Christmas #1

We have been spending LOTS of time with family, so it will take me awhile to get caught up on posts and pictures.

My parents were here till Sunday.
Dave's brother and his family, from Michigan are here till the 2nd.
I'm very behind on a LOT of things....but that's okay.
Time with family means much more than an organized life.

I thought I'd share our Christmas Eve celebration.
Dave's family has always celebrated on Christmas eve, which makes it so nice to be able to be with my family Christmas day...although this year, due to our sickness, things were quite different...more on that later.

After Drubers on Christmas eve morning, it was back to Papa and Nana's house for a fun day with the family!

WARNING: Picture overload!

I love Christmas time, and having all the kids together on Dave's side of the family...7 total, under the age of 7! FUN TIMES!

Mason is quite the hit with his cousins!

After a day of playing, nap time and yummy chili...we headed to the Christmas eve service at Papa and Nana's church (our old church). Nana bought all the girls dresses again this year...they were quite adorable!

7 kids, sitting straight, looking at the camera, smiling, KNOWING there is a mountain of presents behind them...impossible! This was the best we could do.

Next time I pack a pair of spare clothes for Mason, I'll try to remember to grab something cute, and that matches. I'm just glad we thought to grab some at all....we knew those yucky diapers weren't quite over...but we sure didn't expect it to happen at the Christmas eve service...on Aunt Stefanie's arm! Sorry Stef, hope your sweater came clean! Oh what fun that was to clean up!

After the service, it's always back to the house to open gifts!
Mason loved his pile of presents...mostly to climb on and sit.

This little guy was up WAY past his bed time.

He's got some growing to do...but for now, sis is enjoying this very much!

The long awaited tutus!!! We're going today for a fun photo shoot!

Showing off her new Christmas jammies and leg warmers...

Mason had some cute new pjs too...what was I thinking putting them on him with the messes he's been having...they didn't last long at all...not even long enough for a picture!

I got a sewing machine from Dave's parents...YAY!! Now let's see if I can remember what I learned in home ec!

We gave cousin Jaden a Mr. Potato Head...Taylor was a little confused that the glasses were for the potato guy, not her.

Presents were opened, toys were being played with, then parents started warning that Santa wouldn't come if they weren't in bed.

So back home we went....to set cookies and milk out, to read The Night Before Christmas and to fall asleep dreaming of sugarplum fairies.

the tradition continues

We got very close to having to quarantine our family inside our house for Christmas.

But we couldn't bare the thought of missing Christmas Eve day with Dave's family...and all the traditions that we've been so excited for Taylor to experience this year.

I just can't imagine missing Santa at Drubers with the whole family, seeing the cousins play all day, Christmas eve service, yummy chili and opening gifts!

The night before, we were definitely preparing ourselves mentally/emotionally for a not-so-fun day at home.....by ourselves......with this stomach crud, thinking about all the fun everyone was having.

Thank goodness, Christmas eve morning Dave and I were feeling better and Taylor seemed to be okay. So it was just Mason and his yucky diapers we were still dealing with, but that too, seemed to be better. No fevers....and the nurse said that was the main thing to worry about as far as spreading it.

We couldn't stay home. Maybe we SHOULD have...but we couldn't.

So at the last minute...we were off....and met Dave's whole family at Drubers

for some yummy donut holes

and to see this guy...

I think for all Mason knew, he was sitting on papa's lap...I don't think he had a clue!
Taylor on the other hand, was not a big fan.

This is where she safely sat from a distance and watched as everyone else visited the jolly man!

We'd ask if she was ready to go tell him she wanted a doll house...and she just pointed to her donut holes and let us know she just wanted to sit and eat.

That's why she's missing from the cousin picture.

Santa even knew ALL of their names!!! Santa is Martin, the owner of the donut shop and good good friend of Dave's dad...so he gets to hear stories of these kids all the time!

As we were headed out the door, I tried to get Taylor to sit down with me for a picture...notice Santa is sitting as far to the side of his chair as he can, he told her "I'll sit WAY over here." Too bad her coat was on her, but you can still see that she wasn't so happy. Although, as soon as Santa said that he had a present for her, she finally was semi-okay...long enough to grab the gift and run!


I'm just glad we made it....a tradition that just can't be missed!

I spoke too soon

LITERALLY, 30 seconds after hanging up the phone from giving Dave's sister the scoop of what is going on at our house.....and saying that Taylor is the only one who hasn't gotten this icky icky stomach crud....

she came running into the room, holding her silk princess nightgown that she insisted on wearing after her bath with Mason this morning, away from her body and said "mommy, I poop"

I immediately saw that her pretty pink nightgown was more of a yellowish green color...all over, front and back! Poor thing was so upset!

I've barely been able to move without feeling the need to hurl....so I was not about to pick her up and carry her upstairs to the bath. Thank GOODNESS Dave did not go to work today!

