Advent Calendar - Day #10

Movie Night!  Once again, things were complicated and we started the movie later than I wanted plus we had to make a quick trip to take something to Chris at camp.  However, Elianna and I enjoyed eating our vegetable soup and watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas.  I even made Grinch cookies (to eat along with some ice cream) but since Elianna took soooo long to eat her dinner (which she actually didn't end up finishing) she didn't get any cookies and ice cream.  Sad day!

These cookies were seriously the best!  Here is a link to the recipe (click here).

Please excuse the fact that I look utterly terrible - I've been sick for the past week and a half and I'm about tired of it ... both literally and physically.  It has been no fun.  However, the upside is that no medicine was taken only essential oils and lots of kombucha.  It's good to know natural medicines work ... they just take much longer.  

On the plus side, while Elianna and I were taking Chris his missing camp items, we saw the most beautiful tree!  Seriously, I am not sure how but those bulbs were precisely and painstakingly adorned on that tree.  It was very impressive!

Advent Calendar - Day #9

After picking Elianna up from school, we picked her friend Natalie up to go with us to Frozen's Ice Palace at the Cherry Creek Mall.  Technically it was supposed to be a surprise, but I had to threaten with taking it away from her due to bad behavior namely not wanting to put her jacket on outside.  We are so spoiled here in CO!  Although it may only be in the 40s it feels like it is in the 60s and it's hard to put on a coat when it feels so good outside.

The ice palace was more talked up than it really was but to two 5 year olds who LOVE Frozen, it was majestic!  Of course, they make you go through and pay for a picture with a stuffed Olaf (really?) and then Santa but some mommas (especially ones who don't feel so good) are not to be swayed.  They at first let us in and then kicked us out so they could clean the ice palace so we headed over to the play place.  After playing there about 20 minutes, they kicked us out of there to clean that.  I will say I'm impressed with all the cleaning and disinfecting they do there. 

We got a lot of "Oh look, Elsa and Anna!"

Between them wanting you to pay for a picture with Olaf and pay for a picture with Santa was a waiting area where they had fake snow falling from the sky.  It was the highlight!

After the ice palace, Natalie came back home with us and helped us make more Jingle Bell Balls since all the ones made yesterday were eaten already.  It was nice to have Elianna play with her friends from Wellspring.  We don't get to see them very often and I know she misses them.  I have planned a special day for each girl to come with us on an Advent activity.  It will be good for Elianna!

Advent Calendar - Day #8

Today on Elianna Cooks, we made Jingle Bell Balls which are basically peanut butter rice krispies rolled into balls.  She enjoyed the making and, naturally, the eating part!  It was declared a hit all around and a request for more was thrown out.  Guess we'll have cooking day tomorrow also!

Advent Calendar - Day #7

The downstairs boys both went to a Bronco's game with their dads and no one came to Bible study so it was just our little family for "church".  It was actually very nice.  We light the Advent Wreath and then discussed Simeon and JOY.

After the boys got back from the game, we delivered our Elf gifts.  Tonight was cinnamon rolls with the note of "Here's a sweet treat rolled up with warm wishes".  In addition to our 4, we also decided to give a elf gift to one of our past people.  It goes down in Chris' book as "the hardest house to deliver elf gifts to" so we decided to give it another try.  Unfortunately, they weren't home so the element of surprise was lost but here's to hoping they enjoy the "HoHo from their DingDong elves of Christmas past"!

Advent Calendar - Day #6

While we were out in the forest getting our tree, we snagged a baby tree for Elianna.  It is small and scraggly also but works just perfectly in her room.  She saved some ornaments in addition to the ornament she gets each year that she decorated her tree with.

Advent Calendar - Day #5

After Friday Night Pizza Night, we got to working on decorating the Christmas tree.  When we first brought the tree in, it very quickly became apparent that it was too tall!  Thankfully our neighbors had a hand saw that he was able to borrow and cut off part of the bottom.  The trunk was also super skinny and so the job of finding some wood to put in the bottom was then put to task.  After what seemed a long time (I guess it just seemed long since it was past Elianna's bed time already), the tree was up and the decorating could begin!

Elianna was in charge of getting all the ornaments out.  It was so cute to listen to her ooh and ahh and occasionally say "Oh!  I remember this one!"  As is the tradition, Elianna (with the help of Chris) put the star on the top.  

