hAppY New YeaR!

the last piece...

of chocolate cake... SOMEBODY had to do it!

hELP... I feel like the girl that turned into a big blueberry on Willy Wonka...
except a big chunk-a-monk of chocolate!

ice... strikes... slices... lights

ICE... all the snow is MELTING!  At least where we are! 
I have nearly busted my butt a few times slipping around on it... really!
ohhhh... that wouldn't be pretty!  

I do like the way it makes the mountains look though... speckled with snow!

 

Lots of this in our home this week!  thanks Santa... the Wii has been too fun...
and i was able to get enough STRIKES to WIN the other night in bowling... against hubby! 
Oh yes i did! 
He DID kick my butt in tennis though!

 
Lots of this too!
cranberry mulling spices... apple SLICES... red wine... simmered to perfection!

AND
on a side note... 
i just know my house is somewhere underneath all this mess!
Between the pine needles... dust bunnies... laundry piles... new toy parts...
I don't even know where to begin!
Tackling it one thing at a time i suppose! 
Thank goodness for my MIL... she has been like a magical fairy & friend all in one! 
We can sip on mulled wine & sort laundry like champs!

and LIGHTS... here i come!
Any guesses where i am headed two days from now?

bits & tidbits

of our Christmas.
Thank goodness EVERYONE made it! 
It was seriously a planes... trains... and automobiles... kind of show!

 
getting a TRUE taste of what it's like to LIVE where it SNOWS! 

 
we had birthdays to celebrate... Todd & Toby on Christmas Eve!

the FIRST year that WE were the ones being woken up...
Campbell was up every hour from 3am on... asking grandma... "is it time yet?"
then we waited on the men to get up

the breakfast was "nibble on... finger tip" kind

the sun wasn't even up yet... but were eager & began our day at quarter of six

the dark outside made the tree's glow even more special

it was JUST right...

 

all their SMILES...

even THOSE faces

ALL their gifts... every single one of them... were a big HIT

the dinner table was set...

the candles were lit...

grandma & i were quite the team in the kitchen... EVERYTHING was put out HOT & YUMMY

after a long day... THIS was enjoyed with THE best company EVER

 
we had to say goodbye to Toby... the French Alps are calling his name for New Years!  Poor guy!

This Christmas has been VERY special!
Sure... the gifts have been GREAT...
the snow SO pretty...
the food... OH MY REAR...
BUT having family near is what makes it all so REAL... all so DEAR!
Like Todd said before our Christmas meal...
"Thank you Lord for your SON... the ultimate GIFT... the REASON for it ALL"...
because of HIM... and only HIM... we are truly BLESSED!

I hope your Christmas was deep down good for you too!

wishing you a ChRisTmAs eVe FULL of JOY!

cancelled...

granma's (MIL) flight was CANCELLED! 
The words no body wants to hear!
stuck!
WEATHER... you NEVER know what you'll get!
I suppose that's what happens when LOADS of snow fall!
She stayed the night in Denver & is currently playing the stand-by game...
things do not look good! 
oh... i pray she gets an early flight... well... that she GETS a flight!
she WILL!  she WILL!
i pray for ALL the people that are STUCK... there are SO many!

All i know... tweedle dee & dum are having a TIME...
over two feet of new snow fell last night in Aspen... and MORE is expected!
Like two kids in a candy store... eating it up BIG time!
They better not see TOO much new snow though... then THEY will be STUCK too! 
oh gosh...

Here "in the valley" we don't see a lot of snow... but we got four new inches!

 

gleeeeeeee

and speaking of candy store... eating it up

the good kind... dry... fancy... fluffy... flakes

 
she could stay out there ALL day

do your kids eat it too?

i am SO going to do this

this one here... NOT properly dressed... YA THINK... but SO cute & SO happy!


Looks like we will be having a WHITE Christmas too...  more snow is coming!

I STILL have to battle the grocery store & Sams!
Good golly... please tell me one of you out there STILL has to go too!
That would make me feel so much better! :)
Thinking of you ALL today... hoping your day is bright & "fluffy" too! 
I am just starting to hope I have my family HERE!

like in the movie dumb & dumber

While the boys... tweedle dee & tweedle dum... my hubby & his brother... are here...
SOMEBODY had to stay behind...
take care of business and to get their mother from the airport...
and that somebody would be ME!
YES... i am feeling a tidge like... HELLOOOOOO... what is wrong with this picture?
MEN!
They do not GET all that has to get done!
Do santa's elves also do
all the grocery shopping...
all the laundry...
all the cleaning...
all the wrapping...
all the dinner planning...
all the cooking...
all the child care...
oh wait... i AM the elf!

