New Years Eve

Happy 2009!

New Years Eve we invited some friends over to celebrate since we were sans children. My wonderful mother-in-law watched our girls and our nephews and niece so Ryan and I and his brother and fiance and our friends could have an evening free of kids. It was so wonderful to not have to worry. Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures.

Our New Years kiss
Tiffany and I at 2 a.m.
Our night was fun. We mainly just hung out at our house and played Guitar Hero World Tour until after midnight and then headed to the casino near our house. We played a few table games and were in bed by 4 a.m. I can tell I'm not 22 anymore. ;)
I hope everyone had a fabulous and safe New Years. I'm looking forward to what this year brings. I'm sure it will be one of the best yet!

Christmas Eve and Day

Christmas was about 3 weeks ago already and it seems like such a blur. It amazes me how fast it creeps up on you and then it's over just like that.

Christmas Eve we went to my grandparents house, as we do every year, and have a wonderful family dinner and spend the evening together. It's pretty full with family! It's my grandparents, their three daughters and their spouses, and then each of my aunts have two kids and all of our spouses and children as well. It can get pretty full in my Grandparent's house! This year it wasn't too big though. My uncle and my cousin for instance had to work and my aunt's four step-sons went to their mom's house for Christmas Eve. We missed everyone who was unable to come and hopefully next year we can all be together.

Ryan had to work on Christmas Eve, but thankfully got off early so he was able to come home and pick the girls and I up. I love watching him feed Gracie. It's nice that I get my hands free, but also to watch a Daddy hold his baby girl. I find myself staring at him and Gracie and wondering what the two of them are thinking as they stare at each other. It's like they have this inner communication that only the two of them can pick up. It's really sweet.
Payton absolutely loves being with her cousins. She tends to play a little rougher, but I think that's because they are boys. She always gets them to do whatever she wants though, like Ring around the Rosey.

Our family
Ryan and I were the only ones ready to smile.

My cousin Megan and I with Gracie

My cousin is going to school in Arizona, so this was the first I was able to see her since July.

Trent and Kaden

After dinner we tend to relax for five minutes and then the kids are ready to open up presents. I remember being that way when I was little. I've been going to my Grandparent's house for Christmas Eve since I was a baby, so it's so fun to see my kids there now. Anxiously waiting to open up gifts and hoping that people eat their dinner fast.

Gracie fell asleep during dinner so she wasn't around for the present opening madness.

She woke up just as we were packing things up to leave.

After we left my Grandparents, we headed home to put the girls to bed before Santa arrived that night.

The next morning on Christmas day, we all came down stairs around 7 o'clock and Payton was so excited to see gifts under the tree and her stocking full of goodies.

Gracie wasn't too sure what to think. She loved everything that was handed to her, whether it be paper or a toy. Anything makes that girl happy!

I walked Payton over to Santa's cookie try and cup and showed her the crumbs that he left and that the milk had been drank. I'm not sure she quite understood that he came while she was asleep, but it's a fun tradition to start now.

After stockings, we dove into the gifts. This year it was all about the girls, as it should be. Ryan and I decided to not get each other anything and have fun spoiling the girls. Well of course we couldn't settle for getting each other nothing, so we got two gifts each. ;)

As soon as Payton had come downstairs, she saw the blanket hiding something. We made her wait until stockings were open to unveil what was underneath. Here she is taking a peak and unveiling it.

Payton's big girl bike!

Gracie opening up one of numerous toys

Daddy and Gracie and another toy

Me and Gracie

She only cared about the paper

Gracie's favorite gift and least expensive!

Me and my girls! I love them so much! This had to have been the best Christmas ever.

Payton riding her bike around the living room

The calm after the storm

After our house we headed over to Ryan's mom's house, as we do every year on Christmas day. It really works out nicely with my family for the Eve and Ryan's for Christmas day. It's fun to have two full days of family.

Our handsome nephew Cedrick

I have to call his name and not warn him that I'm taking a picture or he'll make a silly face!

Grammie and Gracie

Cassius's arm, Mia, Taunia, Payton, Brittany, Cedrick, Joanne and Gracie

The madness!!! All the kids got spoiled! it's so much fun to watch.

Gracie and aunti Britt

Cedrick and Cassius

Payton and I

Our beautiful neice Mia

Everyone onto round two for dinner.

Nathan, Cash, Mia, Taunia, Ryan and the back of Joanne

Christmas was fabulous! We all had a wonderful time spending it with family and remembering what the holiday is all about. It was also wonderful to have a white Christmas, I can't remember the last one we had.

