12-23, Denver's Zoolights

"Should we go?  Should we not go?"  Those were the questions we asked ourselves repeatedly yesterday afternoon.  Nikolas had been ill and we weren't sure if he had the endurance for a trip into the city to see the Zoolights.  On the otherhand, it was Emalie's first Christmas and the weather forecast was most friendly for this night (who wants to walk around the zoo when it's 10 degrees??).  On a whim, we packed up and went.  The drive into the city was easy.  Arrival at the zoo-- OH MY GOSH!!  Was the entire state of Colorado here at the zoo to see the lights?!?  It was insane.  Maybe that's a touch of what it's like to attend New Year's Eve in Manhattan.  Crazy.  We stood in line (the longest line ever....) to buy our tickets and another line to enter.  Crazy.  The entire event was quite a sensory overload-- the people, the music, the lights.  We originally thought this could be an annual holiday outing.  After our first visit we're thinking it might be once every 5 or 10 years!  Don't get me wrong, the lights were beautiful.  We had visited the zoo in early October and they were already starting to put up the lights.  I can't even imagine how many lights were used and how many hours it took to arrange them all.  Very impressive.  But everywhere you moved, you were swept away in a sea of people.  Anyway, enjoy the photos from our excursion and be glad you didn't have to brave the elements (30 degrees felt very cold after a few hours) or deal with the masses!

Sven's mom FINALLY gets to meet Emalie! 

My sweet smiles!

I have no idea what he's doing (or why the couple in the background decided to plop themselves down while I was taking a picture and do the same thing!).

This one was very cool-- the mom's head would turn and the baby would hide behind her.

Someone's getting sleepy.

I'm thinking this dragon needs be hung on Emalie's wall (ok, the photo not the actual  dragon!).

These elephants were adorable!

Nikolas insisted I take a picture of this-- his favorite radio station here in Denver.

I again have no idea what he's doing.

The assorted lanterns were very cool.

I'm sure I'm the only one in attendance who took a photo of this bike!
Not quite the "Bike in Lavender" that I took in Sequim, but still neat.

More lanterns.

And even more.

This tree changed colors.  Cool!

An orca for Nikolas.

By the end of our visit, we were all ready to go.  Emalie was shedding clothes faster than we could pick them up off the ground!

Merry Christmas, Everyone.  May your holiday be safe, happy and filled with love.

12-12, I said it was bad.....

.....and it is!  Take a look at this picture.  Really?!  The guy couldn't have snapped one more photo where I didn't look like a squawking bird?!  Sheesh!  This really instills faith in my photography skills-- or at least my perseverance to make my subjects look as good as I can.  Gee whiz.  I told Sven there was no way I was putting this on the blog..... but I reconsidered.  A Santa photo, contrary to what I have been rambling on about, is about the kids (not mom's awful appearance).  So, here is the FIRST photo I have of not only Emalie with Santa, but Nikolas with Santa as well.  Ten years ago in Missoula, we had Nikolas' Santa photo taken at the mall.  The studio lost the picture and we never saw or got a copy of it.  As a first-time parent, you can only imagine how disappointed I was.  It's all about the memories....... 

(Sorry for the duplicate post, but I accidentally deleted the original.)

12-15, Christkindl Market

A little taste of Germany is what we were looking for when we went to Denver's Christkindl Market.  A little taste is what we got, but it was nice anyway to be reminded of the holiday season as it is in Germany.  It's a small market that doesn't offer the variety of things as there would be in the markets in Germany, but it was pretty good for Colorado!  We had a few tasty treats and enjoyed looking at the stands; we were especially happy to have found Emalie's first Christmas ornament.  How perfect that it is an angel eating cookies atop a cloud!  That's our Emalie-- our angelic cookie-monster!  

Aren't they just so sweet together?

Yes, I did make him stand there for this picture.  How embarrassing, right?!

Don't you just love these "rah-rah" (rabbit) earmuffs we got her?!  She did!

The market at a glance.

Carriages all around this time of year.

Daddy helping Emalie put her ornament on the tree.

Emalie taking it all in.

Emalie's first Christmas ornament.

 Merry Christmas, everyone!!

12-11, "It's beginning to look....."

".....a lot like Christmas".....I no longer sarcastically laugh and think 'yeah right' when I hear this song on the radio lately.  Even more so now that I have tried shoveling the driveway with a toddler who keeps rolling balls (basketballs, soccer balls, you name it) down the hill at me (which usually pass me and roll into the street--there's only so much I can do with a shovel in one hand and ice underfoot!!).  Good times!  Ha!  (yes, that is sarcasm.....)  Anyway, we got our tree last weekend.  It's a monstrous 9' noble fir.  It's beautiful.  And huge...  Not one complaint from the 'boys' this year about how we "need to have a bigger tree!"  It's been fun introducing the elements of Christmas to Emalie.  It's all so new to her and it's heart-warming to see her eyes light up at the sight of Christmas decorations or to hear her attempt to say "Santa" when she spots him.  How fun Christmas morning will be with not one, but two little sets of feet running down the stairs to see what Santa has brought.  Emalie won't know what she's running for but she's already decided that whatever her big brother is doing is what she should be doing, too!

Our two little elves.

Sven took this wonderful picture of me and Emalie.  It is my favorite!!
(Thanks, honey, and I didn't even break the camera!!)

Is this the classic "What's up Willis??!" expression or what?!  She was Miss Smiles
until I'd try to take her picture, then her face would go blank.......

......until she spewed out this expression.  Classic!

Which tree should we choose? There are so many!

And the winner is........

Now THAT is a big tree!

And look at the nest they found inside it!  You can still see the shells of the robins' eggs.

Hmmmm.....now that it's in the house, where do we put it?!

Our little princess wouldn't let go of her Dollar store tiara (so of course we had to buy it).
She's also decided that gloves should be worn all the time now.
She can pull off any look, can't she?!

That tree traveled all around the living room and finally settled into just the right spot.

As any Christmas tree is, it's beautiful all lit up.

It's just not Christmas if I don't get out my camera and tripod for an attempt at artistic expression!

So tall.  So very, very tall.

Emalie has discovered that if she can't find her gloves, pot holders will do just fine.
"Come on, Mom, let's make some more of those yummy Christmas cookies!"

Snow bunny getting ready to head outside.  What a doll!