a day in the city.

If it's not obvious yet, we really, really love Christmas around here. There are so many fun things to see and do! The other morning we decided to venture into Seattle for a few hours to let the kids see some of the special Christmas displays. We left right after breakfast, which was perfect before the crowds came. First stop - the Sheraton Gingerbread Village. Matt and I have seen the gingerbread houses the past few years but there are usually long lines and wait times. Coming in the morning was perfect since we didn't have to wait and could take our time viewing each one. And even better - this year was Harry Potter themed!! These pictures really don't do it justice, every single piece of each gingerbread creation was edible. They were huge and so detailed and perfectly depicted scenes from each book. Carter was in heaven!

 At the end was a gingerbread snake with a button to push and see what house you were placed in to. Carter and Lucy were in Hufflepuff, Matt got Gryffindor and Simon and I were in Ravenclaw! Luckily we all avoided the dreaded Slytherin House.

 This Christmas tree was so perfectly decorated too!

 We wandered down a few blocks to Pacific Place for some shopping at Barnes and Noble (thank you birthday gift cards!) and then over to the Monorail for a ride to Seattle Center. The kids loved the monorail and seeing the city from a higher level.

 At Seattle Center we stopped to view the huge electric train sets. It was such a pretty display and they even let the kids control some of the trains.

 Then it was time to go see the fountain. Even though the water wasn't on the kids still had to run down and touch it, pretending to not get wet from the water. Ha!

 We went back to Westlake on the monorail, said goodbye to the Space Needle and found the famous Macy's star and carousel.

After some coloring and waving hi to the Nordstrom Santa we headed home. Such a fun morning that was super laid-back and pretty cheap. The most expensive part of our day was parking! Making these memories with the kids and letting them see the big city is always such a fun time. Merry Christmas Seattle!

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Lucy turns 5!

I don't know if it's because Lucy's birthday is so close to Christmas or if because I just really love celebrating holidays but I couldn't help start celebrating Lucy's birthday a little early this year. It  seems silly to just have 1 special day when you can spread it out over a few days and really make someone feel loved. So that's what we did!

Lucy requested homemade cinnamon rolls for her birthday breakfast. Because of a busy few days I made them a day early so we could enjoy them all week (although now my co-workers will be enjoying the rest since we are a bit sugared out!)

They turned out amazing and such a little treat for all of us.

 The morning before her birthday was the official start of Christmas break. Matt was home from his business trip so we had a lazy morning in pj's, which was just what we all needed. Lucy and Simon read books together, Carter played with legos and Matt and I drank coffee while planning more festivities.

 The afternoon was all about the girls. Lucy, Matt's mom and I had tickets to the Nutcracker for part of her birthday present. We opted out of the big Seattle production and chose a smaller venue in Bellevue. It was perfect! Our seats were in the front row and Lucy just loved watching the ballet. She looked so adorable in her sparkly dress and crown and it was so fun to see her eyes light up when the dancers came on stage.

 I don't think I'm really a giant but sure look like one here with Lucy and Kathy! Maybe I should wear flats more often?!

 The evening ended with a dinner out for pizza and then home for homemade triple berry pie - another request by the birthday girl.

 On her actual birthday she got to open up presents from us. A new Christmas Nutcracker book and $20 to save for our upcoming trip to Disneyland. It's so funny to see how excited the kids get over paper money. Giving just a $20 bill isn't nearly as exciting as unwrapping 20 $1 bills! Ha!

 To keep celebrating we headed down to Redmond for lunch with my parents and then ice skating for the big kids. I was so proud of how well they did, despite never doing it before and falling several times. They just got right back up and kept trying! It was a little hard since it was a synthetic rink so you couldn't really glide as well as you normally would on ice but it helped them not get too cold or wet. I really think they'd love roller skating so we'll have to try that soon too!

 After a fun few days we all came home tired and cuddled up on the couch to watch a Christmas movie. The birthday girl said she had a perfect day and that's all I could ever ask for!

