and then it was December...

I picked the kids up from the last day of "school." It was terribly cold but not snowy.

Isabella got a cookie from her teacher and by the time we got home, it was a ziploc bag of powder, literally. She completely pulverized it in all her excitement to eat it. She does the same sort of thing to m&m's. Tries to "save" them until they are a melty mess.

Jack is looking forward to winter break and staying warm!

A passenger seat full of teacher gifts. I thought about buying them all apple vests with pencil buttons...but alas, I decided on something a little less "teacherly."

We stopped on the way home to mail our cards...one of my favorite parts of the holiday!front

inside


We went to Tommy's parents to see Santa come on the firetruck. Both of my kids were scared of him. My mom says I was, too.

Jack is saying "Get away guy! I don't care what you have in your sack! Unless it's breastmilk, I don't want it!"

Isabella and Chase, all bathed and in pajamas sharing some cookies and milk and a kiss.

We enjoyed some downtime and some playing...

And some special treats such as breakfast out with daddy!

Anything she can dip in cream cheese is fine by her!

Isabella tries out her new pink baby "stro-der" on baby Jack.

He fits, but he is not a fan....

And we put up our tree and admired it often. The kids were both enthralled by the lights but careful not to pull on it. What happens to every mother happened to me this year....they both brought home the ol' paste and paper ornaments with a poem that made me cry and I displayed them right smack dab in the front of the tree...they were, in fact, my favorite ornaments this year.
I'm beginning to realize how our tree growing up became a big mess of paper, pictures, popsicle sticks, and yellowed glue. To a mom, they are priceless. Far more valuable than anything else on the tree.

And then came Thanksgiving...

with so much to be thankful for!

We had a full 4 days of celebrating...first with my mom and her sode of the family, then with Tommy's family, and then a long weekend spent with Dad and Unky and Aunt Libby who flew in under the wire (so close to the cut off for flying while pregnant.) We had a wonderful time at each place and had many discussions about how thankful we are to God for all that he has provided. It's amazing when you thing about the blessings...there have been so many. It's certainly a time of year to pause and reflect on what a wonderful family we have.
I seem to only have taken pictures during the weekend so I have no photos of any of the delicious meals we had. Perhaps I was too busy feeding myself and Jack??

Jack gets a kiss from dada!

Ella and Pop Pop put to use an early Christmas gift (the Bose docking station...I know, I know...they've been out for years...we just caught up!)
Tommy and I are sad to learn that our daughter's new favorite song is Pokerface. Inappropriate? Yes.

Here, she has suckered pop pop into dancing with her again! She has also lost her pants and is wearing the new croc sandals that she suckered pop pop into buying her at the mall kiosk earlier that day. She thinks they are "big girl dance shoes."
Pop Pop is a sucker for all things Ella.

Oh how this one melts my heart. Jack and Unky play in the sun streaming in from the window.

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And then we did some maternity photos right before Justin and Libby left for the airport. I haven't had time to sift through and edit but this one caught my eye and I had to edit it right then. I love it.
And...if you're wondering...the baby has arrived and I will hurry to try to get to that part of our story so she can be properly announced!

I'm interrupting my planned "catch up" series to add this song. I don't think another song has touched me to the point that I think I would've changed the song we danced to at our wedding...but this one does. I heard it today in the car (not for the first time) and no other song reminds me of Tommy more than this one does.

sure do love you babe.

two

(In an attempt to better keep up with this blog in 2010, I'm going to back up and catch up!)

Let's pretend like it is November 09, shall we? Our baby girl turned two and we celebrated with a Candy Shop party....because, well, she loves candy!

(Of course, photos are out of order....but it took long enough to upload them, I'm certainly not going to try to rearrange them!)
double click for full size
lollipops in the front yard

a special note in the kitchen from brother jack
Isabella's candy store...with all of her favorite varieties and then some!
Tommy's brainchild idea...it was seriously the hit of the party and I never even thought of it. We ordered it the day before! It was a perfect place to burn off the sugar buzz.

no one loved it more than she did! she must've yelled "Yook, Mommy! Bouncing!" one thousand times! This is my favorite photo of her from the day...sun in her hair and that beautiful smile.

cousin chase monkeying around in the bounce house

the birthday girl gets a lift into the bounce house from daddy and uncle chris

opening gifts with mommy and daddy

not quite sure about her cupcake...not quite sure about food, in general, actually!

her "boyfriend" from school picked out his favorite candy to fill his goody bag before he left. (And I added a toothbruch to each bag to combat the unhealthiness of the whole theme!)

Tutu, mommy, and Isabella....

filling a treat bag for some little party attendee...

some adult food

the candle prompted her to say "hot, hot, hot" over amd over again. at least we know we've driven home the point that fire is hot and it will burn you! ha!

her signature back arch that is usually folled by "gee out peez."

harper and walt investigate the jelly bean lined path up to the front door

the cupcake cake tower

grandparents survey the buffet

trying to open some smarties

tutu restocks the appetizers

here she is again...bouncing!

giving pop pop a taste of her cupcake

more gifts...

spoiled by her friends and family

and still more bouncing...and she cried and cried when they came to deflate it and load it up that evening. I think she thought we had gotten it for her as a gift! Pretty sure the neighbors are glad we didn't.

close up of the candy jars and photo labels

eating a cupcake for dinner after all of her friends left.

overall, a very "sweet" birthday! the weather was beautiful and unseasonably warm for late November and no one choked on candy or was injured in the bouncy...so a success by our standards! Isabella thoroughly enjoyed the day and continued to request "Happy Birthday" as her bedtime song way into December.
As for her being two, we simply can't believe it. We love her more each day and continue to be amazed at the little person she is developing into.

for my father in law

Since it's your birthday week...and you always do so much for others...I decided to carve out some time today to sift through the hundreds of photos of all 7 of your grandchildren to find the very best one I could...and even though it isn't the greatest (you know how hard it is to get all 7 doing the same thing!) I wanted to edit it for you and post it here along with a thank you for just being you. You are very special to me because you (and Sue, of course) raised the man of my dreams. Each time he carries my suitcase, opens my door, helps me with the kids, empties the dishwasher, runs my bath, etc....I am reminded of what a wonderful father you are to have taught him all of these things. I don't tell you often enough that I am thankful for all that you have done...and for all that you continue to do. And I hope this photo suffices for the time being...in a couple of years when they are all old enough to bribe with candy...we'll get an excellent one. Until then, this one will have to do. I also ordered you an enlargement for your office. Love you!grandbabies, July 09

Here are some very subpar, indoor Halloween photos for some inquiring family members (unky&aunt lib).
Though I had envisioned us pulling the kids in a wagon down our beautiful tree lined street...it just didn't pan out. Naptime ran over into the neighborhood party and the temperatures fell rapidly. We decided, instead, to go to our family party early where Isabella could at least play with her cousins. She did go to a few houses with the crew and Tommy said she really liked it (I stayed back with Jack) and we found out that, just as we expected, she was petrified of masks and face paint. It was fun to make her costume and then see her in it. If they weren't the custest little princess and monkey, I don't know who was!
Hope yours was fun and filled with sweet treats!