Family Days

I have been wanting to blog sooner, but I had a little "gig" going on that took all of my free time (meaning nap and after the girls went to bed).  I was making 200 fabric flowers for a bride whose wedding is not until September.  I could have taken months to get them done...but I don't like unfinished projects and would sleep better knowing they are done so I finished them in two days.  I think I was cutting, twisting, hot glue-ing (and burning my fingers!) for a total of 10-12 hours.  But they are done and ready to be handed off to the bride-to-be and she may have more DIY projects for me, but hopefully they do not include any more fabric flowers!

This was when I was done with just 132! I didn't finish all 200 until around midnight...

Family Day 1- Baking cookies and Zoo Lights

We began our family day by making cookies and letting the girls frost them and they had so much fun

When we became members of the zoo we were excited that it came with free admission to Zoo Lights and I was looking forward to going.  When we visited the zoo in Oct and Nov we could see the progress of setting up for this (apparently they begin in September!).  It was SO cold.  I think it was 24 degrees while we were there at 5:30 so we got some hot chocolate to keep our hands a little warmer.  Poor Charlotte just sat there...Tim said she was frozen and couldn't move.  

Charlotte is not a fan of anything large in costume

Family Day 2- Seeing Santa

On Friday we took the girls to see Santa.  I happened to see something online about Santa at a dairy farm/plant called Alpenrose.  They had Santa and little old fashioned store fronts that had trains, a bakery, and other fun things for kids.  The most amazing part was one building had "Story Book Lane"...I can compare it to (what Sacramento people will know) like a mini Christmas style Fairy Tale Town.  It is safe to say that Charlotte hates anything in costume that is bigger than her and when I sat her on Santa's lap she freaked but at least she sat there for her picture.  The wind was blowing outside making it feel more like 15 degrees instead of 25.  We definitely had a frozen good time.  

The waiting area before Santa

Aw sad face and Santa trying to make her feel better

Deep in conversation

The Three Little Pigs

Look!

Playing in the General Store

The Christmas Story

Feeling Nostalgic

I've had a lot to post today! Tonight we decorated the tree with the girls. Gracie absolutely loved helping...Charlotte on the other hand was happier making the truck ornament go vroom vroom on the floor. 

Gracie handled the ornaments so gently and found the perfect spot for each one...only where she could reach ;) She came to an ornament I love 

And I said "oh "Great" gave me that one" and in the sweetest little voice she says "then you should hang it up" I broke down in tears. Not only did I miss my grandma at the moment I saw the ornament but also because of the tender heart my daughter showed me. 

After they went to bed we finished the tree. There's something about a lit, decorated Christmas tree that I just adore and I can sit and just look at it. So when we were done that's what I did

Doing this made me grateful for my special Christmas decorations. Before my Grandma died she had let me take home a couple ornaments (the little green elf being one) and then she went and got out the hanging mistletoe ball she hung every Christmas in the entry to the living room. It has a string and when you pull it it spins slowly while playing a song. She said she and my Grandpa received it as a wedding gift and that I could have it. 

The other thing I see as I sit in this spot is a Mrs Clause doll that was my Auntie's, and after she passed away I was able to bring home a few things of hers and this was one thing I chose. My Auntie LOVED Christmas, especially her tree and she would just sit content in her decorated house. 

And that doll sits on a grandfather clock (which of course is there all the time, not just Christmas!) which came from Almi's house. Almi was my best friend's grandma but was like another grandma to me. I spent so much time at her house growing up and the sound of this clock is something I distinctly remembered. It was in her entry right by her front door and I walked past it countless times. After she passed away her kids couldn't take it with them and passed it on to us. 

I know that life is not about things, but when you have things that represent life and the lives of others you loved it's pretty special. I feel very blessed tonight. 

Oh Christmas Tree!

We have tried to make it a tradition to go hunt for a Christmas tree and cut it down.  The first year we tried this (Gracie's first Christmas) we set out to get forest service permits in the Plumas Nat'l Forest with my Mom, us, and both our dogs...lets just say that it didn't exactly work out.  It started snowing, we couldn't read the forest service map, there were no trees anywhere except the ones I saw that Tim and my Mom kept reminding me were landscaped and on someone's property...my dream was getting dim...oh and Makai (my mom's dog) and Tim woke up the next day with ticks...
Last year Tim and I took both girls to Apple Hill to cut one down.  We brought Lacie, they had hot chocolate, the day was pretty...it was looking good until we had to walk up steep hills to get to the trees and Gracie started to whine and whine that she was tired...Charlotte was due for a bottle and Lacie went poop.  I looked at Tim, saw the closest tree and called it good.  He cut down the tree and carried it and the bag of poop down the hill while I carried Charlotte in the front pack, Gracie on my back, and held the dog's leash.  Not exactly the memory I had hoped for.
This year didn't have big shoes to fill and it wouldn't take much to make it better than previous years.  Tim and I started researching Christmas tree farms in the area.  Since we are new to Oregon we had no idea what we were doing and with Oregon being THE place for Christmas trees there were a lot to choose from.  Then one night Tim was on Groupon and saw a deal for a tree.  I looked up the place and it looked great...so we bought the deal.  Today was an unofficial opening day and after we were done with the parade downtown we headed to the country for our tree.  We drove and drove and came over a hill to the most beautiful place for a tree farm.  We were greeted by Lisa, the owner of Mitchell Christmas Tree Farm...she owns it with her husband and their three little boys.  There was a warming room with a wood burning stove, hot chocolate, coffee, candy canes, and treats (all free)...there was a campfire with stumps and chairs for sitting.  There was a decorated Christmas tree and picnic tables with Christmas centerpieces...and there were acres and acres of gorgeous Christmas trees.  We found our tree, the girls played and had snacks, and we just had the most wonderful time.  Gracie asked me as we left, "Do we get to go back to that place?" She was bummed when I told her we would be back but it wouldn't be until next year.
This year was better...as in a picture perfect day brimming with blessings, goodness, and joy.

Greeted with a decorated tree!

The warming room

Christmas tree hunter

Tim after he was done cutting!

The Mitchell family dog

Tim got it loaded and strapped to the car!

Our girls with our tree

Look at this setup!

Portland Macy's Parade!

When I found out they did a Macy's Christmas parade here I knew we had to go.  It would probably be the closest we would ever come to the real Macy's parade and I heard good things about it.  We decided to make a day of it with getting our Christmas tree after.  We got downtown early to find a parking spot then found a spot on the curb and got Starbucks and we were ready!  Both girls were a little grumpy before it started but as soon as the first band came by they were better.  The marching bands were amazing, they had fun big balloons (nothing like New York of course) and ended with Santa!  It was a very memorable morning.