Christmas in a Nutshell

Is there any possible way I can squeeze the entire Christmas of 2011 into one blog post? I am going to try!

Work went ahead and decided kick my arse with 3 huge meetings in the month of December. Only the busiest month of the year. Thanks work. I'm not bitter. I haven't even written about Thanksgiving yet. Always getting the shaft, that Thanksgiving.

Hence, I have not updated the blog with all the fabulous activities we have done to celebrate the holiday season with Henry. I cannot even explain to you how much more incredible Christmas is having a little one around. Last year, it was all about the wrapping paper and that's it. This year, OMG, it was like I was living my childhood Christmas' through him and I was a kid again!

"You mean Santa gave me an orange and a banana in my stocking mom? And some old toys that I forgot about? What?! How did he know that's what I wanted?! Amazing!"

(There were some new things in there too. No need for concern. I know this is probably the last Christmas I can get away with this.)

If you are reading this as an endorsement to have children, you are absolutely correct. Please. Have one. For Christmas' sake alone. You will be have a ridiculous goofy smile on your face all December long.

You will love it so much, you will happy cry as you listen to the same Amy Grant Christmas CD you've listened to for 20 years.

And then ugly sad cry and tell your husband you are not ready for it to be over yet.

And then you will realize you are an emotional mess and you need to get a hold of yourself.

A praline will help. And maybe a mexican wedding cookie. Top it off with a piece of peanut brittle and all is well again. Thank you sugar.

In all seriousness, we did have an amazing Christmas this year. We tried to pare down a little with the gifts and not buy things just to buy things. No lists this year. We went on pure instinct. I liked it! Required more imagination (thank you to Etsy for your imagination), but I love when the gifts have meaning. It makes it so much more exciting when they're opening your present!

My favorite gift to give this year was Henry's silhouette that I bought from Etsy for my mom. I loved it so much, I had to get one for me too.

I loved all my presents I got! I always do, I'm so easy. Henry's favorite presents were all his Bruder trucks. He got a Bruder garbage truck for his birthday and he is OBSESSED with it. Being apart from it for 6 days for Christmas break was a struggle for him. I could just tell.

See what I mean? He was so unhappy.

Bonding with the tow truck from Aunt Ashie. Gram got him a cement mixer too. I think I can go ahead and pack away all his other toys now.

A rare moment of not trying to tackle his second cousin, Noah, at Gram's house for Christmas. Aww, look at the look of concern! "Are you sure your arm is not broken Noah? I didn't mean to crush it with my body weight that is equal to yours. Me being 2 and you being 5."

We visited Dad's office for some old-fashioned Christmas fun. Extreme drawing!

Visiting Santa. This is the best picture we got. He neither hated nor particularly enjoyed Santa. He was much more excited about the dum dum sucker we gave his afterwards.

Sucker!!! Posing by the fake fireplace after watching The Grinch.

We hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday!!!

Best wishes & Happy New Year!

Love,

Lyndsey

Junk in the Trunk

Look at that booty!

I dare you not to smile looking at this photo.

Somewhere, Kim Kardashian is seething with jealousy.

Song lyrics are inspired by butts like this. Apple Bottom Jeans, Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, Baby Got Back, Shake Your Booty, Rump Shaker...the list goes on.

I know there is a diaper in there, but there is something behind it, let me tell ya.

And he did not get it from me. I have been trying to get a butt my entire life. My legs just flow right into my torso with no stopping point.

I know I talk about my child's size frequently. How me, being the delicate flower I am, birthed this beast of a man-child, I will never know. C'mon. Y'all know I am delicate. I am. Really.

I would have it no other way. The hugs and snuggles are so much sweeter with more to love on.

Today, I am thankful for this juicy little rump roast.

And many other larger things, like the food on our plates, the roof over our heads, and our health. And our family and friends. And our jobs and financial stability in this tough economy.

But today, I am thinking about the little things that make me smile and shoot a prayer of thanksgving to the man upstairs.

Yep, today it's the booty and the sweet hunk of love it belongs to.

Love,

Lyndsey

Twi-or-Treat!

I realize Halloween was two weeks ago and I am just now posting. I have been so absorbed in The Hunger Games book series, I have put everything else in my life on hold. The house is a disaster. We may or may not have gotten take out or eaten out three times this week. My fridge is barren. No fruit people. We have been drinking orange juice to fight off the scurvy. I can delay the grocery store no longer. But, I have also just finished the series so life will go back to normal.

