Christmas Week

We took the kids to play at the park Christmas Eve.

Maggie and my Dad

This was the slowest train-but they had a good time!

Maggie LOVES to swing, and she's not happy unless she's going higher than her brother.

The kids reading Night Before Christmas with my Dad on Christmas Eve.

Maggie follows Molly around like Will always did with Macy. Molly is actually the first person Maggie ever walked to!

Maggie walking around on Christmas Day

Maggie rocking a few dolls to sleep

The bigger kids making the annual gingerbread house. For some reason, Tommy and Eric decided to use icing from a can rather than the stuff it comes with, so it was so heavy it collapsed later that night!

The girls and Will after Church Sunday morning in front of the tree at my parents' house.

All the grandkids after taking too many pictures that morning

Will with his new tricycle from Santa-he rode it all over the house that morning.

Maggie opening her official first doll-just before she opened her second, and her third...

Will with his car transporter truck. This was about the only picture of him being still that I could get!


Will on his smart cycle. SO FUN for kids this age!

She may look harmless, but if you look close you'll notice the shiner she gave me! She has a very hard head!



I can't believe Christmas Week is already over! My sister and her family came in on Friday and stayed through Wednesday. I think Tuesday or Wednesday is when Will started out at the front door "waiting" for Macy and Molly. When I would try to explain that they wouldn't be here for a few more days, he said "I'll just wait right here." Needless to say, he was pretty happy when they finally got here.

The weather was pretty nice the whole time so we spent most of the days over at our house so the kids could play in the yard. Christmas morning was at my brother's house and then we came here for "lunch" at around 3 and finished opening the presents up later that night. This has to be my favorite Christmas ever-Will and the girls threw out "reindeer food" the night of Christmas Eve and set out the cookies for Santa and the cheese for Santa Mouse, then we read "The Night Before Christmas" and went to bed. I loved doing the same thing with my kids that I remember doing when I was little and seeing how much Will enjoyed everything was the best part!

Maggie had a pretty big week too. She finally got her two front teeth-yes, for Christmas just like the song. She also started taking her first steps. She has a hard enough time keeping up with Will, but when Macy and Molly were here running around she had a little extra motivation!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and good luck on New Years Resolutions!

Santa Babies

I had Maggie's 9 month pics taken this past week and couldn't resist adding in a few more Christmas pics. It's hard to believe my baby girl is already 9 months old. She's standing on her own more and more and can get from one thing to the next without holding on the whole time. She's definitely more of a handful than Will ever was, and she already knows how to flash that special smile that gets her out of trouble!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas weekend!

One Crazy Week

We have entered a whole new phase that I'm super excited about-enough hair for a bow-barely!

Maggie checking out the Santa on her bib

Not a great picture, but it shows how her teeth came in on the top.

We've had to go ahead and start Christmas early in hopes of getting through all the presents this year. Two year olds are so easy to buy for! BTW, for any of you with kids this age, this Honeybee Hop game is hilarious to watch them do and keeps them occupied!!!!

I just thought this was a funny face to make while wearing that shirt.

As if the Christmas holiday season and two small children weren't keeping us busy enough, we decided to throw a few extra things in the mix this last week. It was Eric's first official week working from home, so we had lots of adjusting-trying to explain to a two year old that Daddy is home but he can't play for about 10 hours is a little tricky. We're working through the kinks and I know it will be such a blessing once we figure it all out! On Monday, our hot water heater started leaking and flooded the gameroom, so we were without hot water and a gameroom until late on Wednesday on what happened to be the first consistent week of cold weather this year. On Thursday, the guys got here to intall the new carpet I had about 5 minutes to pick out the day before. Also on Thursday, Eric and I decided it was time for a new Suburban-so in the freezing cold and pouring rain on Thursday evening, we headed out to "test drive" exactly one Suburban. Thankfully it was the perfect one because I'm not sure how much more I was up for!

The weekend brought just as much craziness, but it was all fun! Friday night was our Young Families Christmas party, Saturday Will went to "Breakfast with Mrs. Clause" and Sunday was the live Nativity at Church. After it was over, all the little kids wanted to go pet the sheep and the donkey but Will was excited to "go pet Baby Jesus."

