The Eve of New Years Eve

We tried getting a sitter for a New Years Eve dinner...an early dinner but we had no luck.  Then Jason suggested we go to dinner the night before and yay our nanny was able to do it!

Jason planned a romantic night at a steakhouse for us.  I, as always, am missing Chicago terribly, so we decided to go to Denver for dinner and drinks.

It was FREEZING out...like below zero freezing but we had a great time together.  Being the night before NYE and the brutal temps meant we pretty much had the restaurant to ourselves.  We prolonged the dinner like we like to do. After a couple hours there we went to get drinks where our babysitter recommended.

It was a great night together, celebrating the end of another year together!  Thanks Jason for planning and thanks Bre for babysitter our little peanut!

Happy 4th Birthday Cooper

Our sweet, fluffy Coop-a-Doop turned 4 today! We remember getting that update that our little puppy was born...almost a Christmas puppy! He still acts like a puppy, has way too much energy, especially when people come into our house. He teaches us a lesson every time we leave him alone but this dog brings us so much happiness too! He loves all dogs, all people and is so good with Lucas and Sam. He loves swimming, rolling in snow, tennis balls, car rides and HAS to be around us at all times. So thankful for such a loving pup to call our own. Happy 4th birthday Cooper!  We love you!

*This picture was of him today after he rolled int he snow about 4 times...he 

thought the snow was brought just for him for his birthday! ;-)

My Favorite Christmas Gift

What a difference a year makes! I love this boy so much!! 

Christmas 2014

A Very Merry Christmas Indeed!

It was such a very merry Christmas here in the Lockwood's house! Christmas 2014 was a very special Christmas for us! I knew Lucas would bring so much joy into our season this year but I had no idea just how much joy!

Christmas Eve we spent the morning together making a new tradition with a breakfast egg casserole then headed out to Christmas Eve service.  We tried out a new church for the month of December so went to that church.  It was a nice service but I especially liked that they ended it with Silent Night...obviously from my last post, a tradition of ours from Willow.  That afternoon we had our Christmas meat and cheese spread for dinner.  We let Lucas open his Christmas pj's from cousin Kristi (all the great grand-kids who attend in Illinois get matching pj's every year and Lucas got to be in on the fun too.)  We also want to start a tradition of reading "Twas the Night Before Christmas" so he got to open that book as well and we all read it together.  Which really means I read it, while Lucas climbed all over and chased the cat and dog around the house...but it sounds better to say we all sat and read it together. Even putting Lucas down for the night was special...knowing it was his last sleep before Santa came and Baby Jesus was born. Loved being excited for him.

Christmas morning Jason and I had our Christmas cinnamon rolls and Cooper, Jason and I did our Christmas while Lucas took his first nap. Then when Lucas woke up he had so many presents to open...all from our family who had gifts shipped to him and he got one gift from Santa. He was too funny "opening" presents. He was climb all over them and lose interest very quickly. It was so fun knowing how much love he was showered with from so many miles away! The rest of the day was low-key, playing with Lucas while he was awake, then I took Cooper for a run at the dog park while Lucas took his second nap. Oh and we used our fireplace for the very first time! So festive...and wow let off some serious heat! Jason and I made diner together. He smoked his first ham too which was delicious! After playing some more we put Lucas to bed then Jason and I finished our last Christmas movie of the year in the basement with one of my Christmas presents...a beer flight. ;-)

The expressions on Lucas' face and how I felt about the entire two days are ones I cannot capture in writing.  It was one I will forever cherish in my heart. I am so thankful for my family and for the home we have together in Colorado. Love to all this Christmas season!

At church before putting Lucas in childcare

Look closely...Sam is in this pic too!

All the persistence paid off -- he got an ornament!

Reading our Chistmas Eve book together

Starting to wind down for bed for his last sleep before Santa and Baby Jesus' birth

That toy lasted about 4 minutes!

All those were for Lucas!! Ready to open gifts Mom and Dad!

Climbing on the presents worked best

Cooper and my run...playing with dogs along the way

One of my Christmas gifts...already being used. ;-)

And it was a white Christmas after-all!

