Friday, December 31, 2010

Baby Growing Diaries #11

At 37 weeks, I’m running out of room in my own body.  I’m quite certain that this baby has run out of room as well.  I mean, there’s only so much space.  This could be a problem.   Also, I’m not on speaking terms with my bladder, because it’s just being oh, so ridiculous.  What’s the deal, bladder, do you think you run this joint?  Get over yourself. Oh, and I used to have ankles.  Thankfully, all of my toes are still on my feet and were not mistaken for Smokey link sausages at Christmas.  It’s good to have toes, as puffy as they may be. This also means that I don’t have any cannibals in my family and that is reassuring too.

Yesterday, my mom bought me a new shirt and cleaned my kitchen.  It was kind of like Christmas all over again.

And here’s the part where you get really jealous.  Tomorrow appears to be December 31 and I don’t know if you can handle the sheer greatness of my plans.  Are you ready?  I mean, really… are you ready?  Brace yourself.  We’re going to put the kiddo to bed at 7:30 and then spend the rest of the year, in cozy pajamas, watching a movie on the couch.  And by watching a movie, I mean, we’ll probably fall asleep by 9pm.  AMAZING, right?  I know, contain your jealousy.  The truth is this… there is nothing, nothing, not a single thing, that sounds better than sleep.  And secretly, while you pretend to be excited about wearing a cute dress to a party, drinking champagne (oh, what I’d do for a glass), and staying up super late… you wish you had a really good excuse to wear pajamas and go to sleep early too.

2011, here we come.

{Liv

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Waiting.

This week is full of anticipation,

…as we look forward to  the arrival of a new year.

…as we countdown the last few weeks until the arrival of baby #2.

…and as we confidently wait for answers to a pretty big prayer.

Monday evening, Matt brought our only car to the shop.  The next day, we received the diagnosis.  I’m pretty sure the words, “new engine,” are the last ones you want to hear, especially when the cost of such a large repair is greater than the entire value of the car.  Many people would freak out and spend money they don’t have, but we can’t help but see this whole situation differently.

For years, this little car has been our source of transportation.  There were many days, we thought it wouldn’t last another trip, but somehow, it kept running, and we were always thankful.  We prayed that God would keep it working as long as He desired and that when that time came to an end, that He would provide another vehicle for our family.  Our entire lives have been a story full of His provisions and blessings and we feel like this is no exception.  We have countless examples of times when we were in need of answers much bigger than ourselves and we were blown away at God’s provision and timing.   Without question,  His was way better than anything we could ever make happen on our own.  It always is.

This week as we wait, we do so with an overwhelming peace, because it seems we have come to that time in our prayers, where we prepare to be amazed, once again.  We stand at the moment, when we face a problem bigger than us and our financial abilities.   But, we know that when we come to the end of what we can do, there is a greater power who is our provider and He is faithful. 

Truth be told, it would be really nice to just have a working vehicle parked outside, especially when baby girl could come at any time in the next few weeks, but if I have learned anything it is this…  all these details, all these needs, He knows and He has a plan.  And since, He’s a whole lot smarter than us and you know, the creator of the entire universe, I’m going to go ahead and trust Him.

Even in the waiting, our everyday needs have been met.  Matt is able to take the bus to work, even though it more than doubles his commute time.  My mom spent the day with us yesterday and brought us grocery shopping and to my weekly doctor’s appointment.  And if such a terrible thing were to happen and we ran out of coffee, Starbucks is approximately 1,000 ft. away from my front door.

{Liv

 

Monday, December 27, 2010

a merry little Christmas.

What a lovely Christmas.

We slept in, enjoyed homemade cinnamon rolls and coffee, and slowly opened our gifts.  This was the first year that H really got excited about all of the packages and of course, we had to open each toy immediately.  We spent the rest of the day in our pajamas, skyping with family, watching movies (When Harry Met Sally, anyone?), taking naps, playing, and enjoying our homemade seafood feast of salmon cakes and shrimp alfredo.  It was perfect, warm,  and cozy. I wouldn't change a thing.

{Liv

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Christmas Eve Eve

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Please don’t hate me as you read this, but while most of you are frantically checking off items on your to do lists and running last minute errands, I have  exactly no list.  Granted, I have to be mommy to a  little boy, make coffee, and take a nap, but I do that everyday.

