princess

merry christmas

It’s always a very Merry Christmas with this gang!
Annabelle and I were both battling nasty colds but we powered through and had a wonderful day. Annabelle woke up around 5 am when B got up to move to the couch. Yeah, I was really sick and snoring like crazy. Poor B….and poor me, too. I slept through all of that and B got Annabelle to go back to sleep. 
The girls both got up around 6:30 which is actually late around here. The girls opened up their stockings and their gifts and we had a beautifully, lazy day. I’m fairly certain I was asleep within two minutes of that last gift being opened. We played, and napped, and ate, and then napped some more. Being sick on Christmas is no fun at all, but my studios were closed and my phone was quiet and I loved snuggling up in pj’s with these people and just resting the day away.  Poor B ended up pretty sick as the day progressed and slept most of the day too. Merry Christmas, folks!
A little sparkling apple cider and pj’s all day = best Christmas for these gals! 

christmas eve

We honored our Christmas Eve tradition with a trip to Build A Bear. The girls each had a $50 gift card and used every last penny on bears and accessories. It’s fun to see how their choices have evolved and those perch right on the bed each day and are snuggled each night. 
As we were checking out I slyly added my name to the nice list. The girls noticed as we were walking out. They thought it was funny that I only added my name and  not theirs. I told them I guess they better be nicer then. Ha!
After our mall trip B headed home to prep for dinner. The Broncos played and we invited a few friends over to watch the game. B made a delicious prime rib and plenty of appetizers and sides. It was a perfect Christmas Eve treat. 
The girls and I had tea at the Boulder Tea House. This has been a favorite in the past, but it didn’t quite land today. The tea house is beautiful as always but the service just wasn’t great. Our server was a bit unfriendly and smug. The food was not presented well…just a bit messy, as Annabelle stated. They were also going to charge me an additional fee to give the girls cucumber sandwiches instead of pb&j. I thought that was just silly. 
We did have a lovely time together though and it helped waste some time since these girls were so anxious for Christmas morning. We decided we should try for Brown Palace next year…I better get scootin’ on that reservation soon. I think they book up about a year in advance. 

the grinch

Annabelle is very particular about her holiday traditions. She is our fabulous tween with all the moodiness and and angst that come with being 11. Just when I think she is ambivalent, she reels me in and lays out her very favorite activities, hopes, and expectations for the holidays. She is so very serious and concise that we all just hop on board.
One of the traditions is her Christmas Eve movie. We had a busy 24th planned so she conceded to a movie on the 23rd instead. We found a movie that everyone would enjoy and off we headed to see The Grinch. 
I maaaaay have fallen asleep during this movie, but it doesn’t say anything about the movie but more about drink the tree the night before….ha! 
Anyone else notice these girls wearing the same shirt? I had nothing to do with this but it sure does make me smile! I love that they are so stinkin’ cute like this. 

elf, the musical

School is out for winter break! Woo hoo! The girls had a fabulous celebration at school and were all smiles. As much as they had, they couldn’t wait to start winter break. The highlight it is seems, even though I have so much fun planned for us, is sleeping in every morning. 
We had a few moments to relax and then off to Bucca De Beppo for dinner. After dinner we scooted over to the Arvada Center to see Elf, the musical. We saw it years ago in San Francisco so it was interesting to compare. You have to appreciate local community theater and we laughed our way through the show. It was fun and a great kick off for the next few weeks of holiday celebrations!

symphony and aurora holiday party

We stayed the night downtown and had a super lazy morning. So lazy in fact, we missed breakfast. That’s no bueno for Gwyneth. 
We went for an early lunch at Tamayo so she quickly turned it around. Lunch was amazing! We enjoyed the endless brunch which is unlimited small plates at Tomayo. We’ve never been with the girls and it’s been ages since B and I have been — we’ve missed this place! It was delicious and will definitely be added back out to downtown dining routine. 
After lunch we headed to the Colorado Symphony for the Children’s Christmas concert. It was a fun festive day and the music really got me excited for Christmas!!
After the symphony we high-tailed it down to Southlands. I had proposed going out for dinner, but my staff wanted to stay in and paint. We had dinner at the studio and then everyone painted a Christmas gift. It was nice to get everyone together (minus one employee who studying for finals). It’s nice to squeeze in a few celebrations during the hecticness of the holiday season. 

Broncos vs Browns

Those Broncos sure do know how to ruin a fun day! 
We spent our day enjoying the holiday sites downtown. We had lunch at Mellow Mushroom which never disappoints. We’ve been struggling lately to find good pizza – all the pizza by us is sub-par. We shared a big ol’ pineapple pizza and it was awesome! 
Next stop was Rocket Fizz candy and soda shop. We found some St. Louis favorites: 

Then we scooted over to the German Market on 16th Street. There were so many fun booths. Unfortunately we were all so stuffed from lunch we didn’t partake in any of the food or beer stands. Next time for sure!