Visit with Santa Claus

We took the girls to see Santa on December 23rd. We've been going to the same Santa since Payton was born and we plan on going back to him for awhile longer. It's a professional photographer who sets up "Santa's toyshop". The Santa is really good and definitely believable. Last year Payton wouldn't get near him and in her picture she is leaning as far away from him as she can, while still being in his arms. This year it was pretty much the same thing.

As you can see, Gracie is happy to be held by the jolly ol' man, but Payton can't get away from him fast enough! Thankfully Santa doesn't hold it against Payton and still brings a gift or five for her on Christmas morning. ;)

Snow, snow, and more snow!

It's been snowing everyday now for I can't even remember how long! The night of Friday the 12th I think was our first night of snow! I unfortunately forgot my camera over at my friend Hilary's house (see posting "hmm hmm yummy"), so I was sans camera for about a week until Hudson's (Hilary's son's) birthday party (see posting "Hudson's second birthday party").

Here's days 12 of snow at our house! Lola is in the far left corner running up the stairs. She's the black blob. I'm not sure how much snow we have now, a

Luke loves to lay in the snow. The dogs are in heaven with all of the white fluffiness and love it when Ryan throws snowballs towards them. They try to run and catch them. I love the snow as well, however it has put a major damper on getting things done for Christmas. Due to the icy roads and not being able to get down our road for a day or two, it made the UPS man not come for a total of four days due to it being the weekend as well. Now that Christmas is here, bring on the snow!

Yes, I let them in right after I took this picture.

I unfortunately don't have any pictures of Payton playing outside in the first snow of the season. I'll be sure to take some now that I have my camera and it's supposed to continue to snow for the next day or two!

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree

We've had our Christmas tree up since the end of November, so I figure it's about time I post about it. Ryan and I used to go out and cut a tree down, or purchase one for the local boy scout troops until a couple of years ago my grandparents purchased a new artificial one. They offered their old one to us, so of course I couldn't resist accepting it! So now every year, I take our tree out of the box and put each individual limb into the tree. It's a process, but it's well worth the work!

Our tree is decorated with ornaments that Ryan and I have collected through the years since we've been together. Every vaction we go on, I make a point to purchase an ornament. It's fun to look back and see an ornament from when we were in Chicago in 2003, or our first Christmas together in 2001 or our new home in 2003, Vegas in 2005 etc. There are also a few from each of our childhoods. There is one that Ryan made in 1983! It'll be fun to explain to Payton that her Daddy was 6 when he made it.Our tree is pretty bare with decorations towards the bottom. Payton likes to rearrange them or add her own decor to the tree. One night I found her sippy cup tucked towards the base of the tree, but at her level to where she could see it. I find Gracie's toys occasionally hanging off the tree as well! It's too funny!

We used to have a glass snowflake atop our tree, but it broke last year. My step mom embroidered this beautiful Angel for us! It's absolutely gorgeous and the picture doesn't do it any justice!! She completes our tree wonderfully!! Thank you Rosie for our Angel!!
Gracie likes to think that the tree and all of its ornaments are her personal mobile. She'll lay under it and look up at the decorations and lights. Thankfully she hasn't pulled any off or down onto her.

I can't believe that Christmas is tomorrow! Our tree is slowly filling up underneath with gifts for the girls from us and gifts for everyone else. I wonder how full it's going to be tomorrow after Santa comes! ;)

Hudson's second birthday party

Wednesday December 17th was Payton's good friend Hudson's second birthday. On Saturday, He invited us to celebrate it with him at the Children's Museum in Everett. This was our second time going to the Children's museum and it was so much fun!! It was only me and Payton who went, and it was nice for the two of us to have some mommy/daughter time! Birthday boy Hudson

Maddie (in polka dot dress), Jordan, Payton, and Paige (back of her head) doing "ring around the rosey"

I had to pull Payton away from the cake so she wouldn't try to blow out the candles.
Hmm.. hmm.. yummy

Jordan and Payton playing on the fire engine

.. Maddie, Jordan and Payton putting their shoes back on..

.. Payton collecting money at the ticket booth..

..at the Pizzaria..

..Climbing the rock wall..

..driving the tractor

There is so much fun stuff to do at the Children's museum. I couldn't even post all of the pictures that I took, there were way too many!! Thank you Hudson for inviting us to your party! Payton and I had a great time and we hope you had a wonderful second birthday!