SURE... i would've loved to have gone...  
and yes... he DID ask me to go... HOW that would have happened... i don't know!
don't get me wrong...
i feel lucky to be here with my little girlies... i AM 
and am SO super happy my mother-in-law is arriving... she is THE BEST... SO fun to have here...
i am in a safe... warm... home...
i just wonder sometimes just WHAT in the WORLD!
You enjoy yourself in Aspen while i stay behind & take care of EVERYTHING else!
See you Christmas eve!
hmmmmmm...
Okay...
let me get off my pity-party soap box! 
WOW... that was a BIG Borax soap... kind of box!
 
We ARE enjoying a slow paced day here at home!
One of those simple kind of days!
One of those days... to be honest... i SO needed!

Has your day been a relaxed one too?
  
 

 

   
  I may not be on a fluffy freshly fallen snow covered mountain right now...
but i get to get loads of sugar from two cute little angels! 

Now... i'm off to go find those little snow angels!

do i cry or scream...

that's how i felt yesterday!
SO excited about baking those darn molasses... i mean gingersnap cookies!
When my sister makes them... you (meaning i) just can't eat enough!
WELL... i guess living at 4700 feet does have it's kinks!
The cookies were a COMPLETE disaster!
not even sort of... really BAD!
I tried over & over again trying to get the mix... oven temp... time... right...
no such luck for this "NOT BAKER"!
I had already made enough batter for about 20 dozen cookies!
DOWN THE SINK!
my lid was about to flip AGAIN!
the house sure smelled good BUT i needed those cookies!

After breathing... calling my mama... i decide to head out... see what i could find!
Funny how you can get SO into something... it SEEMS more important than it really IS! 

So instead of cookies... it's Hershey's Hugs cocoa to accompany gifts!

Last night after all the cookie chaos...
i lit some of our smokers...
addressed Christmas cards... 
and did some more wrapping!

  

Here we are...
it's the last Friday before Christmas!
There are still many things (okay... a ton) that need get done...
but as the day gets closer...
and it CAN seem to get even MORE chaotic...
i decided to add mini marshmallows to my coffee this morning...
OH YES I DID... 
it will help me remember...
HAVE SOME FUN...
ENJOY...
this is a VERY special time of year!

oh... the LITTLE things... may we be able to SEE them...
and stop for a second to really FEEL their goodness too!

molasses...

i was missing molasses!
uh... i don't think you can make GOOD gingerbread cookies without it!
So... i switched from making cookies to doing a bit of wrapping!
 

   

All i know... it is CRUNCH time...
BIG... organic... coconut... granola kind!
No going back now!

I've dropped off one girly...
the other girly & i went to get the MOLASSES 
and grab a latte & hot cocoa to go... of course...
the roads were BRIGHT WHITE... fresh snow is FALLING from the sky!

WE will be hunkered down INSIDE today... baking those cookies...
and tackling the gazillion other things that are wanting attention too! 

Here's to a hairy wild day... YES... you know it WILL be...
i will admit... i have already flipped my lid once...
BREATHE...
focus on the REASON... everything else is just FLUFF!

book thong things & a hint!

  

First & foremost... i am wondering if i can get coffee by funnel this morning!
a BIG... direct... funnel straight to my mouth!
sheesh... 
are we tired or what!

Today... lil bit (my trusty sidekick) & i will be baking... i MUST have lost my mind...
i am NOT a "baker"... cook... anything of that sort!
But yummy... soft... gingersnap cookies MUST be made!
My sister's recipe... they knock my socks off!

This year teachers will be getting those knock your socks off cookies...
those neat (i think) book thing things i made... and Barnes & Noble gift cards!
All i know... i LOVE book stores... could bathe there... hoping they do too! 

I got a really "funny" email this morning!
My husband does not read my blog so i can spill the beans here...
Sophia... shhhh... it will be fun!
I got a message from AT&T about my NEW cell phone number...
i DO NOT currently have AT&T...
but if it is what i think it is...
my hubby did VERY well...
he must want SOMETHING...
:)
any guesses on what i think he got me?
it was on my list!  

Here's to Wednesday... that glorious hump day!
Can i get a whoop whoop!