Happy New Year

Merry Christmas and Happy New year folks! 

We had a fabulous 2011 Christmas with lots of family and friends... 

We did not have a family photo made this year nor did we send out cards :( 

Bad me! 

But we did get yet another cutie pie pic of the kid with Santa. 

He loves that guy! 

After spending almost a week visiting family in both Western PA and NE Tennessee... 

we returned home to see what Santa had left for our boy!

He left a note for Santa, ONE cookie, and a bit of water. 

I suggested milk but nope, water was definitely what Santa wanted according to Abram!

He insisted on wearing his reindeer jam-jams to bed and couldn't wait till morning...

He ensured his manger scene was setup just how he wanted before he tromped off to bed. We've been talking more about the baby Jesus this season and he's having a hard time grasping it.

I took him to a birthday party for Jesus with the mom's church through our church.

He kept asking "Is Jesus coming??" I explained I doubt he would, he was busy in heaven, with God.

"He's not coming to his own birthday party?!"

Well No and I was pondering a deeper explanation when Abram said -

"Well how am I supposed to ask him if I can have some cake?!"
It was really all about the cake ha:) 

Isn't that manger scene just precious? I kept it on the bottom shelf of a cabinet so he could play with it and rearrange it daily - and he did! 

Santa wrapped some of his presents - and some others he had sitting out, ones that appeared to be too much trouble to wrap - 

We ended up taking more video with our flip video camera on christmas morning - so that meant way less pictures! But it was an awesome morning full of excitement and joy and surprise:) 

He adored every little present he got from Santa! Especially Buzz:) 

I even made some homemade sticky buns using canned biscuits - and they were G.O.O.D. I think thats going to be a tradition, those there sticky buns - yumo! 

Sharing & Spitting

Before Nap, we read "What's Fair is Fair" featuring Piggy and Kermit. 

The book ends with some questions I ask the kid: 

Me: Have you ever shared something that was important to you? 

Kid: No! shaking his head... 

Me: How did it make you feel? okay, not applicable. 

Me: Do you like it when your friends share with you? 

Kid: Nodding, Oh yes! 

Me; Why do you think it's important to share? 

Kid: So people can play with stuff!

Kid: But really mommy, you shouldn't spit. 

Me: Um, true. You shouldn't. 

Kid: Yea, you shouldn't spit. on people, or walls, or the floor, or on lights. or even on Christmas trees

Me: Very good point. You haven't been spitting have you? 

Kid: No! No! 

Me; Never?? 

Kid: nope. Never. 

Santa Comes Thru

Each year Santa comes to our neighborhood. 

On a fire truck!

and the fire truck runs its siren as it goes through every street in the township. 

All morning. 

And it just so happens to always be on a morning when I'm trying to sleep in. 

Lovely. 

It happened last year. 

And whadda ya know?

Again this year. 

I'm a lucky gal what can I say? 

But the kid loves it... 

and waits for him in his Jammies each year! 

Santa greets each boy and girl on the street and hands out Candy Cans. 

Not Candy Canes. 

Candy Cans, per Abram:) 

I took him to a parade later that day. 

That was 45 minutes late starting. And it was 22 degrees. 

We left early and I didn't have one bit of guilt over it either!

Honestly, how many times does he need to see Santa! 

Finally - Our Tree!

Last year, we spent the day on a christmas tree farm getting the tree, riding a horse and sleigh, cutting our own tree down, blah blah blah. 

It was fun. And incredibly cold. And long. 

This year - we had our tree on the car in about 20 minutes. 

And in the house another 20 minutes later. 

Sometimes the simple really is better. 

Way better. 

Some special ornaments this year: 

the kid's disney ornament from my mom and dad... 

And the ornament from our first Christmas together as a married couple - 10 years ago:) 

Husband often claims I am not festive - or I am Bah Hum Bug. 

Which is just not true.

I just don't like to put up Christmas decorations. 

That doesn't mean I don't have the Christmas spirit folks! 

I shop. I wrap. I'm happy. I play Christmas Music! 

What more do we need? 

We'll apparently a tree. and lights. Decorations. and a whole slew of other things I just don't know about. 

So for our tree decorating night - I insisted we play Christmas music, drink egg nog, and roast Chestnuts. 

Festive right? Very Christmas-spiritish of me I thought!

The egg nog was awesome. The music good. and the chestnuts Gross. 

Who really bothers roasting those things on an open fire? 

Quick Weekend Trip

We took a quick weekend get away to Western PA this weekend. 

So Husband could watch this: 

For some reason, seeing it in person, live, is just way better than TV. 

And so the Kid could do this: 

Pointing out a few Christmas Wishes to his Memaw!

Now - I'm Hoping to get the tree up very soon! 

And then there were 4!

Picture Made on Oct 1, 2011: 

 Picture Made on Nov 24, 2011: 

Picture Made on Dec 1, 2011: 

The night we told Abram I was pregnant, he was so excited! grinning, clapping, and laughing. 