Tomorrow, I’ll do an abridged cleaning of the house and prepare a few appetizers in anticipation of my family coming over for a night of laughter and feasting.  The rest of the weekend is ours, a magical holiday spent with my two favorite people in the whole world.  No stress, no drama, no travels.  This is the part where being 36 weeks pregnant rocks my world. 

Last night during the Christmas “Eve” church service, the room sparkled with the flickering lights of each candle being lit, while we softly sang, Silent Night.  The instruments and lights faded and only the voices remained as the beautiful melody filled the air and stilled our souls.  As we sang the story that changed our lives for all of eternity, the words were never more beautiful or meaningful.

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright

Silent night, holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth


That’s what this Christmas is about to me.  Embracing the simplicity, the stillness, and the abundance of blessings that surround us.  Cherishing the weeks before our little family grows to four.  Loving this gift of being together, when time lately seems consumed by my husband’s two jobs.  Losing ourselves in this beautiful story that we get to be a part of each and every day, our story, one that would never be the same without Jesus and his birth.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve to all of you in whatever bliss or busyness you may find yourself. 

 

P.S.  Immediately following Silent Night, the band rocked the coolest auto-tune/drum machine version of Little Drummer Boy anyone has ever heard.  It was awesome.

{Liv

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

weekend shower

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{Sister-in-laws, me, baby sister, mom, Hudson}
This past weekend, my sister-in-laws planned a little baby shower for me and  baby.  I love how simple and relaxed it was. Every detail was perfect from having the event at a closed-to-the-public coffee shop to the delicious drinks and treats.  So cozy and fun.  It ended up just being family, being the weekend before Christmas people are busy busy, but it was actually perfect.  I loved sitting on the oversized brown couches and  just talking about all things baby with my sisters, mom, and aunt.  My son spent the afternoon mooching sweet snacks from all of his aunties and his Gigi, consuming the most sugar he’s ever had in his lifetime.
My mom brought a box of old baby clothes from when we were all  young and as we went through each piece there were tons of stories and laughs.  Naturally, I informed her that vintage baby clothes are in and ended up bringing the box home.
I loved all the gifts, the cute outfits and the much needed practical items, they were all perfect, but I think we were all blown away by my mom’s gift.  Growing up, I remember my mom used to sew all sorts of things from patches on our jeans to costumes, but it’s been years since her last project. For the past few months, she kept telling me she was making a blanket for her first Granddaughter, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine the final results.
This wasn’t just another blanket to throw in the pile along with the others, it is one that we will keep and cherish forever.
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One side is knit in the softest cream colored yarn.
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The other side is done in this lovely grey fabric with cute little pink birds,   She said it reminded her of one of my paintings, which made me love it even more.
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She had an “H” embroidered in the corner there is a sweet little tag that reads, handmade with love by G, for Gigi. I love the pink satin binding and ruffles around the edge too.
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Isn’t is so special?  I just can’t get over the amount of time and thought that was put into making this beautiful blanket.  I’m sure she will love it just as much as we do.  Thanks Mom.
And thanks to my sisters for a wonderful afternoon!
{Liv

Monday, December 20, 2010

two year olds are a whole bunch of silly.

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Kids are silly.  You know when they do something and you want to laugh so badly, but don’t as to not encourage them?  I feel like all of a sudden these moments are happening every single moment of the day.  For example…
Yesterday out of nowhere, H started shaking his pointer finger at me and  said very seriously in a high pitched voice, “No. No. No.”  Occasionally, he’ll start doing something he knows he shouldn’t and he’ll say to himself, “No. No. No.” However, this never stops him from whatever sort of trouble he is doing. Weird.
And…
The other day when he was supposed to be sleeping, I went into his room to inform him that he needed to take a nap.  He went and stood behind the organizer that hangs from his bedroom door and hid.  Obviously, I could see him and his little legs peeking out from underneath, but somewhere in his mind, he thought his invisibility would get him out a nap. Every once in a while, he peeked his head out to see if I was still there waiting for him… I was.
And
Sometimes when we tell him to pick up his toys, he closes his eyes and pretends he is sleeping, by making “shhhh shhhh shhh” sounds.  We can’t help but laugh and he peeks one eye open, smiles, and then 'goes back to sleep.’  We still make him pick up his toys.
And right now…
Instead of napping, he’s sliding his alphabet cards under his door and into the hallway, one by one.  I can hear each one being pushed across the floor.  I wonder when he will run out?
That kid, he’s something. 
{Liv

