A REAL Tree!!!

Success!!!  For Christmas this year we got a real Christmas tree, and it didn't even take much to convince Craig that I needed a real tree for Christmas.  This beautiful tree was calling my name, the minute I started looking it was saying, "Katie, pick me, pick me, pick me!"  I listened and it is the perfect tree!  It fit inside our house, just about touching the ceiling, and not to bushy.  On Sunday we decorated the tree, I found these plastic, non-shatter balls, so Lucas could help decorate the tree.  While decorating the tree Craig made the comment about having to redo it after Lucas finishes, I looked at Craig and said, "no, I am not touching what he has done, it is how it is."  So how it is, is most of the decorations are at the bottom of the tree, with clusters of balls and ornaments, this tree has a lot of character!  Lucas had a lot of fun decorating the tree, now if only he could stop touching the tree.

"Peanut butter and Jelly"

Every day for the past week at about 10:30 am Lucas will start asking for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  This just goes to show what I allow my child to eat for lunch every day, (it is difficult to heat anything up quickly, because we are still without a microwave).  Though the other day I did boil him a hot dog, to change things up, since a hot dog is definitely better than a pb and j, right?  I have tried to remind him numerous times that he can only have one for lunch, but Lucas does not understand this concept.  He'll ask for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at all times of the day.  I have even tried to offer him other snack option, no Lucas wants a pb and j.  At lunch time when I ask him what he wants he has been telling me, "Peanut utter and am sandich, cheese, urkey, and ummus."  He has been a pretty good eater!  Maybe that is why he has been having a growth spurt!

Christmas

Thanksgiving is over, we are back from our trip, so we can officially start the Christmas season.  Yes, I am one of those people, you will not hear Christmas music, see lights, or a tree until after Thanksgiving!!! I am not a Scrooge, I just like to celebrate my holidays in the designated time frame.  I will be the first to admit this is not my favorite season, perhaps it is the freezing, biting cold that comes with it, or the crazy businesses with the crazy people all rushing around.  However, I do like to listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir featuring Sissel, drink hot chocolate, and bake lots of goodies!  Our family tries to focus on the reason for the season!  So if this makes me a Scrooge, well then I guess I am.

Another phase?

Lately Lucas, my energetic little ball of curiosity, has been a little apprehensive, shy, and clinging.  This is not bad, just different, from what I am use too.  We shall see if this passes or lingers.

Lucas!

Took Lucas to the doctor's yesterday, he received a clean bill of health!  Lucas weighs 30lbs and is 37". Yes, you heard right, Lucas is growing like a tree!  He is now in the 76% percentile for height!  But is staying pretty steady at 30lbs!  Grow little man, grow!

Art Museum

Took a field trip with our playgroup to the art museum on campus today.  Lucas did pretty good, after I threatened to put him in our friend's stroller.  We did talk about the colors, shapes, and objects in the pictures.  I started to take pictures, but was quickly told that I needed to undo the flash, but I don't know how to do that, I just know how to point and click!  So here are the few pictures of the art museum!

Thanksgiving/Trip to Madison Wisconsin

For Thanksgiving we went to visit Craig's brother and his family in Madison, Wisconsin (they have recently moved there, and are the closest family, which is super exciting.  We actually have relatives within driving distance!).   We have been planning this trip for awhile, with the knowledge that it might not happen.  Since we were attempting to drive to Madison, Wisconsin in November, weather was definitely a factor.  As time grew closer, so did our anticipation that we might actually be spending Thanksgiving with family.  Success!  We made it to Madison and back in one piece.  Though there was a complication with the rental car.  It had some issues, (lights turning on during the night and draining the battery, so when we got into the car in the morning it didn't start) and trying to exchange it ended up being an unsuccessful hassle.  All in all fun, fun, fun!!!  The car ride was supposed to be about 12 hours, but ended up being about 15 hours when you add in the time when we were stuck in Chicago commute, oops!!!  (Note to self, don't try to drive through the 3rd largest city in the US during rush hour traffic).)  However, I did get Giordano's pizza out of the deal, and it was super yummy (not as good as the pizza in Brooklyn though, wow it is just amazing!).

