Christmas Time in Photos

As I'm sure you've noticed, I really cannot find a layout I am happy with right now. Wordpress is great, but the selection of layouts is not so much. Bare with me!

Our Christmas season starts a few weeks before Christmas when we get everything set up at home and celebrate with a number of different families over the course of several days. I love how close we are to our family and that we were able to have a wonderful, relaxing time together. Happy Christmas and Merry New Year! CHEERS!

Christmas Eve:

I worked and was able to leave early. Came home and B and I prepared our house for his mom's arrival. After she arrived, we decided to head downtown for a fancy dinner. We ate at my most favorite restaurant our little town has. I had an amazing salmon dish, something I don't get to eat very often! Then we went home, relaxed and watched It's a Wonderful Life.

Christmas Morning:

Logan woke up just before 7am and quickly discovered that Santa had come by the house. He said Santa told him "Thank you" and he was so happy for all his new presents! We spent a quiet morning opening presents, sipping on coffee, eating an amazing breakfast made by B and resting.

Later, we played with Legos and had a lovely Christmas Day dinner of steak (our new tradition), veggies and fruit salad. We topped off the evening by watching another movie and then packing for our trip to Steamboat (we were married there).

[caption id="attachment_3256" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Christmas Morning![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3257" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Santa did good![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3258" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Grandma Mac gave Logan a new trike![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3259" align="aligncenter" width="200"] B got a new saw.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3260" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Music![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3261" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I got new lamps![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3262" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Art supplies![/caption]



[caption id="attachment_3265" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lego time.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3266" align="aligncenter" width="200"] All of us built something awesome.[/caption]

Day after Christmas:

We headed to Steamboat after I worked for a few hours. The drive up the mountains was beautiful and easy. It was our first time through the canyon since the huge fire earlier this summer and it was devastating to see how much land has been torched. Upon our arrival in Steamboat, we had drinks and dinner with our extended family (my aunt and uncle whose house is in New Jersey). The visiting was lovely! B and all our cousins tried to go sledding that night down the mountain but there was a mix up with reservations. So they came back and we continued our evening back at our hotel room where we opened presents with my parents and brother. It was so nice and relaxing! Logan got an amazing light up/legos type of game that he loves! And B and I got a new camera!! I have been borrowing my dad's for the last few years to take good quality photos so I can now join the ranks of amateur photographers with a professional camera at my eye.

 

[caption id="attachment_3267" align="aligncenter" width="300"] First day in Steamboat (and first photo with my new camera!)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3268" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Playing with his awesome new lights.[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_3270" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Silly man.[/caption]

Thursday:

B treated himself to a day of snowboarding up on the snowy mountain! Fresh powder covered the slopes and B says it was the best day boarding he had ever had! Though he is quite sore, he deserved that day up in the "pow" as locals call it.

I spent the morning with Logan and my mom. We walked around downtown, I got a memory card and camera case and quickly starting snapping photos. That afternoon we had to deal with a ton of family drama, but who doesn't have family drama?! Suffice it to say that everything will be okay, but it did hinder my nap time.

Thursday night we all bundled up and took a very bumpy ride deep into the mountains to a ranch where we were dropped off at a cabin. There we had hot cocoa and apps while we waited for our sleigh ride up to the teepee where we would be having our dinner. The ride was incredible! The moon was full and you could barely see it through the snow and clouds. The air was bitterly cold, but we were covered in wool blankets. Logan loved it! We arrived 10 minutes later and entered a very warm teepee with tables and a fire in the middle where we would be spending the next 2 hours eating our meal. The food was divine! We then got back on the sleigh and went back to the cabin where we had dessert and headed back down the mountain into town.

[caption id="attachment_3271" align="aligncenter" width="300"] It snowed every day we were in town. So beautiful![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3272" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Daddy and Logan on the sleigh ride![/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3273" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our transportation.[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3274" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Inside the teepee.[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_3276" align="aligncenter" width="200"] Keeping warm by the fire.[/caption]

Friday we spent most of the day relaxing. My extended family headed home a day early due to some nasty weather on the East Coast. We played with our new toys, took nap, I had an incredible massage at the spa and that night we had dinner with my brother at a local Irish pub. Our last day was just what we all needed!

Saturday morning B let me sleep in a bit until I was ready to get up and start packing for our ride back home. The drive is a good 3-4 hours and was beautiful! The sun had come out for the first time in days which made the snowy trees glisten! I was so sad to leave our respit! The time off from work has been just what my soul has needed to restore balance and drive. Three more weeks and I am back to school! Hope you all had a great week!

[caption id="attachment_3277" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Moon setting over the mountains.[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_3279" align="aligncenter" width="300"] I love this photo I snapped on our way home.[/caption]

at the beach

On Thursday, the day after our arrival, we were aching to see the ocean. Logan had never been and even though the clouds were hanging around, it was still warm and humid. B and I, along with our cousins, walked down to the beach after lunch, talking along the way. Again, the fact that we were able to spend so much quality time together is priceless. I will never forget any of the time we had together!