snail mail

Let’s pretend that you open the mailbox and reach in to find a small stack of letters and advertisements.  Among, the collection of bills and last minute attempts to spend more money, you have two or three Christmas cards from people you love.
You rush inside and sit down to sort through the cards, reading the return addresses to decide which one you want to open first.    Obviously, you open the one from us, immediately.  It looks like this…
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You turn it around and break open the seal, perfectly, of course.
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You quickly reach in to pull out the card, but you pause, as that déjà vu feeling begins to set in…
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Total déjà vu.  Overwhelming déjà vu. You think to yourself, “I got this card last year, what’s the deal? Is this a joke?  This must be a mistake.”
To further investigate you, open the card to read:
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The warmest sentiments you’ve seen all year, I know. Is your heart so full of warm fuzzies that you want to explode?
The reason this card looks familiar is because you DID get it in the mail last Christmas.  I won a giveaway for 100 cards from Minted but I didn’t use them all.  So now, I have about 30 of them just sitting in a box, what’s a girl to do? 
I could send them out again, with a message that reads, “This is us, just 1.5 years ago. Merry Christmas.” or “Remembering 2009, Merry Christmas 2010.”   But, I won’t.  I could have ordered new cards with an updated photo of us and sent them out, but frankly, that sounded like a big project. These days naps always sound better than big projects.
So, don’t be sad, but no new Christmas card from us this year.  Just think about all the trees I saved.  Being green is so trendy.
But, mostly it has to do with my desire to take more naps, don’t be fooled.  Naps trump everything.
Merry Christmas week everyone!!
{Liv

Friday, December 17, 2010

instructions for this weekend

Hi lovelies,

It’s the weekend before Christmas! This morning, a certain two-year-old has some special tips on how to have the most perfect winter weekend.  Enjoy!IMG_5850IMG_5845

1.  Eat lots of Christmas cookies.

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2.  Spend lots of time in your new cozy pajamas.

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4. Make a colossal mess.

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5. Get bundled up and play in the snow.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Christmas bookworms

As promised, here is a fun and easy gift idea for those cute little babies in your life.  I was inspired by Jessica’s, Sew a snake post.  So, I made these little toys for my niece and nephew.  I realize, it’s not quite Christmas, but they can’t read and I’m pretty sure they don’t use computers yet, so they’ll never know.

Introducing, Christmas bookworms…

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  For a fun little boy, I made this one out of scraps of fabric.  I cut the pieces to be mostly the same sizes, except for a few thinner ones, for variety.  I sewed them all together in a long strip, then folded it in half (the wrong side out), sewing it almost the entire way, but leaving it unfinished to turn right side out and stuff.  I double hand stitched the mouth to close it off. (This is important with babies, because they are tough little buggers and can destroy anything.)  I used small pieces of felt for the eyes and I’m going to add felt glasses, where you see the outline (with marker.)

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For a sweet baby girl, I made this one out of a  multi-colored scarf, that I’ve had for years.  It was even easier since it was already one piece, so I just folded it in half, sewed it up most of the way, turned it right side out and stuffed it.  I also added a cute little bow..  The eyes and mouth I did the same as the one above.  I was just thinking you could also use a cute pair of knee-high socks too.   I’m pretty sure this one is longer than my two month old niece, but I think this worm is durable enough to withstand the loving of a baby.

We picked up some fun little board books to finish off the gift, because what bookworm is complete without a book?

There are tons of variations possible with this idea, so go ahead and have fun. 

{Liv

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

baby growing diaries #10

When you are pregnant, you might hear this…

“ Get plenty of rest.  Sleep while you can, because after the baby comes...”

It seems to me, what we have here is another case of those “well-intentioned” people, who are clearly not waking up 3-5 times every night, because they took one sip of water and have to use the bathroom AGAIN or because finding a comfortable sleeping position is an all out mind-body-spirit activity that takes every ounce of your focus.  No, these people heartlessly spew out these statements from their well rested mouths and non-aching bodies, because in their delusional minds, you only start to lose sleep after baby arrives. 

