Merry Merry Christmas!!

After a long and I do mean long night....{we totally had to help Santa put together what seemed to be a thousand piece doll house}, sprinkle reindeer food outside with Ry, make cookies for Santa, taste cookies for Santa, drink some of Santa's milk, take 100 pictures because I am total nut, read the night before Christmas and the other 3 books Riley insisted on reading.....put together some more toys, fill stockings, clean the mess.....we finally got to crawl into our nice warm cozy bed.....only to wake about 5 hours later feeling as if we never even slept at all! Oh the joys of Christmas!! It makes it all worth it though when you see the look on your babies face when they see that Santa came and that the bicycle/doll house she has been talking about all month long really is here!! I can't wait for next year so Carson can enjoy it too! All he cared about was putting the wrapping paper in his mouth....which I guess for him was just as exciting, after all it's not everyday that he gets to swim in a sea of paper!

We had so much fun as a family opening gifts and seeing the smiles on the kids faces! We made some really great memories & started some new traditions of our own! I hope that everyone had a blessed holiday season filled with much happiness and love!!

More to come~

SMP

Santa's on his way!

This is it! The night we have been talking about for 30+ days!! Riley is so excited that tonight, Santa comes!! He packs up his sleigh, and gets ready to make his journey all the way to our house! Scout {our Elf on the shelf} has officially made his last appearance....thank goodness {it became a challenge to figure out where to put him next} OK so I'm not gonna lie there were even a few mornings where I was like yikes....quick----distract her so I can move him to a new spot!! ;) It was super cute watching her tiny eyes scale the room each morning looking for him! I highly recommend him to everyone with children....The Elf on the Shelf amazon.com!

SO we headed to Gramma & Papa's house for a Christmas Eve feast! It was fantastic!! Turkey & ham, corn, and green beans, sweeeeeet potatoes, and creamy homemade mashed potatoes, Yankee style bread dressing {we are from the North} rolls, pie, cheesecake, cookies coffee and more! I always over eat, but hey that's what the holidays are all about right? I always feel like in the month of December I gain the "freshman 15" you all know what I'm talkin' about!! But it is sooo worth it!

We had great company and conversations, the kids love to spend time with their grandparents, and had a blast opening gifts!! We made some really great memories and I am so blessed and thankful for my wonderful family! Love you guys!

An 11 year tradition!

I had a very awesome high school experience, and I had a lot of really great friends. Our senior year was the start of something that then, we had no idea would last this long nor become this special. It is the one time every year that we all get a chance to meet, eat, and catch up with one another and our oh~ so~crazy~lives! It has now been 11 years!! {Thanks Candace for all of your dedication & hard work all these years} She has hosted since the first one and always makes it so special for us!

This year was especially special because those of us who have a family now, were encouraged to bring them along! It was truly amazing to see everyone in Mommy mode! I have know some of these ladies for almost 20 years!! I hope that the tradition continues for many years to come, and I can't wait to see every one's families continue to grow!!

Oh What fun!

It is a really scary feeling when you meet someone and you have to mesh with their life....family....& friends! My husband {before he was my husband} had a fantastic group of friends, and still does. They all welcomed me with open arms, and truly made me feel so comfortable! We just seemed to bond right from the start! I was so happy that they always included me/us in their plans! William's Best friends parents have a really fabulous Christmas party every year! We look forward to it, not only because we get to spend time laughing and celebrating with some of our greatest friends, but because there is always a spectacular surprise for us! This year Elvis made a very special appearance. He was by far the best Elvis I have ever seen, or heard for that matter! He even had the silky sweat scarf, you know the one that all the ladies would fight for ;)

We laughed and shared stories, had some really amazing food, and sang and laughed some more, it was a wonderful night and was really so much fun! Here's to our great friends, and our fabulous friendship.....ones that we know will last a lifetime!!

All Aboard!

Friday night we headed to downtown Grapevine with Grammy and Grampie to take a magical ride on the {North Pole Express}.....of course much more {magical} when you are 2, but it was still a great time! All the kids are encouraged to come in their PJ's....it really is neat! Before we got on the train all the kids got to sing Christmas Carols. Riley was right in the front, she sang so well!! Even Santa made a mini appearance once we were on the train which made Riley's night. She even gave him a big farewell hug as he made his way back to our end!! She was so full of smiles and laughter!! Carson loved standing with his hands on the window and his cute little nose pressed up against the glass. Ry and Carson's best bud Linkoln came too, to share in on the fun.....Linkoln loved the choo-choo noise and got so excited when the whistle blew!! We can't wait to make it a yearly tradition for our families!




