Wrapping up

We had a fabulous Christmas (week) full of food, family and traveling...what more could you ask for? I've got Brad home for a week and we have a LONG list of things we've been putting off. Just call me slave driver! I'll be back next week...maybe even with some pictures of FINISHED projects!!!

Merry Christmas

"But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:10-11

Buy someone's dinner, it will bless them.

Tonight, after we played at the mall play area, we ate dinner at the Cotton Patch. Because that is where I cook when Brad is gone. The girls were very well behaved. They ate well, smiled and waved at strangers, talked to the police man and were just great to be with. Our waiter came by to ask if we needed anything. I asked for the check and he said it was taken care of, and "Merry Christmas". Wow. "Seriously?" was all I could say. I loaded the girls up and headed out before I started making a scene crying. So, to the couple that was at table 21, thank you for buying our dinner. I hope that is blessed you as much as it did me.

Success!

Well, after 4 tries at seeing Santa (and sitting on his lap for a picture), we finally succeeded tonight!

The girls got to see Santa at Brad's Christmas party for work. They have a fun tradition of reading the Christmas story to all the kids and then while they sing Jingle Bells, Santa comes out and passes out gifts to the kids. Mallory was still a little young (and way freaked out) last year, so this was our first year to participate. It was a hit! I think it helped (her, not us) that her gift was almost the last one picked up. She had a lot of time to stare at him and watch the other kids. When he called her name, she walked right up to him, turned around for a picture and told him "thank you".

Yesterday, we spent the day celebrating Morgan and finishing up some Christmas shopping. We tried Santa at our mall 2 different times and each time he was on a break! So, we made the trek to the next closest mall. We were talking it up and Mallory was super excited. But, all of that changed when she got within of foot of the guy. She would not sit on his lap (and he didn't do a great job at trying to get her there) and barely even stood next to me while I sat on the edge of the chair. So, mom was in the picture with Santa. Not exactly what I had envisioned forking over $15 for...so, we took our rubber ducky reindeer and continued shopping!!

We were really proud of Mallory tonight. She was a little timid at first, but after a couple of minutes, she got the nerve up to stand by Santa. Then, he slowly picked her up and put her in his lap while she talked to him. And, even more of a bonus, she smiled for the picture!! Morgan of course sat in his lap without any problem. No smiles from her, but she wasn't nervous or scared...just more curious about the hair growing out of his face!

Waiting...and waiting...and waiting. I think we are done with small bows on Morgan's head. After our trip to the doctor this morning, we found out her head is in the 90th percentile...I think you can tell!!

Our neighbors came to see Santa also! Mallory is obsessed with them. One of my new year's resolutions is to reach out more to our neighbors. It was 2 years before we finally met them!

A picture of the picture. With our laptop now, I don't have easy access to the scanner.

Birthday weekend!

Last weekend we headed to the metroplex to celebrate Morgan's first birthday, Sharon's birthday and to run/walk in the White Rock Half Marathon. All were a success!

Saturday was Morgan's party. We had it at my sister's house since we were going to be up there for the half marathon. The theme was "Winter ONEderland!" It was lots of fun and Morgan was a champ through it all. The poor thing did not feel very good the entire weekend. By Sunday she had a fever and then on Monday double ear infections at the doctor's office.

The invitation (the inside has the info):

"Snowy" cupcakes, brownies and sugar cookies.

I printed out all of her "chair" pictures to hang on the chandelier.

Those are snowflakes, not white spiders!

She was a fan of the cupcake. I wasn't surprised. We can't eat any sweets in front of her without her screaming for them! Mallory had NEVER had sweets until her first birthday. Ah, the life of a second child!!

Birthday party kisses!

I'm sure she felt like this on the inside, but luckily didn't act like it the whole time:)

It was mostly a family party (especially since it was out of town), but we had some special party guests come from Abilene! Kaylee, Brooke and Sydney got to come play! This is the first birthday party that Kara has gotten to come to. Usually one of our children is sick. This year was a first! Mallory and Morgan's cousins were also at the party. Julia, Johnathan and Tate helped celebrate the big day!

