Merry CHRISTmas!

This year more than any other of my life, my heart is truly in the right and Holy place for Christmas.

Last night at the opening of our Christmas Eve church service, the Pastor invited all the children up to the altar and read them the Christmas story. Alex marched up there with all the confidence in the world and sat right next to Pastor Jerry and listened with such concentration. When the story was finished, he came back to us, sat down, and proclaimed with such innocence and certainty, "Mom and Dad, Harper is a baby like Jesus and she looks just like him!"

In that moment, the reality of what the night of Jesus' birth truly meant to the world hit me. What it meant to us. To our Heavenly Father. He sent us His SON. His flesh and blood. But not in the grandeur of a King or a Noble World Leader. He came as a Child. As a helpless, crying baby.

This clip was also played at the opening of our church services, and one line in particular really struck a chord in my heart..."When the journey to the cross began with a shrill cry."


It's easy to imagine Jesus as an adult--preaching the Gospel, performing miracles and walking the Earth. I don't know that I'll ever be able to fully wrap my head around the fact that He came to us as a baby, especially after looking into the eyes of my own two babies and knowing how much I love and adore them. The love our Father has for us is more than that--it's bigger and grander than anything we can ever comprehend. And yet...He came to us in the smallest, most helpless way possible. God is real. God is good.

Merry Christmas, my friends!

Frosty the mouthpiece.

As a follow up to last year's Christmas hit by one Alex Joseph Van Wormer, "Feliz mommy-nah," I give to you our 2013 sensation, "Frosty the Snowman."

As a setup: The original "Happy Birthday!" cartoon aired on TV a few weekends ago, so we saved it to our DVR to watch for a family movie night closer to Christmas. Since then, we've watched it MAYBE four or five times.

He recited this to me in the car today, so I had to get it on camera once we got home. If you know the movie, it will get familiary very quickly. He's an amazing one man show.



For the record, I LOVE how he even uses Frosty's "accent" when he's doing the Frosty lines. "Let's make a paaahhh-tee out of it." And he just nails the "phew!" at the very beginning.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas in July.

If you've known me for a minute, you know I LOVE Christmas. It's a borderline unhealthy obsession and my house looks like the garland fairy threw up all over it from December 1 (respect the Turkey!) until mid-January. It's fine.

You might also know that the secondary centerpiece of holiday decor (next to the tannenbaum) is the stockings hung by the chimney with care. I've been waiting five years to buy a personalized family set, and now that bV has a real name, I took the plunge.

I know. They make my heart smile and I'm so jazzed for all the years I have ahead of me to fill them with things that will make my children smile. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS.

Oh, and if you're wondering, I got them at this etsy shop. Jackie was GREAT to work with and she's even running a sale right now - $5 off each stocking.

Marry Christmas from the VeeDubs!

From our home to yours:

Alex and the Fat Man.

Before I get into the ridiculousness that is Alex and the Fat Man: 2012 Edition, let's review years 1-3, shall we?

2009

2010

2011

2012 was a magical year for Santa. Alex was SO excited to see him and couldn't wait to tell him what a great boy he's been (true) and that he wanted a combine tractor (also true). I dressed him in what can only be described as the World's Cutest Sweater, and off we went to Bass Pro Shops--the best (free!) Santa gig in town.

You can see in the picture how he's pointing to the spot on his sweater that has Santa knitted into it. He was telling him, "Look Santa! See? You're on my sweater!" It was so, so sweet.

Here's the official shot:

Bass Pro Shops really does it up right. It's totally free and they have all sorts of activities like games and crafts for the kids to do while you wait in line. This year, they added a (free!) carousel to the lineup, which was a big hit with one little lad in particular.

And with that, I'm off. I have a conference call with Santa and his elves to see if they can put a combine tractor toy at the top of their list. 

The most wonderful time of the year...

Made official at the lighting of the Christmas Tree in Detroit. It's so magical...

Why I love small businesses.

Earlier this year, I wanted to purchase a keepsake for myself as a little reminder of my sweet tWIPs. Something special that only I would know what it meant.