What a myth.  What a lie. What nonsense.  Today, I put an end to this falsehood.

Here’s the truth.  It’s been months since I’ve slept through the night and I’m not happy about it.  Trips to the bathroom are endless.  Finding a comfortable sleeping position is nearly impossible, without losing my breath and waking up my husband.   At least twice a week, I give up and take a bath at 3 or 5 AM because I know that is my only change of easing my aching body and hoping to catch a few more hours of precious sleep.  It is a waste, I tell you. A waste of perfectly good sleep-filled nights.  Now, some other cliché slinging individual might tell you that it is nature’s way of preparing your body for the times you’ll wake up at night with baby, but you know how I feel about those clichés. 

Truthfully, nothing can prepare you for what is coming, not even these little tricks that your body tries to throw your way.  You just do it.  You’re tired, you’re exhausted, and you’re never sure what day it is or the last time you showered, but who cares, you have the cutest baby in the world and there’s coffee- there is always coffee.  You just find the super human ability to function and care for your little one(s), along with everything else that must be done.  The rest of the world fades into a blur, kind of like those trippy scenes from Across the Universe, which is a wonderful film. 

So, I ask, is it really necessary to spend these last few months before your child arrives waking up incessantly?  NO WAY.  Wouldn’t it make more sense to be able to fall asleep and rest peacefully until the morning comes?  YES.  Are you tired of these tricky little antics from your body?  YES.  Pregnant women of the world unite!

Hmmm… this is getting crazy.

I’d like to take this opportunity to send a message, loud and clear to my body.

Hey you, listen up.  I do not need to practice losing sleep. Nor do I want to practice losing sleep.  And if I must lose sleep, it should be for a  good reason, not because of my bladder’s inability to handle a tap dancing baby in utero or because soreness has taken over my life.  Frankly, I’d much rather have to wake up to care for my child instead of  losing sleep over all this other nonsense. So, stop it already.

There, I feel better. Also, the retaining water business is making me feel like giant marshmallow.

And to all of you, “sleep when you can, because when the baby comes” people…  you now know the truth…. and the truth will set you free from sharing clichés with all of the mamas and mamas to be.  We don’t need clichés, we just want sleep.

And on that note, it’s nap time.

{Liv

34.5 weeks today.

Monday, December 13, 2010

little notes for a Monday morning

Dear Minnesota,  thank you for letting us be a part of one of the biggest blizzards in ages.  We have now figured out why we moved here, so that one day, when we write our memoires there can be a chapter called, we survived a Minnesota winter.  Well, actually that is yet to be determined.

I managed to spend the entire day inside watching movies, sewing and entertaining a crazy two year old, as you pelted us with 17 inches of snow.  But now I have a slight problem, there is this foreign mark in front of the temperatures.  It looks like this (-) and frankly, I find it unacceptable.  Last night in attempt to ward of the effects of going stir-crazy, we went Christmas shopping.  It was 2 degrees, as in 1, 2.  I was positive the end of the world was near, as every fiber of my being nearly froze.  The snow I can handle, the sub-zero temps I can not.  I am not a polar bear.  Please leave now.

Sincerely,

Frozen

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Dear wondering minds,

Last week I posted about my inspiration board.  There were a few questions.  I have answers.  IMG_5861

I covered a large piece of foam with this fabric, using a hot glue gun, you could use a small staple gun too.   It’s currently covered with pictures from recent Anthropologie catalogues, because they have the most inspiring and beautiful images.  Let me know if you have more questions.

Sincerely,

Inspired

---

Dear Readers,

Now I have a question for you.  What do you find to be the best way to respond to comments?  Do you respond on your post?  As a reader, do you return to the post that you commented on to look for a response?  This has always perplexed me and I wish it to end. Thanks for your help!

Sincerely,

Perplexed

---

Dear Momma Friends,

I’d love to hear your thoughts on those cute little sleep sheep. (I actually prefer this giraffe.)  I’m thinking about getting one this time, but I’m curious...  What are the best ones?  What are the pros and cons?  Where can I find the best prices?  I didn’t have one with Hudson, but now we have a noisy two year old and the world’s loudest walkers/stompers living upstairs.  I think it might be beneficial to a sleeping baby and whatever sanity that will remain.  Thanks.