Baby Sydney hanging out.

Cousins...or sisters??

Everyone knows the tissue paper is much more fun to play with than the toys!

Saturday night we headed to Johnny Carino's to "carb up" and celebrate Sharon's birthday. Jason, Jenn and the kiddos met us there with Sharon and Larry. Jenn and I combined our creative efforts and made some aprons for BMom (aka Sharon). They turned out really cute and were a hit! There was one for each grandchild with "BMom's lil helper" on the front. We also made one for BMom. I'm sure she'll get some use out of them at Christmas!

My dad and Brad were the runners in the half. Both finished very well...especially considering the weather that day. My sister, me and my mother-in-law all walked the half. We all did pretty good too! Kelly has a great recap of the day here.

Tomorrow is Morgan's official birthday. It will be the last chair picture. This time last year, I couldn't believe I was about to be the mom of two girls. And now I can't imgaine life without them!

The tradition continues!

Hope you enjoy this as much as Brad and I have tonight!!

Behind again!

I have a feeling December will be crazy for the rest of our lives. Between recruiting, birthdays, Christmas and general busyness, we have been going, going, going. So, here is a sneak peek of what we've been up to. I'll give more details next week.

We picked out the tree! It's officially decorated and ready for a pj picture of the girls soon.

Someone turned 2 over the weekend! Tate's party was at Gymboree. It was the perfect place for a group of 2 (ish) year olds to hang out together!

I love it when the girls wear matching outfits, but not so much when I match them. I didn't realize that I was matching Mallory until I was putting her shoes on her this morning. We were in a hurry to get out the door, so I just made sure to leave her jacket on in the stores!!

She may look really sweet and cute in this picture, but shortly after it, all you know what broke loose. There was no playing after her bath, no milk to drink and no using her Dora toothbrush tonight. It was straight to bed for the grump.

This might disturb some of you

When I was pregnant with Morgan, I always heard the funniest stories about older kids mimicking the mom breastfeeding. I waited and waited for Mallory to do it. It didn't happen for several months after Morgan was born. But, when it did happen, it was hilarious! She would put her baby (or dog, or whatever stuffed animal was conveniently there) up to her belly button and just hold it there for a couple of seconds. So cute...and weird, I know. Then, she started using my nursing pads and started pointing at our chests saying, "Morgan's food". I thought the obsession would be over in August when I stopped breastfeeding. It was...until last weekend!

My parents got a treat on Friday when they watched the girls for a couple of hours. Mallory was holding this stuffed bunny and acting like the bunny's mommy. All of sudden, she stopped and asked the bunny if he was hungry. She proceeded to lift up her shirt and "latched" the bunny on. Mom and Dad were rolling when they told me the story. I don't know where this came from. Her little memory is amazing.

So, it didn't surprise me this morning when I looked over and saw her doing this:

I think she has a future as a Lactation Consultant!

Thanksgiving 2008

Well, it started out kind of iffy (is that a word??), but we made it to my parent's house on Thursday without any more puking incidents. There were poop incidents, but I'll spare you descriptive words!! Poor Morgan was not herself for several days. Between low grade temps, a decreased appetite and poor sleeping, she was a mess. Friday was the first day she ate normal and acted like herself. So sad!!

Since Morgan wasn't feeling great, we spent Wednesday kind of low key. We took a picnic to the train park and then played for a while. We love this park. It's right beside a working railroad and trains go by every few minutes. The girls love it!

The "pb&j face" aka "the joker":

The girl loves to swing!:

My sister had the great idea to head to the Fort Worth Zoo for a few hours Thanksgiving day. It was great for the kids, great for the parents and great for the cook...my mom! You can read some of the recaps here or see a funny video here. It was a fun trip.