I went to all my favorite little sites and shops and eventually ran across this ring from an etsy shop called Hand Stamped by Lorelei. I've purchased many gifts from this shop before, and I knew the ring would be the perfect thing. I loved that it was sparkly and fabulous with a little, hidden engraved secret that only I would know about.

via LoreleiVella

I had mine stamped with "twips" instead of the "xoxo" and when it arrived I wore it every single day. When I looked down at my hand, I would smile to myself knowing each moment I stole was a memory for me and me alone.

And then we experienced another miscarriage earlier this year. I don't know if I ever blogged about it, but we named that baby "BDub." I sent Lorelei a note asking if she would do a custom listing for me to have "bdub" stamped in the ring...and for whatever reason, I also told her the story of why I was choosing to get such weird-sounding names stamped into a ring.

Lorelei offered to do it...and at no charge to me. And if that weren't enough, when she shipped the ring back to me she included the sweetest, kindest, hand-written note expressing her heartache for our situation. It's my perfect reminder.

Lorelei and her shop are one of the many reasons I love small businesses and why I will continue to promote them on my little corner of the Internet.

Click here to discover some of Lorelei's one-of-a kind hand stamped items. Some of my faves are pictured below. (Think ahead for Christmas gifts...it's just over 3 months away!)

"I do, me too" forks

"personalze your day" keychain

vintage silver spoon cuff

wedding date ring tray

"you are my sunshine" cuff

A Talicska Christmas.

We spent Christmas 2011 at my Mom and Dad's house. Kelli, David and Samuel were in town, so it was a very special Christmas with the whole family together. As a family, we had much to celebrate and be thankful for in 2011...and it was so special to have a few days to just all be together and eat and drink until my pants literally exploded off my body. This is a true story.

Pictured below is photographic evidence of what a Christmas tree looks like when 2 very spoiled loved grandchildren are involved (not that we didn't get spoiled, too...but Alex and Samuel took home the loot!)

And these were my two favorite faces all week:

 He kind of looks like a Gremlin in this picture,

but it was his "vroom!" face when he sat in his new
Lightning McQueen chair from Grammi and Poppi.

And here are the snuggle bugs playing with the HIT present of Christmas 2011 - Alex's new tool bench that Uncle Kyle MADE for him! You can even see how he burned "VW" into the corner of the top. It's seriously so cool. And who knew my brother was a woodsmith? Is woodsmith a word? Whatever.

This was one of my all-time favorite moments (please excuse my hot mess of a Christmas morning self):

And, of course, Grammi got in her fair share of snuggles and story time, too:

Pictured here is four generations from my mom's side of the family from when we visited my Great Aunt Theresa (my Grandmother's sister). She met Samuel for the first time!

Tomorrow's post will probably include a list of lies resolutions I'll be totally committed to for at least the next 3 weeks and then will likely abandon. However, I did say that the ONLY thing I wanted to do over break was organize my baking/catchall cupboard in the kitchen and I managed to haul through that at 9:00 last night. So, maybe there's something there, after all...

Until then, I'll leave you with another picture of the two sweetest cousins in existence. They're holding my Mom's ceramic baby Jesus.

"Happy birthday, baby Jesus!"

Merry Christmas from the VeeDubs!

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." -Luke 2:9-12

Fat man 2011.

Alex was WAY pumped to visit Santa this year. I invite you to recap years 1 and 2 for proof that he hasn't always been so keen on the fat man and his red suit.

This year, however, couldn't have been more fun. It was all he talked about in the 2 days leading up to our big adventure. And let it be known that he is very specifically asking for a "big blue monster truck" and is promising that he's been a good boy (debatable). He sat on Santa's lap and chatted like they were old pals. He even gave him a high five and said "See you later, Santa. Nice to meet you!" as he walked away. Top ten Mom Moment, for sure.

