The Griswold Family Christmas...Edition II

We're back with another big Christmas recap....

The Hubs and I had SO much fun on Newbie's first Christmas morning.  Newbie woke up around 4 in the morning and had a rough time going back down, so we had brought him into our bed to snuggle for a few hours before we all headed downstairs.  I loved getting to snuggle with our little bug early early Christmas morning.  Newbie crashed again almost right after he came to our room, but Mama was too excited for his first Christmas to let anyone sleep past 7.  So we were up and at 'em bright and early!

It was a lot of fun to watch him discover the gifts Santa brought.  I carried him down the stairs while Daddy-O video taped, and as soon as he saw the loot he started wiggling out of my arms anxious to check it all out.  Such fun!

He was a big fan of the tiny piano...we had to work at getting him to play with anything else!

After he explored Santa's presents, we loaded ourselves up into the car- pjs, Opie, and all- and headed out to G-Mama and Grandad's house for Christmas morning cinnamon rolls.  Aunt Corndog and the Broski were there, and we had a blast spending time together!  We exchanged some homemade gifts, and some non-homemade gifts, played Five Crowns, and ate a DELICIOUS ham and potato lunch.  Newbie got in lots of snuggle and play time, and we had a ball. We really missed spending our Christmas with Mutte, GD, and Uncle R, but we put in a phone call and still got to hear their voices on Christmas Day...not the same, but better than nothing!  We stashed away three Christmas hugs to pass around the next time we see them. =)

We took a quick snoozer on the couch while Newbie played with G-Mama and G-Daddy, then we headed out for the country to catch Christmas dinner with some of the Hubs' family.  There were uncles and aunts and cousins and a puppy to boot!  We had a lot of fun catching up and chowing down on the delightful spread of lasagna and crab legs.  The Broski is a BIG fan of Grandma's Christmas crab legs!

Newbie was absolutely BEAT after such a long day, but he got in some snuggle time with his Great-Grandma and loved it!

Post- crab legs we had to hitch 'em up and head out before the Christmas Day Marathon Meltdown occurred.  We went over to Newbie's Grandma and Grandpa's house next door to spend the night and get some R&R before taking on Christmas Day Round 2 the following morning.

Christmas Day Round 2 with the Hubs' Mom and Pops was awesome.  My MIL made the best breakfast spread this side of the Mississippi, and we had a leisurely morning opening perfectly wrapped presents and munching on the most delectable breakfast treats.  Newbie was more interested in the dog's new squeaker toys than the fun toys his Grandma and Grandpa got him...he kept going back to the pink tennis ball and the rope bone after opening his gifts.  I guess we know what to get him for his birthday! =)





After opening a slew of presents, we had to load up the car and head back home.  G-Mama and G-Daddy had kept Opie over night, so we made a drive-by to pick him up, then hit the open road.  When we got home, the Hubs unloaded the car and I went nuts-O putting all of Newbie's toys away, unpacking our bags, AND taking down all of our Christmas decorations.  By the time our heads hit the pillow that night, we were whooped.

If I told you how generous our family was this year and listed all our fun Christmas presents, I'd be posting here for days, but I will tell you that the homemade gifts were a hit! Here's the run-down:  My parents gave us three fully cooked AMAZING dinners-quesadillas, Texas Red Chili, and BRISKET! Mom knitted a flower hair clip with ONE HAND because she was still in her cast at the time.  WOW!  Corndog made me a homemade reversible apron that is AWESOME.  The Hubs used his fancy saw to make my 'rents an incredible "Texas" sign and a pug for the sibs.  I made a ruffled camera strap cover for my sister and a Snapfish book full of pics of Newbie for my parents.  A good time was had by all!

AND I have got to tell you that my MIL and FIL gave me an INCREDIBLE gift....a BRAND NEW FANCY SCHMANCY Nikon D3000 camera!  After I opened it and realized what it was, much screaming and crying and squealing ensued, and I think I remember sleeping with the camera that night.  Now it is sitting on my couch staring me down with intimidation because it knows I don't know how to use it.  But I am vigorously researching and reading and asking questions, and I'm hoping that one of these days I'll learn how to make the most of the aperture and shutter speed and depth of field and all the other words that never meant anything to me before that mean everything to me now.  ...stay tuned. 

