Christmas & Suffocation

It seems like suffocation sets in a lot lately... before December even started, I had the suffocated feeling that Christmas was almost here and I had a million things to do to get ready. Ruby and I had to tell myself to relax. And then about December 15th rolled around I lost all desire to finish any Christmas projects because I figured why spend the time when Christmas was pretty much here? Lower expectations. Then Christmas flew by and now it's not quite January (but pretty darn close!) and I again the suffocation of knowing that my house is in disarray, I need to take all my Christmas down, and the baby is coming, I'm not ready and I really really really really want my house to be neat and organized before I become a sleep deprived crazy person for 3 months. Someone should just take me out of my (and your) misery by really stuffing a bag over my head! :)

 But enough about that... here's a Warner Christmas 2010 review:

 Ruby carefully decorating her very own Christmas tree! She is very precise about making everything as fancy as possible.

 She has loved laying next to it to snuggle. She also plugs or unplugs her lights about 5 times a day.

Ruby getting all of Grandma Warner's holiday stuffed animals ready for Christmas by dressing them up with reindeer antlers.

Reading stories with Grandma Warner and her posse 

Behold, the ornament wreath in all her glory!

 My favorite Christmas project (that I actually completed)

It was time consuming, super glittery mess, I burned my fingers on the glue gun so many times (what, am I twelve?) but it was all worth it in the end. Nothing like some Christmas bedazzle to hang on the door.

Ruby in her Christmas dress (not a very good shot...)

 

Christmas dish towel collection:

Christmas dish towels green polka dot

Christmas dish towels red polka dot

 Christmas dish towels trees

Ruby's first snowman! Christmas Eve 2010

 Ruby giving Snowman hugs and "marrying him"

 So cute

Nick took the architecture route and built a snow archway. Don't worry, the ladder and blankets still there. Frozen to the archway. Looks real classy. :)

More Snowman hugs

 Holding Snowman's hands

Cute little Snowman

Ruby in her snuggly Christmas Eve Pajamas and Elmo slippers with Aunt Mattie, who has the grown up footie jammies too! :)

So silly

Ruby playing with the Disney Princess Tea Set Aunt Lexie gave her. As she was opening it, she kept yelling progressively louder, "yes...Yes...YEs...YES!!!"

Busy making sure everyone's hot chocolate is poured just right

 Christmas morning when Ruby woke up, she immediately asked, "Is Santa here? I want him to hold me." She was super disappointed to hear that he came while she was sleeping and that he wouldn't be able to hold her this year.

Ruby's vacuum from Santa

 Santa's ultimate gift (that she had specifically asked him for): a Cinderella dress! (Please excuse me in the picture. This is the only semi-good shot I got of her and the dress! :) ) Notice the copious amounts of chapstick on Ruby's face. She has to be fancy at all times.

 Christmas night we went to dinner at some friends' house and she found their Santa apron and hat. She was in heaven.

 Being Santa can be a very serious thing, you know.

Christmas may be over, but Ruby is still obsessed with the Christmas story and loves being Mary and wrapping her baby (Jesus) up in swaddling clothes and lying him in the manger (our shower). Then she proceeds to go throughout the house to gather gifts that the wise men can bring to Baby Jesus.

Leavenworth & Sledding

My dearest cousin, Martha, moved to Seattle this fall (hallelujah!) and so we've been able to spend some time together! She and her husband Adam and her cute 18-month-old little girl, Sienna, came to visit us this weekend. The night they arrived we we went to Leavenworth to see the lights and the next day we took the girls sledding. It was classic. So much fun. Here are some of my favorite moments:

 Martha, Sienna, Adam

 Pregnant woman with her leg propped up, Nick and Ruby

 Some of the Leavenworth shop lights

 Gazebo lights

 Let the sledding fun begin!

I love how Ruby looks all bundled up in her snow clothes!

Adam & Sienna going down the hill

 Matching girls!

Ruby & Sienna going down on the sled together

Ruby & Sienna holding on to eachother

 Ruby found two huge snowballs that were her "friends" and she insisted that Daddy put them on her sled to go down the hill with her. Cracked us up!

 Made it to the bottom of the hill

Now snowball friend #1 and snowball friend #2 aren't lonely. They have each other at the bottom of the hill.

Ruby Loves Snow.

Here are a few photos of Ruby's adventures in the snow so far this year.

The first time it snowed, all she wanted to do was put on her coat and boots and walk around in it. We walked around the yard for probably 30 minutes and she was in absolute heaven.

Happy snow girl

The next time it snowed was much more substantial and we pulled the sled around in it. It took her a few times of falling down forward on her face to figure out how to get up in the snow. It was pretty funny.

We have since gotten some much better mittens for this little snow bunny!

Fall Wrap Up

So here are a few things we did this fall.

1. Ruby became ULTRA obsessed with Disney Princesses. We got her this Belle dress to wear for Halloween, but she insisted on wearing it all day, every day, the month prior.

 This shows just how happy she is to be a princess

 2. We went on some hikes

Ruby and Daddy overlooking Wenatchee

 Ruby and Mommy overlooking more of the Columbia

 3. Nick & I celebrated (late) our 5th wedding anniversary in Victoria, B.C. 

The front of one of the sweet castles we saw in Victoria, the Craigdarroch Castle 

The back of the Craigdarroch Castle

 The Hatley Castle on the grounds of Hatley Park

 Kissy Kissy

Some of the gardens in the back of Hatley Castle

Back of Hatley Castle

4. Visited my mom & Bill when they came up to a time share at Birch Bay, WA

 Bill, Ruby, my Mom

We went to a cute little craft fair/antique show, visited some marinas and toured a few yachts (Nick's favorite) and Ruby got some Grandma Giles time in. Not enough, but some. :) Grandma read her story after story, took her potty (she wouldn't let me. Only Grandma), and made cards.

5. Then Nick flew to IL for some work training and I talked my cousin, Martha, into coming to stay with me for a few days. Bless her. She really helped the time go by!

 We took the girls to Smallwoods, near Leavenworth, where they had a cute little pumpkin patch and all kinds of kid Halloween activities. Ruby obviously loved this huge tub of balls.

 Ruby checking out the pumpkins

 She really liked the ones with "warts" because they looked like "a mean witch."

 Posing with the pumpkins

 Not wanting to take a picture with Mommy

Martha & Sienna

Run like the wind with a wagon

6. Then came Halloween. Ruby wore her prize possession- the Belle Dress. Complete with high heels. Luckily with Halloween on a Sunday this year, we didn't have to go trick-or-treating. Instead, our ward had an awesome trunk-or-treat.

Ruby's friend Bailey (Minnie Mouse) and Princess Belle at the Halloween party

 Ruby's attempt at smiling for a picture with me

Daddy ("The Pwince") and Ruby trunk-or-treating next to a huge blow up "mean witch."