Santa's Workshop

After losing our camera in Colorado Springs a couple of weeks ago, we thought these pics were gone forever.  Thanks to some really honest and kind folks at Applebee's, we got the camera back and can share our fun holiday outing.  I remember going to the North Pole over 30 years ago, so it was really neat to be able to enjoy it with the boys.  The one downside was the COLD, the upside was that we didn't have to wait in any lines! First stop, the candy cane slide!

 Carter...

 Davis...

...and Sean!

 Antique cars

 Going around on the fast rides became Sean's job after I almost tossed my candy canes on the Tilt-A-Whirl.

 Riding the ornament on a Christmas tree.

 Davis and Rudolph

 Giddy-Up!

 The Candy Cane Coaster was my favorite ride as a kid and it did not disappoint! 

 Up, up and away on the mini ferris wheel.

 View from the Gondola ride.

Santa's sleigh was parked here before Christmas. So cool!  

MY Christmas Present!

Yep, I got a tile back splash!  I don't know if it's my age or just the fact that I love home-improvement projects (when my husband does them), but this was a really big deal/gift.  Sean started work a couple of weeks ago, so it wasn't exactly a surprise, but the bows on Christmas morning made it seem more gift-like. ;-) 

 Getting started...

Voila!

And just for fun, a pic of our kitchen from before we moved in.  It's amazing how much the paint improves things! 

 Up close and personal.  It's sooooo shiny and clean.  Love the way it lightens up the kitchen! 

Merry Christmas!

We were lucky enough to have Mimi here for Christmas again this year!  On Christmas Eve, we went to church downtown and the boys loved the live Nativity scene at the family service.  Baby Jesus was so cute! Carter loved the singing and Davis mostly loved the candles/glow sticks during "Silent Night".  Afterwards, we drove past the City and County building to see the beautiful light display.

Santa was very good to us this year--even Macey got a visit from Santa Paws! My wish for next year is that Sean builds me a fireplace so that I have somewhere to hang the stockings with care.  

 Three Beilman boys chillaxin' on Christmas morning.

 

 This boy loves bears.

Just the girls + Carter

 Even more presents to open after Christmas from Aunt Christy, Aunt Natalie & Uncle Josh and Brinley!  Thanks to everyone for the wonderful gifts you sent the boys!

Oh What Fun...

Nothing says "Christmas" like a Lego Advent calendar.  The boys looked forward to seeing what Lego they would build each day, in addition to looking for Alfie (our elf).  

We also got to visit Santa at Daddy's office again this year!  Sean was actually away in Florida on a business trip, but we went anyway...no way were we going to miss the Big Guy! (Sean wanted to make it clear that the trip was not as glamorous as it sounds because he spent most of his time inspecting dry ice ventilation inside a walk-in cooler. Yeah, I'll pass on that.)

So Proud!

Carter's kindergarten class has been doing an Eric Carle theme in reading/writing workshop for the past several weeks and they gave a little presentation today in the school library.  Each of the kids took part in the presentation and Carter introduced each of the three different themes. I was so proud of him!  He spoke very confidently and seemed so old to me.  Yep, I cried.  It was as if I were sitting there watching my little boy grow up right before my eyes.  So bittersweet to be proud of the person your child is becoming, yet also be sad that time is slipping away too quickly.  

After the tears presentation, we headed back to the classroom to see our student's portfolio of artwork related to Eric Carle, and have some snacks--Davis's favorite part!

The school librarian helped the class put together a program of their artwork online and you can see that here.  It is kind of long, but Carter's art is towards the front...then you can scroll to the end to see the whole class.  It is really sweet. Enjoy!

Christmas Party Circa 1920's

It is always such a treat to go to Sean's office Christmas party and this year was no exception. This year's theme was a Murder Mystery set in 1920's Prohibition-Era speakeasy. It was a really fun theme & I'm disappointed in myself for not dressing up because almost everyone else there did! Nonetheless, we had a great time.  It is amazing how getting to dress up for a nice dinner at a country club, open bar and fun entertainment can make you feel valued by a company.  We are truly blessed that Sean has such a great job.

 Family photo before we got our party on.

Sean the Gangster.

Alfie's Back!

Our Elf on the Shelf, Alfie, flew back just after Thanksgiving to make sure the boys stay on Santa's "Nice" list.  So far, he has surprised us by showing up in some funny spots.  We all have so much fun looking for him every morning!  Today he was in the downstairs bathroom and left us a little "surprise" that was not meant to be posted online...I think he ate one too many Reese's peanut butter cups the night before. ;-) 

Estes Park

We headed up to Estes Park on the Friday after Thanksgiving for a little Christmas spirit.  They have a really cute festival every year that kind of kicks of the holiday season.  It was very cold, but no snow this year! We enjoyed checking out the shops and having dinner at our favorite pizza place.  After dark, they have a parade with lighted Christmas floats.  It was a fun day and definitely gets you into the spirit of the season!

 This would have been perfect with a little snow!

 Being careful not to fall into the river...

 Much better view of the parade with a little help from Grandad.

Sean had his own vantage point staked out.