A HUGE Thank you thank you thank you to all of our family in and out of town for making this such a special Christmas!  We were so blessed to have gotten to share Newbie's first Christmas with so many of you!  And to all our family in Texas, who we dearly missed getting to see this year, we're sending lots of love and hugs to you all!!!

We had such a fun Christmas, and the Hubs and I were so grateful for the blessing we had in getting to spend it with our sweet little boy.  2010 has been such a crazy busy year, full of newness and excitement and the richest of blessings.  We can't wait to see what God has in store for our little family in 2011!

We're ringing in the New Year tonight with a dinner and a movie date.  We're going to be the cRaZy Harry Potter fans of True Grit tonight.... instead of capes and lightening scars, we're dressing up in our Nashville finest with our cowboy boots and jeans and going to see True Grit, then heading over to the local honky tonk to people watch and ring in the New Year.  Oh yes, THAT'S happening.  It's going to be a southern dream, and we can't wait.  Dorks? Most definitely.  But it should be a good time. =)

Tomorrow we're spending the day at G-Mama and G-Daddy's house with the sibs and the BugMan.  Lots of junk food and video games are on the menu, and I can't wait to hang out with BugMan- it's been WAY too long since we've spent time with him.  Remember our BugMan? You can click here to learn a little bit more about him. =)

Hope you all have a fun and safe New Year's Celebration!   ...don't forget your cowboy boots. =)

The Griswold Family Christmas...Edition I

Welcome to the first installment of The Griswold Family Christmas recap! 

In celebration of our first installment, I threw half a bag of chocolate chips into my banana bread dough this morning.  Whoopee!

Our Christmas started on our three year anniversary with a fun night out on the town with Newbie.  See "Candy Canes and Silver Lanes Aglow" for more information because homie ain't gonna recap that again.

The day after our anniversary, we headed out to the country to see Newbie's Great Grandma and Grandpa P.  We had some delicious chili for lunch and got to spend some time opening presents and watching Newbie play with his cousin B.  B had a lot of fun showing Newbie how to use his new toys- it was really fun to watch them play together.  How cute is that blonde hair?!?

 Great Grandma and Grandpa P hit the jackpot for Newbie with a fun set of cars and a Santa rubber ducky...they knew what that little boy would like!

The following day, lovingly referred to as Christmas Adam by the Hubs, we had Newbie's Fake Uncle C over for a hearty lunch of tacos and tacos.  What can I say?  I pull out all the stops when company's a' comin'.  Truth be told, Fake Uncle C got the shaft on the home cookin' cuz I had just baked my buns off for a week and had nothing left to give.  But bless his heart, he was a good sport and took the Old El Paso Taco Dinner Kit like a man.  

Newbie had a ball showing off for his fake uncle and loved that he was about three stories tall.  Fake Uncle C even helped Newbie touch the ceiling!  Daddy-O grew up with Fake Uncle C, so it was fun to have the three boys together for the afternoon.

After Uncle C left, Newbie got a special present in the mail from his Great Grandmother, Gramere.  He LOVED the pretty wrapping paper and had a blast opening the gift with Daddy-O.  

Next on the list of family fun was a full fledged assault on Old Navy that afternoon, the likes of which we had never seen before.  I will never go Christmas shopping on Christmas Adam again.  I was a very grumpy mama by the time it was all said and done. The end.

On Christmas Eve, the Hubs and I unwrapped what was left of our Christmas gifts to each other.  We spent the week opening one gift a day because when you're grown-ups, you get to do what you want, and who doesn't love opening Christmas presents early? 

BA ha ha!  That pic of the Hubs cracks me up. Don't ever let anyone tell you that Newbie is the only ham in our family.

Moving on...

 The rest of the morning, we were busy as bees finishing up some of our homemade gifts.  On my parents' side we had decided to do homemade gifts this year, and the Hubs and I in typical procrastinating fashion decided it would be a great idea to wait until the day before Christmas to finish up our presents.  We are creative geniuses.  It was tight, but we got everything done!  