The next morning: "Well?!?! Where is it??!" he asked. 

He told me yesterday: 

"I will read the baby books. but only one I know because I don't know how to read. And I'll talk to the Baby but the baby will just say "bah bah bah" to me. Cause thats what babies do." 

He's holding strong for a boy but when his teacher asked him at school if it was a boy or girl he said: 

We don't know yet but really - God decides. and gave a big sigh like 'oh great' lol... 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from my silly family to yours! 

Disney

I put off blogging for one reason. 

I have a terribly hard time picking which pictures to put on! 

We take so many. I have LOTS of choices. 

and its so hard to pick just a few. 

This post. Disney. 

How do you pick 'just a few'? 

We were gone 7 days, spent 5 days at Disney Parks.

I have so many pictures, I don't know if I have even seen them all? 

But I guess I'll hit the high points. 

The trip was awesome. 

My parents were with us for a few days and we were thrilled to have them join us;) 

My mama is vacation planner queen so her help is Huge! 

And my dad is so low maintenance on what we do, you hardly know he's there... 

Abram knew they were there. and loved it. As we did! 

Breakfast with Mickey is a must. 

The food rocked. and a guaranteed meet and greet with the characters was well worth it too! 

We hope to go back. In about 5 years. 

That should give us ample time to rest up! 

A few more photos of our trip below... 

Airplane Ride to Florida - Lots of kids on the flight.  they all cheered when we took off and again when we landed! So fun!

A hug from Donald... He loved the Breakfast so much he could hardly eat... 

Waiting on the nighttime parade and fireworks!

All of us with Minnie! 

Epcot Phone Booth. Abram said "what is that thing? Why is the phone in that box?"  

Digging for dinosaur bones with Dad at Animal Kingdom...

A Major highlight of his trip - meeting Lightning McQueen at Hollywood Studios!

He rode the teacups. Only about 22 times. 

And he had one of these every. single. day. As did his Mama!

Oh and one final note - do not take a 3 1/2 year old into "Its a Bugs Life". He was NOT. A. FAN. 

Halloween Repeat

He had only been asking for two months. 

When is Halloween? 

How much longer until Halloween? 

I had never had a kid anticipating something so desperately and couldn't believe his excitement over something MONTHS away! 

Finally - it was here. Halloween!

Halloween starts with the Township Fall Festival which includes a Halloween Parade... 

The kid willingly put on his dinosaur costume though I saw the urge for last years outfit. 

It didn't help matters that Sid the Science Kid was a Bat on his Halloween episode this year. 

That made being a Bat seems WAY more cool than the dino costume, for sure.

It also didn't help that people kept calling him an alligator at the festival. 

The kid looked with puzzled eyes, like "who are they talking to?" because HE was a dinosaur. 

Two LONG days later... Halloween arrived. 

There was no doubt. 

I am going to be a BAT. 

Again I say? 

Yes, I really really really wanna be a Bat mommy... 

And a bat he was. A darn good one. 

The dinosaur costume will still fit next year. This one won't. 

Hurricane Hills!

As usual, we enjoy hitting up Hurricane Hills Farm just up the road... 

We met our friends and their son there and made a whole morning of it! 

First up was the pig race, a new addition to the activities this year. 

We were rooting for Kevin Bacon but I think Britney Spare Ribs pulled ahead at the last moment. 

The kid enjoyed the tractor cow ride this year whereas last year he cried hysterically the whole ride - and yes, i still made him ride it out! :-) 

Hayride out to the pumpkin patch.... 

Of course he didn't want one right in front of him but the one waaayyy over there! 

We went home with two large ones and two itty bitties:) 

But not before taking his turn on the mini tractors  --

And running through the corn maze so fast that he almost got lost - grrr!

Mommy was not. happy. Dad snagged him up and i got a quick pic. 

The only other highlight of the day was that we planned to picnic there for lunch. 

and who forgot that little fact completely - but me. 

Our friends were nice enough to split up their many snacks and lunch and we all shared:) 

Tennessee Travels

We have been so darn busy around these parts - I've had no spare time to sit down and log all this fun:) 

Early October, we made a trip to Tennessee, just me and the little guy, to have a long weekend visit with the family... and the scenery! 

We had amazing weather and great company:) 

Abram got to see Deer almost every morning, in my parents front yard... 

And this is the view from their deck - beautifiul!

We ventured over into North Carolina for a morning at the Mast General Store...

Trying on silly hats with Papaw:) 

And we managed to be there for game day too - Notice all the TN Orange?

A break from the game... 

He kept getting mixed up and yelling "Go Steelers!" haha.... 

I think he finally got in a "Go Vols" by the end of it all! 

My personal favorite moments were - reading time with Papaw.... 

and the outdoor time at my mom and dads... 

There's nothing quite like being in the country!