XOXOXO

I have "post holiday turrets" brain.  CLEAN HOUSE...no...BLOG...no...PHOTOS....no...SEW...no...SLEEP...no...LAUNDRY and unbelievably...somewhere in the darkening holiday regions of my brain...a voice is telling me I still have time to do some kind of "holiday" card.    I may need to medicate myself.  This is just today, on a day off.  Throw work in there and I'm about to just shut down.   Sometimes...you just have to shut'r down to restart.  One more holiday partaaaay tonight, which is going to be full of all the good stuffs.  One more glorious dance around the tree, sing along, eat ribbon sandwiches and petit fours night, but after that...shut'r down for two days. Time to restart the brain in "It's a New Year" mode.


But before it is no longer this year, while we are still one foot in the 2010 holiday season I will take a breath and a minute to enjoy what was last week.  I'll close my eyes and transport myself back to...


The car and the road trip.  This was most definitely not the high point of the holiday season.  6 hours in a car is not cool with a 15 month old toddler.  And if the roads are craptastic, it is also not cool a husband who is driving.


Me?  I'm just trying to capture the moment you know?

I didn't dare say it at the time, because the roads looked just like the trees...but look how pretty the trees were! 

Welcome to South Dakota! 

As we drift busted our way across South Dakota in the suburban loser cruiser, I suddenly saw brightly colored packages flying through the air and into a field just like the one pictured above.  LOTS of them.  The van in front of us had a turtle shell type container on top, and it broke, coughing up all their Christmas gifts onto the South Dakota prairie.  I yelled "WE HAVE TO HELP THEM", pulled over, put our hazards on and off we ran like Santa's elves to round up the gifts.  Holiday traffic was crawling by us as they stared at the crazy girl in a long skirt with no hat or gloves and the loving husband who followed her through the ditch, arms full of beautiful boxes.  


My parents were a few miles behind us and as they rolled by, they realized it was us out in the elements and they pulled over too.  It was us, my parents and the poor family that almost lost a little piece of Christmas to the  wind and snow.  We caravaned to Webster where they were reunited with their gifts.  By the time we rolled into grandma & grandpa's driveway...the long, tense trip was forgotten and we were on a holiday buzz once again.  Everything happens for a reason. 


And the party started.

We are raising new generations of hard core holiday lovers! 

Everyone got a shot at Santa's lap.  Some were more enthusiastic than others. 

If babies have swears...he is using them right now.

We do Christmas Eve in our family.  We eat oyster stew and ribbon sandwiches, we drink wine and red beers. We sing duets way out of my range (love you bro) and we snack on my mom's tv snacks for days on end.  We pop alot of Tums and Rolaids, but we wouldn't have it any other way. 


Nature was on a MAJOR holiday high this year in South Dakota.  Nothing...not the most sparkly, handcrafted, covered in diamonds and magic reindeer dust ornament could hold a candle to what nature gave us for Christmas.  

I couldn't resist giving my hair clip to this tree just for a second, to remind it of spring.

But spring was the last thing on the girl's minds...they were overwhelmed by blinding white piles of crystals and diamonds.  This was no city snow, pushed and shoved out of the way, dark and dirty with oil and salt.  This was country snow...untrampled.

 But only for a moment...

I felt terribly guilty bringing puppy dog back to the city:(

 Actually, I felt guilty about bringing everyone back to the city:(

Each snowflake was so clearly defined...it was magical.

And at sunrise on our last morning, mother nature blessed us with beauty so stunning, there really aren't words.

But...we did come back to the city and of course...it is nice to be home.    I love my month long holiday drunk, because after the party ends, it makes the everyday routine feel soooooo good.  And this morning, Liam and I fell back into our comfortable routine.  Just me and my boy, in our special morning space no one knows is cool enough to wake up for:) 

Liam explores his soft building blocks and the wonder that is Cat Stevens.

Master of his domain.

Today we used crayons for the first time, which is something this house full or artsy fartsy individuals has been waiting for.  We are dying  to see which skills he is going to rock!  

Maybe a little early...he did more eating of crayons than anything.

As I leave for the final party...to ring in the new year with loved ones you've now seen so many time in this blog,  I thank you for taking time to visit my little photo blog and to read my stories.  My heart has been filled again and again by your comments and I hope we find more and more ways to interact here in the year to come.  I wish you a very very Happy New Year!  XOXOXOXO <3