Merry Christmas 2014 from the Lockwoods!! 

Willow Creek Christmas in Colorado

Being that we stayed in Colorado, we obviously couldn't participate in one our favorite Christmas traditions this year...going to Willow Creek for their Christmas service. But this year they started videoing all their services. Which meant we would be able to watch the Christmas service online! Woohoo!! However, I expected to have to wait until Christmas Eve for them to post the service.

Saturday night, Lucas has had a bad cough so we didn't go to church because I obviously don't want to expose other kids in childcare to what he has. So Jason and I planned to watch one of Willow's advent services at home after we out Lucas down for the night. When we went online to search we found they already posted the Christmas service!

I was so excited! (like tears rolling down my face excited!) Especially because it was the same night the my parents were going to the service and obviously was pretty sad we weren't able to attend with them. 

Jason and I were able to worship right along in our living room with our beautiful Christmas tree lit. (Though eventually we had to move our church service to the basement after having some technical difficulties.) It may not have been my favorite performance Willow's ever done but the message was wonderful, really spoke to me and encouraged me to make some changes in my own heart this Christmas season. At the end of the service, Jason and I were able to sing along together with everyone  to Silent Night with each other just as if we were right there in S. Barrington. 

Thank you Willow Creek for all your efforts in putting on such a wonderful service and a big thank you for allowing us to move our yearly tradition to Colorado! 

After singing along to Silent Night in our pj's 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. Isaiah 9:6

Christmas Lights Tradition

We've added a few new Christmas traditions to our family this year trying not to overdo it. Friday night we drove around the area looking at Christmas lights. Since Lucas hates being in his car seat for just a 5 minute car ride, I figured this new tradition would look like much more fun on paper than the real thing but I still wanted to try.

Jason and I made Lucas a bottle, us hot chocolate and headed out to look at lights. We grabbed dinner to-go and enjoyed driving around looking at lights. Lucas did so well!! We spent about 30 minutes driving around and the neighborhood we picked was beautiful! Almost the entire neighborhood was it up! On our way home we drove through our own neighborhood. It was such a fun family night. I already have ideas of what we'll do when the kids are a little older. Love our new Colorado traditions! 

My favorite manger

My favorite tree! It was beautiful!! The pic doesn't show the lights the way it looks in the dark. Just beautiful!!

The Griswold's home in Colorado! Every inch of their house was decorated, Even their lawn had lights on it..but was even cooler to see this elaborate Nativity scene. 

I realized as I was putting Lucas down that we didn't take any family pics. Next year! Love our new tradition making memories. Love our little family! 

This Door...A Year Later

It was one year ago to day that we walked in that door for the first time. Jason had great hopes...I had absolutely no expectations. I had already seen that it was for sale a few days before but was on a busy street so didn't give it a second though. I agreed to go look at it, just to appease Jason expecting to check it off the list and continue our search after the holidays.

But God had other, much better plans!  We walked through that door and the second we walked through we knew it was "the one." Literally...we walked in and were both in love. The main floor was cozy but we loved it! Onto the upstairs and one room after another we were "oooohing and ahhhhhhing!!" Then we went to the basement. It was perfect, and then some...finished with a bathroom and room for storage.  Onto the outside...it had a pretty sizable yard (for Colorado!) Plenty of room for Cooper and our future Lucas to play in. We were in LOVE.

One room to the next, Jason and I would say, "oh my gosh, I love this!" and "Oh, Jason , this is the house." "Ahh look at this (insert the name of the room)." It was such a glorious night. But when we were looking the market was crazy and houses would be gone in a day so we tried not to get too attached.

During the home search we had decided that we would sleep and pray on whatever house we liked ot make sure we felt like God was leading us.  In the moring, we put our offer in and after a few days we had more than we could have asked for in the contract and a house we were moving into at the end of February!

Things changed quickly and before we knew it, we had a baby boy almost 3 weeks early while also moving up the closing day by a whole month to the end of January so moved in just 6 weeks after looking at it. Amazing how God worked through all of this and blessed us with our home! It was all such a whirlwind with how it all went down since we had a baby in the middle of it all but reflecting a year later is awesome. So very thankful for our house!