After Newbie's nap that afternoon, we hit up Starbucks for a White Peppermint Mocha Frappacino then went over to deliver it to Aunt Corndog during her last couple hours of work.  Nobody likes working on Christmas Eve, but a little Starbucks and a cute nephew never hurts.

 After our quick visit, it was time to head out to the Christmas Eve service at church.  We donned matching outfits for the occasion. =)

 

I am so far beyond editing these pictures.  Are your eyes bleeding yet?  I apologize to your retinas.  

The church service was fantastic, but Newbie and I spent a good chunk of the service watching the sermon alone from the cry room...which was OK because I grabbed a handful of those white chocolate covered pretzels shaped like Christmas trees from the coffee/cookie table on our way to the cry area and ALL GOOD.  Newbie is so great about singing and listening in church right up until the sermon. That's usually when he starts freaking out and we take a one-way ticket to the cry room.  It was still a wonderful service, spiritually refreshing, and really helped our hearts focus on Christ this Christmas.  We love love loved it!

That night we came home and ate dinner, then the Hubs read from Scripture while Newbie and I acted out the story of Jesus' birth with his Nativity.  

 It was a really special first Christmas Eve together as a little family, and we treasured every moment.  When it was time to tuck Newbie into bed, we kissed him on the cheek and then Santa stuffed his fat hiney down the chimney and spent an hour opening toy packaging that would have served better as an alternative to Alcatraz.  That stuff was INTENSE.  We finally got everything open and ready to rock and roll the next morning.  Then the Hubs and I snuggled up in bed and watched Nativity Story. 

When the movie was over, the Hubs slept while Aunt Corndog and I texted each other back and forth talking about how excited we were for the next day.  Turns out just because you and your little sister grew up and got married doesn't mean you have to stop getting butterflies and giggling together about Santa coming...because THAT happened. =)

More to come on our Christmas in the second installment of The Griswold Family Christmas.  For now, I'm off to enjoy my little boy and a calorie-ridden slice of chocolate chip banana bread.  

Happy Wednesday!

"Just try to never grow up"

"Never Grow Up" by Taylor Swift

 

Your little hands wrapped around my finger

And it's so quiet in the world tonight

You're little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in
Turn on your favorite night light

To you, everything's funny

You got nothing to regret

I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh, darling don't you ever grow up

Don't you ever grow up 

Just stay this little 

Oh, darling don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up
It can stay this simple

*I know I promised Christmas pics, but I couldn't resist sharing some shots from our past couples days...see y'all tomorrow!  =)

Have you ever eaten a double chocolate chunk MINT cookie? Because YUM.

I've been completely overwhelmed by the enormous amount of pictures and memories to share with y'all from this Christmas.  When I get overwhelmed I have this fantastic ability to just completely put something off. Like, forever.  Some people call it procrastination.  Others call it "get off your hiney and post some Christmas pictures already!". 

We are in the midst of what I would like to call "Baby's first Christmas documentation FAIL".

So I've decided we need an intervention.

I started with a double chocolate chunk mint cookie. 

Because I came in third place in the Biggest Loser Challenge (woohoo!  Shout out to G$ who was runner up to third place by 0.1 percent....diggity!) and I decided a little regression was OK over the holidays. 

Then I watched 15 minutes of Beauty and the Beast.

Disney movies are a stress reliever for me.

Next I sat down at the computer and uploaded ALL the Christmas pictures.

Then I had another cookie.

Finally I decided there is just too much for one post.

That's when I remembered how my crazy 10th grade biology teacher always said you eat an elephant one bite at a time.  I wouldn't say that phrase helped me master the periodic table, but I will say it sounds like the perfect plan of attack for the Christmas posts. 

SO

I am going to do several updates this week with pictures from all of our Christmas hoopla. 

And I'll start tomorrow.

Because, you know, PROCRASTINATION.

Hope you all are having a wonderful week!  Be back soon with Chapter 1 of Newbie's first Christmas. =)

Santa Claus came to town

We have had a wonderfully exhausting Christmas weekend! 

Be back soon with pictures to share!

In the meantime, there's a lot of playing to do while I clean/organize because my living room currently looks like this:

Merry Christmas!

We wish you a merry Christmas!