I know none of the kids are actually looking at the camera, but this picture cracks me up. It looks like Mallory and Morgan were posing and Tate just happened to walk up like, "Hey guys, I didn't know you were going to be here too!!"

Thanksgiving dinner did not disappoint. There was plenty of yummy food. Stuffing (that is what my family calls dressing...those west coast people!), turkey, fruit salad, pumpkin pie, deviled eggs, apple pie. Everything was so good and even better leftover!

Two (of three) of my favorite turkeys:

Friday morning Brad left way too early to head to Austin. Every year there is a showcase soccer tournament the weekend after Thanksgiving. It's great recruiting for him, but kind of a bummer that he has to leave the festivities. We drove separate cars so we could stay a little longer. Wade came by to pick up Mallory for a doughnut date with him and Tate. To say that Mallory was excited was an understatement! She was so cute waiting for Uncle Wade to come and pick her up. I heard they had a blast and rubbed their glazed hands all through their hair. Better you than me, Uncle Wade!! Kelly and I met in Southlake to do a little "coordinating cousin Christmas picture outfit shopping". We enjoy shopping for our mom. It's fun spending someone else's money:)

Friday night we celebrated my dad's birthday. It was over a week ago, but the first time we were all together. After dinner we headed to the Gaylord Texan with the intent of getting a picture of the grandkids in their super cute (and on sale!) Janie and Jack outfits. What we didn't account for is everyone and their dog thinking the same idea!! It was INSANE trying to find a spot that wasn't in the way of the crowds, had a Christmasy background and getting all 3 to look at the camera and smile. Why is it so hard? And, will it ever be easy??? Morgan wanted to crawl everywhere, Tate was fascinated by the big train display and Mallory looked at the camera, but didn't smile. We're trying again this weekend. We'll see how that one goes!

Saturday, Kelly and I met up again to do some miles for the half marathon. It's so much better walking with someone while you train. The weather was perfect and we got 8 miles in. We "celebrated" with leftovers from Thanksgiving. Mmmm!! After naps, we loaded up and headed home. It was a great time with my family. I am thankful for each one of them and that we all live so close to be with each other during the holidays.

Brad made it home right before naptime Sunday afternoon. The girls went crazy when he walked through the door. I love it!! He loves it too:)

I still can't believe it, but as I made Morgan's birthday invitations last night, it started sinking in a little more. ONE. She is about to be ONE!!! Crazy.

We went to the tree farm to pick out our tree tonight. Such a fun tradition, but Brad and I agreed we'll try to get an artificial one when they go on sale this year. It's such a mess, and kind of pricey when you add it up every year. I think we'll still take the girls to the tree farm to cut down a small one for them to decorate. We love the idea of picking one out together as a family every year, but maybe on a (much) smaller scale!!

Bah Thanksgiving bug!

We have been so excited preparing to leave tomorrow morning for my parents house to spend Thanksgiving with them. Then it happened. Morgan spewed everywhere tonight as we were leaving our small group. She's been "under the weather" with some slight fever and a couple of runny diapers, but other than that, she's been completely normal. We've been thinking it's teething all along. We got home and gave our sick little girl some Motrin for her 102.2 fever, tucked her into bed and prayed for no more throwing up...or passing it on to any of us!! We will play it by ear tomorrow, but obviously we don't want to bring our bug to anyone else. I wouldn't be telling the truth if I said I wasn't a little ticked...but that feeling doesn't last long when I replay the look on Morgan's face tonight as she puked (and had no idea what was happening to her). Poor thing!!

I'm still doing it!

So, back in September, I declared that I was going to start and finish a half marathon. I got my new shoes, work out attire, my training schedule printed off and I was actually excited!!

