A Merry Little Christmas

What a special Christmas it was this year for us with one baby enjoying his very first Christmas, and his older brother experiencing the magic of the season as if it was the first time.  Oh, how we have loved telling McCord all about Santa and watching his little mind learn about all of these special traditions: learning about baby Jesus, seeing where "Elfie" our EOTS was each morning after an exhausting trip back from the North Pole, and I will never forget walking around the block in mid-November and telling McCord all about Santa.  I was pulling Mc and Wade in the wagon and Bo was walking Rocky, and we were telling McCord all about the big guy in the red suit, "...and he and his elves work all year long building toys for good boys and girls.  Then on Christmas eve, he loads up all of the toys in his sleigh and he and his reindeer fly through the sky, land on rooftops and deliver the toys."  Mc hung on every single word - it was just the most amazing thing his almost 2 1/2 year old mind had every imagined and he couldn't wait to experience it.

One night we met a bunch of friends at Krispy Kreme and drove around looking at Christmas lights.  All of the kids were bathed early and arrived at KK in their Christmas pjs - it was adorable!  Thanks Kasie for organizing!                                                                          

We love the Bosdells!

They treat our kids with as much love as their own!

Mc sawed down the kids' Christmas tree - he was more excited about the saw than the tree itself. 

Christmasville 2012 - one of our favorite activities this year was participating in the arts and crafts event at the library

This Santa was amazing!  He played the harp and sang Christmas carols while the children played the bells.  As you can see, Mc was entranced - I was too!

I've been doing a lot of sewing lately.  

A little outfit for Mc because he's very into "toy soldiers" right now.  We'll work on calling them "nutcrackers" next year.  

a coordinating jon jon for Wade

Some gingerbread love for Mc. 

Santa tshirts for the boys

A monogrammed bathrobe for my M-I-L with the grandkids names embroidered on the belt

a scarf for my mom with the grandkids initials

Finished a silhouette pillow of my S-I-L's third child to match the ones I made of her older kids a few years ago. 

The boys and I have been making some wintertime treats for the backyard birds and for Christmas gifts.  Used this recipe. 

Christmas morning sitting at the top of the stairs - a picture taking tradition in our household

Checking out his leaf blower

Santa also managed to fit this "Tiny Tractor," as Mc calls it, in his sleigh

This little guy smiles pretty much all the time - even when Mama stuffs his pudgy little body in a hand me down outfit (that doesn't fit) that Brother wore at Christmas time just so she can get a picture of Wade in the same Christmas pose as Mc at 6 months!  Thank you Wade for being so agreeable! 

First Christmas for this little guy.  

Wade is 6 months old

This is a very belated post for Wade who is almost 7 months old!  We also owe this page a picture of Wade and Bo in front of Wade's Sugar Maple which was just planted.  I hope to get that picture soon.  Life has been busy lately!

NOTE: added tree pics

Here's Wade at 6 months standing next to his Sugar Maple -  it's huge compared to Mc's maple!  Can't wait to see it in the spring when its leaves come in!

Does anyone else have problems uploading pictures on a patterned background? For some reason, blogger wants to flip this vertical.  

Oh Wade!  Why must you grow so fast?!  Every day that passes I feel as though I am reaching for something that has just escaped me - raising a baby is like that.  You are growing up right before our eyes, and life seems to be racing by like the scenery outside a car window.  We love you so much: your infectious smile, the way you grab our faces when we hold you close to us, your chunky legs and lack of ankles.  You are eager, sweet, and curious.  You're perfect, and we just can't get enough of you.  My oh my!  How I love having a baby in the house!

Headed out the door to church and you just couldn't keep your eyes open!

Some things I just don't want to forget:

- when you're laying on your back and you get excited, you start twirling your fists in circles both at the same time, it's so funny. 

- you also love to wave your arm in the air; sometimes you get going so fast I think you just might start to levitate

- at your 6 month check up you measured in the 95 percentile for length and 75th for weight

Random Phone Pics

Made this dip for a party last week - thank you Pinterest!  It calls for 1 tub of cool whip, one box of vanilla pudding mix, and one can of pumpkin.  Next time I'd like to substitute the can pumpkin for a can of pumpkin pie mix.  Just to add a little bit of spice to it.   

McCord's feet aren't usually this dirty!  

Weed eating. 

Bought this fabric well before Wade was born.  Shame that I made Wade's pants a bit too small and I had to squeeze him in!  Just had to get a picture of them together in their matching outfits, because I'm pretty sure, Wade's never going to fit in his pants again!

Little break with Ernie and Bert while we did a bit of Christmas shopping today. 

My heart grows bigger every time I look at this photo. 

...and this one. 

McCord and I made a turkey out of his hand print inspired by this photo.  I had intended to make one of Wade's hand too, but it would be so tiny, I don't think I could sew around his fingers.  This is one craft that I'll have to save for Wade for a couple of years.  

Brought home a couple of yards of this fabric last week that I found at my favorite fabric store. It was the last of the bolt, and I'd love to find a couple more yards to make drapes for the dining room. I've been crazed trying to track it down!

Mc and I made this turkey t-shirt last week so he'd have a little something festive to wear to preschool. He was dying to put his hands all over it!  He had so much fun!

Election 2012

: : A Conversation With McCord : :

Bo & I were driving down the road today talking about the election.  We found ourselves trying to describe to our 2 year old sitting in the back seat, listening intently, what a president is.  We told him that we would be voting in a couple of days for who we'd like to be our country's leader. 

Bo: McCord, would you vote for Obama or Romney? 

McCord: Silence, thinking, and then........ Mickey Mouse. 

Apparently, McCord has a few ideas about who should run the country.