Christmas in Orange County

We started up in the loft for some hot chocolate and a little reminder of what it's all about:

Then headed downstairs for the loot!

Luckily--- we managed to enjoy the magical day-- even though Mila and Finn were throwing up off and on for DAYS. including--- THAT day. :( I think this has been our worst winter ever-- with sickness. Booh.

I certainly don't feel like I did a very good job capturing it this year. I just wasn't committed enough to my camera. It's getting harder and harder to do that. I've probably got more from my phone... ooh-- maybe I'll have to post those too. I've just really embraced phone pictures... so much less pressure, time, space, thinking-ahead.... all my style... and especially once I pick up my new iphone 4s with my Christmas gift card!...

I'm still coming out of my post-Christmas blues. At least we're one day closer to next year's Christmas with every day that passes. Hope yours was merry!

Tonight we laid on the couch

(in the room with the tree)

as a family.

We listened to

Still Nacht by Mannheim

and soaked in the twinkle and sparkle

one last time for the season.

Ross has made me do this

since we first got married.

I use "made" loosely, since I wait for his lead...

but I wait anxiously.

It's one of my very favorite

small Christmas traditions.

Sophia soaked it up, just like her dad.

Mila kept saying-- "this is it? This isn't fun!"

(Because Ross had said we had one special thing to do

after they brushed their teeth------A surprise.)

She's more interested in surprises wrapped in bows or chocolate.

She's four---and she's Mila... and she's MY daughter (the chocolate)

we don't blame her.

We laughed and she got mad at us for laughing.

Finn slept upstairs.

Sophia lay silent, staring at the tree.

She's every bit as tender and nostalgic as her dad.

Tomorrow it comes down,

and I usually feel a little more ready than I do this year.

But we're excited for 2012.

I have a feeling it's going to be a really good one.

Happy New Year.

Catching up in Instagrams

I'm really hoping that after the holidays--- and after I finish up the end of my 2011 shoots.... I'll have time to blog again...

until then--- little pretend polaroids will have to do.

Merry Christmas!

(Front and back of our Christmas card.)

Off to soak up all sorts of family and food and fun and Christmas spirit. Merry Christmas!

Letters to Santa

Dear Santa, What I want

for Christmas is a big

monster truck and my own

phone, and I want a doggy

with a leash, and my own

Jessie doll. And I want

a bike, please.

Sophia B. (and a picture of a phone with her name on it--- just to make sure he got it.)

A monster truck? Who knew? And a phone? Poor girl... it's going to be a LONG time before Santa agrees to that one.

Here's Mila's, she told me what she wanted to write and I wrote each word on another sheet of paper for her to look at. This was the result:

Dear Santa, please bring a doggy and a scooter.

And clearly after watching them write those, with so much intent.... mine:

Dear Santa,

Please keep them little forever.

Lillie

Christmas 2010

christmas at nana's 2010 from Lillie Biesinger on Vimeo. Shot with my Canon 5d mark 2 and my 50mm 1.4.

I'm determined to document Christmas before it gets lost and pushed aside by the chunkiest-cheeked, cutest baby boy you've ever seen

Lots of fun with cousins and family, rainy, wintery (southern California) weather, trips to Balboa Park, Point Loma Seafood, The Gap for 40 percent off resulting in two warm jackets just in time, The Hotel Del, and it's beach.... ikea.... all of the essentials.

It was a strange feeling awaiting Christmas this year... usually I get total post-Christmas blues. So sad that it's over for another whole year. But this time I had my little beefer, Finn, reminding me all day long how badly I wanted December 29th to come. So I had a constant internal struggle with whether I wanted Christmas to linger just a little longer up ahead, or hurry and get it done to move on and meet this baby boy. It's a good thing I had no control. I have a hard time making decisions when I'm pregnant. And always.

Besides my little distraction, Christmas was magical. It was the first year where our efforts to teach about giving and service rung home a bit with... Sophia at least. It didn't phase Mila, since she threw a fit over anything we picked out for someone else once she really realized that meant it WENT to someone else. But it still felt good to try.

I don't ever really remember believing in Santa growing up-- and maybe that's just the result of having four older siblings. But it's a little tricky to me trying to find the right balance between Santa excitement, and still really focusing on the birth of Christ and the holiday's true meaning. Luckily, Ross is a Santa expert, he knows how to bait the reindeer with carrots and everything. He also makes sure the kids squeeze in a viewing of Joy to The World on Christmas Eve, even when their mom just wants them in bed so she can wrap. Thank goodness for my spirited husband. He made it all magical.

There was still a bit of the unwrap, toss, grab for next present problem from last year--- but all in all (or is it "all AND all??"), they were so in to it this year, so excited about each of their gifts, and (Sophia was) so excited to give.

Every year I realize more and more how much Christmas evolves as our children grow and we get to relive every sweet stage. I love Christmas. I'm already dreaming of next year, with Finn at a year and myself not having to dodge the camera. Sheesh. Thank goodness he was a big boy- that's all I've got to say--- I need all of the excuses I can get. Did I mention I gained like 12 more pounds with him than my girls? And I think 5 of those were in my feet. Sick.