So bath #1 for Taylor.

We've lost track of how many Mason has gotten.

What fun, what fun!

icky icky

That's all I have to say about this day.

I have now stripped Mason's clothes off him 4 times and put him in the bathtub.
I feel like I'm just setting myself up when I put a new diaper and sleeper on him...I KNOW what's going to happen to it.

Couldn't I just wrap his bottom half in a trash bag or something?

So obviously, this little guy is not doing well.

My stomach is not feeling quite right either...and getting worse as the day goes on. NOT the way I needed to be spending these 2 days before festivities start....especially after living on the couch most of last week with a horrible cold and sinus crud. Things should be getting done.

Dave's feeling a little funny.

Taylor, so far, seems like her usual self.

This is NOT the way I'd like to spend our Christmas.
But I'm sure our family would also NOT like us sharing all this icky stuff with them for Christmas.

Things sure better take a turn for the better tomorrow...or we may be celebrating the birth of baby "Je-je" with our heads in the toilet.

Wishing you all a merry and HEALTHY Christmas!

We've been elfed!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

it's here

I watched for the FedEx guy ALL week...
and it finally came...

Our FIRST blog book!

I posted awhile back about getting inspired by my friend Amy's blog book that she had done at blurb.com. I knew I wanted to blog for THIS reason...to get our memories into a book and stop feeling so bad that I never have time to keep up on scrapbooking.


I really wanted a different picture on the cover...and had one there the entire time I was editing everything. But it had a symbol on it telling me that it wasn't good enough quality to print that large...it was the only GOOD family picture we had. So I went with this picture of Taylor from my sister's wedding instead. It ALSO had the same symbol...but I just took my chances. Now I wish I would have just taken my chances with the family picture. Oh well, over and done with!This book is MUCH thinner than it will be any other year. I began blogging in 2007 about half way through the year and I think had a total of 20ish posts on my blog. For 2008, I'm on my 115 post! So obviously my motivation to blog grew immensely after learning about this book!

I definitely made some mistakes and will do some things different next time. But all in all, it was VERY worth the time I put into it, although blurp.com connects with your blog and pulls all of your posts and pictures to their software for you....how awesome!

I am so excited to have a shelf of these....one for every year. Something special for us and our kids to look back on. Something for our kiddos to have one day, to remember the stories and moments we all shared.

too soon

In case you were wondering the outcome of a previous post ....

Let's just say that this smile didn't last long.


We kept thinking...after a few nights of getting used to it, she'll be okay.
2 weeks passed, she still wasn't okay.

After hour long screaming fits at bedtime, not wanting us to leave the room, wanting to pray 30 times just to stall, all of a sudden being scared of the open closet, getting out of bed and standing at her door banging, and waking up many times in the night screaming her head off....we called it quits.

Daddy put the front of the crib back on.


Guess we were rushing that one.
I just so happened to get a ParentBulletin email last week...all about this topic!

It said that so many times, kids turn 2, and parents rush them out of their crib....yep, that's what we did. Some kids just aren't ready yet.

So she's back to her crib and we are back to restful nights!

let it snow

We couldn't wait to get Taylor out in the snow.
But it had to wait till Daddy got home.

I've been sick the last 3 days, Mason has a cold and there was no way the 2 of us could have been out there with her.

The snow boots were going to be a Christmas present...but I decided that could come out early!
And thank goodness one of the tubs of our nephews clothes had a pair of slick pants just her size.

Of course I had to bare it outside for a little bit so I could get some pictures!
I played was playing with the antique setting on a few of these and I think I'm liking it.

While Mason waited patiently inside. Poor little guy!

tasting the snow

She had a permanent smile glued to her face the entire time she was out there.

What a great daddy to come home from working all day in the cold and then PLAY in the cold too!

Of course, Taylor wanted to pull Daddy on the sled too! She kept telling him to "lay down dadda, lay down!"


After a little bit of a meltdown, we got her back inside for some hot warm chocolate and more cheesy smiles.

our first card

Now that our Christmas cards, or at least MOST of them, are mailed, I thought I'd reveal some of those family pictures that we had taken awhile back. I didn't want to spoil them before our Christmas cards went out.

I haven't done a card at all since we've been married...so this is a first.
I was so excited to do one this year now that our family is more complete!

This is also our first REAL family photos! Thanks to Meg D (love, love love her blog and her photography!) for the amazing photos! There are lots more shots to share...but I'll wait till all of our family gets their Christmas gifts before I do!

A couple of things I will do differently next year....

1. We will NOT get our pictures taken when it is 40 degrees outside (I know that sounds warm now compared to the zero degree weather we are having, but it was NOT then!)

2. I will not expect to get a single family picture with everyone looking at the camera...because it obviously won't happen. Candid is better anyway, right?