The Bronco game started at 6 so we didn’t really have time to grab dinner before. We did make a stop at Brooklyn’s for some wings on the way over. Our girls sure do love their wings. 

We made it for the game and couldn’t wait to root for our Broncos!
Our dear friend, Lisa told guest services about Gwyneth’s leg surgeries and they moved us from our mile-seats to the lower level. She was very grateful to not have to tackle those stairs. It was such an unexpected and kind surprise. 
Well, the Broncos ended up losing. To the Browns (smh!). Man, oh man they can be tough to watch sometimes. We’ll keep on rooting for them even though they sure can let us down. 

nutcracker

Every year the girls and I go to see the Nutcracker. And every year I swear it was better than the last! 
The girls and I gushed over our seats. We were lower down than usual and had great views. The Denver ballet puts on a truly great performance and I love creating these memories with my girls. 
Before the ballet we grabbed dinner at Corrine’s which has quickly become one of my favorite pre-theater spots. 

I have been opting to leave my big camera at home for outings (often because they are not allowed in to theaters or sporting events. It’s nice to not have to haul the bulk of my camera, but I’m always so discouraged when I get home and have crappy phone pictures from our outings. I think I’m going to have to take an online course because as much as I harass my family for pictures they better be good!

surgery consultation

Another day, another consultation for Gwyneth….I say that flippantly and do not wish to diminish this girls’ torment. This has been a long, painful journey for her. 
Today’s appointment was a success yet the description of the procedure was startling.  The surgeon explained a possible surgery and it is not a small one. The tumor has embedded itself in Gwneth’s muscle which contains a lot of risk. There could be nerve damage and they will have to remove a portion of muscle which could cause long term mobility issues. The rehabilitation would be long and grueling. The risks were sobering. 
After much deliberation and consultation we have decided to go with cryoablation. The doctors have been notified of our decision and now we wait for the schedulers to contact us and reserve the date. 
Annabelle joined us for the appointment today (it was across town and I couldn’t get back to pick her up from school in time). She was very supportive and Gwyneth was happy to have her with us!
We scurried back to our ‘hood just in time for their school holiday performance. There were lots of nerves before taking the stage. I enjoyed the show and thought did a wonderful job!
Gwyneth’s class played a few songs on the violin – I’m not sure what they were doing here, but it was all in unison and super cute.
She rocked it!
Time for the choir portion of the concert. 
Love that my gals were standing together. 
Love these two!
And their buddy Kierra!
After the concert there were lots of cookies and the kids each received an ornament to take home. I made all 101 of these last week. Everyone seemed pretty excited about them!

wreck it ralph 2 and westminster holiday party

The girls each had a friend join us for a movie this morning. We went to see Wreck It Ralph 2, which I was actually pretty excited about because I thought the first one was really cute. About 10 minutes in I feel asleep! Oh my! I don’t know if it was a reflection of the movie or the fact that this time of year is just exhausting. I don’t think I slept long, but I did get a nice little nap out of it.

 B opted out of the movie to get some work done, but met up with us for lunch afterwards. We enjoyed PF Changs which is right next door to the theater. It’s Gwyneth’s favorite and Annabelle tolerates it. Annabelle doesn’t really love asian food, which is kind of a bummer because it’s a fam favorite for the rest of us.

The girls enjoyed time with their friends and had a pretty low key afternoon.


We finished off the evening with a holiday dinner celebrating my Westminster studio staff. We met up at 3 Margaritas which was easy and fun. It was great to get everyone together, although we had two employees miss out because of finals. I figured it was pretty promising that so many were able to join us at this hectic time of year.1

disney on ice and hanukkah party

I have taken the girls to see Disney on Ice for years. Every year I think they have outgrown it. I offer it up and they always excitedly say yes. This year was no exception.

We had a girls day downtown and enjoyed lunch before the show. Annabelle and I were shocked to hear Gwyneth order wings. What?!?!

Annabelle’s shocked face when Gwyneth said she loved the wings. 

Oh man, Annabelle has been missing her salads. The lack of romaine has been tragic for her. ha!
Show time! It’s really all about the snow cones…and well, the music. I have to admit I like the music. 

After the show, we grabbed B and headed over to the Billera’s house for a Hanukkah party. There were several families that joined us and we had such a wonderful time. It was such a fun experience. We ate tons of delicious food, lit the menorah, and everyone had a chance to spin the dreidel! Good times had by all!