Sincerely,

Curious

And that concludes today’s letters.  I have the cutest gift idea for the little ones in your life, that I will be sharing later.  I know it’s not quite Christmas, but I don’t think my little nephew or niece can read.  Happy Monday.

liv.

Friday, December 10, 2010

may your days be merry and bright

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Christmas is two weeks away.  The rest of the world might be bustling along the city sidewalks and such, but I’m pretty much  in hibernation mode.  Being a thousand weeks pregnant finding something appealing to wear is just as exhausting as the idea of bundling up and leaving the house.  Plus, it’s like a bazillion degrees freezing and that’s no place for the likes of me.

Considering that Christmas is one month before Harper’s arrival, we aren’t traveling anywhere this year. I have to admit, that I really love this.  As in, my heart jumps for joy at the idea of waking up in my own home on Christmas with not a single place to go.  We have always traveled to one place or the other for holidays, and while seeing family is great, it can be so very exhausting.   I mean, have you ever been house guests with a two year old, nothing relaxing about that.  Nothing.

Being that this will be our last Christmas as a family of three, I can’t think of anything better than spending the entire holiday with just us, soaking in those moments before our lives change forever.  There will be baking and Christmas movies.  There will be cozy fires and lights on the tree.  There will be coffee and this breakfast casserole.  There will be gifts and stockings, and a the sweetest two year old to make it all so much fun.   We’ll prepare a small feast with crab cakes as the main attraction.  We’ll read the Christmas story and pretend that Hudson is paying attention.  And all of that sounds absolutely perfect to me.  Just perfect.

What about you friends,  what are your plans for the holidays?  What are you most excited about this year?

 

P.S.  In the breakfast casserole, I use sausage instead of bacon and tater tots in place of hash browns.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

thursday + the well.

Ten days ago, we launched our campaign with Charity: Water to build a well in a developing country. 
So far, we’ve raised $125 out of the $5,000.  We have quite a ways to go, but I believe it can be done.
One well will provide clean drinking water for an entire village for twenty years.
We have 80 days left to reach our goal.  Truthfully, we can’t do it alone, but together it’s more than possible.
If you’re interested in learning more or making a donation, you’ll find everything you need to know here.

{image: source}
{Liv

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

bedding for baby: a preview

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  It turns out that a certain baby will have bedding in her crib after all.
I have vowed to only share sneak peeks until the whole project is finished, because I’m cruel and love keeping people in suspense. IMG_5884Here’s my progress report. The quilt is completed.  I need to add ties to the bumper and finish the ends.  I’ve yet to start or buy fabric for the crib skirt, but that’s not going to be to hard and in my opinion is still very optional.  Oh, and I’m buying sheets, because that part sounded really boring to make.  And yes, that is how I decide things.  
I really love how it’s all coming together and can’t wait to show you the finished product. 
Oh… p.s. In case you were wondering,  it’s still winter and it’s absolutely freezing, actually below freezing.  Am I the only one who thinks that a full month of winter is a bit excessive? If I listen carefully, I can hear warmer lands beckoning.  If you listen carefully you’ll hear it too.
{liv

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Christmas Crafternoon

On Sunday afternoon I did something that most would find crazy.  Even now, I can think of a few friends who upon reading this would be sent into a nervous panicky state.   I went to someone’s house (whom I had never met) to drink coffee and eat cookies, to make Christmas crafts with a bunch of other girls that I didn’t know.  I sure did.

Frankly, it was the best decision ever. 

I’ve been following Jessica’s blog for a while, learning about wonderful, hidden treasures in the twin cities (thank you) and finding inspiration in her creativity.  So, when she posted that she was throwing this event called, Christmas Crafternoon, I didn’t even hesitate to RSVP.  I didn’t really know what to expect, but I just knew it would be amazing.

