Merry Christmas!

We're heading out on our cruise. We're sitting and stuffing ourselves with lunch as we speak. I am so grateful this Christmas that we're able to go do something fun with our parents and have an "alternative" Christmas. I hope everyone thoroughly enjoys their christmas and spends it with the ones they love!

Xoxo
Maddie

Rockefeller Center 2010

As per usual, Dan and I did our yearly Rockefeller Center and 5th Ave. walk. It was good times as usual. The tree was big...
And covered in lights.
Dan wore the dino hat of course...
Bergdorff and Goodman's windows were amazing as per usual. We loved the trip to the moon one in particular.
Really cool.
And I'm obsessed with using the Instagram application on my phone...
Tender times with Dan on the phone...
Awkward gentleman
Of course we stopped by the church
And ended the night with Starbucks. Caramel apple cider for Dan and Salted caramel hot chocolate for me. YUM!

Yay for Christmas!

Lately...

Here's what happened last week:

1. This wonderful girlie happens to be in my ward. She's also an amazing hairdresser. Actually she's the Hairdresser on Fire! I was lucky enough to claim a bit of her time last week and she trimmed up my locks and gave me cute bangs again. Me likey mucho!
Then on Tuesday we went and saw one of Dan's kids in a play downtown. It was good times. This kid is amazing and extremely charming. After the play we took him out to Korean. He hadn't had it before but was a really good sport about it. It was a lot of fun getting to meet one of Dan's students and hear about how Dan is as a teacher.
And! I got my ornament from Poppa, she sent over a bright star to top our tree. It makes me happy.
This week is looking uber busy. It's only a four day work week and on Friday we fly out for our cruise! Lots of things to get done!

Oh that puppy

Sunday night while relaxing on the couch, this is what fitz-o looked like...


That's right flat on his back (his favorite sleeping position when he's between us) and with his face up Dan's shorts. I don't know if his nose was cold or if it smelled nice up there or what but he stayed that way a good while! Good times : )

I dream...

That we could be as talented and entertaining as this family! This is the third year they've done this instead of a Christmas Card and I am mildly obsessed. Enjoy!

Here Comes Santa Claus - A Christmas Video Greeting from Jared Foster on Vimeo.

Holiday crafting...

On Saturday I went on a much longer than anticipated crafting trip to Michael's with the craft-tactic Ashley Stevenson. I wanted to make the amazing trees that Abbie made but became too overwhelmed with a lack of cuteness inspiration and ridiculous anxiety that mine wouldn't be as darling as abbie's (she's one of my NYC super mom's I wish I could be : ). So instead of being sad at my inadequacies (and after running into Kimberly and her inspirational magazine) I decided to make a felt wreath instead.

I got a wreath form, felt and borrowed Ashley's glue gun. Pretty simple. My kinda craft!


You cut 2-4in strips of felt and warp them around to see if you need to trim length. Lay it around to make sure you have enough. Then you just start gluing!


You then end up with this. I then looked for a poinsettia tutorial to make my cute flower. Just google it and tons comes up. So I traced and cut and found a cute button to sew on and wah-la!


Super cute holiday wreath (that I kinda want to leave out all year. It's that cute right?) holiday crafts are good : )

Taking time out...

This weekend, Dan and I went to the temple and did a session. It was good reminder of what this season is about. It's about service right? We're celebrating the birth of the Savior who gave us the ultimate service. We give gifts in the memory of Saint Nicholas who helped people and left secret gifts for them. This time is really about thinking outside of ourselves and showing love and care for others. It was good to go to a place where all you do is service for others. I get sucked into the commercialism of Christmas and all of the amazing sales! : ) But I'm glad that we went and did something for others at the start of the season and put me in the right frame of mind.

What do you do to help remember what the season's really about?

Ginger Bread Bonanza

Saturday night, we had a little Christmas themed shindig with our always buddies the Hansen's and Stevenson's. It was good times of course, hosted by the Doctor's Hansen and filled with football and Christmas music.

Dan and I struggled a bit with our theme for our little cave/landing strip/bungalow. Then we made a tree with lots of decorations. The tree took forever, we were pretty tired of it at the end... it's a little thrown together but looks nice on our dining table!
our little casa
the Hansen's amazing casa
tender Christmas times
The Stevenson's amazing tribute to the med student towers
a little better shot of our place
and again the Hansen's (I was a bit jealous : )

We're so grateful that we've made such great friends here that we can hang out with so often. They've definitely something we're grateful for and have been blessed with this Christmas season.

The Cone of Shame

Reasons why today is good:
1. Poor Fitzwilliam's cone of shame is being taken off today! He's getting his stitches removed, followed by a much needed bath for mr. stinky. Yay for no more bumping around and whining cause he can't reach something due to the cone
2. We will be on our cruise in 18 days and flying out of NYC in 17. Woot Woot!
3. A patient that has been in my unit for waaaay too long is going home today, thank goodness!
4. We watched A Christmas Story last night, I heart Christmas!
5. I start at LDS Family Services this week. Yay for doing therapy again.

Let's hope today's goodness carrying on throughout the week : )

Image from here

I think this could be a really amazing Christmas present for a person with baking tendencies. (Like me!) I've had chocolate chip cookies with mexican vanilla one time and they were amazing. So awesome how vanilla can totally change the whole flavor. Yum yum!

Christmas Music

I lurve listening to Christmas music. I play it non-stop all throughout December and while I don't get tired of the songs, El Dan Thomson certainly does. So this year I got some new ones. Here's what's on my current Christmas mix...

Click on the image to see it bigger.

Current faves are Natalie Cole's Joy to the World. It's a favorite from childhood for me. And Dan introduced me to Sufjan Stevens and I got his version of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, which is my absolute favorite hymn. I'm also loving Mele Kalikimaka by the Puppini Sisters. Repeat faves every year include Baby, It's Cold Outside from the movie Elf, but this year I've downloaded the Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald version as well *swoon! I also adore Vince Guaraldi's Christmas Time is Here a la Charlie Brown's Christmas. Always a classic.

What's on your Christmas mix this year? Anything I should add?