Sledding

We took Gavin sledding on Saturday. The day after Christmas (or sometimes Christmas Eve) is the traditional hunting and ice skating day for my family. The guys and some of the kids go grouse hunting and the girls and the rest of the kids go ice skating. This year it rained on Christmas, so it was too wet to go ice skating. Instead, we took advantage of the quick cool-down to go sledding on the slick snow. This was Gavin’s first experience in a sled. Let’s just say it’s not his favorite winter activity. In fact, although the kid LOVES to be outside, he does not like bundling up one bit. He doesn’t like the wind in his face and he doesn’t like being in a sled, whether it’s moving or not and whether he’s in my lap or on his own. He just doesn’t enjoy sledding. Perhaps if it were 35 degrees and he didn’t have to wear 10 layers, he may enjoy it more. I sure had a fun time though and when Gavin had had enough, his Auntie Kristin snuggled him up in our favorite soft blankie and watched the rest of us enjoy the snowy slope! Katie & Adam, Annabelle & Lindsay, Kristin and Nathan all braved the cold and snow with us for a fun afternoon of sledding (and teeter-tottering)!

The Magic and the Tree

Christmas is full of magic. You might call it spirit, faith, wonder, or sparkle. I call it magic. The wonder that fills children's eyes as they discover what Christmas means to them... the spirit that we all begin to feel as we drive through neighborhoods lit up with lights and hear the Christmas Carols hummed in quiet reflection... the faith that is renewed inside our souls as we stand in church united with our fellow Christians hearing the Christmas story that we've heard every year since we were born, and yet it brings tears to our eyes and a lump in our throats each time... the sparkle that seems to cover everything in sight - white snow crystals falling on evergreens, the sparkle in the eyes of grandparents seeing their grandchildren's joy, the tinsel twinkling on a Christmas tree, the glitter falling to the floor from the Christmas time crafts and hand-made ornaments. It's all magic. It transforms our hearts and our souls each year, if we let it.
Every year for as long as I can remember, I have had a real Christmas tree. I remember my Dad taking us as kids to a tree farm not too far from home to choose a tree. We tromped through the snow, searching for just the right one, one we could all agree on. I even remember going out to the woods behind our house and cutting a tree down from there. We were always planting new trees, and it was fun to watch them grow and wonder if they would some day be a Christmas tree. Cliff and I go to a tree farm not too far from our house now and choose our tree there. We love choosing our tree from Santa's Evergreens. The family who owns it are the sort of people you feel you could just sit down with and share a cup of coffee. We load the tree up on the car and take it home. The smell of an evergreen is magical to me. The way that the lights look through the branches is enchanting. There is just something magical about it. Last year, Gavin was only a couple of weeks old when we went to get our tree, so he stayed asleep, warm in the car, while we chose our tree. We were excited to bring him with us this year, to share the fun with him. But, when he fell asleep in the car shortly before we arrived at the tree farm, we decided it was best to let him sleep, so we chose the tree while he slept in the car, warm and comfortable.


He loved the tree and the ornaments. He would have climbed the ladder if we had let him, so he could hang the angel on the top, but it was too high. He sat on the floor, playing with the ornaments that we had hung within his reach, the ones he couldn't break and the ones we thought he would enjoy the most.

On Christmas morning, Gavin had a new Christmas Ornament in his stocking, an ornament of his very own. It was a small yellow bird, with jingle-bell feet and a red hat. He carefully picked up his new ornament by it's string and jingled it's little bell feet.
We both so enjoyed sharing the magic of Christmas with Gavin this year. We sat in our pajamas and admired the sparkling Christmas Tree, we read him books telling the stories of Christmas - Jesus in the Manger and the Christmas Star. We sang the Christmas Hymns in Church, surrounded by our fellow Christians, whispering the words to the hymns in his ear. We showed him the nativity scene, telling him what role each person and animal played. We showed him what it means to give, sharing gifts with family and friends who we love and appreciate. We spent time with people we love, taking in every moment, and holding on to it. We are so blessed to have the life that we have, the people that we love, and the magic of Christmas in our hearts. We think Gavin enjoyed the magic of Christmas too.

Christmas Blessings

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...from our home to yours

The Cookies

You may recall my Holiday post including the pile of ingredients for my Gingerbread cookies...

The cookies turned out just fine. In fact, they were tasty and soft and none of them were missing heads, arms, or legs! They were all decorated in white, which I don't usually do, but I love the uniformity of it. I especially love it when I have a whole tray full of them.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig

Gavin and I made it home from Kansas City safely and without too much wear and tear. We had a great time... aside from the terrible cold / flu he had while we were there. The poor little guy woke up Friday morning covered in sticky green snot. Yup, a face only his mother could love - and just in time for the big trip. I got him bathed, dressed, and cleaned up and headed for the airport. Of course I questioned if we should even be going. Would he be miserable all weekend? Did he need to see a doctor? In the end, I decided to go. Afterall, we were staying at my sister's house, a place with all the comforts of home. It's not like we'd be in a hotel or an RV. The flight went well (Pictures to come later). He didn't sleep on the plane like I thought he would, but he didn't cry either. The time on the plane isn't the part that got him, it was the fact that I pretty much woke him up and stuck him in the carseat for 45 minutes while we drove to my parents house, then switched cars and had him ride for another 35 minutes in the car, then put him in the stroller for an hour while we got checked in at the airport, made it through security, and made our way to our departure gate, WHICH WE BARELY MADE! We were the last two people to board the plane! Then, made him sit in my lap for an hour and a half while we were in the air. That was what did it. And even so, he was pretty good - just really antsy and wanted to get down off my lap and crawl around. The airline crew was great, moving me to the front of the plane and moving the person in the seat next to me to first class so that I had a little more elbow room. The flight attendants even offered to hold Gavin while I folded up the stroller and got seated. Normally, that wouldn't surprise me since he's such a cutie-pie but he was obviously covered in snot and that makes most people keep their distance! Part of the reason we didn't stay home was that I knew Gavin had already received his seasonal flu vaccination as well as the H1N1 vaccination. I already had H1N1 and Gavin didn't get it, so I was pretty sure he wasn't going to pass on some terrible sickness to anyone on the plane. We had new toys, snacks, and a bottle to keep him occupied. He fell asleep about 5 minutes before landing. Oh well!

We were pleasantly greeted curbside by Carrie and Katie, who had driven down from Minneapolis through the wee hours of the morning and arrived in perfect time to pick us up at the airport. After stopping for lunch, we headed to Kristin and Tim's house and took advantage of the time to nap!

By Friday evening, Gavin was miserable. He had a fever, red cheeks, hot head, cough, and green snot everywhere. He cried and fussed, and couldn't sleep. Katie and Carrie made a couple of runs to Target for infant Motrin, baby Vicks vaporub, and a thermometer. Kristin was by my side throughout the entire night helping me sooth Gavin when he woke up crying, making a bottle for him, giving more Motrin, and letting him rest his head on her to sleep. When I say she was by my side, I mean that quite literally. You see, Gavin and I slept in her room with her and Tim slept downstairs on an air mattress and then on the couch (after the air mattress deflated). So, Kristin didn't have a whole lot of choice in the matter! But she also didn't complain, not once! She was a perfect pillow for Gavin's snot-logged head and snuggled and kissed him just as if he wasn't all gooey and green.

By Saturday, Gavin already seemed to be on the mend and was a much happier baby. We enjoyed coffee in bed, went out to lunch, went shopping at Country Club Plaza, and had the nicest evening IN that I've had in a long time. We ordered Green Mill delivery, opened some wine, and sat by candle-light enjoying our delicious creamy pastas and wine and the company of best friends and sisters. After Gavin went to bed that night we all crawled into bed to watch a fantastic girl movie, Sex and the City.

Sunday morning was slow and relaxed. Coffee in bed, again. Bubbles for Gavin to play with. Sunshine coming in the windows. It was wonderful. Katie, Carrie, and Kristin were so helpful all weekend, loving and playing with Gavin, snuggling him and blowing bubbles for him. Gavin LOVED Kristin's new soft furry rug by her fireplace! It was his favorite place to be all weekend!

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We had a fun, easy-going, relaxing weekend. Kristin and Tim's home was warm and inviting. The time spent with good, old friends was overdue and irreplacable. Maybe we'll see Chicago next December!

Kansas

Gavin and I are headed out on a trip this weekend. We're flying to Kansas to visit my sister and hang out with some girlfriends! It's going to be so much fun. Normally, the four of us girls meet in Chicago for a weekend of shopping, dining out, relaxing in our hotel, and meandering up and down the beautifully lit and decorated magnificant mile (Michigan Ave) in the snow. It's a fun time of year and even more fun to dress up with your girlfriends and admire the beauty of the holiday season on Chicago's most famous shopping strip. This year, we opted to go to Kansas instead of Chicago. "Wichita, and the wheat fields of Kansas. Kansas City K is next to Kansas City MO. Chicago, Crossroads of America, Talahassee, Tuskaloosa, San Fransisco, Guadalupe!" Sorry about that. Everytime I think of Kansas, that song from grade school pops into my head. It's something that our grade school music teacher, Mr. McAlpine, had us sing. It's more of a chant than a song, but it sure is one that sticks with you!

So, this year we're going to Kansas for many reasons. I'm bringing Gavin this year and although the hotels we stay at in Chicago are very nice and very fancy... the city just isn't the best place for a 1-year old. Another reason is that my sister who used to live in Michigan - just three to four hours from Chicago, now lives in Kansas, so it's not as convenient to meet there, which used to sort of be the 3/4-way point between Mpls and her place in Michigan. It's also fun to just mix it up a bit and go somewhere else once in a while. I would bet that we'll be back in Chicago next year, but I sure am looking forward to the comfort of my sister's house this weekend. There's something less stressful about staying in her home rather than a hotel, having the candles lit and the coffee brewing. It is going to be so much fun. We have some shopping planned and maybe some ice skating, but mostly, we're really looking forward to the time to be together with a bottle of wine or cup of coffee and no place to be and nothing to get done.

I'll be sure to take some pictures of Gavin on the airplane for his very first flight! That is, if he's being a good little passenger! Say a little prayer for our safe and tear-free travels! I packed some munchies and some new, fun toys, so hopefully he'll be content and enjoy the flight!

Happy travels!