2015 Holiday Season

I've unintentionally taken a few months off. The busiest time of the year has come and gone. I have more than 100 pictures that haven't been uploaded, so here is my futile attempt to make up for lost time. Last minute, on my brother, Chris', birthday he invited everyone to a special dinner. It was fun and something we don't do very often anymore so thanks for the invite!

 Thanksgiving happened. 

It was delicious and lots of fun to see everyone. Elyce and Anita were here for their first Thanksgiving (in Arizona) in like 20 years. We had a ridiculous amount of delicious food and pies. I have zero pictures to show for it, must have been busy eating or something. I do remember Oliver being sick and grumpy though. We ran down the street to Rogers' Thanksgiving festivities so we could all get a picture together. So I do have that!

(Ollie refused to look at the camera. Awesome)

After Thanksgiving, my sisters & I all met up in Anaheim to celebrate my big 3-0!!!

Beth & I drove over Saturday morning just in time to pick up Elyce from the airport that afternoon. We spent a day at Huntington Beach, people watching, shopping, eating, and hanging out on the pier. We made an appearance in Orange County for lunch and dreamed of living in its cute downtown houses all next door to eachother. We had the most amazing pedicures and then we ended the trip with a bang at Disneyland!

It was busier than we thought it would be, but once we got in the groove of things we did pretty much everything we wanted to get done. At night, when all the Christmas lights were on, the place looked amazing. It was so fun to be there and I was so grateful to get to spend the time with the some of the girls I love best. Thanks to everyone back home who kept Oliver alive and happy. I brought him back this hat that had his name written all over it.

{Obviously his name isn't Woody - it was just a saying.}
Once I got home from that, it was time to start taking Christmas seriously. Ollie was a helpful little sidekick. He went shopping...

 this is a Jordan face 100%...

 sat in the front yard and watched me put up Christmas lights

 "Mom, don't fall off the ladder. Okay?"

 and loved decorating the Christmas tree. He especially loved these Christmas bells my parents have had on the tree since I was a wee youngin. He insisted they be turned on most of the time.

 

I had a fabulous birthday. I turned THIRTY years old! I dragged the boys to the Nutcracker with me. Ollie sat really well for the first half, but the 15 minute intermission killed it. But to be honest, Ollie did better than Jordan. ;)
Elyce got me another charm for my Pandora bracelet {the Disneyland castle}

 and Jordan spoiled me rotten. I have wanted a Bosch for years and this year he and my mom surprised me with one. I love and adore it.
I told Jordan I used to get Black Angus chocolate cake every birthday, but I haven't had it in YEARS. He has never had it so we went out and devoured the beast. It was just as yummy as I remember. My favorite chocolate cake ever.

Jordan practiced and practiced songs for the Christmas program at church (he is the choir pianist). He loves his picture being taken.

I dressed Ollie up for Christmas Sunday. 

He only lasted the first hour of church (Jordan played perfectly) because he and I were sick on and off a lot of the month of December and January for that matter.

Christmas was great. On Christmas Eve we did our Mexican food feast and had the Shill Family nativity. Ollie was a sheep dog.

 Which he was super excited about...

 ...

 What he does get excited about is Quincy. They are good buddies. I loved their little interactions during the nativity.

Ollie was really into Christmas this year and just as sweet as can be with getting presents. He actually cared that other people opened presents and wanted to take turns seeing what other people got. Once again, Jordan brought his A-game and just days after presenting me with a Bosch, he got me a sewing machine for Christmas! You done good, Jordan!

 Ollie got a bike! He picked it up so stinkin' fast and loves to take his bike on "long" rides.

Oliver liked playing with all the nativities. My mom has hundreds and even has a Peanuts Gang one that Ollie loved to play with. He spent a day at Grandma Rogers and this is what he did to one of hers. 

There was one in the hallway here that he did the same thing to. So sweet.

Jordan and I celebrated 9 years of marriage on the 29th! We took Ollie out to dinner with us since our babysitters were at the hospital awaiting the arrival of Baby Zeke. We will finally be actually going out to celebrate it tomorrow. It was fun though to have Oliver with us - he was a nice boy and has been seriously delightful lately. New Years was spent ordering pizza and watching San Andreas. Awesome! I think I woke up really sick on New Years Day and literally laid in bed for two days straight. The next weekend after that, my mom and I took off for Denver. It was a low key, relaxing couple of days. My flight cost a whopping $90 round-trip! I used every spare minute putting this puzzle together

{that's just how low key it was}.

Anita made us an amazing dinner one night. Just look at it...

Prime rib {the first I've ever had it}, risotto, cheese biscuits and balsamic glazed asparagus. It was the best dinner I've ever had.

Thanks for the vacation ladies! And another thanks to Jordan, my dad, and Aunt Beth for entertaining the Oliver. He didn't hardly miss me.

That sums up the big events of the last few months and almost catches me up on this old thing!