Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Pictures with Santa-Take One

While we were at the mall for our nightmare Flash session we figured we might as well try Santa too. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. Although, once Collin spotted the bucket of suckers next to Santa's chair it was all over.





Notice in the second picture that Kahlen has disappeared and Collin is in the bucket picking out his 20th sucker. Brylie just wanted to sit on Santa's lap all day although she froze and forgot what she wanted so I had to help her out a bit. I'm sure Santa loved the artwork that she brought for him!!
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Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Breakfast with Santa put us in the Christmas spirit so much that we decided to do something new and exciting. We went to cut our own fresh tree. We got Collin bundled up and headed out. We didn't feel like driving too far so we went to a place in Grove City. They had tons of really nice trees already cut but we wanted to cut our own so we headed out to the field to find the first annual Wilson Family Real Christmas Tree. We looked and looked, and walked and walked...it seemed that we were in the land of midget Christmas Trees. We walked all the way to the back trying to find just one tree that was at least eyeball height-no such luck. We decided it would be a little tree for out little peanut Collin-aaahhh-isn't that sweet!




Yes, that is our tree behind us...I know...you can't see it-we should have stood behind it!!


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Here is dad cutting, mom cutting and the dreaded walk all the way back! The cutting part literally took 30 seconds! Once we got home and got our prize in the house it looked pretty bad. Notice the height of the tree in proportion to Collin and the ceiling!!


It looked kind of silly-short and fat to be exact. So fat that you couldn't walk through on that side of the room. When life hands you lemons, make lemonade (or a nice lemon martini). I had a sudden recollection that last year we had to go out and buy all new plastic bulbs because someone kept pulling them off the tree and breaking them. I'm not going to name names but I will say he is very short and likes shiny things.So if we were to, say, put the tree on top of something it would solve all of our issues.BRILLIANT! Not one broken bulb yet!




And that makes us all happy!!!



Enough with your cheezy grins!! Get to work boys-get that mess cleaned up!






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Breakfast with Santa

This year Collin is a little more into Santa than last year. Next year will probably be the big year but we are having lots of Christmastime fun. We hit Smith&Wollensky at Easton for Breakfast with Santa. Let me start by saying we won't go back next year. Luckily, Collin doesn't know the difference so he had a great time. This was the first year they put this on and I'm pretty sure they should stick to the steak thing and forget about the breakfast and Santa thing. No one in their right mind makes people with small children dressed in their Christmas best, crowd in a tiny hall and wait for 30 minutes when they had a 10am reservation!! It was mass chaos! Crazy kids, crazy parents, crazy wait staff, probably even crazy Santa. Actually, Santa didn't look too bad but Mrs. Clause looked just plain pissed off. I feel 'ya sister! But, it was a nice time anyway.

So back to breakfast-They started us off with some pastries which we inhaled because we were starving!! Then they brought out a plate of gingerbread cookies with icing and sprinkles to decorate...nice 2nd course! Then breakfast came and Santa came and it was over-not real exciting. Whatever excitement was lacking from the Smith and Wollensky end, Collin made up in his antics! He is a nut!! Every time he sees Santa he says "hohoho...Me". I think he wants to say Merry Christmas but you pretty much only get "me". He can spot Santa now like he can spot Elmo. I think he might actually be warming up to him. Wait until he sees all the presents Santa brings him, I bet he'll be his best friend then.









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Our COFLAC Gathering

This month it was our turn to sponsor the COFLAC gathering. I decided to have it at COSI. I had big shoes to fill after the fun outing we went to at the farm. COSI has a great play area for little kids and there is lots for the big kids to do also. Click here to see pictures from the event. I should warn you there are A LOT! I am going a little crazy with the new camera. If any COFLAC people see this you should be able to download pictures straight from the page if you see any you like. Here are a few for those of you that don't have an extra hour to look at 200 pictures of kids playing. I don't know how the kids do it? I was worn out just from setting up. The kids just kept playing and playing and playing. It seemed like they were all passed out in their parents arms on the way out. I still had to go to work after the party. It stinks to be an adult sometimes.






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Guatoberfest Cruise 2009

My soapbox about the Advent Conspiracy

I came across this video on another blog. I have to admit I only looked at it for entertainment value. I assumed with a title like that, it had to be some wacko conspiracy theory and who doesn't need a good laugh. Suprisingly enough it really touched me and made me think. It didn't grab my interest because of it's religious value, because that's not really my thing. I am not the type of person that flaunts religion or believes in pushing your beliefs onto others. It touched me because of it's human value and because it shows me how quickly I forget.

When we were in Guatemala it was truly a life changing experience for a myriad of reasons, only one of which was bringing home a baby! We saw poverty that we could never imagine in this country. I remember thinking when I was there that despite all of the stress of the situation, I was more at peace than I had ever felt in my life. Among other things, there was no pressure to have more...there was nothing to have. People just lived their lives. Families worked together, lived together in cramped housing-if they had a roof over their heads at all-and they were happy! We were forced to enjoy eachother without our "creature comforts" and I loved it. I now remember hoping that once we got home, I would never lose that idea that we don't really need much at all. I realized our society makes us think we need more but we really don't. And after watching the video it makes me realize that I have failed miserably.


I had made up my mind that in order to honor my new found attitude and our sons heritage, we would sponsor a Guatemalan family every year so that they could have food and heat and their children could go to school-things we take for granted on a daily basis. For some reason I can never seem to find the money to do that- BUT- I can find the money to buy coffee every day, sometimes several times a day, Collin will see a room full of gifts on Christmas morning, I can go out to eat, I can do whatever I want for the most part. My priorities have gone right back to where they were before I experienced Guatemala and it makes me sad. That is the reason that I am posting the video in a permenant spot on the blog, so that I am constantly reminded, not only during Christmas but all year to give PRESENCE to my friends and family not PRESENTS and to give back to something that I feel very strongly about. I don't write this to push Guatemalan charity or any charity but to encourage anyone reading this to slow down and take a look at your life and see what means the most to you and see where it takes you.

Advent Conspiracy