December's deleted scenes

Other happenings this month at the Heimer Haus.....

MeeMee and I joined my Aunt Mary and cousin Danielle for breakfast while they were in town.  It was delightful to see them.  Aunt Mary dislocating her shoulder on the way home, slipping on ice, was not so delightful. :( 

 

My boys helping with the chex mix while we watch Sunday football.

 

This house, across the street from Ben's school, decorates to the nines for every holiday.  We got to thank the owner one day as the kids delight in the display.  Ben thought that Santa in the chair was real for quite some time.

 

brotherly love...and licks

Trader Joe's selection of holiday greenery does not disappoint,  so I was thrilled to find these swags that cost less than $10 (even with the ribbon) total for two.  Unfortunately, I quickly learned these south facing doors will not allow for anything real in the way of door decor.  They were tinder dry in two days and emitted a baking-pine smell that was more alarming than delightful.

TJ's did come through with a $3 Christmas cactus after I'd been eyeing the $25 ones at the grocery store for weeks.  My Grandma Theresa loved them and we got her a new one nearly every year.  I have it sitting on the kitchen island and smile many times a day at the beautiful reminders.

 

Ben's new school is way more PC than Denver in terms of Holiday celebrations, (which is shocking) but they still made these delightful reindeer ornaments.

 

While they did not have a holiday or even a "Winter" party, they did have a pj day on the last day before break.  Ben was apparently practicing his best Santa belly here.

 

 

 

Skip introduced us to his friend Soliel this day.

An indulgent mommy/buddy date ended with chocolate EVERYWHERE.

 

No camera can capture this view most days but the clouds played along this day.  Watching the sun break over Longs Peak and then the Flatirons is nothing short of magical lots of days.

 

I thought Ben's instant success at his story sequencing game might be beginner's luck, and it was.

 

South America, however, he has continued to own. ;)

 

These were my top 9 most "liked" Instagram pics this year.  I was surprised at the heavily weighted year-end.  I must have gathered followers or people really like puppies. :)

Decking New Halls

I aimed to get our holiday cards out early this year so people would have our new address.  I also knew I wanted a "moving" theme and as soon as I finished the fireplace, my vision came together.

the natural light I shot these in was funky, but you get the idea

a close runner-up 

and my favorite blooper

first Christmas

MeeMee kindly obliged when we requested celebrating our first Christmas at our house, and even brought the prime rib so we could stay for dinner, rather than traveling to her house.
We were doubly lucky in that Nana and Papa joined us, too!  They often spend this day in Colorado Springs with the large Witherspoon clan but Nana's hip kept her a little closer to home this year.

The day started with Ben realizing Santa had indeed come, despite our reassurances to the contrary, and he seemed ok with that.  WE FORGOT THE BUTTERBRAID!! so our usual breakfast tide over was missing but we all survived.  The day was missing something else in Tante and Brandon, but we knew they were having a blast in Australia.   

 

Ben took his time easing into the day.

 

meanwhile, down under

 

A little Chrissie facetime

We started with Santa gifts and stockings.....

Brandon's matching stocking didn't arrive in time, but we hung Tante's at her request and appropriately so Santa could fill it from down under.

 We moved on to a few under-the-tree gifts before breakfast.....

Ben was aptly excited for this giant box that housed his new beanbag chair,

and opened the rest of his gifts from inside.

my boys and their matching(ish) Heimer hats

We had one last gift for Ben to open before we set him free and the adults opened the rest of theirs.

 

It had been hiding in the crawl space for a couple days.

The reveal is here.

and another ride here

Soon after breakfast and gifts, this was the scene. 

 Just as Christmas Day should be. 

The day was lovely and dinner was scrumptious.  Prime rib, my Grandma Therese's au gratin potatoes, brussels with pancetta, and pear and goat cheese spinach salad were certainly a worthy meal on such an important day.  Ryan forgot the rolls and with that I think the universe might be telling us to eat less bread in 2016.  It was very fun to cook and drink with my Mom and MIL while looking down over the guys and yet another ill-timed project fixing the fireplace.  We did have lovely fire when all was said and done.  My heart is warmed each time I can comfortably entertain friends and loved ones, and if it keeps up, this house will be a home before I know it.  I hope your Christmas was filled with calm, relaxation, love, family, and a full belly.  I hope you also know the overwhelming joy of gratitude and of giving.

*I have admittedly been slacking a bit in the picture department.  I've been working on being really present in lots of moments and so pictures get forgotten.  In the new year, I'm going to work on a better balance.  Ryan is going to work on capturing a pic or two of me once in a while, as I told him this blog has once again become an ode to Ben and his dad. ;)

Christmas Eve at the original Heimer Haus

Hayes was packed and ready early with anticipation of his first trip to Nana's.

Our holiday gathering at the original Heimer Haus, Nana and Papa's, began in the early afternoon.  The Witherspoons have missed the last two years with sickness so it was a delight to have them join us.  Ben got right to asking Ian to tackle him and Ian responded as usual with requests to play legos.  Those two have a shared excitement to see each other and that's where their similarities end. We got an interesting peek at Luke this visit, who is even quieter than Ben was at his age, but who is quite the cute instigator and rough-houser with his big brother.

The boys opening their annual Radko ornaments.....

The snacks the treats were abundant and we munched from lunch right through to dinner.  Nana had recently had her hip replaced, and by the late afternoon wasn't feeling like she could make it through mass.  We all stayed home with her and continued rounds of opening gifts, snacking and "helping" the boys play with their toys.

How many brilliant men does it take to figure out a couple remote control dudes??

Papa Jim delighting in Ryan being TOLD by Ian just as he had been minutes earlier.

There's no part of Christmas that's not better with a puppy on your lap. 

We headed home just as the princes began to turn into devils.  Nearly and hour of running wild and screaming may have pushed, at least our prince, right over the edge.  He always wants to be around kids, but days of jam-packed kiddo fun wear on our only in ways I don't give enough credit to.  

Our new neighborhood lights the luminaries on Christmas Eve, as is Southwest US tradition.  It's a fundraiser for the swim team and I cried beautiful tears all the way up the hill.  As some might remember from last year's luminary post, my grandparents ENTIRE town in Arizona lit luminaries on Christmas Eve.  I remember being just as excited to leave mass for the presents as I was for the lights, and asking my dad to take me out after dark to see them again.

There is a lengthy video here, if you want a glimpse of the magic.  Unfortunately, YouTube muted the Christmas music-oy!

Our cul-de-sac.  Next year ours won't be blocked by the hideous evergreen bush. ;)

Huge thanks to Nana, Papa, and the Witherspoons for a delightful gathering.  Time together, laughter, kids making memories, and a little sparkle, are the magic of this season for me and this day was filled with all of that.

We set out cookies, milk and carrots through tears of exhaustion and headed to bed.  Ben was not comforted by the thought of Santa in his house and demanded he not come while he was sleeping.  We assured him everything would be ok and by morning, it was.