a very Merry Christmas

I feel like it has been so long since I've blogged. I was starting to really like it and now I am back! Well, to me Christmas kicked off on Friday Dec. 19th when I was done with school. The following Monday I went to the doctor for my 4 month check up. Everything is fine and dandy. So far, the easiest pregnancy ever--at least for me. I go back on Jan. 6th for a sono and appt. I will be 18 weeks and will be able to find out the sex, but Chris and I have decided to NOT find out! I must admit that it is all my idea, but he sees the once in a lifetime opportunity and since this is the last baby why not wait? I picked up the kids Monday afternoon and Anna had fever. Went to the doc on Tuesday morn and she had bronchitis (sp?) and an ear infection. Lovely, Christmas should be fun. It became really cold here Tuesday night and Wednesday morning which doesn't make it easy on a sick kid. As our tradition follows, we go to Chris' parents house on the 23rd for a tamale and chili supper and open our stockings. This year Curtis read The Night Before Christmas to the kids--with their short attention spans, he did a great job! Go Papaw!! We stay the night and the next morning we have the big opening of the presents.

Here is a picture of Brady and Anna anxiously awaiting for presents that Me, Aunt Carrie and Marner were trying to pass out. But notice the open spaces before presents and then after. It wasn't an easy task.

The kids were showered with so many gifts. The favorites for Brady were the Cars race track and the talking Lightning McQueen. I would guess that Anna's favorites from this round was the baby doll, carrier, swing and grocery cart! We left Weatherford Christmas Eve early afternoon. Grandma wasn't feeling too great. Needless to say she was not herself this year. She had been sick for the past 2-3 weeks and was very weak. As we were leaving, Chris and I were concerned about her as was everyone else. We decided for Doug (Grandma's "boyfriend"), Sherry and Suzann to take her to the hospital. We headed home loaded down with all the presents from Marner, Papaw, Aunt Suzi, Grandma, Doug, Aunt Carrie, Uncle Jason and Jack.

The kids and I made and decorated cookies for Santa. It was hard to get their attention. Brady just wanted to race cars on the track. Anna asked for some cereal. I gave her some in a small bowl. She put her new doll in the carrier, put it on top of the grocery cart (like real moms do) and then put the bowl of cereal in the carrier for her doll. Anna just wanted to push her baby all over the house. It was really cute!

Later the evening we received a call that Grandma wasn't doing well at all and to get prepared. Chris and I got the kids off to bed and we started doing our Santa duties. We had a whole kitchen to put together! Just as we were finishing up the kitchen after midnight, Sherry called and said Grandma may not make it through the night. Chris decided to meet up with the family at the hospital in Weatherford. Grandma passed around 4 am on Christmas Day. We will miss her dearly. Grandma (Evelyn) was such a role model for me. She is the only "grannie" that has more of a social life than an 18 year old. Grandma never let her being a widow or any other hardship get her down. She was always fun, vibrant and full of life. Her and Doug went dancing 2 to 3 nights PER week!! I know she will now eternally dance to her hearts content.

This picture is from Chris' birthday party out at the farm. His birthday is on Halloween so he will always have pumpkins and fall as a part of his birthday. Grandma and Doug showed up in matching pumpkin sweaters!

We did our Christmas morning at home with our kids! It was great. Chris made it back home about 5:30 am. Anna was up at 7:30. We woke Brady up and it was a straight run to the fireplace to see what Santa brought. He was so excited to find his big Buzz Lightyear and Mack from Cars. Anna loved her new Hello Kitty purse that Chris picked out for her. I think their favorite gift was the kitchen. It is much fancier than any kitchens we had in the 80s.

Mommy's most exciting gift of all was my new iPhone! I guess Chris can have the Husband-of-the-Year award yet again. I wasn't expecting it at all. Not one time did I say I even wanted one or would like one, nothing. I just knew that it was too much to ask for this Christmas. He always seems to surprise me in a big way somehow. His big gift was his new wedge, the golf kind--not the one in your crack. haha.

Christmas night my dad and stepmom Cindy came up to stay for 2 nights. Cindy dressed up like Santa for the kids. The tradition started maybe 2 years ago. My dad dressed up for Brady when he was 18 months. Last year when Brady was 2 1/2 and Anna was almost 1, he was sick or had some type of impairment that kept him from being able to do it. So Cindy stepped up to the plate and did it last year. This year we were expecting Santa to be my dad, but it was Cindy again. The kids just love it. Santa came to the door with a bag of some goodies for all of us. Santa talks with the kids and takes a few pictures and then heads down to another house.

More presents and cheer was had on Christmas night. Grandma and JaJa mostly gave clothes! Anna loves her new heart pants! Brady loves his new basketball goal! We ventured out to exchange a few gifts the next day. The mall was a zoo!

On Saturday we said good bye to Grandma and JaJa and hello to my mom, Mimi. Once she arrived we had our last round of gifts to be shared. Mimi also brought gifts from Uncle Michael, Aunt Stacie and Antone. Mimi also brought lots more clothes that the kids needed. Their favorite gift was the Mr. & Mrs. Potatohead set! They love it! Anna puts the glasses on her face and says "teacher, teacher..." I know she's getting it from her fave book, Brown Bear. LOL. We took Mimi out to the farm in Weatherford. The kids rode their tractor and gator and had lots of fun. I know the kids enjoyed having their Mimi out there with them.

Sunday we said good bye to Mimi and had the visitation for Grandma's funeral. I had to get a picture of the kids. Jack, Brady and Anna looked so nice all dressed up playing by one of the Christmas trees at the funeral home. I happened to have my camera and couldn't help myself. I know Grandma is proud that her 3 great-grandkids cleaned up so well.

Grandma's funeral was on Monday at 10 am in Colleyville. It was a beautiful service. We ended the day with lots of food and family out at the farm. It was a nice day.

Tuesday--took the kids to daycare and I cleaned house. I had to make room for all the new toys and to start thinking about our remodel to make room for baby #3. I cleaned out the playroom, foyer closet and half of the computer room closet and got 3 bags of trash!! So many toys that just had to go! The scarey part is that Brady's room has toys in it too that I didn't have time to sort. The good thing is that I did a major organizing overhaul. The playroom is much better, but we have a long way to go.

New Year's Eve just isn't the same when you have 2 little kids and pregnant with #3 as when you were 21 and in college. This year we headed out to the farm (once again) to pop fireworks legally. Brady and Anna loved it. Brady remembered a lot of popping them last year on New Year's. This was Anna's first experience. She jumped right in, on Daddy's hip that is. Chris left early this morning to go on a hunting trip with his brother Jason and his dad. He was very excited. This is the first time the 3 of them have gone hunting together in over 10 years! I hope they have a good hunt.

Whew....did I have a lot to catch you all up on or what? With all of that said, I hope everyone has a wonderful start to the new year! Many blessings to you my friends.