The night of my first "training", Brad encouraged me to try to run a mile of it. So, I did. I ran one mile and didn't die. I did that for the next two training sessions and really thought, "Wow, what if I end up running the whole thing? That would be amazing!" And then it happened. Tendonitis. In both knees. I didn't even think about icing my knees after I ran, or taking Motrin because I might be a little sore...or old:)

So, the next week I followed the schedule. I attempted to run, but literally almost fell over it hurt so bad. I finished out the week walking and taking Motrin around the clock. It was almost 3 weeks before I could walk around the house without my knees hurting!!! So, to say it put a damper on my training (that I was so gung ho about ) is an understatement. I didn't start back up until our trip to San Antonio...oops! But, I am back and ready to complete my goal...walking though, not running.

A couple of days ago, I was telling my sister how boring it is to walk miles and miles by yourself without anything to do. I get really distracted when I try to spend that time praying or something else really beneficial. She was telling me about her playlist on her ipod and that is when it hit me. I need music. Everyone together...."DUH!!!" So, I borrowed Brad's ipod for my 6 miles this afternoon. Holy cow, what a difference it makes!! It's all about the music to keep your pace and your motivation. Marla, I totally thought about you when this song came on. You need to add it to your playlist if you haven't already!!!

Three weeks to go until the big race day. I need to start planning my "finish pose" as I cross the finish line.

ELEVEN months!

In less than one month, our baby girl will be ONE! The time has flown by faster than I imagined. Everyone said it would, and everyone is right.

Here are 11 things that Morgan is doing...with a couple of pictures thrown in to keep your interest:

#1 Waving hello and bye! They are different, as Brad learned yesterday. He was flapping his hand saying "bye, bye" and Mallory informed him that what he was doing was "hi!". Sure enough, when he did the right motion with the right greeting, Morgan did it back!!! Her "bye, bye" is adorable. She opens and closes her hand slowly while watching it the entire time...and it's usually facing her face instead of the person she says bye to!

#2 Blowing kisses!

#3 Growling like a tiger. The girls were playing with a puzzle the other day and I asked Mallory what sound a tiger made. After she did it, I noticed Morgan making a similar noise and realized she was growling also!! If you ask her to growl, she'll usually make the sound after you do.

#4 Walking with push toys. She probably would've been doing this last month, but I guess I forgot about it. I got one of Mallory's grocery carts out today and let her try it. She pushed it across the room and her eyes were huge like she had just done the coolest thing ever! She loves acting like a big girl!!

#5 Waking up at random times while she is sleeping. This girl has gotten way off of her normal sleeping schedule since we traveled so much in October. She's been taking crazy short naps and waking up between 5 and 6 am! Turkey! We've regressed back to the "ferberizing". The holidays should be LOADS of fun!!

#6 Growing! Her feet grew from a size 2 to 3 in literally days!

#7 Still sucking her thumb and loving her purple blanket. It's a necessity for bedtime....as well as the Turbo fan. I really don't know if she'd fall asleep without the three!

#8 Throwing things and getting into everything! It's so hard not to constantly compare her to Mallory in this area. Mallory was such a still baby. She would sit in the living room and play with her toys. She was more interested in people than things. Morgan is the complete opposite! If there is a stack of books somewhere, she takes each one and hurls them to the ground without even watching it! Same with sippy cups, bottles, food...everything! The Christmas tree should be fun this year!

#9 Loves baby dolls. Her maternal instinct kicked in a lot faster than Mallory's. Morgan talks to her babies, pokes her eyes, hugs them and kisses them. It's so sweet to watch.

#10 Goes crazy for me, Brad or Mallory. When any of us come into the room, she goes ballistic! It's really sweet when Brad comes home from work. Her legs go a mile a minute and it looks like her face hurts by how big her smile is! I usually get the same reaction when I pick her up in the nursery at church. So fun to have such a happy baby!

#11 Music helps to calm her down. When she is bored, tired or hungry in the car (or anywhere) start singing and she'll usually calm down immediately. Her all time favorite? The Wheels on the Bus...just like cousin Tate! They are alike in so many ways!!

Less than one month away from her birthday means that this mommy needs to get planning for her party!! It has snuck up on me...or I've been mentally blocking the inevitable out of my mind!

