Advent Calendar - Day #23 {Part 2}

This year we waited to have our Annual Indoor Snowball (marshmallow) Fight until Mom was there. As usual, it was so much fun except this year the snowballs stuck to the floor more than they did last year.  I think it had something to do with keeping them close to the dryer and becoming a little more "melty".  In spite of having to put a bit more elbow grease into cleaning up our marshmallows, it was still extremely fun!  Glad Grammy could join us this year!

Advent Calendar - Day #23

Elianna and Grammy spent one afternoon making Christmas cookies together.  They did a great job although Elianna apparently doesn't believe in making strictly Christmas designs as Christmas time.  We had a hand and foot and dog and flag and other non-Christmasy designs but hey! they all eat the same, right?!?

Advent Calendar - Day #22

Since Elianna, Mom and I were gone to Arizona for the last "official" elf gift, Chris had to be both driver and runner.  However, he did get assistance in the lookout position.

Our last elf gift was Cinnamon Almonds (made in the crockpot - yummy!) with a note that said "Merry Christmas!  From your nutty elves".  Our recipients noted on FaceBook:

REALLY enjoyed the little tin pail and some honey {sorry there was no honey in them} roasted almonds that was left on our porch by Santa elves

Another year of Elf Giving was a success!  We, once again, did not get caught and, more importantly, won over some who didn't believe in Christmas love!  Success!

Arizona

After Chris got back from TX, one day later Mom, Elianna and I took off for Arizona. I guess you could consider this as Days 18-22 of our Advent Calendar.

I haven't seen Grandma Hubley, Uncle Tim and Aunt Paula in about 15 years which means they, obviously, have never met Elianna (or Chris for that matter). Facts are facts and my Grandma is going to be 92 - I really wanted Elianna to meet her.

Seeing as we live the next state over from Arizona, most everyone assumed we would be driving over there. However, with the cost of gas and hotel rooms and the fact that I found a super good deal on tickets, we flew. It was a short flight from CO to AZ and was so nice to arrive not overly exhausted from driving for hours.

Day #1

Elianna and Uncle Tim

Elianna got to open some gifts the first night we got there - a blanket ...

and a stuffie (her pillow and a blanket to use while we were there)!

Day #2 - "Christmas" Day

Driving in the "car" she made out of pillows and blankets. I'm not sure they have ever seen their house so destroyed!

No diva's allowed!

Day #3 - After Aunt Paula was finished with her dialysis, we headed into visit the cute little town of Wickenburg, AZ.

This is some tree that criminals used to get chained to as part of their punishment. When I first saw this walking by, I thought the man was real and wondered what was going on.

Aunt Paula told Elianna they were going to have a special cooking time together. They whispered and strategized looking at the recipe on the iPad. Elianna was so excited! They made the delicious pretzel and hershey kiss and M&M concoction (I have no idea if there is an official name)!

Day #4

We drove up the mountain to Yarnell AZ where the 19 Hot Shot Firefighters died in that terrible fire last summer. There is a small memorial across the way from where the fire actually was.

Uncle Tim also took me 4-wheelin' and let me tell you - there is nothing worse than driving to the most beautiful spot and realizing you didn't bring your phone camera with you. And then being even madder when you drive by a random cow in the desert (less than 200 ft away) and still not have said camera. Aah!

After we got back, Elianna wanted a ride so we took her around the neighborhood. When we got back she said, "That's it?!?" She would have ridden for much longer!

Elianna spent most of the days on Grandma's bed with her "ears" on watching TV

Day #5 - The day we left

Some beautiful scenery pictures that were taken over the course of the days we were there.

A rock someone (a long time ago) painted into a frog

This is how you decorate for Christmas in Arizona

Six

I started this last night but then we drove off into the dark night to look for the Aurora Borealis (yes we woke our 4 year old up at 10:30pm and kept her up until 1am hoping to see some lights in the sky) which we did not end up seeing.  Sadness....

Lately Elianna has been asking questions about Toree and how she died and why she died and on and on.  She often says how much she misses her sister and is quite vocal about the fact that she has a sister but she lives in Heaven.  It's almost humorous to watch peoples faces when she tells them that - they aren't quite sure what to say.  Personally, I love it, think it's cute and am so thankful we have the opportunity to tell her about her sister.

Tomorrow marks 6 year ago that Elianna's big sister went to live in Heaven.  Each year something new comes to my mind as I remember back to those days.  Today I have been thinking about my Chris.  Did you know he build Toree's casket?  Oh yes, before she was even born, he put in many long hard hours working on it.  A man in our church has a wood shop downstairs of his house and he helped Chris make the most beautiful casket for our little girls body to be buried in.  After he built it, the man and his wife so lovingly lined it with white fabric and even made a little pillow for her head to rest on.  Yes, I do realize none of this was necessary but it was Chris' way of grieving and because of that I am so grateful he had the opportunity to do this loving act.

I also remember the day he brought it home.  Mom and I were just recently talking about this.  She was there with me when he brought that tiny little wood casket home and set it in the middle of the living room floor and asked me to take it by the funeral home.  That was probably the longest most surreal drive.  

I'm sure every year I say the same thing - I can't believe it's been "x" amount of years (insert 6 this time).  But really, it's hard first of all to believe that we have a little one that is 6 years old.  Let alone the fact that she has been gone 6 years.  Time goes by so fast!

As we do every year, we went to PF Changs today for lunch.  PF Changs holds a special place in our heart (how weird was that sentence?).  The day we found out Toree was sick, we went there since none of us felt like cooking.  The day of her funeral we went there to eat.  And every year since then on her birthday we have gone there to eat.  It's our special Toree place!

I'm also thankful for sweet friends, like my friend Jeanne who went by and visited Toree the other day for her birthday, for my friend Karan who bought flowers and a balloon for our little one and for a friend here in CO who brought by a note this morning knowing that even though they did not know us at that time in our lives, it would mean something that they remembered.

Advent Calendar - Day #17 {Part #2}

Well, I've officially gotten behind in our Advent activities once again this year.  Good thing the winter months are long and cold with not much going on - gives me time to play catch up.

We waited until Mom came to decorate our Charlie Brown Christmas tree so she could help us.  Elianna is funny in wanting to put all the ornaments she puts on the tree in one little spot on the bottom branches.  I'm sure in time she will become just as OCD about the tree as the rest of our little family.

Advent Calendar - Day #17

This probably isn't really and truly part of our Advent Calendar, but in the spirit of trying to look like we actually did some Advent Calendar stuff, this is getting added into the mix.

Since we were headed to Arizona the next day, Elianna needed to give her gift to her teacher, Miss Kate.  I had thought about the gift days before but hadn't gotten around to putting it all together like it looked in my head.  That morning Mom mentioned the gift - panic! - now I had to get it together while Elianna was actually in school so she could give it to her after school.  (This is why my Chris always tells me to do things while I am thinking of them - because I forget and then have to rush to get them done)  My original thought was to use a fake tree but now that I didn't have time to go buy one (and I really didn't want to spend the money), I just used a branch of our tree (one that we had cut off mind you).  I got a few gift cards to Starbucks and added some Starbucks Via packets.  In spite of my last minute throwing together, I love how the little "tree" turned out!