Nanny and Poppy Dolls

During my Christmas shopping, I discovered one of the most amazing gifts for the people who have everything. A company will take your photos and turn your loved ones into stuffed animals. IAmAStuffedAnimal.com - aka my best gift to my parents in a LONG time!



It won't be long before we start seeing photos of Little Pat and Little Linda be-bopping around town, appearing in blogs across the world! Who knows where they'll travel. They may even see more than Flat Stanley does!

Check out the loot!

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is picking out gifts for my loved ones. Its never been a secret that I'm a shopper, and I always try to find that "just right" gift for those I care about. Its just one way that I show them my love. And of course, there are usually gifts in return - here are a few highlights from 2010...

Santa brought BDR a "Police are my Favorite People" air freshener. Scent: Fresh baked doughnut. MMM. Tasty.  On the back it says you can also use it as deodorant or a bowling accessory.

Mr. Nosy the Dokson. When I first opened this I had NO IDEA what it was. I was sure that it served some sort of purpose, but even google couldn't help me. Luckily the giver informed me of its use:

Awesome solid coasters to protect our tables from the sweat of the Blvd Beer.

BDR's new Royals cap. Hopefully he can wear it in spring softball with the boys!

Banana Dan also got "Bananagrams" the game. He's not quite sure of this gift's implications!

Warm and cozy scarf and mittens! (Note, my new hair!)

Hooray a cop nutcracker to add to the collection!

OOH! What could this be???

And of course - my best Christmas gift of all --- Stella!!



Happy Howlidays

If I ever get reincarnated, I want to come back as one of my dogs especially during the holiday season. We took a short Christmas trip to Wichita and boy were they spoiled!

We all took some naps togther.... (Check out my awesome new Uggs from BDR!)

The boys played and played with them.

With all the smells of the holidays, its easy to get in the Christmas spirit. Cinnamon and apple and meat... Stella even got to smell Uncle Ryan's butt!

They probably liked the car ride down and back the best of all though... Pete slept in the back seat on the way down, and rode birddog on the way back.

Stella got snuggled up with some clothes that are being donated to charity, but was comfy and warm the whole way!

They got some awesome new toys and are learning to play together.

See, Pete will once in a while let Stella play tug with him. If you didn't know him though, you'd think he was the biggest meanie in the entire world. He'd make Cujo look sweet. He just growls and snarls at his little sister, but doesn't tug hard like he does when he plays with us.

Ian loved holding Stella and he was so sweet to her. It won't be long before none of us can pick her up anymore!

Everyone had a great time at Nanny and Poppy's house.

Once we got back to KC, the pups got to enjoy Christmas with our fam. We missed BDR while in Wichita.

Since he worked on Christmas Eve, I went to church with his family and came home to snuggle with the dogs and watch "Miracle on 34th Street". Once he got home from the mean streets of Leawood, it was officially Christmas and we opened presents. Santa even came when I fell asleep on the couch! He stuffed BDR's and the dogs' stockings to the brim!

More Christmas recap to come....

Visions of Sugar Plums Dancing in my Head

I remember going to the Nutcracker as a little girl and just being absolutely in awe of the performance. I was taking ballet classes then, and loved the girly feeling it gave me. It was so festive, so Christmas, and so grown-up to go to the Ballet at Century II with my mother.

Well, last night I went again, with my girlfriends. We had a tasty dinner at El Patron and it was likely my best Mexican food experience in ages. (I generally disklike most Mexi restaurants.) We get to the Music Hall, settle in, and begin to root against the mouse king, shiver in the Snowflake forest and float off into the Land of Sweets.

Some of these dancers were just amazing. The men could leap like I've never seen. The ladies were so elegant, long and lean, great lines. I've always wanted pointe shoes of my own and a tutu so I could be just like the Sugar Plum Fairy. Maybe some day.

What a great start to the Christmas holiday and a tradition I can't wait to begin with my own daughter someday.