I loved the books. I do not remember loving a book series this much in a long time. The writing is so much better than Twilight. You cannot even compare them. I am very sad the books are over, as the piles of laundry are taunting me from the corner of the closet. You win laundry. You win.

And back to Halloween! "Twi-o-Tweat" is how Henry says "Trick or Treat". And he would not say it during actual trick or treating time. Marc and I would say "Trick or Treat!" after we knocked on the door and Henry would scream "No!" and shake his head vigorously at the person giving out candy. But then he would take the candy and give a sly smile and perhaps utter a "Tank too". Not bad for his first time I guess.


He ate more candy in two hours than he has his entire life. The quantity of the candy in his bucket was too much to take in. "Bite? Bite???" after a Dum-Dum and a mini Snickers. This was followed by insanely fast running & pushing of the Cozy Coupe through the entire cul-de-sac while we handed out candy in the driveway. He almost ran over a gorilla.



Which led me to bust out in out of control laughter. How many times in your life will you see a random gorilla standing in the middle of the road? Gotta love Halloween.



Then Marc chimes in, "You know, the gorilla was my favorite Halloween costume ever. I was a gorilla for 3 years. Like from 11 to 13."



"You were a gorilla for 3 years?? In a row? You never changed your costume? That's really weird."


"I just liked being a gorilla."


I learn something new about my spouse everyday.



I will say, Halloween was so much more fun this year than it ever has been before.



Mickey & Minnie!

He thought the pumpkin seeds were slimy! We actually roasted the pumpkin seeds afterward for a chance. Umm yeah, delicious. Why have we never done this before?

Ignore my Quasimodo hunchback in this picture. I'm telling myself it's a bad angle and my posture is not forever ruined by hunching over a computer all day.

We had a fun photo session with Lisa for some fall family pics.

Am I the only one that absolutely turns into a nervous wreck when it comes to getting pictures taken? I stress about the outfits. I HAD to make a last minute shopping trick to Banana & Ann Taylor Loft since I had tried on everything in my closet and nothing seemed quite right. I worry about getting Henry to smile. I feel like I need to have multiple glasses of wine to just relax.

After we get them taken, I always have the biggest feeling of relief ever. And our photographer is the best about being super low-key and normal, while I'm over here sweating and singing "Wheels on the Bus" at the top of my lungs like some deranged lunatic.

All for the sake of this face. It's worth it.

Love,

Lyndsey

Birthday Festivities

Henry had such a great 2nd birthday week! Yes, in this family we celebrate the whole week.

The birthday fairy dropped off an excavator near the park for him.

When daddy's out of town, we go all out Aggies!

He helped me rake some leaves in the front yard.

And doze up some in the backyard.

Dozer videos!!

I put up a post on Facebook about it, but Henry got sick the day Marc left for his Lowe's charity golf tournament. Marc left on a Saturday and got back on Wednesday. Henry starting feeling better late Monday. I got sick on Monday and finally got some drugs on Friday.

What I'm getting at is, Henry's birthday festivities were conducted under a specialized drug cocktail of antiobiotic, steroid, cough syrup, and airborne. Add exhaustion to that. I am surprised how well it went actually. I did go a day with a vest worn inside out (bless you woman in the checkout line for letting me know), but other than that the embarrasment was kept to a minimum.

I wanted him to wake up on his birthday to his room filled with balloons. Plan thwarted when he decided he needed to sleep in mom and daddy's bed that night. This is as close as we got. The balloons delighted him for exactly 5 seconds. This picture cracks me up.


I made him birthday pancakes with sprinkles.

We decided to have the party at the park this year to cut down on some of the work (having the house clean for company). Best decision ever! It was a gorgeous fall day.

View of the lake from the park

Every construction party needs to start with an oreo.

Dump truck dirt cake. This was so easy to make and the kids loved it!

Slide time!

He actually went down by himself. What a mature 2 year old he is

Birthday song. The lighter wouldn't work in the wind, so we just pretended.

Sugar time!

Before....

.....and after!

Yum!

Present time.

Garbage trucks are the new obsession.

"Let me tell you something else. Back when I was one, I had to walk to daycare uphill both ways in the snow. And I liked it!"

Henry and his buddy Jack.

Garbage truck from Nana and Gramps!


What a great party! Thanks to all the kiddos and parents for coming. Kids playing on the playground so the adults could actually have adult conversations- LOVE.

Love,

Lyndsey