It was the perfect afternoon.  Her house was simply charming and delightful, just like her and her little family.  The coffee and cookies were delicious.  I met some new friends, we talked about creativity, blogging, cooking, Etsy, Christmas, and more.  It was wonderful to be around people who have so many shared interests.   It’s not always easy to meet people  when moving to a new city, much less people who like the same to do the same things, so this was like a breath of fresh air… and not like the frigid air of winter that is maybe here to stay forever.  PS.  It’s freezing.

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{yarn wreath with felt flowers)

Stations were set up around the house and each was stocked with supplies for different projects, such as:  cake/cookies stands, yarn wreaths, felt flowers, paper garlands, and gift tags.

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{paper garland hanging from my inspiration board}

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  {vintage cookie & cake stand}

  I’ve especially been wanting to make some of these and after finding out that it’s just about the easiest thing one could ever do, I can’t wait to make more.

 These cookies were made by Naphtali for the swap and there were absolutely my favorite.  I took some home and they have been the perfect companion to my coffee for the past few days.

You can see more of the pictures here, as you fall in love with Jessica’s cute house.  Also, if you need any more fun blogs to add to your list of reading, check out this one and this one and this one, too.

Definitely a wonderful way to spend a cold, winter afternoon.  Thanks so much to Jessica for putting it all together.

Monday, December 6, 2010

evergreen branches dripping with sweet memories

Growing up, I remember decorating the Christmas tree with my family every year.  Sometimes, we’d just have to go out into the woods behind the house and chop it down, but on occasion, the tree would come home to us, tied on top of the car.  No matter how it came to us, it was always real and smelled of sweet pine.
My dad would string the lights and the rest of us would cover the tree in all of our favorite ornaments.  I’m sad to say that I do remember a few years when those musical, twinkling, dancing blue lights hung from the branches, but I blame the ‘90s.  Beyond those crazy little things, I know we had colored lights, large and small, and white ones too.  I didn’t know better then, but now I’d have some objections. 
But the best part was all the ornaments, with a family of five kids, you can guarantee that a majority of them were Sunday school projects and naturally, these beauties wouldn’t win any contests, but that didn’t matter because we made them.  Each of us had certain ones that WE had to put on the tree, every year, it was serious ordeal.  Then there was a mix of ornaments that my mom thought were pretty, you know, the kind of  things that moms think are pretty… but no one else does,  we never fought over those.  However, no ornaments were rejected on our wonderful eclectic tree covered in years of memories.  That’s the way we liked it.
Looking back, I can say that my white felt dove from Sunday school was probably a bit disfigured and the macaroni angels that started looking haggard and worn after a few years, but I still loved them all.  I loved the stories and memories that covered our tree every Christmas season.  It was perfect.
And then one year came the heresy of all heresies, brace yourself, it gets bad.  My parents came home from Lowes with some supplies for another  project around the house and something else that can only be described as a terribly, impulsive purchase.
A white artificial Christmas tree. 
It gets worse.
Along with that “tree” were boxes and boxes of bulbs, strings of beads, ribbons, and glass ornaments that were ALL iridescent and purple.  All of them.  White tree. Purple lights and perfectly matching, obnoxiously matching ornaments. 
We were outraged.  I mean, outraged.  Who buys a fake tree?  Don’t you know trees are green, not white?  Why do we need matching ornaments? What about all of the ones that we made and love?  How could you do this to us?  Don’t you love us?  What kind of Christmas will this be with your new fake matching tree?  What do you mean there’s no Santa?  You ruined Christmas.
I can’t be sure, but it probably went down something like that.  But, they thought it was pretty and I guess pretty was more important than ruining Christmas forever.
I like to think that we were super convincing because even after bringing that monstrosity into our home, we still got a real tree and covered it with our beautiful creations of felt and glued together, glittery noodles.   Their “tree” went in the family room downstairs, while our tree reigned victoriously upstairs for all to see.  I think we even insisted that gifts be opened around our tree too, but I might be making that part up, it’s all a bit hazy.
I even remember at some point the moment that our dear mother broke our hearts by saying that our childhood ornaments weren’t ever really as pretty as her new purple ones.  Perhaps, she thought we were old enough to handle such a cruel and damaging statement, but she was wrong and every year I remind her of this wound when I see that fake, all- matching tree.  I suppose one day, I should let it go, but I can’t say I see that happening any time soon. Besides, it’s kind of fun to bring up every single year. 
Oh, how our childhood affects us so.
My husband never had a real tree growing up, but he quickly agreed that we would be  a real tree family.  I sure picked a good one.  For the first three years of our marriage, we bought a small tree and only added a handful of new ornaments each Christmas.  This year, we bought our first big tree and it's covered with a collection of beautiful and random pieces.  I write the year on each one, so that one day we’ll look back and remember the ornaments we bought for our first Christmas or the ones that H helped pick out when he was two.  Each year, we find at least one photo frame ornament to capture that time in our lives, our family just as it was.  2007 shows just the two of us, our first Christmas as Mr. and Mrs.  In 2008, there were 3.  Next Christmas, our little frame will contain a picture of four.  If a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine the volumes that will spill from those branches in twenty years.
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I guess what I’m saying is that I love my real tree that smells of decadent pine and covers the floor in hundreds of little green needles.  I love how our tree says something about our family, with Santa riding on trains and sailboats, shiny silver snowflakes, Starbucks ornaments, and even a funny little bird in a striped red and grey hat.  And this year, you’ll find the ornament that H chose, a wooden zebra sitting at the very top of the tree, at first as a joke, but after a while it was clear that would be his home for the Christmas of 2010.  Each treasure hanging from the branches is more than ornament, it’s a memory and a celebration of our little family and to me that is what makes Christmas so magical.
So what about you?  We don’t all have to be the same.  What does your Christmas tree say about you?  Real or fake?  All matching? A color scheme? Covered in vintage, eclectic ornaments? Ribbons? White lights or colored?  Whatever the case, what do you love most about it?  What makes your tree so special and so magical to you?

