let the magic begin...

This past weekend was the perfect prequel for all that's to come. Excitement is brewing around here for all things merry and bright, reminding us as it always does why it really is the best time of the year.

I had made plans for some early Christmas decorating on Friday night, as I always like to decorate the boys' rooms before the rest of the house. It's nice to spread out the work so it doesn't get so overwhelming. With this being the first Christmas since they were babies that the boys are sleeping in their own rooms at night, I set out to buy each of them their very own Charlie Brown Christmas trees. And as I went shopping for them on Friday at noon, the forecasted snow storm started dropping little white flakes on my shopping adventures, and it all culminated exactly how I hoped it would - with the boys getting out of school in the midst of a heavy snow fall and coming home to their surprises I had waiting for them. I finished my Friday reports with a cup of coffee, Christmas music playing throughout the house and the snowstorm brewing. I couldn't wait to pick them up.

I got off work a little early, took them shopping to pick out their own unique and individual tree adornments, and we spent the whole evening decorating, listening to music, watching Frosty the Snowman and anticipating the amount of snow we would wake up to in the morning. It was the perfect night - these are the nights that make the holidays so special.

We wore our new Santa hats, hung our Christmas banners and placed the stars ever so carefully atop our trees.

As is tradition, the boys picked out one "special" ornament to mark 2015. Jaden - a video game controller. Brandon - the Grinch. He loves the Grinch!

Their rooms look so adorable and peaceful at night, and I can't wait to start reading Christmas stories under those lights.

Saturday morning we woke up to almost 12 inches on the ground! We made chocolate chip muffins for breakfast before heading out to play in the fluffy new snow. The boys put their snow gear on over their pajamas and played outside for an hour before coming inside for warm bubble baths late morning. It was so fun to watch them have so much fun, and it's also so nice now that the time they spend outside actually exceeds the time it takes to get them ready to go outside and play in it!

The rest of Saturday included an incredible game-day experience beating North Carolina in the McLeod Center, Peanuts in the movie theater, a football win in the Dome to seal a playoff birth and a countdown to more holiday magic. It's coming...

Looking forward to the next several days. So much good planned!

47/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2015"

Jaden: Oh, just hanging out a few feet away from some All-American North Carolina Tar Heels. This one had quite the experience on Saturday, watching his Panthers beat not only the current #1 team in the country on our home court - but the legendary UNC - the team Jaden knows best as Michael Jordan's "old team." He doesn't yet realize the enormity of what he watched unfold in front of his eyes... but several years from now he will. And I do no one thing - he will never forget it. With 45 seconds left to go in the game, he started to leave his seat to go to the bathroom. I told him he wouldn't want to miss this ending, and he better try really hard to hold it. About 60 seconds later, he couldn't take his wide eyes off the court storm going on below him. What a day we had together. Wow.

Brandon: Pure happiness in the first snow storm of the year. And we didn't start out small either. 12 inches fell on top of our dry grass, and he's already been out in it a few times. Between the snow storm, some minor Christmas decorating, and a viewing of the new Peanuts movie in the theater with cousin Ella, this one had a pretty good start to Thanksgiving week.

November Rambles

As we ourselves begin to go into hibernation for the cold months ahead - so often it seems that my camera does, too. But as I was scrolling through very, very old blog posts late last night after watching old home videos with my boys, I was reminded that - just like in the early days of our family - even when there are few pictures, there are always words.

And there are always things to write about.

A couple of weeks ago, as an early Christmas gift to ourselves, Cody and I purchased a new flat screen "Smart" TV. We've been enjoying the perks of this purchase, especially our easy Netflix access and YouTube videos right there on the big screen! So last night, after I got home from my haircut, and much past when the boys should have been in bed on a school night, we all gathered in a pile in our pajamas on the middle of the living room floor and watched my old uploaded YouTube videos of the early beginnings of our little family. We watched and remembered how Jaden used to call Brandon, "Baby" as he would pile toys into Brandon's little bathtub. We watched as Jaden talked about his third birthday party and as Brandon ate goulash with his fingers and chipmunk cheeks. We laughed and longed for those younger years, all the while marveling at our boys and who they are now, as we'd sneak silent glances at them while they watched their younger selves on the big screen.