At the boardwalk we left the stroller and our shoes. I rolled my pants up, along with Logan's, thinking just our toes would touch the water. I set Logan in the sand and he began to whine right away. This kid, friends, hates weird things on his feet. He has to get used to it before he accepts that sand is a normal, yet weird, thing to walk on. I had to carry him to where the high tide had left a row of shells. I grabbed a big one and showed him how to scoop the sand and dig a hole. He was hooked. He played with the shell until we were ready to show him the water.

Everyone had spread out. B and I really made this moment special by just being together and as encouraging as possible for Logan. He is still in an anti-bath phase, and yet he loves playing in his water table. I lifted him up and as the wave came back to us I dipped his toes in. He was screaming at me, but as soon as the wave went away he began to giggle. I set him down and showed him how to run away from the wave and that was it: Logan was in love with the ocean. His shrieking giggle carried over the water, I'm sure heard a mile away. A few times, he lost his balance and ended up getting really wet. I had not prepared for that so a diaper and sweat shirt had to do.

We snapped as many photos of this memorable experience as we could. B even took a video of us. Being with our family in such a beautiful place makes my heart melt just thinking about how much fun we had. I cannot begin to describe how much I will cherish this day, and every other one, spent on the beach in New Jersey.

Some Things to Look Forward to...

>I am sitting in the Grand Rapids airport waiting for our flight back home to Colorado. This has been an AMAZING vacation and I wish I had the time and concentration to summarize everything right here and now, but I don't. So here is a short list of a few of the things I will want to include in my vacation update:

• Wedding in Grand Rapids
• Meeting a bloggie friend ANNE!!
• Biking around Mackinac Island
• Sitting on the beach drinking beer and playing bocce ball
• Visiting an apple orchard
• Visiting grandparents in Alpina and Harrisville
• Visiting Logan's 2nd cousin who is just 2 weeks older than him
• Driving all over the Northern part of Michigan
• And a ton of other things!!

Disconnected

>

Hi all. I am writing from a king sized hotel bed while Logan is fast asleep next to me. What a trip. He did better than perfect. My biggest fear was a screaming, inconsolible infant who would cause the passengers tremendous distaste for us and all kinds of other terrible things. I was ready to put on my mommy cape and defend his aching ears, but I didn't have to. The kid was a gem. Our flight to Detroit was a little over two hours and Logan slept most of it. He woke up about 25 minutes before ladding and began to fuss while we decended. He refussed his paci so his ears were totally bothering him and there was nothing I could do. Our quick ride from Detroit to Grand Rapids was well, just that. QUICK! Logan slept the whole time and I kid you not, barely slept three hours ALL DAY LONG! He was so tired tonight that I had to cuddle him to sleep. Something he never does and something I deeply miss from his newborn days. Overall, traveling with an infant so far has been painless and easy. He has adjusted well to the new people and is just tired. I am sure we will all be a lot more fun in the morning.

But here's the truth. I feel really disconnected from Bs family and he knows this. He knows that I have a hard time getting in on the jokes and conversations. I really don't know why. I have never had this problem with anyone, but for whatever reason, I have to literally force myself to enjoy whatever they are talking about. For one, I feel like they repeat the same memories over and over again, every single time we see each other. I love being nostalgic, but every time is a bit much. Not to mention I have NOTHING to do with any of those stories so yeah, I listen and laugh but the 3rd time Im hearing it is like....okay....and your point is??

B and I had a pretty nasty fight last night. It was about how lax his family was about traveling. I love flying. I have done it several times and even a few times with babies. Traveling with babies is TOTALLY DIFFERENT. It is unlike travling with a two year old. You can be an expert traveler but if you have never flown with a baby, then you're no expert on how long it takes to do simple things.

Getting through security was a nightmare. Although, I did a damn good job of being patient and cooperative. They had me empty his diaper bag of all the liquids. I had three bottles of premixed formula, Happy Baby food, and hand sanitizer. Then they asked me to open one of the baby items and the hand sanitizer so they could test the vapors. Awesome. So I chose the formula because I knew Logan was getting hungry and I would use it soon. Then we had to put our stroller/carseat ensamble back together (just like Momma Dugger does it with Josie--works like a charm!), put our shoes back on, and get to our gate with about 30 minutes to spare before boarding. I was so frustrated that B was not on my side. He almost always takes their side initially, telling me I am being irrational or whatever, and then after some more careful thought, says he's sorry and ha, I'm right. Well what do you know. DUH!

So we made up at 11pm last night. I got hardly any good sleep I was so excited to get her. But then the same thing started to happen again. I feel like the black sheep in the family. We were in the Detroit airport and there is a really cool fountain there. We were all walking past it and I kept walking towards our terminal. I was almost to the elevator and I turned around to look for them and they had all stopped to look at the fountain. I stood there, alone, for almost 5 minutes and none of them, even B, noticed that I was not standing with them. I turned Logan around so he could see the water and slowing approached. They hardly noticed I had not even been standing with them the whole time. I just felt so disconnected.

And now. Now I am up in the hotel room with Logan. Everyone else is downstairs getting wasted in the bar. Granted, this is my choice to stay up here. I was not at all comfortable leaving Logan asleep up here alone even with the monitor. And I'm still disconnected.

