Trees, Rinks, Dickens & Gingerbread

We went to the Festival of Trees with my mom and sister a few weeks ago. Dylan wanted to play with all the trees that had toys! He also loved watching the hip-hop dancers, he was totally rockin' with them. I'm telling you he can't sit still when there is a beat! He also ate SIX of these gingerbread men along with Hershey kisses, he's been on a sugar high most of this month. He had fun painting a gingerbread man and making a stained glass ornament too.


The Dickens Festival was fun too! Dylan fell asleep in the car and actually made it through transition to the stroller so he slept for the first hour, it was fantastic! Once he woke up he was on the go. Grandpa was looking at this amazing "playhouse" that Dylan of course fell in love with, well to be honest we all did! We also played in this synthetic snow stuff, it was really weird.

My mom gave us this rink that we had given her 14 years ago and Dylan absolutely loves it! Anna was about his age when we got it and I remember her nicely sitting and watching the pretty ice skaters and listening to the carols. Dylan sees this as an entirely different game and he is not content with simply observing. He loves to take it apart put everything back together, knock down all the skaters in one fell swoop often using the Christmas tree, put his cars on the ice, run over the skaters - basically there is the grand addition of crashing and exploding sounds to this once serene piece. Boys are so awesome!

I was totally a slacker with the Christmas decor this year, it didn't get up until last week. But totally worth the wait. Dylan loves his own little tree and for a few days wanted to hang anything on it that had a string, for example his boots. So funny! I can't tell you how many times I heard "hang on dare?".


I ventured into uncharted territory this year by making homemade gingerbread and it was not a simple task, especially with the "help" of a two year old! But it turned out to be a lot of fun, Dylan loved decorating the house, tree and cookies and it was actually quite tasty. However next year Ryan will not be in charge of buying the candy decor, M&M's and Mike & Ikes - that's it! What? No gumdrops, licorice ropes, red hots, mints, etc. etc....But the end result is still pretty impressive.
Such a good helper!

Flour on the face, floor, you name it!

Our supplies...

Cutting the cookies & snitching the candy. I love the "who me?" face.

When Dylan broke this one he said "sorry gingerbread man leg".

Yeah ~ Our masterpiece is complete!!

Oh and a funny story that I don't want to forget...Dylan was at my moms house a couple of weeks ago and she had her tree with wrapped presents under it (she is very on top of things for Christmas!) and he took one over to her and said "open book?" - and it really was a book for him! Clever kiddo :D

Anniversary Extravaganza

I guess to us EXTRAVAGANZA means...

Self taken pics in front of our Christmas Tree.

Posing in my awesome leather jacket - thanks Ry!

Driving to dinner.

Dining at our favorite restaurant ~ Cafe Trio.

Pretty much a perfect night out!

Dylan's December Doings

This kid is hilarious - I am not exaggerating even a little bit!

The many faces in these pics don't even begin to portray his personality!

It's amazing to me how seemingly overnight he has started speaking in full sentences, and not just repeating what we say (although he does a lot of that too!) but actually taking what we say and forming his own sentence. Some of my favorite things are "hinga" (finger), "put on dere" (put it on there), "I dun lika" (I don't like it), "heno"(hello, he answers the phone heno mama), "kissmas" (Christmas), "hlease" (please), he says all of his shapes, numbers and colors so cute, "watch a show", "sicka" (sticker), "my turn" or "din turn" (Dylan's turn), "goo clues" (Blues Clues), "fassa" (faster), "bizzy" (Dizzy, he is always bizzy when he dances), "koo koo hlock" (Cuckoo clock, in reference to any clock), grunting when he flexes his muscles, "gabba gabba" (Yo Gabba Gabba, loves that show), "watch me", "kayzee" (crazy, he loves us to drive crazy), "reay set go" (when he wants you to go do something for him), "ball ceral" (kix), "apple ceral" (apple jacks), "canna" (camera), "sawich" (sandwich), "pack pack" (backpack), "ouside" (outside), "what doing?" (what are you doing), "i luh you" (I love you) "gimmie dat" (give me that), "I wanna" (I want it), "fwing" (swing) "Din" (Dylan, he references himself in the third person).

I dun lika is one of my favorites and most often heard, for example when I am trying to find out what he wants to eat it goes like this...
Me: Dylan do you want chicken for lunch?
Dylan: No mama, I dun lika chicken
Me: Ok do you want a sandwich?
Dylan: No, I dun lika sawich.
Me: What about a quesadilla?
Dylan: No, I dun lika quasadilla.
Me: Do you want cheese?
Dylan: No mama, I dun lika cheese.