It's amazing what you can forget over time. Which is why I will keep writing.

Moments from November. Fewer pictures. But a lot more time for cozy and family and game nights and comfort food. And the anticipation of the seasonal blessings ahead.

//decorating boxes into Christmas cabins. Brandon made a door and window on his, drew Christmas lights at the top, and it now sits in his room as a hideaway for Lucy. That box takes up a lot of space in the middle of his bedroom floor, but they laugh every time they see Lucy's whiskers poking out through the window holes.

//football and basketball season has now inter-mixed and we're spending a lot of time in the Dome and McLeod Center these days. Which means this kiddo is in heaven.

//our niece Ivy turned one a week ago and we celebrated with tutu's and smash cake and party hats and cousins.

//Jaden attended a UNI basketball camp with a bunch of his buddies one Sunday night, complete with a Subway party with the Panthers and autographs afterwards. I'm loving watching these boys grow up together.

//the way our yard looked in the golden colors of autumn right before Daddy mowed it all up - just in time for the snow to start falling. It's coming...

 

 

//coming out into the living room on a school morning to find Brandon already crafting. He made a Thanksgiving countdown chain before I'd even managed to get myself in the shower to start the day.

//an impromptu family Friday night out at the Hurricane Bar & Grill. The boys had never been and I was craving wings and sauce. I dipped mine in the flavors of raspberry and garlic parmesan, Brandon colored and Jaden and Daddy watched the first night of college basketball. While we ate together, Paris was under attack, and I felt even more thankful to be right where I was.

//pre-game tradition. Dreaming of being one of them someday...

//Daddy hung our Christmas lights on the last nice Sunday of the year, Brandon "helped," and I replaced our pumpkins with our front step Christmas tree. We have plans for some early decorating this weekend before putting our big tree up next week, and I'm more than ready to lose myself in this holiday season.

//lots and lots of stir fry meals and family game nights. Pretty soon, we'll be adding our Pandora Christmas station to the mix...

little moments like...

//bowling birthday parties and laser tag birthday parties and reconnecting with daycare friends.

//a message from one of our favorite daycare teachers that he misses the boys and would love to be able to babysit this winter because summer is too far away to wait to see them again.

//a growing pile of purchased Christmas presents waiting to be wrapped and set under the tree. It's going to be a special one. I can't wait to see their faces light up.

//Christmas cards addressed and ready to be mailed when the calendar turns to December.

//my favorite time of day this time of year. Curling up at 9:00 with a warm cup of french vanilla in my hand, a shortbread cookie or two and one of our shows on the DVR. Fuzzy blankets, twinkly lights, lit candles. And though we'll be missing open windows soon enough, there's good in every season. Ready to embrace this one.

...a big week ahead. A big month ahead. Where has this year gone??!

46/52

"a portrait of each of my children, once each week, in 2015"

Jaden: Hanging out watching Daddy up on our roof hanging Christmas lights. He had a pretty funny bedtime prayer Saturday night - a day that included watching the Panther football team win 41-0. As he ended his prayer, he wrapped it up by saying, "And God, thank you for the Panthers winning 41 to shut-up." I asked him if he meant "shutout" and he said, "Oh yeah. I guess I didn't hear them correctly." ;)

Brandon: The first UNI basketball game of the season. I've said it so many times but this one has been a rock star at football games this year, and now he likes basketball games even better - since the games are shorter. ;) We're looking forward to taking full advantage of our family season tickets this year since this one is finally old enough and interested enough to go and sit through a whole game. It makes the winter a little easier to handle when you can get out of the house and go watch some good entertainment every week! (And eat hot dogs and ice cream, of course).