Ellie the Elf?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=579gtGFPHi4[/youtube]

Solstice Storm

Just sharing a few pictures I took yesterday of our snow pack. We are definitely having a “White Christmas” this year. Enjoy…

Grill, garbage, recycleing on the back porch not the best photo subject but it gives an idea of our snow totals

Hen House

accumulation on the trees

can you see the perfect little triangle?

Ellie finding the car

can you find Adah?

Happy Solstice Everyone

Christmas Celebration with the Family

Last weekend my parents and my brother’s family joined us up here in Timberlakes to have a Christmas Party before my Mom leaves to spend the holidays with my sister and her girls in Germany.  We reserved our neighbors “Chalet” for Friday night for some extra sleep space. They arrived Friday afternoon and we spent the evening catching up, decorating sugar cookies, playing Charades, and exchanging gifts.

Parker and his SUGAR cookie

We all settled in for the night and as we slept Santa brought treats for the kids. It is a German tradition that my sisters family has enjoyed and we asked Santa if we could share that tradition here for the cousins  so he tucked goodies into their boots as they slept.

We made Ebelskivers for breakfast and stuffed ourselves silly. After that we all bundled up to go out and enjoy the fresh powder. It turned out to be a nice sunny day perfect for sledding and playing. We played until we were starving and then came in for lunch and naps. Everyone was tuckered out, but we had a great time. It was nice to play with Jon’s family up here and watch Ellie have such a blast with them. She absolutely loves it when she gets to see Grandma, Grandpa, and her cousins. It was also nice to be a host for a change and get them up to our house.

In a way it was a fare well to Timberlakes party as we have signed a lease and put a deposit down on a house to rent in the Trailside area of Park City. Yep we will be moving into a new house January 1st. It is much closer to Gary’s office and has many other benefits that our family needs like a bedroom for each of the kids, storage space, more then one bathroom, a fenced yard for Adah, a garage, guest bedrooms, an office for Gary, and just more space in general. This little Timberlakes home has served us well and we do love it but it is time to make some changes for our wee family and I’m welcoming the new chapter with excitement.

A Happy Birthday Indeed

I had an excellent day yesterday. It started out with a full nights rest save for the wee one sneeking into the room in the middle of the night. Owen didn’t make a peep until 5am ish and that’s pretty good for him. The morning continued with a blissful sunrise spreading a lovely alpine glow over the Wasatch. I fixed one of my favorite breakfast (Apple Oven Pancakes) which the Wee One refused to eat. (Sometime we just don’t get each other) The morning continued with the Mantra of “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause ev-ry little thing gonna be all right”

Gary took Ellie to preschool and Owen took his morning nap and I was graced with an hour and a half of pure silent moments to myself. Ahhhh

After Ellie’s preschool we went shopping. On the way home I let Ellie call Bada and Papa. She talked to them for over a half hour and it was all about Christmas. There was talk of Santa and ballerina’s, reindeer, chimneys, the north pole, Polar Express Train, Christmas Tree’s, Pirate ships for Owen and a crown for Daddy, It was so much fun to listen too. They really had her going.

I found Gary at home making my favorite Chicken Parm Dinner. We had plans of decorating our Christmas Tree but found out that the stand it was in was leaking all over the place.  🙁

Gary saved the day by bringing out my Birthday gift. He totally surprised me with an old school Fisher Price Sesame Street play set. I spied this about a month ago and got all giddy over it. I found it at this site www.toysofthepast.etsy.com. Check it out if you grew up in the late ’70-’80’s  I guarantee you’ll have childhood nostalgia overload. I felt like I was 4 years old again when I opened it. I don’t remember if we had this set when I was young or if a neighbor kid had it all I remember is how much I loved it. The trap door that spits out the characters on the side, the “catwalk” that leads the characters to a slippery slide, the merry go round, all that.  I think that some of the childhood neurons in my brain that had been put to rest came back to life for a little while last night. It goes with out saying that Ellie and Owen were impressed too. They played with it until they passed out literally. Gary said that as he was laying Ellie down in her bed she mumbled in a dream filled sleep fog “sesame street playhouse…”.  Needless to say Gary did a good job this year of making my Birthday extra special.

Another funny side note. We were listening to Christmas music last night an old version of “Santa Baby” sung by Eartha Kitt came on and according to Ellie it is scary. She got really upset and cried big tears telling us it was scary. We couldn’t figure it out the only thing I can think of was the background singers. ???

And… Here is some footage of Owen and Ellie hamming it up too

Father and Mother Christmas

We took Ellie and Owen to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus last weekend. Ellie was very excited to talk to Santa. We talked about what she would ask for all week. Each time she would mention a Ballerina. When it was Ellie’s turn to sit on Santa’s lap she told him in her wee voice that she wanted a ballerina. We were very proud of the wee one for coming out of her shell and being brave enough to sit on Santa’s lap. I could tell she was out of her comfort zone. She must really want that ballerina.

Waiting for our turn

First Tooth

Owen has cut his first tooth this week.

I know this picture isn’t the best a little blurry, but you can kind of see it. The second tooth is coming in too. Just in time for Thanksgiving 🙂

This is how he feels about it…