Here's my lamesauce attempt at re-creating our 2010 Christmas card for y'all. Not many made it out in the mail this year because postage is a bear and it just wasn't in the Santa Ramsey plan. Santa was a little busy spending money on matching pajamas for Christmas Eve to hit the post office, so I thought I would post it here and share it with the family and friends and bloggies whose addresses I didn't get my hands on. =)

 [all images on card created by http://www.trudyholtzphotography.com]

Don't you wish I would learn to edit photographs?

Yeah, me too.

Just wanted to pop in for a bit this morning and let you know that I'm "unplugging" for the rest of the weekend.  We're going to take the rest of the week to celebrate the arrival of our King with family and friends.  Hope you find some time in the midst of all the excitement and celebration to reflect on and remember what an incredible gift God gave us in sending His Son!

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas filled with peace that transcends understanding,  love that surpasses knowledge, joy overflowing....and Christmas cookies.  Amen?

With candy canes and silver lanes aglow

Last night the Hubs took Newbie and I out to dinner to celebrate our third wedding anniversary.  We hit up Chili's for some seriously fabulous chips and salsa and fajitas.  Newbie slept through phase one of the meal, so we got some quiet alone time together before digging into dinner together as a family.  It was perfect.

After dinner we went to the gardens where our wedding reception was three years ago.  They have an incredible Christmas display where they decorate a zillion trees with different traditions from around the world.  It is beautiful.  And in one of the conservatories, there is a Polar Express train that chugs along a lighted track above your head...Newbie LOVED the train.  Santa's kinda regretting not getting him a train track after seeing how much he loved the one he saw last night.  Oh well, there's always his b-day in April! 

Checking out the trains...

We took a picture as a family of three where we had our picture taken three years ago as a family of two...

and then we ventured outside to see the lights in the gardens, but it was way too chilly, so we went back inside to check out more trees and see the miniature train. 

 Newbie was completely into the sparkly lights and the shiny ornaments. I think his mouth hung open the entire night.  =)

We had SUCH a fun evening!  When we got home, the Hubs and I busted out the peppermint ice cream and Christmas Vacation. It was perfect!

Today we're having Newbie's fake Uncle C over for lunch, then the Hubs is venturing down to his workshop to crank out a few last minute Christmas gifts while Newbie and I rest up for the big weekend! 

Hope you all have a terrific Thursday!

Three years ago today...

Three years ago today I was...

getting all dressed up...

adjusting a veil...

dancing with my sister...

and preparing to marry my groom.



Three years ago today he was...

playing soccer in the church hallway

making some last minute adjustments to our reception music

dancing in his spandex

and preparing to marry his bride.

Three years ago today...

we got hitched.

And I have loved every minute of being his bride.


Happy Three Year Anniversary, Papa Bug! 

I love you forever.

[professional images created by http://wwwtrudyholtzphotography.com]

Chunky sweater/chunky thigh combo

This little boy was SO good today!

We made an impromptu trip to the mall full of Christmas shopping crazies, and ended up spending the entire afternoon shopping with G-Mama.  We had so much fun, and I snagged a few last minute gifts.  This year we're starting the Christmas Eve jammies tradition where Newbie gets to open a new pair of pj's on Christmas Eve to sleep in that night.  Except Santa Ramsey may or may not have found an awesome deal on some new pj's for Mama and Daddy-O this year too...  I was so excited!  I love pajamas. Love them.

Newbie rocked the chunky sweater today.  =)

The chunky sweater and chunky thigh combo was just too much for me- I had to snap a billion pictures before he scrambled into his jammies tonight.

I just love this little boy to pieces.

Tonight I'm trying to get up the guts to tackle the homemade Christmas gift I'm making for my sister.  I have put it off for five weeks now, and I'm definitely down to the wire.  I've heard it is a grueling task, so I've been avoiding my pile of fabric and my sewing machine like crazy, but I think tonight's the night.  Wish me luck!

Hope y'all are having a wonderful week before Christmas...enjoy each day this week and watch out for the Christmas crazies behind the wheel at the mall....yikes!

Is there such thing as a toe cast?

Whoa.  Newbie's got a new trick that I just HAD to delay doing laundry to stop and tell y'all about...

It all started yesterday.

We had a CrAzY afternoon/evening yesterday. 

