We started getting festive Thanksgiving weekend. We have found that if we don't get a tree that weekend, it is not worth it since we usually leave for OK for Christmas. Well…we have to have a tree!! We got a little one this year, and it was so cute. B put the angel on top for the second year in a row.
I also felt the need to add an advent calendar to our lives. I had one growing up, and it was a favorite tradition. I found some cute print outs on pinterest and built this one with a frame we already had.
She was worn out after all the shopping!
We had fun with the advent activities like drink apple cider, look at christmas lights, pancakes for dinner, make cards, make paper snowflakes, toast marshmallows...
Venice Canal bridge
We went to see Santa Claus at Venice's first annual winter wonderland. "Wonder" is a strong word, but we met up with friends and had fun.
Isla and Wilder joined us!
Santa had a red carpet
These two were smooching on the train ride.
B was not so into santa this year
We made a gingerbread house with Nelson and Wilder
We had some quality family of 3 time.
Twins!
Santa came to our house the Friday morning before Christmas. We were leaving Saturday morning for 2 weeks in oklahoma, and we did not want to worry santa about getting our gifts to OK and back. We turned on our Christmas record (below), made coffee and had a big reveal for Breckin. She was so cute! She saw how good santa and her grandparents were to her and said "Wow!" when she saw the goods. She jumped from toy to toy, not knowing which one she wanted to play with first. It was an awesome morning.
the goods
Then we were off to OKLAHOMA! We left early Saturday morning and made it to Tulsa by dinner time. Happy and Nana were so nice to pick us up from the airport and took us to dinner at jess's fave: Coney Island-er. Then we met Pop and Gag at a gas station in Stroud to start our weeklong stay at the farm.
Sunday morning, as soon as she woke up, B puked. At first, she was acting somewhat normal, so we thought it was a fluke, but then she went on the decline. For the entire week, she puked and pooped through the day and night. It was so sad, and so so so exhausting. All she wanted to do was nurse, but she wasn't even able to keep that down. We never took her to a DR b/c we kept thinking she was on the mend, but then she would puke again. We tried our best to still have a good time, but it was so, so sad.
We burned the burn pile on a beautiful 55 degree day. We ate hot dogs, drank whiskey, and listened to good tunes. The boys are throwing some of their old homework into the fire above =)
You're not a farm girl until you drive the farm truck!
Mimi came to see us for a night!
In a brief moment of feeling good, B started a dance party with her cousins in the truck bed.
An uncle and his nephews
the pond was looking good and big!
How BIG was it, Brad??
There was a lot of this. Poor, sick, exhausted baby
One night, there was the annual game of Tripoly at Pop and Gags. After a few hours and a few whiskies, Lauren was crowned the winner.
We tried to be happy for cookie making
On Christmas eve, we set out to walk the Wellness Center path that sets up these lights every year. It has become a new tradition in seminole that I had yet to see. There were at least 100 light structures, free tractor/shuttle rides (we walked), and loud music. It was really neat!
The chieftain head was one of my faves.
Each one is sponsored by a family or business. This is the Phelps Title Insurance Agency Snowman. We joke that it looks like he is smoking a cigar…just like the Shark.
this beautiful bridge and tree is at the end of it all. Are we in NYC or Seminole??
We went back to Lo's, frigid to the core, ordered pizza and listened to the annual reading of the Night Before Christmas by Papa.
Breckin felt good enough on Christmas to somewhat enjoy opening presents and she even had some Christmas dinner.
Like always, we didn't get to see or do as much as we wanted. Breckin was really sad not to get as much playtime with her cousins as she wanted. We decided that we will have to do a redo in May!
