Christmas 2010

Christmas with our boys gets better and better every year. They just get so excited, seriously a month before Christmas, they are counting down the days. We buy them each an advent calendar, so the chocolate they get everyday adds to the excitement. We are trying to establish our own family traditions with our boys. We drive around and look at Christmas lights at least once a week in December. This year Austin was the one who really expressed his delight every time he saw a house lit up with even the smallest amount of lights. We cut our own tree as well, and the last two years we have gone out to a little tree farm on the Nipomo Mesa. The boys love running around trying to find the perfect tree to cut down, strap to the top of our little car, and bring home to our house to decorate their little hearts out. We got most of our Christmas decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving, so we can enjoy all through the month of December.

As the week of Christmas approached, the boys could barely contain their excitement. We saw Santa and they both sat up on his lap and told him what they wished for for Christmas.
McLintocks has a Christmas party every year for their employees on Christmas Eve. They have a big lunch, Santa comes and hands out gifts to all the kids, and their is a reptile guy that comes and brings along a huge iguana and a gigantic snake. Last year, he brought an alligator, but I guess some laws have changed and now he isn't allowed to bring the alligator. This is a full sized alligator, not some tiny baby one. I am talking like 6 ft long, big mama alligator.... So we did that this year, and I so happy that Mike could join us this year for that.

Later that evening, we went over to my Dad's for a Christmas Eve dinner of prime rib. The boys opened a present over there and we headed home to wait for Santa's big arrival. We left Santa some cookies and milk. We left carrots for the reindeer. We also wrote letters to Santa. My Mom got to spend the night with us too, and that will be a new tradition for sure. It was so great to have her here to share in everything and it made her so happy to wake up with boys on Christmas morning.

We told the boys that they needed to come in to our bedroom in the morning before they headed out in the living room. I woke up around 6:45 and couldn't believe that they hadn't woken up yet. They were super tired from the night before. Ten minutes later though, I heard Kaden get up out of bed and head straight into Austin's room. A minute later, we heard them whispering to each other. I wish I could have gotten it all on video. It is just so precious. They came into our bedroom and we all went out together.



My brother was already there so he got to see them wake up to all their gifts too. That was Christmas for me, seeing them so excited and happy. It was magical for them, total and complete happiness.

After the morning at our house, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's house. We got to spend time with Uncle Ben, Uncle Andy, Kim, Aspen, Great Grandma, Papa, and Grandma. We did stockings and Santa came again. We had a really great time.

Overall, super fun Christmas! All the stress and anxiety was all worth it, to give that to our boys. That was all the gift I needed.

That is right, we are having another boy! We are really excited to meet our new son. The boys are anxious to meet him too!

Christmas Parade 2010

Every year the Sunday after Thanksgiving, Kaden's preschool participates in the annual holiday parade in the Village of Arroyo Grande. Kaden gets super excited about this. He gets to get his bike all decked out and he really loves riding in the parade. This year Austin was going to ride in the wagon in the parade too, but he got sick the night before. He had a high fever and was just not in shape to be out in the cold in the parade. We decided to take him down there anyway, since his fever had gone down. We had him sit in the stroller with us and watch the parade. Kaden was so stinkin cute riding his bike waving to all the people yelling "Merry Christmas"! Mike said he was the loudest one. I snuck up on him and got the most adorable picture of him riding his bike in the parade. I just love that he loves to do this!

Thanksgiving 2010

I am super bummed that I didn't get any pictures from Thanksgiving this year. I don't know what I was thinking! No scratch that, I know, I was cooking all day long!!!! We stayed home this year because the boys had been really sick with strep throat and we just didn't feel like traveling would be good for them. Mike and I decided to do Thanksgiving at our house and have my Mom and brother over. Papa and Grandma were away on a much needed vacation to San Francisco. My Mom came over early to help us and we just cooked our little booties off all day long. The night before Mike and I brined the turkey in a big 5 gallon bucket. Mike bbq'd the turkey the next day, it was the best, most flavorful juicy turkey ever. We will never cook another turkey any other way, and that includes brining it. It is really the key to a moist flavorful turkey. We had all the standard fixins. Turkey, mashed potatoes and Gravy, stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pie...It all turned out so good. I was really impressed with us!

This time last year my Mom had just been diagnosed with Ovarian cancer. It was a really hard time of year for us all. What a difference a year makes, she finished up her treatment in April this year and so far has been doing great. So this year was extra special for us and I found myself feeling more thankful than ever for her and her life. It was truly so special to have her over for dinner and to see her so healthy and full of life.

Brothers for life!

By far, the greatest thing about having these two boys so close in age is the relationship that they have formed. They are best buddies. Neither one of them feels right about being away from the other. I love that no matter what, they always have a friend. They fight over toys and who is touching the others things, but overall they really just love one another. It is the most great thing for Mike and I to see.