It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Totally random fact of the day: I have 332 Christmas songs in my iTunes library. Not one of them is "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" ... am I not the only one who thinks the chances of that happening are incredibly slim?

Anyway, back to blogging.

I'm returning from an unexpected blogging hiatus.

I guess I've been pretty busy lately. Baby Kya is a complete sweetheart. She keeps me busy, but I wouldn't trade my days with her for anything. I'm keeping busy with my freelance graphic design business – I just started working with a photographer in Bismarck, helping with his graphic design projects. In my graphic design down time, I work on restocking my baby bootie inventory on Etsy. Much to my delight (and surprise), sales have well exceeded my expectations. I sold 24 pairs of booties in my first month on Etsy.

Add to that ... lots of family in town (both Hagers and Zundels! Yay!) and fun treats like a date night to the Manheim Steamroller concert. Yippie skippy!

Phew. Here is more of what we've been up to the last two weeks:

Snow, snow, and more snow. Oh and did you know the Polar Express has a route past our house? Yep, it goes directly north to the North Pole from here.

One day we had exceptionally beautiful frost. I decided it would make a perfect photo-op.

So, I put Kya down for a nap and went out with my camera.

It was cold. And beautiful. But very cold.

So I turned back and decided to get warmer gloves.

Darn it.

Locked out of the house.

The nearest keys were with Corey, at work, 15 miles away.

To make a long story short, I used my cell phone to call my fast-acting grandparents that came to my rescue. I got back into the house in 30 minutes. Kya slept through the whole thing.

The photos are nice, but not worth the stress (or cold nose) it took to get them.

This is taken from our mailbox corner (right off Hwy 1806) and shows our piece of the prairie.

On another blustery day, Kya and I visited the North Dakota state capitol building.

We just made a quick trip to pick up a Pride of Dakota gift basket I won (cool!), but we also checked out the Christmas tree. We were a few hours early for the official lighting ceremony.

Kya was really impressed.

We've been decorating for Christmas too.

Our little elf has been enjoying the decorations.

She likes the tree and lights, but is careful to keep her distance.

Somehow I managed to make Kya her very own stocking. I make it by copying/tracing our stocking shape and design.

Corey made sure to remind me that it needed her name, so Santa knows which one is hers. Of course!

Fantasy football is winding down and the competition is intense.

Kya is Corey's official fantasy football sidekick.

But sometimes her trade suggestions don't make much sense.

Kya got to take my rocking horse for a ride this week. This was my horse when I was a baby, made for me by my great grandpa. My dad repaired it though the years, so it is still in great working order.

And today, eight days before Christmas, Kya got to meet Santa.

My mom, grandma, and I took her to the Kirkwood Mall to meet the jolly fellow.

Kya was a bit unsure about the event. Maybe it was the beard. Or maybe the red suit?

Whatever it was, she wanted outta there.