San Antonio getaway

The end of soccer season is always bittersweet. I'm usually glad it's over so we can have Brad back, but it also means that it's over....so they didn't advance in the conference tournament. This year has been a hard one for Brad. They didn't do as well as he wanted, he's had a couple of trying situations and then had a rough end of season critique from some of his players. Not exactly how you want to end a season you've put long hours and hard work into. So, to say that we all were ready for a break was an understatement for sure!! But, unfortunately, vacations aren't near as relaxing with a 2 year old and 10 month old staying in the same hotel room with you:) We made the most of it though and enjoyed some quality family time!

Day one:

On the way we made a stop at the San Marcos outlets. Everything is harder to do when you have 2 kids! We did score $3 shoes for Mallory and $7 Pottery Barn shower rings!

We checked into the hotel and let the girls expend some energy exploring the room. This is where Morgan spent most of her free time in the room. It looks boring, but she had a blast!! And, check out how cute the hotel bedding was! I wanted to sneak those polka dot pillows into my suitcase!!

Dinner was at Mamacita's. You might remember how much I went on and on about their tortillas last March. They did not disappoint...but I also did not eat as many. Self control!!

Day Two:

It was a full day! We went to the San Antonio Zoo for the morning and lunch. We got to see most of the animals, avoided major meltdowns, and got to ride on the train around the park! It was a successful trip!

After naps, it was off to the Riverwalk! We paid the overpriced admission for the boat ride and then ate at the overpriced Rainforest Cafe. Both were super fun for the girls and us! After dinner, a band was playing some live music (Mere, I thought of you-one of the guys was playing a mandolin!), so we sat for a while and watched the girls "dance" (Mallory held Morgan's hands from the stroller and swayed with her).

Wade, this picture is for you! A Christmas tree fully decorated and ready for the season...on November 6th!!

Day Three:

As we headed to LaShay and Steve's, we made a pit stop at the LaCantera shops. It was so pretty and Mallory loved running around smelling the flowers. I scored some super cute Puma shoes from Nordstrom (50% off!) for Mallory. I will have to post a picture later. She calls them her "cool shoes". That, they are!

After a successful entry into LaShay and Steve's home (we set their alarm off and the police showed up last time!), we took naps and vegged. We ate at Alamo Cafe (mmmm!) that night and played with Briley, their golden doodle. The girls LOVED Briley! She was a favorite for sure!

Day Four:

LaShay worked from home and I got to actually "train" in the morning. Mallory and I took a 4 mile walk around LaShay's neighborhood. Later that night we got to have dinner with some of LaShay and Steve's good friends, Cindy, Jian, Storm and soon-to-be Stone. (Cindy's mom was our realtor, so they are kind of our friends too!!).

Day Five:

Traveled home after a fun filled and "relaxing" week!

We were all glad to be home, but really enjoyed our visit to San Antonio. We were bummed we couldn't fit Sea World in, so be expecting us next spring Aunt LaShay and Uncle Steve!!

Another quilt giveaway!

Red Barn Quilit Co. is giving away 3 quilts this time!

Check it out here for all the rules.

Tag(s)

I think I've been tagged by a couple of people, so instead of spending the energy to download my pictures off of the camera for my san antonio post, I'll do this!

I think I was tagged for the 6th picture in your 6th folder thing, but since we got the laptop, I don't have 6 folders yet and I'm way too lazy right now to get any off of the other computer!!

I guess that leaves Laura's tag. Here it goes...

