One very special party

Today we helped to celebrate some really amazing milestones.  I try to shy away from using the word amazing these days, as I think it gets over-used, but it applies here.  We came together with lots of family and friends for my Grandma Christensen's 90th birthday, which was today, and also to celebrate my Grandpa's upcoming 99th birthday, and their 72nd wedding anniversary.  Isn't that just the coolest?  To be married to someone for 72 years and still deeply in love and content to spend their days enjoying one another's company?  I think my grandparents' just may be my favorite people to be around.  Grandpa has the most impressive memory and best storytelling skills of anyone I have ever met.  He remembers seriously everything.  I'm positive he has told me the make and model of cars that his co-workers drove at his first jobs, some 70 or so years ago.  And my Grandma?  There is absolutely not a sweeter person on Earth.

The cousins that were present.  There's a lot of us:)  I counted the guest book and there were 148 guests that had signed in.  Quite the popular couple!

Toward the end of the party, my little lady made me smile.  She asked Brad where the presents were.  He explained that at parties for people who aren't kids, there usually aren't lots of presents but he did show her where the card basket was.  As soon as he showed her, she went to her backpack and pulled out a ziplock baggie that was full of little drawings she had made, a few paper hearts, and a piece of gum.  She put it on top of the pile of cards and went about her business.  When he asked her about it, she said "That's my present for Great Grandma."  After the party, she sat patiently by the card basket until Grandma had a chance to look at some of the cards and waited till she had looked through her baggie, then she went back to playing.  I thought it was a very kind gesture from a 3 year old.  But I'm a little biased:)  

What a perfect day.

I can't quit Pinterest

Its been awhile since I've shared my most recent favorite pins...

Dude, this soup rocks

Fell in love with this bedding, still haven't committed though...

Made this advent calendar for Willa this year

January is National Oatmeal Month

I know.  There is a "National-Everything-Month" these days.  BUT, I love oatmeal, so I'm gonna go ahead and talk about it.  First of all, a few months ago I made the big decision to switch from the el cheapo quick cooking instant oatmeal flakes to steel cut oats.  I thought I loved oatmeal before, but this was game changing.  They do cost more, and take longer to cook but if you are an oatmeal fan, you won't mind one bit.    Then last week, one of my most favorite fitness bloggers posted this recipe for baked coconut-blueberry oatmeal.  That is like, all of my favorite words in one recipe title.  So, after I went to the grocery store Sunday  night, I stuck a pan of it in the oven and have eaten it for breakfast (and a few little snacks) all week.  I just had the last bowl and it made me a little sad, until I realized that I can just make it again and not be sad.

Yes, it called for one of the "good" bowls:)

Its a very simple recipe, which is great.  When recipes even look the least bit complicated, I get nervous.  And sweat.  And usually tear them up and throw them away.  I tweaked a few things about it, to accommodate what I had on hand/what was less expensive/etc.  For instance, I had a few cups of soy milk to use up instead of almond milk, then I used coconut milk for the rest.  I don't really stick to any one type of "milk" around our house.  We never have dairy milk, just soy or almond or coconut.  I haven't branched out to hemp or rice milk yet.  I just kind of rotate through whatever is available or on sale at whichever store I am shopping at.  I think this recipe will work with any type of milk.  Then, I did half frozen-half fresh blueberries, just to see how it would turn out and it was fine.  I also omitted the dried blueberries because they were kind of expensive and very few came in a bag.  We're on a budget here, people!  I don't think the recipe necessarily needs any added sweetener, I believe the blogger used vanilla stevia drops.  I used a bit of honey, but that could be skipped if you were really concerned about sugar.  The great thing about this oatmeal dish is that it is something that is actually better as leftovers.  It needs to sit for awhile for the oats to soak up some of the milk, but I found that it didn't lose any of its tastiness over the days that I ate it.  I just popped a bowl of it in the microwave and then put a little extra coconut milk on top and it was awesome.  I can't wait until it is cherry season, as I think I might try to alter the recipe and use cherries.  And then maybe alter it again and instead of coconut flakes and coconut milk, I will use just almond milk, some almonds, and maybe a tiny bit of almond extract with cherries.  I really like the cherry/almond combo.  Many, many thanks to Erin for sharing this oatmeal gem this fine, cold January!

So long, 2012

Just a few pictures from New Year's Eve.  It is a little bit troubling how much of a party animal Willa is already...she definitely would have stayed up way later than me, had I given her a choice!  Thanks a million to Tosha and Jared for letting us have cocktails and snacks, and play with their new puppy, and have a slumber party at their house.

I can still watch Elf even though Christmas is over, right??

What a fantastic Christmas we had!  What?  You didn't receive my Christmas card and letter?!?  That's weird.  I swear I sent them out.  Just in case the mailperson lost yours, I will throw some pictures and a recap of our holiday fun up here on the 'ole blog.  And, don't withhold your mailperson's Christmas gift over my silly little card.