Apparently 3 pounds of baby= 12 pounds of mommy. Don't tell me otherwise please.

I hope everyone had a magical Christmas. Can you believe it's 2011? Doesn't that sound like the future in so many old movies? Where's my silver space suit?

Merry Christmas!

We didn't do Christmas cards this year. It was sort of painful for me to skip it--- but I figured, I was in no hurry to be in a photo (for obvious and large reasons), and baby boy wouldn't be able to show his face yet... so what a perfect excuse to delay the card in this CRAZY stressful time and do a baby announcement in a month or two instead?

We're off tomorrow morning for San Diego through Christmas, then back just in time for the c-section on the 29th. Holy moly.

I'm sorry you can't taste the almond rocha, but this is as good as it gets. Merry Christmas! love the Biesingers.

The Tree Lighting in Old Town

I asked Sophia... "what'd you tell him you want for Christmas?"

"A pillow that's an animal... it doesn't matter what animal... but it's also a pillow.... a pink watch, and a pink teddy bear."

Mila:

"a barbie".

I've never been as excited to buy them presents. They're so much more committed to their lists.... as weird as they are. A pillow that's an animal? She told me so many times before I discovered it was a real thing... the pillow pet. Apparently they're all the rage. And "a barbie"... as if she doesn't have plenty... but one more? I can't let Santa disappoint!

One more week of normal life and then off to San Diego next weekend where it all starts. I feel all warm and cozy inside just thinking of it. I LOVE CHRISTMAS TIME!

Dancing around.... the Christmas tree....

... have a happy holiday. (That is a song right... I didn't just put it to a tune in my head as I went to write the title and convince myself it was coincidently a song.... right?)

Anyway--- We're loving December so far in our house. I think I've baked every night--- or both nights I guess. We've already managed to watch Polar Express a couple of times and we're drinking hot chocolate like it's water.

I LOVE this season.

At thebeach,remembering the mountains

Not really at the beach. Just my mom's. This weekend was my grandmother's funeral, so (my sister) Lacy's in town from Florida and I came down with the girls to PLAY. Every one's in bed and I've realized that I need to clear off my memory cards for a shoot tomorrow... and in order to empty my memory cards onto my computer, I need to clear off some hard drive space first. Sheesh. SO annoying. We need a new computer. So in cleaning up my hard drive, I found these snowman pictures I never posted--- and I thought they deserved some face time. All that hard work in the cold with the carrot, and the twizzlers.... not in vain, Ross... not in vain...

Ok so I started this last night--- before Sophia peed the bed upstairs and I was forced to retire at a more appropriate time than I planned. Now it's morning, and Lacy's gone. :( On her way back to FL.

Depression.
I love that girl.

I love my sister time--- and my mommy time...

they're like gold.

We saw Young Victoria last night with my mom. And short of my sister Melisa's company, it was a perfect estrogen-filled night for me--- the soul warming kind. The kind that fills your cantine for any drought in the near future and cleans out any emotional buildup that NON-girl time can bring.

example?

After already having been teary during the movie, wrapped up in the love and the period, (I love those movies), missing my husband because Prince Albert was so nice like him :), (are you barfing yet at the way I talk about Ross lately, just wait 'till I'm pregnant again if you're the kind that thinks you have to be negative to be real, he seems to remember me being very much that way during pregnancy) then of course emotionally manipulated by the music during the credits.... (now gasp for some air after that horrible run-on sentence......... and... continue it)

my mom tripped down the stairs in the dark on the way out of the theatre and took a full tumble. While she only laughed hysterically about it, I burst my emotional bubble and cried nonsensically as I tried to see through my blurry, puddly eyes to pick up her scattered purse contents. Don't even know why it made me cry. Maybe because she just lost her mom which forces me to realize that SOME terrible day, that happens to most of us. So she looks just a little less invincible to me. And mom, maybe it's because you're getting old enough to miss the step when their lit like an airplane landing zone. Come on! ;) jk

This is one of those posts I'm afraid to even re-read because I'm not really sure what it's about. So maybe I won't.

Off to take some newborn photos this morning, then heading back home to the grind.

(The grind, of course being preschool carpool, photo-editing, and body pump...)

Life is good.

For us, Santa came on Biesinger-standard-time... just a couple of weeks late...

My battery died after these three photos--- so I haven't gotten a shot of Ross' bike, or the trailer for the girls.... or the other 100 photos of MY bike that I still want to take because... it's BEAUTIFUL! You must see more. Creamy blue... orange detail... (a basket to come)... I haven't been this excited about a toy since I was a kid. We ride the neighborhood and I'm sure I look like the happiest, cheesiest mom in the world while I eat bugs since I canNOT wipe the grin off of my face. Thanks for the Electra recommendation Missy--- it made the whole decision easier when we went into the bike store and saw them--- I'm in love...