Since Ry was so happy to see Santa, we thought it might be a great time to sit her on his lap....I just knew she was going to lose it.....and well to my surprise she was great! She told him all that she wanted {and more} ;) she also told him to come down the chimney....QUICK and reminded him to be sure he eats his cookies & drinks all his milk! She was so sweet, Carson of course sat too, and Riley put in his request!

We said our goodbye's to Santa and made one last stop at the ponies.....of course she had to have a ride! Grampie did a great job helping Ry stay on her pony!! We will for sure be back next year!

Nelson's 2nd Annual Gingerbread House Party!

One of Riley's best friends started a tradition last year by having a gingerbread house party!! Riley just loved it! I am not sure which was more fun, the building or eating :) All of her best friends were there, and they all had so much fun together! Hallie's Mommy does such a fantastic job entertaining! Everything was just perfect....right down to the gingerbread place mats! She is so crafty and creative!

The girls did lots of crafts and played games, and decorated their houses with all the many different yummy treats! There were m&m's, sour balls, candy canes, chocolate chips, mini cookies, peppermints, marshmallows and shaved coconut for the snow! We are so happy to have such wonderful friends and can't wait for next years party!!

Ry and Morgan Belle

Riley and Morgan Belle

Girls Night Out!

This girls night was way over~due! So for Mandy's birthday we packed up the car, grabbed our best girl friends and a couple of bottles of wine and headed for....where else, PK of course!! It was a much needed, well deserved weekend full of laughter and crazy stories from the past. Sometimes it is fun to talk about and remember "those days"!

I am so incredibly thankful and blessed to have each and everyone of you in my life! You are all so very unique and special to me in your own way! Thanks for a fantastic time, I look forward to the next!!

Tis the season.....

Honestly, how does time slip by so? Before I know it months and months have gone by & I haven't blogged a bit! I enjoy it so much, but actually finding time to sit and type is near impossible these days. If I "did" new years resolutions this would sooo be one, but since I don't well.....I guess the occasional pop-in will have to do!

So I will start with little miss.....she is so amazing! Her vocabulary seems to grow by the minute. I can't even put into words how much I love her and love watching her grow! She lights up a room. Her {current loves} are; watching football with daddy....especially "romo", dougnuts on Saturday mornings, dora the explorer and tyrone from the backyardigans she is totally obsessed! Santa is obviously a big hit at the moment, and if you ask her what she is going to ask for she will proudly tell you a bikickel {yes, she says it just as it is spelt} and a doll house. Daddy has made arrangements with Santa to make sure that both items make it here Christmas day!

She is extremely comical, there is never a dull moment. She is loving her baby brother more and more, but is still trying to adjust to his extreme mobility.....oh and the sharing thing. We are still working on the sharing thing ;)

My baby C or "CP" as his uncle Sammy calls him, which I totally love {I don't think I have mentioned that to him yet!} He is the only one who calls him that....so cute! He is changing so much! The crawling is for sure in full effect, along with the standing, climbing, clapping, babbling! He is strikingly handsome.....totally my personal opinion, but just take a peek for yourself! His {current loves} are; whole sweet potatoes, ham, cheese, yogurt.....and well just about anything he can put in his mouth, standing in Riley's big girl chair....{a total no~no must be why he loves it so}, music, banging on anything and everything and his paci.....oh we should have never given him that thing, the kid is addicted and I am having a bit of anxiety just thinking about having to take it away. He loves, loves his mama, I have always heard that boys love their mommy's and boy is it true.....a total plus for me!!

We are so excited for Christmas, this year will be exceptionally fun since Riley understands it a little more than last! She can't wait to put the reindeer food on the lawn Christmas Eve and to leave Santa his cookies and cold milk....YUM! Here are some recent photos! Hopefully I will be blogging again....soon!

Some catching up!

I have been the worst blogger lately.....Things have been really crazy busy here! We just returned from a week long vaca to the Bahamas. It was absolutly amazing! The water was crystal clear, the weather could not have been more perfect, the resort was one of the most kid friendly places I have ever been, and it was our anniversary! We took "Auntie Jackie" along so she could help us with the kids! It was nice to have a chance to spend some really great quality time together! Riley loved, loved the beach. She loved the sand and the waves and being in the sun! Carson.....not so much! He hated the sand, hated the crashing sound of the waves and hated the sun! They both did fantastic though and adjusted well! We created memories that will last a lifetime! Here are some pics!

Happy Halloween!!