Then & Now {First Christmas}

Me, 1981. Eight and a half months.

Juliet, 2012. Ten and a half months. 

Neither of us crawling. Oh no, rolling is how the cool babies get around. 

Merry Christmas! {Christmas Eve!}

Oh my! What a totally and utterly fantastic and exhausting day it has been, only in the best way possible of course. Today was Juliet's first Christmas! But before I type up today's post, I want to share yesterday's.

Christmas Eve has always been one of my very favorite parts of Christmas. The excitement of the day to come, my Grandma's huge Christmas Eve party, and getting new PJs as an early Christmas gift. Since my Grandma's stroke Christmas Eve has still been special but this year was extra special because we were back at my Grandma's house to celebrate.

Except it isn't my Grandma's house anymore. My sister Melissa has moved in and made her own. It is wonderful. Warm and welcoming and filled with a lifetime of memories.

Yes, my twenty three year old sister hosted the Christmas Eve Party for 15 people. Alone. It was amazing. She's a rockstar.

Hostess herself. She's amazing.

All day on Christmas Eve it snowed and snowed making for beautiful fresh powder and a white Christmas. And this face? With the tilted head and silly smile? It is the face he gives me when I ask him to look at the camera and smile. I adore it. He is mine, and I love that nobody else, ever, can claim to be his Mama. Only me.

Checking the snow depth. Cute kiddo.

Baby girl wore an outfit that looked almost exactly like the one I wore for my first Christmas. When I was looking through my albums a few months ago I finally decided what Juliet would wear for her first Christmas Eve.

Cocktail hour is everyone's favorite part of the party.

It was a bittersweet, I'm sure, for my Grandma to be in the house that was once hers. But truly, it was oh so special.

Everyone is so happy to be together in this room that holds so many memories.

Again with the tilted head and silly smile. I love him so.

And, just like tradition dictates, we opened one special present the night of Christmas Eve. Both kiddos got new PJs.

And then, late at night, before the clock struck midnight, Santa paid a visit. More Christmas blogging to come! (And a comparison picture of me and Juliet dressed the same for our first Christmases!)

Happy birthday dad! {family ski day}

Today my dad turned 59. But we talked. He says he doesn't feel like 59, so instead we agreed on 36.

What he wanted for his birthday was to treat his four children to a day of skiing at Park City Mountain Resort. Somehow he has an in, because he got the tickets for a steal. Dang those tickets are expensive!

Me, Melissa, my Dad, Chandler and Brandon. E was home with the littles. And no, we did not ski McConkey's Bowl. Once I skied double black diamonds, but not anymore. ;)

On the lift. We are excited!

It was such a fun day. I caught up with all my siblings and Dad while we rode the lift and waited in lines. Once we were on the mountain though, we hardly stopped. These guys are fast.

Brandon's goggles made for a perfect mirror!

Panorama mode on my phone rocks. Click the image to see it bigger.

These sibs of mine? Amazing skiers. I'm slow. They left me in their dust powder.

Christmas at the Grand America

After a week of being under the weather (me, horrible stomach flu and Juliet a cold, teething, and an ear infection) we decided to celebrate that everyone is feeling (mostly) better by a trip to Grand America to see the Christmas decorations.

James had a "grand" time looking in all the windows and seeing the fountain in the courtyard. He really liked this bell on "Santa's special moose".

Just like last year, he was mesmerized.

He liked the fountain so much he convinced E to stay out in the chilly courtyard for twenty minutes.

Baby girl and I peeked through the big windows inside at our boys out in the cold.

Sweet baby is growing up! Standing up if she has something to hold onto (James was WALKING at this age!).

Once we finally convinced James to wander back inside his thoughts never wavered from the glorious fountain.

We finished our loop at the toy shop. Oh my! What a toy shop it is! I found about 15 things I LOVED but couldn't afford a single thing. Adorable adorable stuff.

This week we also went to E's family's cookie day and my Aunt Laura and cousin Kendra's Solstice/ End of the World party. But due to a very needy baby that was not feeling herself, the camera stayed home.

Onto better and healthier days!

Annual cookie day

Cookie day is an annual Christmas tradition that everyone gets excited about. Who doesn't like to get stocked up on sugar before the holidays?

Each year my family all comes to my house with recipe in hand and ingredients in tow. We mix, shift, stir, whisk and bake until cookies as far as the eye can see complete.

 The house is full of people. Counter space is at a premium and the line for the one cup measuring cup is three people long.

 And out of craziness comes some damn good cookies.

Everyone baked their favorite. My Grandma made her gingersnaps (something she's made since cookie day started ten years ago), I made my favorite chocolate surprise cookies, and the list went on and on. As you can see.

All the baking made James and Taylor tired. They retreated into the bedroom for some Curious George. Only after James ate six or eight cookies and then sneaked six or eight more. Look at that full tummy!

 Happy cookie day to you all!

Cookie days from year's past? 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011!

Temple Square for Christmas Lights

Since I was a girl we've been visiting Temple Square at Christmastime to see the lights. Since Temple Square has trippled their size over the last ten years or so, it is even a more amazing display than it once was. And since it's free, it is really a perfect activity.

I was intent on taking the train in, just like last year, because last year James LOVED it. On the train platform Juliet was snuggled and not making a peep in her stroller. I glanced in to check on her and her hat and inched down over her eyes. There she sat, in the semidarkness, happy as can be. James, E and I were laughing so much at this sweet content snuggle bun.

E wasn't super excited about taking the train, it is kind of a hassle. I don't know, do you think James liked it?

Oh my, he LOVED it.

Once arriving we went over to the Macy windows. They were neat, but not as impressive as I remember the ZCMI windows from when I was a child. They just looked so small. Or is that just because when you are small, everything is huge?

The huge candy ornaments spun and were beautiful.

My family, peeking in at the candy display.

Then we wandered over to Temple Square and got there right at 5:00, when the lights turn on. Oh it is beautiful. 

The sky steadily darkened and I was even brave enough to hand my iPhone to a stranger in hopes of a family photo. Success!

The entire time it rained. Not pouring, just a steady mist. It made it quite chilly but also made for wet paths, and wet paths equals reflections. 

So stunning.

James, while he loved the Christmas lights, really was there to see one thing, the fountains.

I, on the other hand, was completely obsessed with the lights.

Fountains fountains and more fountains. And notice those reflections!

This particular tree is always my favorite. Just amazing. And the added wet paths just made it more magical.

Ahhh, so simply stunning.

After we'd finished the Temple Square circuit we walked over to the new amazing City Creek Mall for dinner. James, our fountain loving boy, was hungry. And after E and I told him for the third time to not put his hand in the fountain, he flipped. We put him in the stroller and carried Juliet and the entire time he was buckled in, it was like we had the Tasmanian Devil with us. Oh my word.

The stroller shook. The howls echoed. We decided to forgo the hour long wait in the food court (hour long for fast food?!) and high tailed it out of there (after waiting twenty minutes in the rain for the train, maybe E was right after all...). We stopped for burgers on the way home and our little devil turned back into a sweet angel. Christmas miracles do exist.

But know you know why there are no photos from the City Creek Mall. Three year olds are crazy.