Tag Archives: Ortman Update

Ortman Christmas Decorating Season #9

I can’t believe it either!  Chris and I have been decorating our Christmas tree and home together for 9 years.  Together we have decorated 1 apartment, 2 homes, and now a rental.  We also have way more helpers than we once had. It takes less time but it is still so fun.

Christmas Tree Decorating 2014

Our picture is a little blurry but I think you get the gist.  Of course Lincoln and Damon thought it was best to stand on the bar stools to hang ornaments.  Lucky for us no one was hurt during the duration of our decorating.

Christmas Tree 2014

In our home we have a fun tradition when it comes to Christmas ornaments.  Each year Chris and I gift to each kid an ornament that reflects them for the previous year.  Year 1 is always a baby’s first ornament.  Some years it has been Mickey Mouse, Transformers, sports, snowmen, cupcakes, Blues Clues, Toys Story, the list could go on!  It is fun to look back at them and reminisce about their interests and like during certain years.  In the end each of our kids will have at least 18 decorations to add to their first Christmas tree.  I think it will be interesting to see how many we can squeeze on our tree.  We have 7 more years with all five at home.  At that rate we will be adding another 35 plus 7 more that belong to Chris and I as we celebrate each year too.

Living Room

So now that our living room is decorated… and honestly very full… we are ready to relax and watch some Christmas movies together.  Up first was Mickey Mouse!

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With little room for stockings I found a creative place to hang them.  This way I won’t have to worry about little hands pulling them down.  Oh and that silly lamp that I don’t really care for looks amazing on it’s “fragile” box.  I wonder what our neighbors think of it?  It does look nice and I am sure will be a conversation starter with the neighbors.

Well, just wanted to say Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas for the Ortman’s!
Hope your holidays are fun, exciting, and safe!

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Ortman Family Update {Thankful For}

Time has passed so quickly as much of my nap time blog time was used for the CarlyMarie Project.  Life has been full of changes for us and we have much to be thankful for!  So far Chris and I haven’t had a moment where we thought, “we made a mistake by moving.”.

{Thankful For}

~New Church: Heartland Community Church
~Awana
~Mason’s academic improvements
~Improvements in Mason’s tics (fewer) and less anxiety
~New Friends
~Lots of activities in area
~New sense of calm in our lives
~More family time
~New Family Doctor is great
~Lincoln is overcoming a cold/cough without a trip to the hospital
~Weekly miles added to our cars are less than 100
~Elections are over
~SD visit scheduled Dec/Jan
~Small home means lots of good things
~Great neighbors
~Tighter bond to my siblings
~Damon told us to go one date and he and Mason would watch kids

Not a whole lot more to report but I wanted to share some of the fun places we have been and done the past few weeks.  Enjoy!

Coralville Lake Nature Trail

Coralville Lake Nature Trail

 

Lincoln and Preston at Pee Wee basketball on Wednesday mornings.

Lincoln and Preston at Pee Wee basketball on Wednesday mornings.

Iowa Children's Museum plane exhibit is a favorite for the boys.  Hal prefers to push her baby around while grocery shopping.

Iowa Children’s Museum plane exhibit is a favorite for the boys. Hal prefers to push her baby around while grocery shopping.

A little Ankeny Centennial Football

A little Ankeny Centennial Football

The "best park"!  #ThreeStoriesTall

The “best park”! #ThreeStoriesTall

Beautiful fog covered the pond in our development.

Beautiful fog covered the pond in our development.

The sunset over the pond in our development.

The sunset over the pond in our development.

Hugs and Smiles!

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