3. And oops...I won't ever do a 5x5 card again...did you know they cost 62cents to mail??? I didn't know that until after the fact. I know that doesn't seem like so much, but it sure adds up. I waited till the last possible moment to share this news with Dave.

I DO love the design job that Amanda with PitterPatter Cards did for me. You can connect with her at her etsy shop too. She worked so well with me, making every last detailed change that I wanted! Until I can become a photoshop pro, I might just have this done again for me next year!

More family pictures to come....AFTER Christmas!

trade off

hmmm, this is a tough one...

a husband putting in 10 hour days, 4 days a week, ALWAYS having Fridays off.

or

a husband putting in 8 hour days, 5 days a week...no long weekends...just the normal Sat. and Sunday like everyone else.

what would you prefer?

I used to think this was a hard one...not really knowing which would be better. Yet always thinking that having him home Fridays was pretty nice.

That is, until kids, and especially until having 2 of them!

You know those hours after nap time until daddy gets home? Surely I'm not the only mom who struggles during these hours! Oh my...I think those are the toughest hours of our day! The rest of the day flies by (most of the time)...but most days from 3:00 on, I watch the clock. I can't help it. I try to keep the kids busy, I try to pass the time away by doing fun things. But those are also the hours I'm usually scrambling to pick up the house, cook dinner, feed hungry kids, get myself ready for a jewelry show, etc.

And those hours just so happen to be the hours where my kiddos are most needy....and probably just plain sick of me. And they get even MORE needier when they see me trying to do all those things that need done.

If I was super mom, I would get dinner completely prepared and pick up the house along with the other hundreds of things on my to do list ALL while my children were sleeping. I'm SURE some of you are thinking this is the answer! And sometimes, a few of these things MIGHT get accomplished then. But seriously, who are we kidding...some days I need that time JUST for myself...just a break, a quick nap for myself, some blogging time, lunch that I didn't get to eat earlier, whatever...just ME time! Is anyone with me on this one???

So back to the tradeoff.

Having Dave off on Fridays vs. being home earlier every evening?

That's a no brainer to me now!

You would never think that the difference in him being home at 4:00 and 6:00 makes ALL the difference in the world! It makes for a happier ME, happier kids...because they aren't as sick of me as they are at 6! THUS, makes for a happier husband and a happier, less stressful evening. Just happiness all around!

So why am I talking like this is even an option....let alone something that I have the control over.


Well, because it is official! This week...his crew will start 8 hour days! Last night he told me he'd be home today at 4:15, and that's after driving home from Hutch! Their next job may be back in Newton, that means he'll be home at 3:30!!! Did I hear him correctly? THREE THIRTY!??!?!? We both just smiled when he said this.

No, I didn't have anything to do with this decision. I don't have that kind of pull. I guess the guys wanted it themselves. Funny, after doing it this way for so long, they just wanted change. Maybe it's because they don't want those extra 2 hours a day in the cold. I don't know, I don't care...I just know this is going to be a GREAT week! I hope it lasts!

Sidenote: After writing this, I realized that I really shouldn't be complaining at all. I know there are so many moms (and dads) who take care of their little ones, day in and day out, with no help, and no one to relieve them. I am thankful, very thankful, although I know I take it for granted most days, that I CAN be home with my kids, and that I have a wonderful husband who comes home and helps me every single night. I'm thankful that he has a great job and that his job does not take him away from us for more hours than it does. We all get accustomed to what we are used to....but we make changes and learn to survive through all of life's challenges, little and big. I am blessed that FOR NOW, my challenges, in the whole scheme of things, are really not that big at all.

the stockings were hung

Last night, we finally finished all of our Christmas decorating...we had lots done, but then things came to big halt due to last Monday's dinner. So our tree was unfinished until last night.

I apologize for the blurry pictures, I was trying so hard to adjust my settings and get some good shots without the flash. I am so not good at all this photography stuff...but trying to learn!

oops, maybe someone should stop him....


Taylor had such a good time decorating our tree.Our finished product...


I tried so hard for the perfect pictures...what was I thinking?

This one just makes me laugh...it should be been deleted, but I was laughing too hard to delete it.

Hope you are all enjoying your holiday season!

candy cane sweetness

Do you remember these....I know some of you were very curious to find out how Mason's photo shoot would turn out...

So here ya go...

The leg warmers were PERFECT! Thanks to Kim Stahly at http://www.xpressionsbykim.com/! She is SOOO wonderful and has done such an awesome job capturing our little guy every 3 months!

I'm loving this cute little ornery face!

Don't worry...Mason won't be sporting the leg warmers out and about...but for this purpose, they are so stinkin cute...as I predicted!

Thanks Kim, for releasing these pictures so I could show him and your wonderful talent off!

If anyone is looking for someone to capture your little ones or your family....I HIGHLY recommend her...283-6171 or fotok@cox.net.

Merry Christmas from our cute little man!