To start off the holiday season, Brad and I had a night of Christmas shopping and sushi eating.  I think this is quickly becoming a tradition for Willa's birthday and Christmas time.  Guaranteed date night, shopping and great food twice a year.  I like it.  Then, the weekend before Christmas, we had a night out with some good friends that involved a surprise limo ride to drink champagne and look at Christmas lights.  Again, not a bad idea.

The next day, 5 of my favorite friends from high school came over and we spent all day and most of the night baking, drinking and playing games.  Amy even traveled all the way from Kansas to be with us and to teach us all a new game that was just about the funniest thing ever.

On the Sunday just before Christmas Eve, we decided it was high time we finish our shopping.  We are such procrastinators.  I SWEAR, I am going to do better next year.  But I'm pretty sure I say that every year.  No matter, it was a very fun day out and about with Brad and Willa.  Ending with dinner at Bison Witches, which just happens to be a favorite of our family.  I can't even hear those words without having an intense craving for their queso dip.

Christmas Eve was a very nice day.  Since it happened to fall on a Monday, Brad and I both had the day off.  So we cleaned up the house, finished wrapping gifts, Willa and I ate lots of pancakes, we all built a gingerbread house together, and then we went to my mom's house for dinner, Christmas carols, egg nog, gifts, and dessert. We took a little break from all of that kind of fun to attend the candlelight service at Southpointe Christian church, where Brad plays drums for the church band.  Christmas Eve church has always been my most favorite thing all year.  Not even my favorite church thing, but just plain my favorite thing.

Christmas morning started off with a visit from Santa Claus, and a chance to give gifts to one another.  Santa brought Willa a Lite Bright, and she also scored some board games, movies, legos, and lots of gear for coloring and drawing.  Brad finally got a new wallet.  Had any of you seen the old one?  It was in sad shape. I got some great running accessories, like earbuds that actually stay in my ears and an adorable Lululemon stocking hat.  After gifts were opened, we made a nice, big brunch and my parents and brother came over.  Later on in the day, we made the trip to Grand Island to visit my grandparents and Brad's family.  It was such a relaxing, family-filled holiday time.  I was very sad to see it over.  I think this was the first year that Willa started to understand, although her focus was pretty "toy-centered".  Something to work on for next year, I guess:)  I hope that you all had really good family time as well and ended the year on a positive note.  Much as I hate to see Christmas time end, I always get really excited for the New Year and all that "new" implies.  Resolutions, changes, fresh starts, refocusing, reflecting...So much to look forward to!

Gift ideas for anyone on your list who wears things, runs, eats vegetables, likes to laugh, or loves scarves:)

My last few posts have been kind of heavy.  My heart has been kind of heavy.  So, please allow me now to indulge myself in all of my night-time web browsing and make a post about beautiful things I would buy myself for Christmas if I had unlimited funds.  And time.  And space for things.

This shower curtain/hamper

Or kind of a different feel...

Such a pretty, pretty scarf

And how about this bracelet?!?  It might be my favorite thing ever.

A necklace for prosperity and good fortune.

A pretty calendar to tell me when to plant things.  Or just to look pretty in my kitchen.

A variation on the planting calendar.

A variety of succulants (which I hear are hard to kill)

A book by my favorite bloggers:)

A veggie lover's cookbook

I think I could have a lot of fun with this

And for my new running habit...you could pretty much open up the Lululemon website and throw a dart at the screen and I probably want whatever you hit.  And I would want to wear it ALL THE TIME.  And never take it off.  Ever.

There you have it.  My most superficial and greedy post of the year.  Every year.  I get a kick out of making a list of things I can't afford.  I think that might be kind of weird.  We are also in desperate need of new bedding but I haven't taken the time to look deeply into the bedding sections of my favorite websites yet.  Soon.

California

A few photos from our recent trip to California to celebrate the life of my Uncle Bob.

 Mom, Uncle Mel, Aunt Marlys and I flew into Oakland and then traveled to Napa where we were fortunate enough to stay in a beautiful home that belongs to some friends of Uncle Bob's.  Seriously beautiful and SO SO kind of them to allow us all to stay there, along with Aunt Sherri and Amber.

 Its weird how you return home from a trip, and people ask you how your vacation was, and its strange to say that you went for a funeral but that it was a really good trip.  I wish hugely that we all could have gathered under much different circumstances, but it was so great to be around family.  Its not every day that a girl gets to stay up till the wee hours with her aunts and cousins and just talk. And listen. And laugh. And Melissa opened her home to us for many great meals and wine and a place to be together.

A cross that Uncle Bob made for his church

A few of the pretties in our "home"

Still thinking of Uncle Bob, Aunt Jan, Melissa, Jessica and the grandkids.  They lost a terrific man.  Be on the look-out for a movie about his life, though:)  It will be a good one.
Want to leave you with something I remember the pastor saying at the memorial service..."The world is too dangerous and too beautiful for anything but love."  That really stayed with me.  I think I have said it to myself every day since then.  Love.