Since this was our first time visiting Wisconsin, we were sure to stock up on cheese.  The grocery store we went to had four aisles of cheese, wow!  It was pretty incredible, so I had to take a picture, which was about the time that Craig decided mother nature was calling (whatever, i guess he was a little embarrassed of his wife taking pictures of cheese. I love cheese!!!)  We also stopped off at Sprechers Brewery, which I guess are pretty big in Wisconsin.  Had cream soda and root beer, best cream soda I have ever had!!!  It was a German themed brewery, so they had some pretty good brats.  Took a tour of Alan's work (Craig's brother) wow!!!  Pretty amazing!!!  There are several buildings, A through K, each named after some astronomical object, and each building has a theme; dungeons and dragons, New York City, country/garden, technology, jungle, etc.  It was pretty crazy, one of the tunnels looked like a subway train, another was Indiana Jones, had a golden idol and when you touched it you heard the sound of the boulder coming towards you.  Another building had one of the foyer areas look like a castle, inside the conference room was a huge dragon.  It was pretty exciting place!  The buildings are all connected by tunnels or indoor walkways.

One of the MANY themed conference rooms. 

Who needs stairs to go from the 2nd to 1st floor?

"Subway" going from the 'garden' themed building to the 'city' themed building.

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious.  We had tons of food that we ate for several days after!  Sarah made the best turkey I have ever tasted!!!  I am a dark meat person, all the way, not a big fan of the white meat, but wow!  The white meat was fantastic!!!  She went all out on this turkey, first time she has every cooked a turkey!  She brined it for 24 hours, injected it, stuffed it with fresh herbs, apples, celery, and rubbed it with sage and butter!  A lot of work, which totally paid off.  Simply amazing!!!  With that being said I have to toot my own horn and say that I made a pretty dang good pumpkin pie, chocolate pudding torte (with my own homemade Creme Fraiche), and some pretty awesome sweet potatoes, next to the turkey those sweet potatoes were my favorite! Oops!  Almost forgot to mention the cranberry sauce stuff that Sarah made that was supper yummy too!  Of course we had pie, four kinds of pie, which ended up being dessert the next several nights (after the kids went to bed!). Thanksgiving dinner was very successful!!!

The family the texts together stays together!  (Grandma just texted all of us, we aren't actually this obsessed with our phones)

 We had lots and lots of fun!!!  Lucas loved playing with Elsie and they got along so well together!  Once again THANKS for having us Alan and Sarah, we had so much fun!  We slept in, took naps, read books, it was the perfect vacation!  It was worth the drive to and from.

The trip home was very long, but not as rainy as the trip there.  We made some detours along the way.  A stop right outside Chicago on the border of Wisconsin, at the Jelly Belly Warehouse.  Took a ride on the train and learned all about Jelly Belly's.  Lucas thought this was so much fun!  He is really into trains right now, so he thought it was pretty cool to ride one!!!  Next stop was at the Temple in Chicago, beautiful!  Of course my trips always involve food!  We stopped at Sweet Baby Rays (they have a bbq sauce you can buy at the grocery stores).  It was way dang good!!!  So good that I didn't have time to take a picture of it or us eating it, as it was devoured within a matter of minutes!!!  Lucas thoroughly enjoyed his Mac n' Cheese!

Our last pit stop was in South Bend, Indiana at Notre Dame, to see "Touch Down Jesus" (Craig will tell you that we went because I wanted to go, but lets be honest here, the only reason I know about this is because of Craig, so honestly I am not the only that wanted to make this stop!)  It was pretty cool.  The campus was beautiful, even in the winter!  They have a gorgeous basilica, that is absolutely magnificent!  Vaulted ceilings with murals, beautiful stained glass windows and lots of ornate and beautiful decorations!  (Out of respect we didn't take any pictures, but you should go see it if you get a chance.)  Ironically enough we ran into the missionaries in the basilica, who would have thought!  Of course they knew we were Mormons  Craig walking around with his BYU sweatshirt kind of gave it away!  Awesome trip!  Now back to reality!