As you can see, we continued our tradition of the free photos and activities at Bass Pro Shops. Grammi, Poppi, Uncle Kyle and Aunt Jill joined in on the fun, too. Uncle Kyle even got himself caught in a snowball fight (and lost). Alex throws like a girl...but apparently put on his game face for this particular match:

And Daddy and Poppi were, as usual, tremendously useful in holding up large, immobile objects.

In other news, Christmas is LESS THAN two weeks away. Squeeeeeeee!!!!!

Update: Kyle sent me this cell phone video of Alex's initial walk up to Santa. You can see how eager he was...walked right up and started chatting away.

And so it begins...

I'm still here...alive and well. Just been mucho bizzy with work, life and the like. So, sorry!

In related news, the birthday coupons have started rolling in - and I'm so all over them like hazelnut cream in my coffee. BRING IT, free stuff.

In keeping with the season of my birthday and all things happiness, our house is just oozing Christmas. I mean, really. I have an obscene amount of Christmas decorations--more than six of those giant 42 gallon storage tubs. My house has puked garland, sparkle and snowflakes. But it was all worth it when we let Alex hit the button to switch on the tree. I thought he might have a heart attack.

"Mom! It's CHRISTMAS!" <--then I died.

 Welcome to our home!

I've always wanted a cranberry wreath.

And notice the Santa key in the center so the Fat Guy can get in!

 It puts me in a trance. Love it.

At some point, I will probably have
to remove the batteries on that thing.

In the meantime, it's adorable.

You've been warned.

It's officially that time of year. I have packed away the summer toys. The shorts and tanks. The flip flops. And in turn, I have busted out the turtleneck sweaters. The hot cocoa tins. The extra-snuggly blankets. The heated matress pad. The Christmas music.

YES. It's Christmas-ish time. ::happy dance::

I accept and embrace that I'm a raging lunatic. I realize that I'm one of the few that prefer snow and sweaters over sand and shorts. And if you don't like it, that little red X in the upper right of your screen is the door. Unless you're on a Mac, in which case I have no idea how to excuse you from my presence. Why does your mouse only have one button? Srlsy!

And, on the off chance you were wondering...why yes, my Christmas shopping is done. Complete. Finished. Ta-da! Aaaaaaaaaaand it's mostly all wrapped, thankyouverylittle.

In summary: unless you are pervvy enough to catch a sneaky peaky of me in the shower, you will not see my neck until April 1, 2012. And if you hear me whistling "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," please do not punch me in the throat. I'm just spreading glad tidings and cheer! Also, how is it almost 2012?

Merry Christmas!

From our family to you and yours!

Luke 2: 9-14
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Merry Christmas From the VeeDubs!

In case you're not on the short list for Mr. Postman to deliver one of these gems direct to your mailbox (forgive me, stamps are getting expensive!), here's the e-version.

From our home to yours...Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas 2010.

Four, Five & The Fat Man.

The bar is now nearly unreachable. That's how high Joey has set it with his BDBC activities this year.

On day four my spreesprises were wrapped and hanging on the tree. They were little jingle bell ornaments with the names of each of my siblings on it--so they can be "with me" each year on Christmas. There was one for Alex, too. J'ADORE. (<---I'm learning that this is the new interwebs trend for the often overused "LOVE" sentiments. See? I'm cool!) My card is redeemable for a back massage....mmmm.

And this morning, Alex helped me open a garlic press! I know it sounds uncharacteristically domestic for me, but I've really wanted one for awhile. When I do cook, I like to use fresh garlic and I loathe chopping it. I get that weird, sticky feeling on my hands and they smell of garlic for at least a full day afterward. It's a unitasker, which Alton Brown strongly advises against, but I do not care. My card is redeemable for one late night food run. Fan-freakin-tastic. This man truly knows my heart.

In unrelated news, we took Alex to see the Fat Man yesterday. You might remember the tradition started last year of FREE pics at Bass Pro Shops? Well, we carried the torch proudly into 2010 and I must once again give mad props to the outdoorsy people @ BPS. The free activities for kids, snack bar, giveaways (Silly Bandz and candy canes) as well as the totally authentic Santa are just fantastic.