IN TULSA:
The day after christmas, we packed up and met Happy and Nana in Stroud again for a pick up. Then it was off to Happy and Nana's house for another week! The house was packed with family nearly everyday we were there. Staying in the house was: Greg and Laura and their 4 kids (Grayson 12, Nicole 10, Addison (8) and Keely (8), Jess, Me, Breckin, Jim, Janet, and at one point Eric, Lauren, and Norah (3 months)…it was crazy! I kept saying over and over how I felt like I was in the Home Alone house. Then add DG, Bill, TC, Gary, Aimee, Foster, GG, and Mimi to the mix when we had gatherings.
This was a big theme of the week: iPads. They were a constant form of entertainment for the kids. And for the sick Breckin, Curious George on the iPad was one thing she was game for. Now she asks for "iPad" and "george" all the time. When it is freezing (literally) outside, there is not much to do!
As soon as we got to Tulsa, B threw up again. We decided it was time to go to the urgent care clinic. we got her fixed up with some anti-throwup medicine and the BART diet. She immediately felt better and was dancing and showing off while we opened gifts that night.
Nana and her 2 baby girls with the everage girls looking on.
Playing piano with Nicole
Nicole (Jess's goddaughter) is an amazing artist…and not just for a 10 year old. She is gifted people. Here, B is lucky enough to get an art lesson from her cousin.
It SNOWED!! B's first time to see snow! It only lasted a day, but we made the most of it. She finally got to wear her snowsuit that our neighbor gave us. In the nick of time, b/c she is just about too long for it!
watching addy play from the warmth
B + Nicole
Grayson feeding her soup which is now one of her favorite things to say, "cook" and eat.
Helping Keeley make rubber band bracelets
We were getting cabin fever, so we braved the cold for a short walk. we lasted about 5 minutes. We were missing our daily walks to the park in the California sunshine! I never thought I'd say it, but we are California weather wienies now!
the twins celebrated their 8th birthday while we were there! The twins' birth also marks the day I moved to California. Pretty crazy. 8 years ago, we unloaded the jeep into the shitty downtown LA apartment, jumped back into the jeep without unpacking any boxes, headed north to San Fran, stopped at the hospital to see these 2 teeny tiny, porcelain doll babies, and then went to see my first String Cheese show for New Year's Eve. 8 YEARS AGO...
We went for a very delicious lunch for their birthday in downtown tulsa. I had my second chicken fried steak of the trip and some fried okra.
There was this awesome mural downtown.
This was probably the coldest day of them all, but the Everages really wanted to go ice skating. We made it to the rink and snapped a pic of this tree, but that was as long as we could hang.
Jess and Grayson had a snowball fight with what was left of the dirty snow.
Laura lived in Miami before she married Greg. It is their tradition to have Joe's Stone Crabs (a miami thing) every New Year's Eve. They have them shipped to them on ice. We were lucky enough to get to join in on their tradition this year.
B's sickness went from puke and poop to snot and cough. She was never 100% but she was trying her best! She became obsessed with the book her uncle Eric wrote about Tommy Turtle. She is reading it to her babies above.
One of my New Year's Resolutions is to start baking my own bread. Uncle Greg is the master of this and I got my very own private lesson. They turned out great! Since I have been home, I made another batch of this white bread, and a batch of rosemary bread. Both turned out awesome!
downward dog
Our last night there was our only night with just Happy and Nana to ourselves. Nana took us shopping and out to dinner at a yummy burger spot in Utica Square.
We watched the cowboys win the Cactus Bowl over Washington in an exciting game on the GIANT big screen in the new closed in loft space upstairs (we also watched Malificent with all the cousins up here). Happy and Nana have been working so hard on their Tulsa house and it is absolutely gorgeous!
Then it was time to leave…We were able to snap this shot of Happy and his Bean in her new HAPPY sweater.
B actually ASKED to sit on her daddy's lap and then fell asleep. What a treat for Mommy! We watched a whole movie and got home Saturday evening with no trouble.
As always, we can't wait until the next time! But we sure have been enjoying our outside time since we've been back...
1 comment:
We had a great time. Only if B felt better. Yes, we are always jealous of your outside time. It was a Merry Chritmas 2014
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