{Liv}

Friday, December 3, 2010

baby growing diaries #9

If you were an insect lurking in the corner of my living room, here are some random conversations that you might have heard in the past few days. 
Scene #1  Me going from the hallway to the living room, walking in between the yellow chair and my desk.
Me:  Is this chair further back than usual?
Husband:  No, I don’t think so, you’re probably just feeling larger than normal.
I pretended to be upset for two seconds, but he was right, large is the name of the game.
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Scene #2 Sitting on the couch last night, feeling the most uncomfortable ever and in a bit of a ridiculous mood.
Me:  Babe, I don’t know, I don’t remember feeling this uncomfortable last time.
Husband: Well, you just blocked that part out of your memory, because you were. I remember.
Me:  No, I don’t think so, this is definitely worse.
Husband:  Because you have a two year old that wants to jump and climb on you all day long.  Just wait until you have a whole houseful of kids running around.
Me: Yeah, we should talk about that, because I’m pretty sure that I’m not interested in a whole houseful coming out of here.  (hand gestures involved.)  I’m don’t know how many more times I can do all of this. (more gestures).
Husband:  (Laughing.)  Well, now is certainly not the time to talk about having more kids.  I know better than that.  Well wait until she comes and she’s so cute and you forget the hard stuff all over again.  After a while, you’ll tell me you want another one.
Me:  Yeah, I don’t know.
Husband: You will.
Me: Maybe. 
Husband: You will.
Me: Probably.
He’s probably right again… maybe.
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Go ahead and laugh.  That’s the point. Please feel free to share any amazing things your husband has send to you while pregnant, because they’ll make me laugh and forget how uncomfortable I just might be.
and by uncomfortable, I meant glowing  and radiant, excited, and getting plenty of rest, of course.
33 weeks today.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

2 of my favorite things.

Coldplay + Coffee.

1. Check out this brand new song from my friends, Coldplay.  Well, technically, we’ve never met, but I’m quite certain we could be friends.  I just know it.

Christmas Lights- Coldplay

2.  Today, as part of Starbucks’ 12 days of sharing, you can buy 1 pound of Christmas Blend coffee (my favorite) and get one free.  If you don’t know, that’s pretty much $14 of free coffee.  In my house, this means we won’t have to buy coffee for TWO WHOLE WEEKS.  Don’t judge the addiction, appreciate and respect.  I mean, don’t you use a one pound of coffee a week?

*Not every location is participating, so double check first.

So, there you have it.  Two of my favorite things.  Just for you.

Oh… and don’t forget about our well project, read more here.

Happy day.

{Liv