Without further adieu, here's the trepidatious AJ with the jolly ol' St. Nick. No tears, just a bit of apprehension and confusion.

Merry Gleemas!

I asked for the Glee Christmas CD for my birthday and (not to be greedy) I would like to put it out there to y'all that I really, really, really hope someone got it. If not, please just tell me right here and now so I can haul my caboose to Target and buy it ay-sap. I've already got my car keys in hand. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

I'm jamming to XM23 The Holly at my desk and nearly every other song is from that CD. I'm dy-ing. The fabulousness is stunningly beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

I love music. I love Christmas. I love Glee. I pink puffy heart with sparkles the combination of all three.

It Has Arrived.

Birthday Bootcamp is here! It technically started yesterday, but since I was travelling for work I didn't have time to update.

I was out the door by 5 a.m., but Joey left me a lovely present and card for Day 1. I got this Hallmark handprint ornament kit and can't wait to have a fun craft day with Alex and his wittle hands. I can also redeem a coupon in my card for one 10 minute foot massage!

Today's spreesprise was another lovely card (which I can redeem for one night of not picking, thinking about or cooking dinner!) and Starbucks Via of the Christmas Blend varie-tay. The best coffee, evah. I'm excited to see if the Via meets my standards.

I also still owe you pictures from Kelli and David's baby shower and a few pics of our of Christmas tree. My house has been infested by the Christmas garland monster. (and I love it!)

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

CHRISTMAS!
**Sings...'It's the mooooooooost wonderful time of the year...'**

Things are going to start getting ugly around here, quick. And, of course, by 'ugly' I mean very self-centered and full of all things CHRISTMAS. True to my obsessive nature, most of my shopping is complete, but there are a few things on my 'to-do' list that remain unchecked.

Most notably? Christmas cards. Oy.

This is a huge deal (epic, even) at the VeeDub house, because Joey MUST have a hand in the selection, per his crazy request. Also? The card MUST have a message of "Christmas." No "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings." We do CHRISTmas. Because He is what it's all about, duh!

Aaaaaaaanyway, while perusing the internets for this year's fated mailing to hundreds, my site of choice is Shutterfly. The selection is simply endless, with Christmas cards gah-lore. A few of my favorites:

Santa Belt card.

Because who doesn't love the fat man?

Top 10 Moments card.

Because I have at least 1,000,000 favorite moments of 2010.

Merry Rainbow Christmas card.

Because, really? How cute would Alex's face be
all up on this card?

I'm not quite sure how I will ever choose, but the fact remains that I must do so. And soon. And I also must get us some adorably matching Christmas-y outfits that somehow top what we did last year...which will be tricksy.

Christmas 2009.

In related seasonal correspondence news, Shutterfly also has a superb collection of Thanksgiving cards, New Year’s cards, and even personalized thank you cards to send after you receive all those lovely gifts!

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Do you want 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly? Click here to go to Shutterfly for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season, and make sure to select Clever 1000 as the referral source.

This post is part of a series sponsored by Shutterfly. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Playing Santa.

It dawned on me over the weekend that Joey and I get to be Mr. & Mrs. Claus this year. And because I have a small (read: ginormous) obsession with Christmas, my gift shopping is typically done (and wrapped, thankyouverymuch) by November.

...which means it's time to get moving.

Alex's latest obsession is with balls. Hello, 12-year-old boys that got here on a Google dare. I had a not-so-glamorous parent moment last night over a set of pool cue balls that he deviously got his little paws on. Let's just say I tried to make it a teaching moment and failed. Miserably.

So in an effort to give the child some non-porcelain balls to throw at my face, I've ordered a set of pit balls for Santa to bring down our chimney.

We can bring his inflatable pool in the basement and use it as the "pit." Brills, no? Thanks for the inspiration, Blair.

Merry Christmas!

This was far and away the BEST Christmas morning, EVER. Pics and videos to come.

Sending blessings, snowflakes and Christmas magic to you and yours!