The craziness began with a call from the Hubs saying his car wasn't working and he needed me to come pick him up from work.  So Newbie and I had to pack up and take off in the opposite direction of where we were headed to pick up the Hubs instead of attending our family Christmas Tea.  Sipping tea with the ladies would have been more fun than playing Taxi for the afternoon, but the Hubs was stranded, so we had to press on.  We have had to jump the coche a few times this week; it's not the first time that car has rained on our Christmas parade this December, and after the craziness of yesterday, I think it's safe to say Santa will be bringing us a new car battery this year.  Awesome. 

The craziness continued when I attempted to break three of my toes on the vacuum cleaner late last night.  We put Newbie to bed and went downstairs, but he was protesting over the monitor, so I hustled up the stairs in the dark to rock him for a while.  When I reached the top of the stairs, Newbie's voice escalated and so did my pace.  As I sped up, I kicked the vacuum cleaner that was lurking mischievously in the shadows of the hallway waiting to further ruin what had already been a nuts-O day.  There was yelling and gnashing of teeth and I'm pretty sure I went down into the fetal position at the top of the stairs.  The Hubs came to the rescue, and I hobbled into Newbie's room to console my sleepy little elf.

THAT'S WHEN I SAW IT....

he was SITTING UP in the middle of his crib!

Yes, he was whimpering and ready to be held, but the important thing to note is that he is officially moving from his belly and his back to a sitting position all by himself!  I had seen him do it a couple times throughout the day yesterday, but last night was cRaZy because he's NEVER sitting up in his crib- he's never been able to do it on his own before!  It makes the whole bedtime saga a lot more pathetic and heartbreaking because now he can sit up and look around and wake himself up more, whereas before he could only lie on his back or belly after we set him down. 

So there he was, sitting up in the middle of his crib, binky in one had, tears in the other, waiting for Mama and Daddy-O to change their minds and decide it wasn't really bedtime after all. Which we didn't.  Because Mama had three toes to ice and Daddy-O had some serious video game aspirations.  But I did pick him up and rock him to sleep before heading back downstairs.  He had a great night's sleep and is rearing and ready to practice more tricks this morning!

With daylight came the revelation that my toes are not broken.  But they did make a fantastic excuse for the Hubs to bring me an evening snack while I propped my feet up under some frozen corn last night.  I won't say they aren't sore, or that I'll be kicking a vacuum again any time soon, but they are certainly not in the dire straights they were in last night.  Which is a good thing.  Because I still have a little bit of Christmas crafting to do, and I need all digits accounted for.

I'm off to tackle more mountains of laundry.  I'm hoping to get the house clean, the laundry done, and everything put away before Wednesday, when the Hubs is officially on Christmas break for five solid days.  I can't WAIT to have him home for Christmas!  I can't get enough of that guy.

On to the laundry. 

Wishing you all a very merry Monday morning!

Santa! My, what a crusty beard you have!

It was about 9:00 Saturday morning when the Hubs called to tell me he the jolly 'ol elf had called in sick and that he was next in line.

I would be lying if I denied a sense of pride when I found out my husband would be playing Santa Claus. That sense of swelling pride was fleeting because following behind it was a minor freak-out about how nasty a rental Santa costume must be.  And the suit did not dissapoint.

The Hubs said the paper work in the rental Santa suit was from the 60's, and he was pretty sure the thing hadn't been washed since then.  Also, can someone please come check out his rash?  Because he's got something going on that "ain't been identified yet." (Name that Christmas movie!)

Just kidding. 

No rash.  (Much to my surprise.)

I would tell you all about the crusty yellow glue I spied in his mustache or the crunchy texture of the fur cuffs, but instead I'll let the pictures do the talking. 

All heebie jeebie "where has this suit been living for the past 364 days?" aside, we had a blast watching Newbie's first experience visiting Santa Claus.  He warmed up to him quickly when he recognized Daddy-O's voice, but would occasionally forget who's lap he was in and start crying because there's only so long anybody wants to sit on someone's knee while whack-o's yell and jump and sing and dance trying to get you to smile for one decent picture.  I found myself over-compensating for Newbie's lack of smile, but at least we look relatively happy, right?! 

 

 

And to all, a good night!