Tale of Two Cities

On Monday, we soaked up the warmth and 70 degree temps in Raleigh...

because on Tuesday, temperatures would drop about 75 degrees when we were in Oak Creek, Colorado!  

One more sleep until our Colorado adventure would begin!

Another party?

Because it wasn't enough that my birthday, Luke's birthday, Poppy's birthday, and Addie's birthday had all been celebrated in the last four weeks PLUS CHRISTMAS, we needed to add one more party to the calendar...

I adore Collins's invitations and party planning skills, and yes, Luke Fork was more than happy to give a tractor ride...

and sample the party treats!

The guests took out quite a bit of lemonade and cake pops...

and Winter's birthday party was deemed a complete success! Happy 4th birthday, Winter!

Zero Plans

Oh, those blissful days after Christmas when you wake up with zero plans. After weeks of going at max Christmas speed, it was really nice to wake up with not a darn thing to do. And when you eventually end up at the playground spinning yourself silly- that's a bonus.

Christmas with Poppy and Nana

We made it through Christmas, all breathed out a sigh of relief, and happily moved into a more low-key day and celebration with Poppy, Nana, Alli, and Sawyer. So excited to celebrate Christmas with them!

But first, we had to take a trolley ride...   

Dad and Heather love staying at fun hotels when they are in Raleigh, and this visit they were staying at the modern AC Marriot. They liked it so much, they invited us over to give us a tour. There was a bubble on the rooftop deck, sleek decor, and a huge restaurant on the top floor. Collins was immediately sold and began planning her birthday party that would now happen at the AC Hotel. :)

Then we saw the North Hills trolley circling and got on for kicks, ate a tasty lunch at Yardhouse, and then headed to give Dad and Heather a tour of the new Wegmans. Trust me- it was worth seeing- plus we also needed supplies for our annual Cioppino Christmas dinner.

Back at home, Alli and Sawyer came over and we played Pictionary, looked at BHI real estate, watched HGTV, took a walk, ate tasty appetizers, and got ready for the main event!  

We opened many fabulous, color-coordinated presents including robots, tennis lessons, puzzles, trucks, and so much more. It is always so fun seeing what's inside Poppy and Nana's pretty boxes!

Right about when it was time to serve the Cioppino, Sawyer decided he was ready to go home. We felt so bad, but Al could not stay for Christmas dinner and dessert. Such is life with a baby! I remember those days all too well. They headed back to Durham, and we enjoyed our tasty fish stew and called our last Christmas celebration a wrap!

It was the perfect way to end the holiday...a low-key day spent just hanging out doing fun things with the people you love. From start to finish, a very Merry Christmas 2019!

Christmas 2019

 Finally, Christmas morning had arrived! 

Addie loves to talk about how our house has two staircases, and the kids can just use the back staircase to come sneak a look at their presents on Christmas morning if the parents have the front staircase blocked. But we outsmarted them this year, and Brian supervised room exits from upstairs while I guarded downstairs! 

They finally got the greenlight, and down the front staircase they bounded...

to find the biggest dollhouse Addie had ever seen! Taller than her in fact. :)

Collins found a watch waiting for her...

and Luke became the owner of a new bike!

He also found a new jersey (shocking I know), new hockey sticks...

and his first Hot Wheels set!

They love to run straight from Santa presents to the stockings, but we had a new plan in mind this year. We felt like last year the present part of Christmas was way too rushed, and it had a greedy feel to it. I talked to many friends about how they operate Christmas day to get the most meaning and fulfillment out of it, and the major consensus was to slow things down. Open Santa presents, then have a nice leisurely breakfast, then do stockings, then maybe play a little bit, then maybe open presents from under the tree. In other words- draw the excitement of this day out as long as possible. So we did, and everyone ended up enjoying things so much more. 

After opening and smiling and eating and playing, it was finally time to pull ourselves together and to get dressed for the day. After all, we were hosting Christmas dinner that night and we had some cooking to do.

But before we could worry about that, we needed to take this bike outside for a spin...

Took some practice to get comfortable on the balance bike, but our backyard was the perfect place to start.

We headed over to Gigi's and Pop Pops to get Luke's other present from last night...

Luke promptly took the wheel of his tractor...

and Collins attempted this?!?

A gorgeous day for all the activities we enjoy (tractors/Legos/breadmaking)...

then look who arrived! So thankful they made the long trip on Christmas day so we could all celebrate together. 

Brian smoked a prime rib- a Christmas dream come true. I don't have the same smoked prime rib obsession that he has, but I have to say it was really delicious. Especially with Donna's twice-baked potatoes!

We ate, and laughed, and enjoyed a Christmas dinner at home. I fell asleep watching a Christmas movie, thankful for my many blessings and for what turned out to be a fabulous Christmas 2019.