Date Night - Christmas Style

A Christmas tradition for us in Illinois was to drive out to S. Barrington for Willow Creek Chrismas service. It started out just the two of us then we invited my mom and aunt, the next year my dad joined us and eventually it was a Christmas tradition that my mom, dad, Jason and I would all get tickets, go to the amazing service then go to Friday's afterwards for apps and drinks. 

We were even able to go two years ago after we had moved here but last year being very pregnant and now this year with an almost 1 year old, traveling isnt feasible. 

When I heard a local church was doing a Christmas concert (and the lead pastor used to be a pastor on staff at Willow) I immediately got tickets. We scheduled a babysitter and were off to make a new Colorado Lockwood tradition!

When we got into our seats we quickly realized how absolutely awful the seats were!! We were so far to the left we couldn't see half the stage. Then once it started they put about 8 vocalists and the guitarist right in front of us, we could only see about 30% of the stage. I was pretty upset considering we paid full price for the tickets!! (Which already, really?! A church event and we had to pay? But whatever.) 

Overall it was a decent concert, but with how terrible our seats were, we certainly wouldn't go back.

Afterwards we went to PF Changs for apps and drinks. Best part of our evening for sure!! Just me and Jason chatting it up at the bar. So us. 

We didn't start a yearly tradition with the concert but we'll try to find something adultish and christmas-y for a night out without the kid(s) then followed up with apps and drinks out. I love that. And love the precious time Jason and I get on our date nights! It costs a small fortune after paying for a sitter but we can't ever get that much needed adult conversation unless we make it a priority. It's so needed and valued by us. Love you Jason! And love our little Christmas-y tradition we are keeping alive! 

Lucas is 11 Months!

Time Slow Down!  How is our baby 11 months old?!  Love, love, love him more and more every day. As these pictures show he's still climbing all over the place, getting into anything and everything...things he shouldn't be getting into! (I turned away for 2 seconds to check the pictures and he emptied out half the box of Kleenex! ;-)) We have a gate around our tree because he would certainly climb it, and eat all the pine needles, not to mention the ornaments and lights. We just had to put a gate up at the bottom of the stairs even though I really didn't want to.  But he is up those steps in no time at all which is obliviously not safe.  He's still the super smiley-est and happiest kid I've ever met.  He brings us so much joy!  Happy 11 months sweet boy!

Meeting Santa for the 1st Time

Since we missed seeing the Easter Bunny I decided we had to get a visit in to see Santa this year.  But where do you visit Santa without long lines and super expensive pictures?  I asked some friends at MOPS and they told me Bass Pro Shop where the lines aren't too long and the pics are free!

So last night after Jason got off work, we headed up to Bass Pro Shops and wow did we have fun! We only had to wait in line for about 10 minutes to see Santa!  Lucas wasn't really sure what to think of the elves taking the pics. I thought for sure he'd just stare at Santa and possibly pull his beard or maybe even hit him on the head like he hits everyone.  But nope, just stared off at the elves.  Cracked me up!

After the pictures we went for a carousel ride and walked around looking at all the other fun activities. He loved watching the train set go around in circles and the big kids play with the remote control monster trucks.  We also checked out the fish which was pretty cool but not nearly as col as everything esle he'd just seen. I was beyond impressed with all their activities and how nice everyone was! That everything was FREE was a major bonus!.  It is so much fun watching Lucas take everything in. I felt like we were at an amusement park all night, I cannot imagine how much fun we're going to have watching him grow over the years! I am SO in love with this kid!!

Jason's starting him young with his first 4 wheeler

1st carousel ride

Precious

My favorites 

My Thanksgiving - Post #2

Thanksgiving was a little hard this year since my mom had to unexpectedly cancel her trip the week before. I was more homesick than normal and the day kind of dragged on. But once we got dinner on he table (our first time making our own Thanksgiving meal, I might add!) I was literally in tears for how much I have to be thankful for this year. This picture sums it all up. My wonderful husband (who smoked his first turkey that was delicious!!), our beautiful, hilarious, curious, active, sweet boy in our beautiful house. So very thankful for all Gods blessed us with in 2014.