you give, you are getting maximum horsepower out of your personal design. —Dave Ramsey 

gwu stick

natalie loves gwu (glue) sticks. it was one of her favorite birthday presents.

they don't last long at our house though.

here is how most of them end up: pushed all the way up, pulled out and smeared on hands.

FUN! for a three year old.

take a moment to be santa claus!

Its Holiday season - the lights are on the trees, holiday songs are on the radio, snow is on the ground (in Denver, at least). In the office, HALO elves have been preparing our gift catalog that represents holiday gifts for the children we support along with around the year needs.

One would think its Christmas morning every day at HALO homes. The excitement and gratitude at the dinner table, the art table, or on a walk to school overwhelms visitors with a powerful warmth that makes the heart feel like it has grown a few sizes.

It is the season of giving. At HALO that means giving a brighter future to children in need.  It means giving a family's love to children who have no parents to wake up to each morning. Join us in making this holiday special for a HALO child.  Click here to step into Santa's shoes by flipping through the HALO gift catalog and selecting a gift in honor of someone you love.  Go ahead, be Santa for a day...

thanksgiving

this year we went out to eat at figlio's on the plaza.

my plate (no turkey!)

it was a huge buffet and they had the full thanksgiving spread including prime rib, ham and turkey. also, lots of italian sides. they had a seafood station with shrimp, salmon and tilapia. a breakfast station. and a fruit and salad station that was a whole spread in itself. and of course a full dessert table.

JR's plate

asa got pizza, shrimp and cheese.

and had seconds of the shrimp!

my dessert plate: cheesecake, apple crisp, molten chocolate cake and a HUGE chocolate covered strawberry.

no pumpkin pie for me!

she is her mother's daughter:

alister ate his whole piece of pumpkin pie!

although not in one bite as the picture suggests!

asa, natalie and silas had so much fun together!

we love our annual visit with the scheffler family!

every time she comes, granny wears a locket that has natalie's baby picture in it. natalie loves looking at it.

i adore seeing the two of them together!

that evening we went to the gallery for cookies and hot chocolate.
and a warm place to wait for the plaza lighting ceremony!

my brother brian and his adorable kiddos!

there is a countdown and then they flip the switch to turn all the lights on. it is so beautiful and festive!

then fireworks!

too loud for the little girls though.

then back inside for more playing.

sometimes when we get bogged down with the daily stressors, it's hard to remember that there really is so much to be thankful for. i'm thankful that our country and culture takes a day to remember those things.

natalie made a turkey at school that said she is thankful for her dog.