Merry Merry Mary

(My Aunt Lisa wrote that on the card for a present for Mary and I just think it is the cutest thing so I have been using it ever since :)  ) Here is a little more in depth review of our December, complete with pictures from my awesome new camera!


Hale Jeffries donned in its holiday best

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!:
Mary has been in love with Christmas lights since about October. Brian has made special trips during the day to Menard's because they have a forest of trees with blinking lights. When we put the little tree up in our living room it was as if she were in heaven to see lights in our very own HOUSE! It became part of the bedtime ritual to go over to the tree and touch the lights...

Usually I take one day in December off from work to bake cookies and wrap presents to ship - This year, I took a day off and Brian and I went down to Chicago for the day (so, sorry, cookies, this year folks). It was the first long day Brian and I had spent away from Mary. I was nervous, but I knew she was in good hands at Marmee and Grampy's - it didn't take long for her to understand she gets whatever she wants over there.

Brian and I took the train downtown and it was in the 40s so not too chilly to wander around - we walked to Marshall Field's (sorry, I just can't call it Macy's) to see the windows - Outside was a large group of retired Chicago Fireman with a Salvation Army bucket - Perfect for a photo opp!

Then we went over to Millenium Park, to see the new landmark "Bean"

THEN we went all the way down to the American Girl store....and my blood pressure shot through the roof. Not because of stress, but because of excitement! Mary got the Girl of the Year (or the GOTY for all you die-hards) from my parents when she was born - for 2011 it just happen to be a Hawaiian Girl named Kanani.  Since she is the girl of the year, that means that at the end of the month she is GONE, and you can't buy any of her stuff. It was as if I was 10 and just wanted to play with all the pretty, pretty things. It also turns out that I know a lot more about American Girl than I gave myself credit and wound up helping people find the appropriate accessories that they needed ("no, that's Barksey, that's Kanani's dog - I think you're looking for Coconut, that's Kit's dog"). I also took Brian up to the Cafe to show him where he and Mary will take Kanani to have tea someday. We walked out of there without much damage and another fantastic photo opp.

 AUNTIE NA-NA and BRUDDAH LANDON:

Our first California visitors! Dear friends Nadean and Landon flew in on their way to Minnesota to visit Landon's family for Christmas. They flew in late Friday night and I couldn't have ordered a more picture perfect setting for them to wake up to Saturday morning.

Just a few inches of perfect, glittery snow to welcome them to the Midwest. I didn't make any huge plans while they were here, because I just wanted to hang out with them. I was so happy that Mary seemed to remember them right away - she saw Nadean that morning and had a big smile for her.

CHRISTMAS EVE:
Pretty low key, just went over to my parents for "Christmas Soup". Really it's Chicken Florentine Soup, but it's Christmas Colors so we have always called it that.  My Dad got to read her "Twas the night before Christmas" from my mom's old book.

She sat still at first, but then got very bored. As my Dad said "Okay, well we got that Photo Opp"

And so we did...and pretty cute too! :)

MARY'S FIRST CHRISTMAS!

Our living room after Santa left

 

This year Brian was a much better gift giver than I was...I scored with a new Kindle Fire, new Oakleys and a pretty scarf while Brian got cross country skis. Now I thought cross country skis were a killer gift - a new sport that we can do together in the winter time, but two days before Christmas (not enough time to find another "killer" gift) Brian commented that he had "zero" interest in snowshoeing or cross country skiing...harumph.  So, once again, he has the right attitude and is willing to give it a try - so I still have hope that he will like it.

I made stockings for both of my nieces and for Cortney - and while I had 10 months to get Mary's stocking done...I finished it on Christmas Eve just in time for Santa. You can't really see it in the pic, but it has a metallic "M" emroidered on Navy blue with a beautiful white velvet cuff. I am quite proud of myself. Mary had a great Christmas - lots of fun toys, but the best gift I got for her was the $1.89 I spent on a bag a pre-made sticky bows - I put them in a box and she played with it for days.

Just a few days after Christmas, Mary started becoming super mobile - her new trick is climbing the stairs...I have a super cute video of her doing it, but I'm having issues with trying to upload it so you'll just have to take my word for it.

New Year's cards should be in the mail...eventually. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and I wish you nothing but fantastic opportunities for 2012.

Cheers!
Much love,
Brynn, Brian and Mary

December Speed Blog

I will post pictures as soon as I can – lots of cute things happening this month.

Mary pulls herself up on furniture and “surfs” from couch to tables to walls to cabinets to pulling everything out of the cabinets – Mary Crawls and is getting rather speedy at it – likes to attempt going down stairs head-first (hey it works for the furry four-legged brother and sister.

Brian and I take a full day and go to Chicago – the first full day we have spent alone together since Mary is born – HAD SO MUCH FUN!!!  - Wandered all over Chicago, shopped, ate, drank – Happiness.

Dear friends Nadean and Landon visit from California! – Arrived late Friday night and got to wake up Saturday morning to 2” of fresh snow – warm and fuzzy feelings ensue – Kept pinching myself that friends from California were in our little house in Illinois. Now that they are gone, I feel like Christmas is over.

Had the first annual “Holiday Open House” and it was a HIT – had over neighbors and old friends. House definitely has a new homey warmth to it when it is full of friends and family.

Christmas in less than a week – YIKES! – I have to finish this stocking for Mary so Santa has a place to put her puffs. Brian getting a great gift…I can’t wait for him to see it!!!