So my goal this week is to try to connect with everyone. I almost said reconnect, but there has never been a good connection to begin with. And just to keep it right here, I get along with everyone great. I just don't feel like I fit in.

Family Vacation

>In 4 days, we will be boarding a airplane together, headed to Northern Michigan to enjoy a wedding, sweet corn, Mackinac Island, ferry rides, and, from what I hear, some good 'ol rain. Something the good ol' Colorado has been sorely lacking. Read: wildfires galore.

I cannot wait for us to take our first family vacation together. It will be Logan's first plane ride and we have two connections (YUCK!), but we can't complain. The tickets were gifted to us and we will take what we can get. I just pray he will be a little gem and fall asleep on us. This is something he DOES NOT DO. He is a "lay-me-in-my-crib-awake" kind of baby and puts himself to sleep. Yes, dear mothers out there, this is a very good thing. However, it is a very bad thing when he must be forced to do otherwise. Like, for example, when we were in the ER at Children's and he had to fall asleep on me. He screamed for a good 20 minutes before finally giving in and oh my word if that happens on a plane I am sure we will be walking home.

Now I am just trying to clean house and get all of our laundry finished. I am dreading packing. I have never had to pack enough items for our family to last over a week and I really have no idea how I am going to get out the door without the kitchen sink. I mean really. Babies have a ton.o.stuff. Not to mention that if I leave the car seat in the car at the airport, we are royally screwed. So there you have it. My anxious thoughts are only plagued by what to bring and what not to forget. I have read some great blogs with lovely suggestions. For example, rather than carrying on a blanket for logan to play on in the terminals while waiting, we will bring a thin sheet. It's a lot easier and more compact and covers more dirty floor space. The last thing we want is for Logan, or any of us, to come home sick. No fun.

If you have flown with your baby, how did it go? What were your best and worst items?

A Mexican Getaway

>April 27, 2010

One year ago today, we packed our bags, drove through a snow storm, boarded a plane and landed in sunny and HOT Los Cabos, Mexico. We were one our long-awaited honeymoon, nearly 9 months after we said our “I Do’s”. This particular day is special for another reason and while one may think it’s just a little bit too much information, well then you can go somewhere else. In case you haven’t noticed already, TMI has become my middle name since I had a baby.

Anyway, while on our plane ride, I discovered something no woman wants to discover at the start of a very special vacation. That’s right, you guessed it! Mother natures special monthly gift showed up on our way to Mexico. Oh my eff. Are you kidding me? I was so upset! But as always, B comforted me and said it was okay. No big deal.

So I let it go. We had the best vacation we could have hoped for. We laid out in the sun every day, ate next to a gallon of guac, drank just as much, if not more in tequila (well, you know when Jose is ONLY $6 for a liter, you gotta stock up! Much cheaper than paying at the bar), went sea kayaking with seals, tried snorkeling, played poker, and fell in love all over again. I also watched Ghostbusters for the first time ever on the only rainy day (7 days in and our 8th day is rainy, I say that’s good timing!). I loved vacationing with B in Mexico and I hope we can do it again with Logan.

So why was my pointing out AF’s arrival on the plane ride over important? Well, because that was THE LAST TIME I SAW HER, AND HAVE YET TO SEE HER AGAIN! One whole year without a monthly nuisance. Can you say blessed?? YEP! Since I am still semi-nursing Logan, it could still be a month or two or three before that happens again. NO, it does not mean I’m prego again! That won’t be happening for a long time.

Until then, I am just going to enjoy the most special little gift I ever laid eyes on. Just wish we were in Mexico.

Thankful

It has been almost five days since we came home from Cabo. I can't believe how fast time is flying by! It was two weeks ago that we were counting down the hours to when we would step on the plane to head to Mexico. Our jobs were stressing us out, preparing to move was/is stressing us out, and general whims found their way into the mix at some point. We could not wait to leave the country and go on our first plane ride together and touch foreign soil together. Today, a coworker commented and said that I seem so much happier since our vacation. It truly did change my mood. I know that both Brendan and I are happier and more relaxed since taking our vacation.

We could not have done this vacation without a very important person. Plan as we might, we would not have stayed in one of the most beautiful and centrally-located hotels in Cabo. This wonderful, gracious, generous, loving person is Ruthie, Jerry's fiance. She has been apart of our family now for almost two years. Together with Jerry, she offered us the opportunity to stay at a resort in Cabo that she has a time share with as part of our wedding gift. We were speechless the day that they told us and could not wait to start planning.

This was nearly a year ago and she had not even known us for a year yet. Her heart is so big and full of love! For us to have been able to stay at the resort that we did, we would not have made it there on our own for a VERY long time.

Brendan and I are so grateful to have such loving and caring parents, in all forms. We could not have asked for anyone better and feel as though we hardly deserved to spend 8 whole days laying on the beach all by ourselves. I know this is just a dream for most and we do not take that for granted.

Thank you, Ruthie, from the bottom of our hearts. Our week in Cabo was incredible and we could not have had a vacation like that without your generous heart. It is a gift that we will treasure for the rest of our lives. We love you deeply and hope to see you and Jerry soon!

Love,

Sarah and Brendan