NEW YEAR'S EVE 2014

A few years ago (seems like a lifetime now) Rob and I had one of our first kisses on New Year's Eve. That night I knew we would be spending NYE together for the rest of our lives. 

One of the things I adore  most about being married and having a family is always having the people you love most with you on the best days of the year. 

Now that we have two little ones it seems every holiday revolves solely around the girls. 

When we rang in 2013 (our first year with Brooklyn) we promised each other this would always be a night just for *us*. Fast forward one year later: Rob suffered a very tragic loss at work of one of his biggest advisors, I started a new job, we had a sick toddler, our nanny had another commitment and oh ya, we have a three month old who I am still breastfeeding. 

I was slumped on the couch in defeat just a few hours before Rob was coming home wallowing in my failure to keep a commitment and/or be a good wife. 

Then I had the glorious idea that if we couldn't go out dancing I would bring the club to us! After all Brooklyn goes to bed at 6:30 and Lydia sleeps unless she needs to be fed. 

We would be alone! 

It could be j u s t  u s. 

I got all dolled up.. makeup, curled hair, disco earrings, the works. I busted out some decorations, make shift hats, popped some martinells, lite some candles, got the surround sound bumping on Kanye pandora station and even downloaded a disco ball app on my iPad. 

You should have seen Rob's face when he saw me jamming in the dark as he walked through the door. It was a mix of shock and wtf!? but definitely excitement. He changed into a "club" outfit and we got the party started at club 905 plaza.

Hanging out with my husband, watching the ball drop (and all those people freeze in NYC) and talking the night away= perfection. I could not have asked for a more perfect NYE 2014. If this year can live up to the fun we had that night, it will most certainly be our best yet. 

A CHRISTMAS CRECHE & CHURCH PARTY

A few Saturdays ago (seriously how did the month already fly by?!) we had a full day of Christmas fun. We attended the Christmas Creche exhibit in Palo Alto with our good friends the Toolsons, in the afternoon and our church Christmas party in the evening. 

The Creche exhibit was a.m.a.z.i.n.g! I didn't have any expectations going in and was blown away. There were hundreds upon hundreds of different nativity scenes from all around the world. Each room had a different theme and honored different parts of the globe. It was so interesting to see how each culture created jesus to look like themselves. They also had a kids room, puppet show and crafts which Brooklyn loved. I would highly recommend this for anyone who lives in the area! 

The church Christmas party was a blast too. I use to think life would be so lame once I was a parent but its so fun and exciting in a totally different way. Seeing Brooklyn's little personality develop is one of the most rewarding things in my life. Watching her sit and laugh at that small table with the other toddlers was cute beyond words. Things ended up taking an ugly turn during dinner when she was bored and we left before the music program or seeing santa. Missing santa was a bummer because this was suppose to be the "santa & me 2013" picture. {Sigh} 

CHRISTMAS TREE 2013

Last year (see here) we started the tradition of going into the Santa Cruz forest and cutting down our very own Christmas tree. We went to Summit Farms again because it was such a good experience last year. I love how this is something we can do every year as a family. The scenery is breathtaking and the beauty helps us remember that Christmas is more than just about getting presents. 

Looking back to our pictures from last year a lot has changed. Now we have a toddler and another baby and a new car and a finally decorated room to put the tree in. Like before, Rob did all most of the heavy lifting but it was a group effort to keep everyone warm and entertained. We had a cold streak come through the area for about two weeks, making it really feel like winter around here. 

^^Of all the places to choose a tree we decided to get one next to this huge dumpster. Brooklyn was pretty happy about it though. 

^^Hanging out waiting for daddy to cut the tree

^^Couldn't ask for a greater guy.. look at that enthusiasm! 

^^See see! I helped lift the tree to the top of the car.

^^Last year she could barely lift her head. This year she sat in the car playing with my iPhone. 

^^New year, new car. The tree made it home successfully! 

^^We are completely blocking the tree but at least you can see the completed living room. Sadly I never took a picture of the tree and when we came home from Boston it was all but dead :/

Christmas card 2013

I think as people get older they become less thrifty, not me. I still have the mind set of a poor college student and I am going to hold on to that as long as I can. I love saving money and especially getting a good deal on things. However, sometimes you get what you pay for. Like my Christmas cards this year. I went double frugal by purchasing not one but two groupons to make this card happen. The picture was a $15 groupon to JCP, the place where the trouble started. We were running late (as usual) and I was panicking. I called the place several times but no one answered. I realized why once we got there: they were running behind too. By an hour and a half! Imagine the outcome of two infants who had not eaten dinner getting a picture taken 20 minutes after bedtime. Not good. Our photographer was beyond horrible. She captured all these odd angles before quickly rushing us out. Great. On to the second groupon disaster; my photo card deal. I checked out the website and saw tons of cute designs I wanted. 60 cards for $15, score! Little did I know the groupon restricted the template options to about, nothing. Being stubborn and maybe a little cheap (OK, a lot cheap) I forged forward with my original idea and the result .........

Lucky  I have two gorgeous littles. Guess the result could have been a lot worse. Next year we are going to use a legit professional for the photos and a non groupon for the cards. Whoo hoo for 2014 cards! And, Merry Christmas!