The tree is a bit scraggly and sparse but knowing we cut it down from the wild, helps with the ugliness.  To us, it is our beautiful tree we cut down in the middle of the forest (some of us in our slippers).

Advent Calendar - Day #4

"Christmas markets have been part of this festive time (Christmas) for centuries in Germany."  Here in Denver we have our very own Denver Christkindl Market.  It's a quaint little "town/market" put up downtown and filled with various vendors of trinkets and food.  

We snagged Elianna early from school (before lunch instead of after lunch) and went downtown to eat lunch and browse through the market.  We began with an appetizer - a large soft pretzel that was so light and fluffy (in a good pretzel kind of way).  For lunch, Elianna had potato latkes with applesauce and sour cream (so good!) while Chris and I both had German bratwurts (his with sauerkraut and mine without - thank you very much!).  We ended our time of stuffing our faces eating with danishes - chocolate croissant and an apple cream filled danish.  So good!

While we were eating lunch, a guy in German garb (Chris confessed to me that when he was little he also had German garb he wore) played an accordion.  Elianna loves music so she naturally began to sway and dance.  The accordion man (accordionist I suppose) invited Elianna up onto the stage to help him play.  Being the outgoing child she is, she decided to play shy and act as though she does not like to be the center of attention (all of which is seriously untrue! except for the outgoing part). 

Other than eat delicious food, we simply walked around and enjoyed the scenery.  

Advent Calendar - Day #3

Wednesday nights equals movie nights on the Advent Calendar.  My plan was for Elianna to take an early bath, get dressed for bed and then we would eat dinner and watch our movie.  While she was in the bath, our neighbor came by and talked for about 30 minutes leaving me a little behind in dinner prep.  Then just as soon as I started to make dinner (again), the doorbell ring and it was the neighbor's husband needing a ride to pick up his truck.  Thankfully my not so healthy dinner of tortellini and corn didn't take long to make.  

We watched The Nativity Story which I did not realize would be hard for Elianna to understand.  I think part of it was their thick accents.  She asked all kinds of questions ranging from wanting a play by play of what was going on to how baby Jesus was born.  Thankfully 5 year old attention spans are on the short side so no big explanation was necessary.

I also didn't realize they included Herod killing on the young children/babies, so right after baby Jesus was born, the movie "ended".  It truly was a good way to end.

There are also no pictures because Chris had my phone since his phone is a goner.  About 2-1/2 weeks ago he accidentally shut it in the car door (after it was already cracked) and now it has no button and turns pretty shades of purple.  We ordered some new phones but they've been on backorder for the past week and a half.  Here's to hoping they actually come in today.

Happy birthday baby Jesus!

Advent Calendar - Day #2

Elianna skipped school today!  Elianna skipped school today!  Yippee!!  Today we went to cut down our Christmas tree so she skipped the whole 2-1/2 hours she "learns" (that's in quotes because some days I wonder).  

There is a point in time when you can go to the Rocky Mountain National Park Ranger Station and pay $10 to come back at a later point in time to cut it down.  There are a bunch of rules (height, circumference, etc) to cutting it down, but for $10? It is totally worth it!  You also have to remember these are not groomed trees but trees that have just grown willy nilly in the wild.  

So the story from the beginning goes as such.  After our last family outing to Breckenridge and getting caught in a snow storm, I decided to be overly prepared since we were going into the mountains once again.  I packed extra clothes, food, water, and blankets in preparation.  I also placed Elianna and I's snow boots in front of the couch to take with us.  You have probably guessed it by now, but I forgot our boots.  So for all my preparedness (which, by the way, was not necessary because it was super nice out!), Elianna and I had to trek through the woods in our slippers.  

After much looking around, we settled on a tree that looked good only at the top but we figured we could cut the bottom part off and viola! a beautiful Christmas tree.  Granted it's a bit sparse in areas but, in general, it's a great tree!  We also snagged a little baby tree for Elianna's room.  Sshh!  Don't tell!

You can't tell but the bottom was totally scraggly

We also found the bones of a dead animal (too decayed to really tell) and so, because we are weird this way, we brought home the jaw bone (teeth and all).  Not really sure what we are going to do with it but as of right now, it's sitting on our front porch.  Guess that's a warning for all those would be burglars out there - we don't mess around.

This is what is adorning our front porch