I also have to tell you about a new thing I'm really excited about (skip if you don't have kids...) but I had bought this thing called "Ear Check" one day at the store in anticipation of what was "ear infection season" in our house when Will was Maggie's age. Anyway, Maggie had been a little fussy over the weekend but we had just been to the pediatrician last week for her 9 month check up and the doctor said it looked like she had several new teeth coming in. Well on Monday night, I remembered I had bought that Ear Check so I drug it out and in ten seconds it had diagnosed a double ear infection. She didn't have any of the things that signaled an infection with Will-fever, congestion for several days, etc. But I took her to the doctor the next morning and sure enough...double ear infection.

If anyone stuck with me through this marathon post...have a great Christmas!

Week 2 of the Christmas Countdown

Will's first glimpse of the carousel inflatable in our front yard.

I had ordered this snowman and it came while Eric was out of town, so Will and I put it up ourselves. I'm sure my neighbors got quite a laugh out of that one. But it was worth it in the end to see that precious face light up when an 8 foot snowman blew up in front of his eyes!

Will and I on the mini mine train-his first ride out of looney tunes land.

This rocking horse served as a great distraction for the Christmas tree last week. I would see her little face light up as she saw the tree and dart in that direction, but then she would get to the horse and forget where she was going...thankfully

Will and Tyler on the spinny-thing at Six Flags. Thank goodness parents didn't need to ride along on this one!

Will has become a lot more interactive with Maggie-including trying to tackle her when she's crawling...this is obviously one of their sweeter moments watching Baby Santa together for about 30 seconds.

This past week was Eric's first week in his new job, so he flew out last Sunday to California and didn't get back until late Friday night. Let me tell ya, I have a whole new respect for single moms. I was SO tired by about Wednesday...but we made it without too much drama.

Maggie decided she would intensify her climbing efforts while Dad was away. Once I had left the kitchen for literally 10 seconds and when I came back, she had climbed into one of Will's little chairs and onto his art table next to the fridge. By the time I got there, she was standing on the table trying to scale the side of the fridge-my best guess is she wanted to see a picture of herself hanging about midway up! She found some other interesting things to climb on too, but that was her fastest.

We're really enjoying this holiday season-Will was into it last year, but nothing like he is now! Hope everyone is enjoying theirs!

First Christmas Pics and our Anniversary

Maggie's official First Christmas Picture

I know this is blurry-I tried to get creative with my new camera and it didn't turn out like I'd hoped-but I think it's cute anyway. Maggie loves being up in the fort with Will, especially with all the lights. I tried to correct the setting and take the picture again, but Maggie was trying to pull the lights down by that time.


This one shows the lights better. Will wants them on day and night. I promise this is not a replica of how we decorated the front yard! I'll post pics of that another time.

Their first attempt at a Santa picture. I think it's funny because Will had been bribed with the candy store if he smiled no matter what Maggie was doing (normally he would get all concerned or upset). He did great considering she was staring at me and crying for every picture! She's not big on strangers these days.

So, normally I don't do the background scene/prop pictures, but I'm a sucker for all things holiday!

Will was just supposed to be sitting by these presents for a picture, but he kept opening them looking for toys.

So I guess it's pretty obvious by my pictures that we've jumped headfirst into Christmas this year. Will is really getting into the idea of Santa, although he is starting to confuse him with God. Last night we were saying prayers and after he thanked God for family and friends, he started on his toys. "Thank you for my trucks and cars, I need a bus, thank you for my kitchen and food, I need a shopping cart..." and on and on. Pretty funny.

Obviously this past week was spent mostly decorating and getting things ready for Christmas, but on Friday Eric and I celebrated our 5th anniversary. My, how times change! Five November 30s ago, it was all about us. This past November 30, I woke up with a sick baby, ran to the grocery store, took Maggie to the pediatrician while Eric took the dogs to the groomers, etc. We even had to push our dinner back a day, but it worked out fine! I am so blessed to be married to such a wonderful husband and father, and I wouldn't change a thing about our crazy life together!