Lucy,
You are now 5 years old. In some ways I've felt you've been this old for a while in the ways you talk and act but then I just shake my head that my little baby girl is already 5 years old. You continue to be one of the sweetest people I know. You care so much for others, especially your brothers. You are kind and thoughtful and always worry about how someone else might be feeling. You are loving to all your babies and stuffed animals and have the most creative imagination. You are beautiful, inside and out. You have your own sense of style and aren't afraid to just put together a crazy outfit and go on with your day. You are smart and always want to keep learning more. You are stubborn at times, sassy and dramatic but I think it's your way of reminding us to never forget about our middle child stuck between 2 wild boys. You are so fun to be around and I just love our girl time. And now you are 5!!! You have grown up so much this past year - finishing your first year of preschool and starting your last year of preschool, playing on 2 soccer teams, learning how to ride your bike without training wheels, learning to swim, excelling in math and trying to read, making new friends, having playdates,  always helping me and continuing to be the very best Lucy you can be. I love you more than there are stars in the sky. Happy Birthday sweet girl.

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'tis the season.

This entire month seems to be so busy but when I look back at pictures it's full of so many traditions, fun activities and lots of family time. I might go to bed exhausted but we all wake up excited the next day to see what's planned. I always think a slow, lazy month might be nice one year but there are so many things to see and do it's hard to not want to enjoy the Christmas festivities. Plus, we have plenty of Christmas movie nights each week to balance out the chaos!

Last weekend our family was asked to light the advent candle at church. We had a reading, a bible verse and a prayer to say before lighting the candle. I had the kids practice all week long and Lucy surprised me the day before by memorizing her verse! Totally not planned but was super proud of her. When they first asked me I was a little hesitant. Our family: squirmy kids who often get nervous being up on stage and are curious around open flames. It sounded like a bad idea. But these 3 kids were amazing! They stood still, spoke loud and clear into the microphone and patiently watched Matt light the candle. It was pretty great. Plus they looked adorable!

 I've been busy baking up a storm every day to get a variety of cookies baked for friends and family. It might seem like I went a little overboard (okay, so maybe I did and this is still missing 3 more types of cookies!) but I really love baking and giving away special treats. Lucy loves helping and has learned so much while Simon just plays in the pantry with anything he can get his hands on.

 The last week of school ended with a holiday sing-a-long assembly for Carter and an early birthday celebration for Lucy. Lucy got to bring 2 dozen sprinkled donuts for her friends and teachers to share, which was pretty fun. Carter finished his author share project by writing about his favorite gift he's ever received: his treasured Peter Pan doll. As much as he keeps growing up, this kid will always love Peter Pan!

 The night before Matt had to leave for a business trip we took the kids out to see Christmas lights. There is a local church nearby who puts on a fantastic show each year on their church building. It's set to music, has video clips inserted in, free cookies and hot chocolate, heated lamps to stay warm, an electric train and candy canes! We love going each year and the kids have fun running around dancing while watching the lights.

 On lazy mornings we stay in pj's and read lots of books. I found Simon sitting in the book basket enjoying a good book one day. Silly boy!

 While Matt was gone I took full advantage of more Christmas activities. We've made these super simple marshmallow snowmen for the past few years and the kids love how easy it is to decorate. We use marshmallows for the body, chocolate chips for the smile, raisins for the eyes and walnuts for the buttons. Add in some candy cane arms and it's complete!

 I'm not too crafty so the fact that this is a big hit for the kids makes me smile. I don't have to do much, other than keep Simon away from eating his marshmallows covered in glue. He may have eaten one or two....oops.

 I took the boys to get haircuts and our hair girl gave Lucy french braids since she had extra time! So cute! Then we spent some birthday money at the nearby ice cream shop. Because who doesn't want ice cream on one of the coldest days of the year?!?

 Simon is such a mini-me right now and copying every move we make. Luckily this time he was helping vacuum the living room. I think I have similar pictures of Carter and Lucy using the same little vacuum when they were this little too.

 Finally, this sweet girl will turn 5 tomorrow!!! There aren't enough words to express how much I love Lucy. She is full of sass lately and I can't believe how quickly this past year went by. Off to get ready to celebrate her today, can't wait!

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