Thanksgiving 2014

Ella's handprint turkey, proudly displayed for all to see

Cousins

My grandmother, mother, and me

My mom knows how to set a lovely table

Ella wearing Gramme's glasses

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Old St. Nick

Just last Monday the kids and I went to the mall to visit Santa Claus. It was the perfect day for a visit because there was no line and the kids got to give Santa their lists and have a nice long chat with him about where the North Pole is located, what the reindeer eat, and how exactly he fits down our chimney. 

I absolutely LOVE Nicholas' smile in this photo. With SMA, many children lose their ability to smile as their muscles weaken, but that hasn't happened to Nicholas just yet. He was so excited to see Jolly Old St. Nick and get to put in his Christmas gift requests, even though they are somewhat challenging. He asked for a magic science kit that can transform a pumpkin into a carriage (I am pretty sure Cinderella put that idea in his head) while Ella kept it simple and asked for some roller skates and a jump rope. Not that she doesn't ask for anything and everything she sees or hears about these days, though. 

Advent starts this weekend and Christmas is just around the corner, and we've started our joyful countdown in the Gustafson household. Less than a month, people! Yay for the most wonderful time of the year!!

Movie Theatre Day

A couple weeks ago the kids, my mom, and I went to see Disney's new release, Big Hero 6. We went on a Monday afternoon and since most people are at work or in school, we practically had the entire theatre to ourselves. It's always such a treat when Nicholas is feeling well (only one illness so far this fall, knock on wood) and we can enjoy outings together instead of being stuck indoors for weeks on end. Disney did it again with a movie my whole family enjoyed!

Snow in November?

 Strangely enough, the meteorologists were accurate in their prediction of a snow storm a couple weeks ago. It's rare to get snow in November in the Pacific Northwest so we were stunned when we got nearly 1.5 inches of snow in one day. The snow stopped falling in the late afternoon so Ella bundled up to make some snow angels. Later, when Jeff got home from work, both kids bundled up and helped build a giant snowman in the back yard. 

I must admit I love snow days. It's nice to watch the world stop for a bit, relax and enjoy the simple beauty, and spend time with the ones you love. 

Living/Dining Room Update

Last August Jeff and I decided it was time to purchase a new sofa. We ordered a sectional in a "U" shape that we felt would both fit our space and our family. Because we custom ordered the fabric, the sofa didn't arrive until October but it's really transformed our space and suits the needs of our family much better than the old sofa and chair did. Now Nicholas can lie down and there is still enough room for Jeff, Ella, and myself to sit as well. It's been great for family movie nights!

Since we got a new sofa, I decided it was also time to update the rest of our living and dining room space. I painted all of the walls. Originally when we moved in we painted them a harvest yellow color, which I had long grown tired of. I chose a neutral beige from Sherwin-Williams and it made a huge difference in the homey feel of the room. Our old sofa and chair were red and we had matching red curtains in the dining room in front of the sliding glass door. I swapped them out for a neutral sable color, sold the two matching rugs, and got a round jute one for under the dining room table, and a Persian-style rug for the under the sofa that ties the colors of the fireplace brick in with our other decor, while still a neutral color palate. It took three different rugs to finally find the one I wanted, but I am super happy with our made-over space. 

I also got an adorable antique buffet that perfectly fits in our small dining from a friend. It makes me happy every time I look at it and serves both as handy storage space and as a serving surface for entertaining guests. I am so happy with the final result!

Speaker at Catholic Youth Conference

I was asked to speak in early November at the Catholic Youth Conference in Bellevue. My prayer reflection talk was to high school youth and focused on how to prepare for the sacrament of reconciliation through an thorough examination of conscience. My sweet mama decided to make the three hour drive with me so I wouldn't have to go alone, which was so generous of her! It also proved helpful to have her present at my talk for moral support and to click through the slides of my Power Point presentation. Love you, Mom! Thank you!

Halloween 2014

Nicholas wanted to have his freshly carved pumpkin in his room overnight

Sweet Little Red Riding Hood

Nicholas preferred "Nice, Friendly" Wolf instead of "Big, Bad"

Vivi was a bit afraid of Ella's cousin, Alex's costume

One of our neighbors goes "all out" on Halloween with Wizard of Oz decorations

Vivi wasn't too fond of this either

 We had a great Halloween this year. This is probably the last year that the kids will let me choose "paired" costumes for them. I am sure as they get older, they will want want to choose costumes independent of each other. This year Ella was Little Red and Nicholas was the Big, Bad Nice, Friendly Wolf. They dressed in their costumes most of the day, expect Nicholas requested his to be taken off when it got too itchy. My niece and nephew came over to trick-or-treat with our kids in our neighborhood, but when it was time to leave, it started to downpour. Nicholas opted not to go (I think he wasn't too fond of his itchy costume...mom fail) so we opened umbrellas and headed to find the best sweet treats. At one house, Ella got a "best costume" prize which was a glow wand that she thought was pretty darn awesome. The rain eventually let up and the rest of the evening was lovely. Another one of our neighbors, Steve, remembered that Nicholas can only have dum-dum lollipops so he put a few aside for Nicholas and went we brought them home and showed him, Nicholas was overjoyed!