I make him chicken.

My other favorite is "what doing?"
Dylan: What doing mama?
Me: Working on my computer, what are you doing?
Dylan: Din working fire truck.

He is not playing, he is working too!

*********

On the look-out

In "Dylan's House" and swinging


Lots and lots of swinging!

He spends so much time in this pot! His latest game is to start the singing Christmas toys we have (a penguin and Pooh Bear) run to the pot, climb in and to sit in the pot to watch them, then he does it all over again!


And in this basket. He loves to put the lid on and hide from us.

Or just chill and watch a show.


Thank you for making every day more exciting, unpredictable and fun little Dilly!

...Downtown, things'll be great when you're downtown...

This week we celebrated the VERY belated birthday's of Jim & Florence with dinner at Lamb's Grill and downtown lights.

The sequence of events to get ....

This picture! I love that Kristi, Jim and I are the same but Ryan and Florence are different in every pic trying to get Dylan looking at the camera.

At Lamb's Grill we ate...

posed with our favorite condiments...

and danced with Santa...

a lot!

12

ELEVEN years ago today we were just two young kiddos tying the knot and look at us now!

We used to joke that we would shoot for five years, then ten, now that we have happily reached eleven and have this little guy I think we have officially accepted it's forever {yikes}

Don't you just love those faces??

Ryan was watching this video on Ashlii's blog which has a portion of the following quote and he could relate, so yes I am writing something from him to me but I know he means it.

If I loved you less,

I might be able to talk about it more.

But you know what I am.

—You hear nothing but truth from me.
Mr. Knightley to Emma ~ Jane Austen

The second nicest thing he said to me this year was about this post. He read it and said that it was very good, I am a great writer, good enough that I "could be a columnist, back when people read columns, like a really good columnist in the 90s".

So sweet, single tear.

Yup, we are full of romance around here and I just wanted to share a glimpse of how I am the lucky recipient of so much love.

But really, I am!

And maybe I am not much for sappy, mooshy, loviedovieness either but I truly appreciate that you are my husband Ryree! I know that you and I are the perfect match. No matter what we go through it always amazes me how we make it work. I credit so much of that to your persistent (sometimes annoyingly) communication, you have made me a better person in that respect. Thank you for loving me for who I am but always supporting me in pushing myself further. Amidst the last few months of change I am so lucky you were the one by my side, keeping it real, that is something I can always expect from you and it provides stability for myself and our family.

Things may not always be perfect but they are real;

- real fun, real love, real life -

And for that I thank you!


Here's to change and our not-so-traditional love song...Love you Ry.

Save it for 01.01.11...

I know it's a bit early to post what I have learned this year but I have reached my capacity in both heart and mind. I am making the conscious decision to not learn anything else for the remaining 17 days - I'm out!

* I have no problem bribing Dylan, that's just the kind of mom I am! Especially if I want him to eat. No guilt here!

* It's ok to open myself up a bit. I'm not made of stone so why do I act like it? I think this change has been evident in some of my blog posts. It makes me happy.

* I really am not made of stone! I do get hurt, I feel disappointment and pain. I have accepted that this doesn't make me weak, it makes me real. I try not to deny my feelings anymore.

* Being more open is a risk, it can be a big one, I am more susceptible to pain but it's a risk worth taking - that's the real lesson, it's worth it!

* I am too materialistic, I always have been and in the end things are just things. They provide no substance, no stability and in fact can be just the opposite. I'm not saying that selling my home and car weren't hard but I'm learning a lot from some of my more irresponsible decisions. I just hope I don't forget, why do we forget what we have already learned, often the hard way, so easily!?

* I absolutely love being a mom! I wasn't always confident that this would be the case but I do, love it, to pieces.

* It's ok to make selfish decisions. To look out for me and my family even if it's not the popular choice or doesn't make everyone happy.

* Dark wood floors do not pair well with light haired pups!

* Back in 1922 anti-Mormonism was all the rage in Britain - in a theatrical and funny way! Original movie info and remake trailer.

* I know more stories about Utah History than anyone reading this, but still only half as many as Ryan.

* Despite all my professed emotions I am incredibly grounded and rational, most of the time this is a good thing but sometimes not so much.

* I love swimming. Love, love, love it! Not just hanging out at the pool but working hard, swimming miles. It's not only my favorite cardio but it clears my head too.

* Next year my resolutions will be more substantial, not just goals for personal accomplishment.

* Posting things like this makes me feel vulnerable, but that is real too.

...And I'm out...