TYPE ONLY ONE WORD FOR EACH ANSWER. IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? counter
2. Your significant other? work
3. Your hair? un-trimmed
4. Your mother? mimi
5. Your father? over-laugher (sorry dad!!)
6. Your favorite thing? family
7. Your dream last night? contacts
8. Your favorite drink? coke
9. Your dream/goal? discipline
10. The room you're in? kitchen
11. Your fear? alone
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? texas
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? disciplined
15. Muffins/donuts? donuts
16. One of your wish list items? sheets
17. Where you grew up? texas
18. The last thing you did? lunch
19. What are you wearing? shorts
20. Your TV? limited
21. Your pet? asleep
22. Your computer? wireless
23. Your life? full
24. Your mood? procrastinating
25. Missing someone? no
26. Favorite pastime? sewing
27. Something you're not wearing? shoes
28. Favorite Store? gap
29. Your summer? busy
30. Your favorite color? peacock
31. When is the last time you laughed? morning
32. Last time you cried? months
33. Who will/would re-post this? marla
34. Four places I go over and over: walmart, chickfila, church, metroplex
35. Four people who e-mail me? brad, laura, kara, ericka
36. Four of my favorite foods? mexican, pizza, brownies, peanut butter
37. Four places I would like to be right now: vacation, bed, spa, mall
38. Four people I tag? kelly, marla, melissa, karen

Halloween 2008

We got some excellent use out of our Halloween costumes this year! THREE different events to attend. Here we go...

Monday: 2nd annual playgroup costume/craft party at Candace's house! We also went to a local pumpkin patch the week before that.

This was after the pumpkin patch ladies read a story or two. Some how I deleted the group shot. Oops!

Someday the girls will sit down, smile sweetly and let me take lots of pictures of them before they start eating hay or running after their friends...someday, right??

On to the costume par-tay! They weren't too sure about their costumes. Morgan wasn't having any of it and the sandwich board of foam came off shortly after this picture! I later tweaked her foam and made it a lot smaller with only one "board".

Morgan and Maddie:

The Chick-Fil-A cow (Candace's husband Tim got to borrow the costume) made an appearance at our party! Mallory wasn't scared at all. Hmmm. Maybe we need to rent a Santa costume a couple of times before the actual picture taking in the mall. Maybe she will actually stand in line to see him this year...Tim, are you game???

The attempt at a group shot. With 20+ kids there, I didn't think this was too bad!

The mommies with their respective kiddos

Wednesday: Fall Festival at our church. Mallory only got one piece of candy for us! She would rather just watch everyone else...and dance. They had a really random mix of music playing.

Gettin' her groove on...slowly but surely!

Our new friends (minus Shane and Bella in this picture)! Gunnar (aka Michael Phelps...is that not hilarious??) and Karen

Mallory's new buddy Bella. These girls love each other! Anytime I put Mallory's hair in pigtails, she says, "Like Bella!"

Thursday: We carved our first pumpkin with the girls! I have tons of memories doing this with my family growing up, so it was fun to begin the tradition this year! We asked Mallory what kind of face "Charlie" should have. She suggested a surprise face, so that is why "Charlie" looks a little scared instead of happy:)

The inspiration for our pumpkin:

Before the yucky part!

And, the final product!

Friday: Trick or treating with our neighbors!!

After the 10th picture, we finally got small smiles...Mallory was ready for the candy!

We have finally (after living in our house over 2 years) met our neighbors! They all play across the cul-de-sac from us. It's silly, but I was always intimidated to go over and introduce myself unless I had a real excuse to walk over there. A couple of months ago, we saw one of the couples at Chick-Fil-A and we got our nerve up to meet them. We've played several times now, and apparently they like us....we got invited to their annual neighbor trick or treating! Mallory had a lot of fun with the big girls. She would never sit in the wagon...even if she was the slowest of the pack!!

How Morgan trick or treated most of the time.

Brad said it best when he said Halloween brings out a lot of the "different" people in neighborhoods. This lady had a puppet that gave the kids their candy. That's not bad, but when she started dancing with the puppet and doing hand motions with the puppet, we all got a little chuckle out of that. We also saw a neighbor set up a movie screen, his laptop and speakers for the trick or treaters to watch Scooby Doo Halloween. We think it secretly was just to cure the boredom of handing out candy...he had a Miller Light in one hand and the candy bowl in another!

What a fun and BUSY week it was!!