project: december daily. december 25th.

here we go!!! i know i know it has taken a while but here we go - the conclusion! now this turned out to be a very big insert as i am not capable of editing and that i wanted to share all the fun we had. we had company for christmas this year which was a pretty big thing. got to have our first skate on our first ever outdoor rink, another big deal. and then cap the night off with a glorious dinner and a kinect tournament. couldn't have scripted the day better myself. well i guess i did have a hand in it. now onto this holidays!!!

this was the tree all looted up from the express santa delivery and thought was fitting for a tiltle page of this day.

poised at the bottom of the stairs i was hoping to capture the first sights of what christmas had in store for them. i think i got it right. in the envelope was the letter that santa left for the kids on christmas morning.

the one thing this section had a lot of is fold out pages. trying to get it all in without so much bulk and also to make the experience interesting. here i taped the card that aydan made to the back of the envelope from the santa note and i took a christmas card and used it for another clever way to add some dazzle!

we were lucky enough to have our very own santa with us for christmas morning!! under it is more shots from chirstmas morning and to the left is the rink before the big skate.

inside the flap photo's.

enjoying the weather and the skating. being a westcoast girl this isn't even a remote possibility and i was quite skeptical about the whole thing but it was rather quite spectacular. {and don't worry i was not on fire as the photo might suggest! all's well.}

another flap!! under cooper all bundled up you are invited to a sneak peak of christmas dinner and the rest of the night.  lots of fun if i do say so myself!

here we are all dressed up and full of christmas cheer! i wrapped up the book with something i wrote around new year's eve - just reflecting on what was and what was to be. merry christmas! xoxo

journal:

sitting here the night before new years eve i’m struck with a little sadness that all holiday will be packed away on january 1st for a long stay in storage. so for right now i’m going to take it all in.
soak it up.
as we sit here - us four - tucking into big bowls of homemade soup, cheese bagels, one with eggs in a basket and the other with pb&j + a bowl of coleslaw, i revel in the simple things. comfy clothes, slippers, laughter, love. we shared a lively game of guess who i am and were visited by two lolly pop superheros. we told jokes and planned out an evening of watching a new treasure to us - fantasia 2000.
family time. the best time.

new talents shared. beds almost broken. giggles.

cooper. {heart} a symphony of new toy sounds, amazement and “mommy - watch me!” chorus throughout the house. whack-a-mole cards were produced and a tournament broke out.

i am thinking back to our wonderfully small merry merry christmas. of the gifts, the company, the food, the spirit. how dreams of an outdoor rink and christmas day skate came true. how a bucket of dinosaurs made it into the hands of a 4 year old boy and how a little girl no longer has to ride a boys bike. there was also a treasure under the tree for me, courtesy of my sister and soon to be brother-in-law, which has not left my side and i have been dreaming of the culinary creations i will produce with it at my fingertips.

as i sit here i am also struck with the organizing plan i have on the basement when the decorations go back into hibernation. the full scale attack on that room. to get it to the point of a quick scan rather than an all day dig. a purging of the unnecessary and the unused. to get more space to put more needless things we must have - the vicious circle. wishing the outside temp was a little higher as to get the ability to declare war on the garage as well. although not to high as to melt the rink that was so tiredly slaved over. sitting by the fire, drink in hand, watching the action - one of my top christmas days ever.

for tonight i am going to enjoy my family, cuddle, eat chocolate, stare at the twinkle lights and anticipate what the new year may bring us. what will 2011 hold for us? i am hoping for a lot but not expecting much. i want to focus more on the kids and remembering their moments. i want to lose 15 pounds. i want to spend more alone time with my husband. i want to organize.  more time for cuddles, walks in the rain and finger painting. less tv and more adventures.

here’s to the hopes for 2011. see you then.

the before pages:

the back cover of the whole album: