Visiting Santa

We went and visited Santa at the library.  For the first time it was just me, Dane, and Eve (well.... Megan went and hour early for us to save our place in line, but once we got there she left.)

Eve really wanted to ask Santa a question. 

Cute Dane.  

Cute Eve.

 

Giving Machine BEST BIRTHDAY GIFT EVER!

My birthday was a Saturday and we didn't have much going on during the day.  On days like this I usually have MILLIONS of ideas of things I want to do with the family.  So many ideas that I usually don't do any of them.  Jason was sweet enough to listen to my list and then help me make a plan of what made sense.  We ended up getting a babysitter for Dane and Eve (they were still sick) and we took the older kids down town to check out the giving machines and do some Christmas shopping in the mall.

It was a great evening.  Really low key and fast, but really fun.  I genuinely love hanging out with them.  It was a perfect way to spend my birthday (then we dropped them off at home, they put Dane and Eve to bed and Jason took me to PF Changs.  

This is us at the mall

And THIS was the best birthday present.  They were just standing like this.  I had to sneak the picture because they would have stopped or been embarrassed if they would have seen me take it.  LOVE it!!

And the Christmas market

Buying stuff at the giving machines

And of course a picture

 

Dane turns 5

Some how I got out of order on my posts.  Dane's birthday is before mine.  Dane has been planning a Spiderman birthday party for a few month.  The hard thing about this birthday party is that it wasn't practical.  Dane doesn't have very many friends who are home during the day or are his age.  His guest list included cousins far away, teenagers (his siblings friends), and random neighborhood boys we have never met.  As his birthday approached and he had to make some choices he drastically changed his mind and didn't really want a party.  Well... on the day of his birthday we were having a playdate at a friends house and Dane decided he wanted to bring spiderman cupcakes to the playdate.  So that is what we did.  

Then that night I made a spiderman cake for his family party.

He ended up loving his spiderman family party.

He got spider man legos

a long waited for spiderman back pack

And a new "miles" spider man costume

From grandma he got these gloves and web shooters.  I love having super heros in my home. 

Jason taught him how to put his legos together.

 

Ward Christmas Party

We had a great ward Christmas party this year.  Everyone wore jammies, the kids sang, we are breakfast and a hot chocolate bar.  We have great ward party planners.   Jason couldn't come, his class was taking finals that night - so it was just me and the kids. 

Thea Olson, Dane, Eve, and Calvin

Kate Prusse, Sky Ahlstrom, Kinsey and Titus Neilsen, and Marshall Rothy

Ace and Megan

Eve loves Mae Olson.  She is 10 and Eve ALWAYS wants to be with her.  

David, Riley, Boston, and Noah

We have this really cool band called "Zach and the Mid Life Crisis" in our ward. Zach Rothy is this cool 20 something in the ward who sings and plays bass guitar.  Then Brian Neyenhuis and John Ricks who are 40 somthings play and sing back-up.  They usually have another man that used to live in our ward, but he couldn't come so they got Cameron to fill in.  It was pretty cool.

Many of the Young women.  Liesel, Afton, Ace, Adely, Andelin, Maddie, Claire, Sophia, and Megan

I couldn't find Brock the entire party, I actually almost thought he took the car and left and he was about to be in big trouble.  Turns out he was in the kitchen the whole time cooking the pancakes.  Good boy.

I convinced my kids to take pictures at the photo booth.  They are SO SO SO SWEET to appease me.  I love them!  (my kids AND the pictures!)

 

My Birthday

I turned 39 this year.  It is easy to get lost and forget about my birthday.  I always know it is "coming up", but am usually surprised when it gets here.  As all December birthday people know, it gets swallowed up in Thanksgiving and Christmas - which I have never minded.  And while the people in my life go to great lengths to make it special as my family has grown and grown up December takes an unimaginable amount of a mental load - so to even think about my birthday seems like too much work.  But one day I was standing outside of Active Athletics after taking Dane and Eve to open gym talking with my friend, Megan, while I kids played on the grass.  She said, "hey, your birthday is coming up, would you want to have a nice brunch at my house?  I love hosting things and we can invite some  women over?"  I can't remember what was going on in my life to elicit this reaction, but I started to cry.   She felt so bad for me.  I told her I was as surprised as she was at my reaction.  But the thought of sitting around a beautiful christmas table with my closest friends eating yummy food was just the thing my tired, mommy heart needed.  It reminded me that every christmas my mom and the women on her side of that family do this for lunch and it was one of my most favorite Christmas traditions and that I hadn't been in 10 years, and I will likely never go again. 

Her table was absolutely beautiful.  I love and appreciate people who know how to make things beautiful.  It is a talent I do not have, but one I so appreciate in others.

The good was yummy and the company was perfect.  I am so grateful to Megan for hosting.

I am also grateful to the women who came.  I have good friends here in Colorado who I love and I know love me. below:  Leslie, Mandy, Lara, Whitney, Me, Marisa (above is Megan, who hosted, and her baby Jane.)

THEN, my sweet, amazing, wonderful, handsome, generous, husband took me to my most favorite place to do my most favorite thing: spend 200 dollars at PF Changs ALL FOR ME!!!!  I am not kidding.  I order everything I want.  I eat one serving of everything, and then I pack it all up and eat it for lunches over the next week.  I am just looking at this picture over and over again and getting hungrier and hungrier.  I think Chinese food is my love language.  

THEN.... as if spending 200 dollars on dinner for me isn't enough!  We have a WHOLE DAY celebration of me where Jason does everything!  He does all the parenting, cooking, cleaning, and child care.  For breakfast he made German pancakes (usually french toast bake, but i was in the mood for something different) then for dinner the most amazing salmon you have ever eaten and asphalt pie for dessert.  

My kids gave me really thoughtful gifts this year.  

I have really come to want my children to buy me gifts.  Years ago I would have thought that was self centered or something but I want to know that they took some time to really think about me and what I would love.  They did a great job this year!

And the man who makes it ALL possible.  

39 has been a pretty good year.  I can't believe I am almost 40.  I don't feel at all what I think 40 should feel like.