peacock

zoo lights

We grabbed dinner as a family and then Gwyneth and I headed downtown for Denver Zoo Lights. Gwyneth and I are suckers for tradition and love everything Christmas. B and Annabelle were not feeling it. It was a bummer we didn’t all go together, but Gwyneth and I had a lot fun. 
It was a pretty chilly night. We bundled up, enjoyed some hot chocolate and met Santa. We explored all the lights at our own pace, which was pretty quick. We are feeling pretty darn festive around here!
After dropping her hot chocolate. Mittens and hot chocolate don’t always mix. That was a slipper little sucker. 

scrooge

We were front and center for Scrooge at the Candlelight theater. The food is always an issue when we go here, but I love the shows. 
Scrooge is a holiday favorite; B and I use to go every year before we had kids. We have held off taking the girls because we were worried it would be too scary for them. Being up front was a bit creepy, but the girls really enjoyed it. It’s such a great story and is perfection for the holiday season. 

dior and home alone

After several days of rest Gwyneth was ready to get out and about again. We purchased tickets to see the Dior exhibit at the Art museum. It was AMAZING! 
After the museum we grabbed dinner at Corrine’s…
….and then we saw Home Alone at the Symphony.
It was a really full day and I may have overdone it a bit. 
They looked tired, but everyone had a great time and asked to stay until the bitter end. We all slept well that night. 

happy thanksgiving

My studios are only closed 3 days a year. We close on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter and those are the only days I turn off my phone for work. I have great managers, but I always have my phone available for questions when the studios are open. 
I enjoy my work these days but it sure is nice to disconnect from it for just one day. We had a super relaxing morning at home and B made all the food for our Thanksgiving feast. My mom helped the girls set up all of our holiday decorations and the house is now looking quite festive. 
It was such a nice day to relax at home. Gwyneth is doing well after surgery but the downtown was really good for her. 
We even managed to get a few family pictures for Christmas cards….and we had some great laughs watching my mom figure out my camera. 
I am sovery Thankful for my family and this lovely, quiet day we had together!

cousins at ted’s

My sister, Becky and her family were heading up to Breck for Thanksgiving.We were lucky enough to meet up with them for lunch before they went up the hill. We had hoped to spend Thanksgiving with them but with Gwyneth’s surgery just the day before we had to lay low and stay close to home. 
The girls were thrilled to see their cousins and can’t get enough of that Baby George. He is such a sweet little guy! 
Gwyneth is look great after surgery.
These cousins together!! 
Lily was up in Breck with my dad already but it sure was nice to see these cousins together. 

surgery for gwyneth

Around this time last year Gwyneth complained about pain in her knee. We asked her pediatrician about it at her well check up in January. Her doctor said let’s keep an eye on it.
In March we were back at the doctor’s office because the pain was getting worse. Gwyneth was having trouble walking, dancing, swimming, running, etc. Her pediatrician was concerned. We went to an orthopedist and they sent us to Children’s Hospital for an MRI. They still didn’t know what we were dealing with but they knew it was more than just some growing pains. 
They found a tumor in her leg. They needed a second MRI. The second MRI results came back and they still didn’t know what it was. 
We’ve met with rooms full of specialists and this girl has been poked and prodded for months. They still couldn’t give us a conclusive answer to what she was dealing with. 
Today we checked in for surgery. They have to identify what this is so we know where we go from here. Today they performed an angiogram (there is an artery running through the tumor) and a biopsy. 
Gwyneth was scared. She was up late the night before and cried any time the surgery was discussed. She had bad experiences with the MRIs and was terrified of another IV. 
We left our home at 6 in the morning; Gwyneth in her favorite new Paris pj’s. She was nervous and scared, but so very brave. The surgery was almost four hours and she had to lay perfectly flat for four hours afterwards.  She did great! 
We had so much support at the hospital and her biggest concern was that Annabelle would come to see her.  Of course, she did. Annabelle’s a pretty fabulous big sister. 
Now, we wait for results…

winter wonderlights

YaYa and Lily arrived on Sunday evening and we were so happy to see them. 
Monday we packed in a day of fun which included lunch at IHOP. Lily Lou enjoyed a plate of Grinch pancakes. 
The day just flew by and we headed up to Loveland for dinner and some Christmas lights. 
It was a chilly night but we had a great time bundling up together and checking out those lights. Everyone slept very well that night!

movie | instant family

We have a crazy, busy week ahead of us and instead of laying low like most people would I decided we better have as much fun as possible before the madness arrives. 
What’s better than Mexican food and a movie? Nothing. There is nothing better. 
We tried out a new place by the theater called El Tapatio. It was pretty darn good. Soggy tacos but the burritos, enchiladas, and tostadas were a hit. 
We went to see Instant Family and it was a hit for all of us. B even stayed awake and that is really saying something. It was funny and sweet and a good family movie. 
These goofy girls, being super goofy before the movie. 

ar workshop | menu board

From the Littleton studio I really have to hightail it back to our ‘hood in time to pick up the girls from school. There was traffic, roadwork and an accident on the highway but I managed to make it just in time. Phew! I hate to be late so I’m going to have to figure out this commute a little better to keep my sanity. 
I was wound up from the traffic so I figured we needed some ice cream to get our heads right again. Annabelle is not a huge fan of sweets but she humored me. She got the tiniest little cup of apple cider sorbet. I got a scoop of banana pudding and a scoop of caramel apple pie. Gwyneth went straight for the chocolate naturally. A little ice cream sure can turn a day around! 

I’ve been feeling very crafty lately and was glad to join my friend Jackie for another AR workshop. It was just the two of us in our group, but it was a pretty packed house. The energy in the studio was contagious and we met some new, fun, crafty ladies. Jackie made a Happy Hanukkah sign and I made a menu board. I loved both our projects, but have to admit I was a little envious of Jackie’s project because she got to use glitter!

I have this on my list for another board…

I hung that board right up on the wall as soon as I got home and then got busy making little cards for our menu. My goodness, the craftiness! I’m in heaven.