things have been busy busy busy around these parts lately. our december days have been filled to the brim with christmas tree shopping and lighting and decorating, holiday parades, mall trips, santa visits and gift-preparation galore.

we took ellie to see santa about a week and a half ago. last year was great because she was too little to have serious “stranger danger” anxiety, but this year we knew her reaction was going to be one of PURE TERROR. look how carefree and unsuspecting she was while we were standing in line. “HI, SANTA!” (santa is great from a safe distance).

we warned st. nick that she would scream and try to break free – “just hold on tight,” we said – and told the teenage photographer to make it quick. here’s a side angle of the money shot, which is yet to be scanned.

followed by her sad face once she realized she was safe, yet still trying to come to terms with the trauma we had just put her through. evil, evil parents we are. luckily she perked up again pretty quickly. after all, santa had given her a bell necklace :)

the day after our santa visit we attended the pleasanton tree lighting and christmas parade with matt and alyssa. actually, we ate through most of the parade at a taqueria and then made our way down the street to watch the tree light up. it was a little anti-climactic, but that’s ok! it’s always a joy to spend quality time with the ginns <3

we’ve also been busy with all the preparation that goes along with deciding to bake the majority of christmas gifts you will be giving. (never again, by the way). ryan loves baking. my feet start to hurt by the time the dough reaches the oven. although, i’ll admit, i don’t mind making fudge. just a few steps and you’ve got 100+ squares of chocolate and butterscotch deliciousness. when giving edible gifts, fudge is the way to go.

then, of course, in addition to the actual process of baking, there’s the cost of all the ingredients that go into everything, PLUS whatever containers you decide to present them in. i like my stuff to look cute, so i spent a good hour and a half at michael’s picking out cookie tins and fudge jars and ribbon and fabric and, and, and … the gift tags! you can’t give a cute edible gift without a cute gift tag, so i ordered those personalized from tiny prints (of course) and all together the cost is probably equal to what we would have spent on individual presents picked out specifically for each person, and the whole baking thing requires a lot more effort. so! next year we’ll go back to regular presents, the kind we can buy online and at the mall and wrap up in ribbons and bows without getting any flour on our clothes :)

on that note, a photo ryan took of me and ellie during a morning cuddle, both of us with bedhead extraordinaire. i love it.

happy holidays!

this is the first year we decided to go all out and get a folded card as opposed to the past three years when we’ve gone with flat ones. it was a little more expensive this way, but with all the awesome photos nikki took, it was impossible to choose just one :) and seeing how they turned out, the extra cost was totally worth it!

front:

inside:

the small print under the photo of ellie reads:

“be my youth / my kissing booth / my little sweet tooth / my beauty and truth
be my one / my day in the sun / my little pop gun / the best thing i’ve done”
-the weepies

special thanks to the lovely kat for hooking us up with the tiny prints friends & family discount. we saved a cool $50!

looking back on last year’s thanksgiving post, i realize we are thankful for all the same things now that we were then (with the added bonus of a very special little lady named lillian grace). and while it may seem lazy, i don’t feel i can put it any more eloquently than i did then. this is what we are thankful for:

our daughter ellie, our shining light in name and in meaning, who reminds us every day what it means to love and be loved in return.

our parents and siblings: bill, leslie, shirley, robert, geoff, rodica, danny, carerra & erica. for their endless love and support, and the way they love and interact with ellie. for all they have taught us and continue to teach us about life, relationships and ourselves.

our friends, the ones we spend lots of time with and those we only see a few times a year. for their kindness and their honesty, their generosity and their humor. for the long talks, the laughter and the memories we share.

our health and the health of those we love. for the roof over our heads, the food on our plates, the blankets on our beds and the flowers on our table. for ryan’s job and the opportunities it provides us, for our belongings and a comfortable living.

for these things and for each other, we are truly blessed.

happy thanksgiving <3