Holidays

I know - it's February!
Well, I'd still like to tell you about our holidays because we had so much fun this year with Penny and being home for a few weeks. 

P saw all her grandparents and was of course, spoiled rotten as any little one should be on their first Christmas!

Before we made the trip home we had a small Christmas at home with our felt tree and lots of wrapping paper!

Penelope loves jingles bells and got so excited when they were ringing.  She couldn't contain herself.

Some of the gifts this year included matching strawberry hats for P and me, fun stuffed toys, books, and if you look further down you'll see Gorman, a puppet animal that Nolan gave Penny for story time.

I made cookies this year when Nolan and Penny left for NV.  Shortbread snowmen, salt carmels, and my mom's famous espresso logs! Because of school, I stayed behind while Nolan and Penny flew to NV.  I was on my own for a whole 4 days and didn't sit to enjoy it much as I cooked/baked/cleaned my 4 days away.


When I arrived in Nevada, Nolan's family had a fun holiday party to Christen their new home in Sparks.  They'll be so close when we finally make our way home this year.

 Lots of gifts

Packing all the essentials

 I flew into the sunset!

 Penny and Grandpa Terry

 We were lucky enough to spend some time with my brother and his wife, Alicia who just had a little girl in October.  It was a joy to see the two cousins together!

 My Dad's side of the family!

In Las Vegas we visited Nolan's family who had 2 polar bears mounted and a gigantic great dane who LOVED Penny!

 

 

 Finishing the Holidays with some fun sparklers and our new little girls!

The Elf on the Shelf

I so wish this would have been a part of my childhood!  I am extremely jealous of all those kids out there that are experiencing this Christmas Magic!

 

If you’re unfamiliar with Elf on the Shelf – please view this video on their website.  You can find the Elf at Target or online – which is shipped from “The North Pole!”  How cool is that!?  When you give your elf a name, his/her magic is “activated” so he/she can report back to Santa during the night.  The fun comes when the children find the elf in a different spot every morning because maybe your elf spend the night ice skating in the freezer or had a snowball fight with your other holiday figurines!

Here are some fun photos I’ve seen recently, that make me so excited to share this Elf Magic with our children.

 

Who knew the elf could be naughty! haha

 

 

 

 

This one is so stinkin' cute - please view here for this one: Magic Elf Seeds!

Where the kids are instructed by Santa to plant "magic seeds" aka: cookie decorations in sugar before bed and wake up to cookies that "grew" overnight!

Holidays

I've discovered a whole new excitement for the holidays this year.

My smiles are bigger this year as I experience the holidays this year from a baby's view.  Penny is now noticing her surroundings more, today as we waited to cross the street she was tacking the cars as they flew past her.  If you didn't know better, she may have been watching a tennis match! With every new sight and sound my insides brighten with delight as I watch her learn what it is to be a part of our family.  She really is amazing to watch.

In Michael's this weekend, she was overjoyed with Jingle Bells!

This year, my younger brother will be joining me for Thanksgiving.  As for Christmas - we're heading WEST!!!!  Yes, we were ecstatic with the thoughtful gift from Nolan's parents to be able to spend Christmas and the New Year in Nevada with our family.

Visiting Nevada Part 2 - 7.4.11

After we left Southern Nevada we headed to Mill Creek, CA.  Nolan's family owns a cabin up in the mountains and we headed straight up there from the airport.  My dad picked us up and also enjoyed a night in the mountains!
Straight away, Penelope was a pretty HOT commodity! Grandpas, Grandma, and Bob were the first to get their paws on her!

 

That weekend we enjoyed the lake, 4th of July Parade, and lots and lots of food and drinks!!!!

Visitees and Visitors!

The last couple weekends Nolan and I have enjoyed visiting friends in Colorado and I hosted the fourth of July for a couple of my rugby friends!  Be prepared for LOTS of photos!  :)

Colorado was amazing!  Nolan had never been and I had only been there a few times but never in the summer.  We loved the weather - hot and DRY!  What a contrast to our typical humid days in Chicago.  We spent 3 days visiting with my Great Aunt and Uncle on Friday and exploring the Denver area with my friends, Rachel and Matt - you might remember her face as my MAID OF HONOR!

Here are a few photos!

Denver - a view from my uncle's home

Uncle Clint (my maternal grandmother's younger brother), Aunt Pat, Camille, Nolan

Brewfest in Ft. Collins

 All empty!

 BBQ time!  Yum!

 Large rocks to climb!

 Someone was envious of Rach's technique!

 Matt and Rach

This is why Rach is so BUFF!  :)

 Nolan trying his hand at it!

Cory making sure I didn't fall!

 We miss the mountains!

 The mountain we climbed!

 The clan we spent the day with

Tricia - Rach - Nolan

Camille - Cory - Matt

 My turn!

We had an unbelievable time!  We just went with the flow and let the weekend transpire.  It turned out to be a funfilled weekend meeting lots of good people!

Last weekend was the fourth of July!  I had three very special visitors!  Kerrie, Shorty (Christine), and Aubrey - sometimes I forget to tell people Shorty's real name when I introduce her - so I tried really hard this last visit to be conscious of it! She's still just Shorty to me!

Kerrie and Aubs came into town Thursday and we had a low key night - Pho and drinks!

Friday we went to the Taste of Chicago - ate lots of food and ended at Plymoth lookin over part of the city.

We went to Second City on Friday night - finally all the girls were in town!  Oddly enough we called it a night fairly early - at 11pm, although it wasn't a trend for the entire weekend!

The next day, Saturday we went to a Cubs game!  They won - I swear I've yet to be to a game when they've lost!  I swear I am good luck! 

Enjoying some beer and singing the 7th Inning Stretch!

 A cubs game wouldn't be right without a stop to Ian's Pizza - home of the baked potato pizza and steak and fries pizza!  Kerrie wasn't kidding when she said for me to break out my Thanksgiving pants for this trip!  Yikes!

That night we went to Greek food and then out to a club I'd never heard of but it fit us so well!  The Hangge-Uppe is a dive bar/club with 2 floors; one floor with 90's music, the other 80's music - we stayed on the 80's floor where the boys were screamming songs from Grease as we walked in at midnight!

The reason she's called Shorty!

Waiting for the train - heading downtown.

Drinking and Dancing!

Leaving at 5AM!  "Hello college!"

Cleaning our plates since Angela's was closed!

That would be the sunrise! 

 Nothing better than walking home with all the girls you went out with!  Love it!

  Sunday, 7/4, we got up to see a Chicago Movie Tour - that was by all means - mediocre.  We returned to my apartment and we slept A LOT.  That night we made an awesome dinner and attempted to see the fireworks, but were kicked out of the cab - he was a grouch!  So we went to Galway Bay, a favorite bar of mine.  It's a basement bar known for its darts, video games, and $1.50 PBRs!  Delightful!

 Everyone enjoyed their 4th!  Gradually the girls left, 2 Monday, 1 Tuesday and I slowly returned to a regular schedule!  

Next up- Dad visits this week when we'll take a trip to Southern Illinois, see a Cubs game and have a great time!