Three gifts

Something I didn't include in my Christmas post is what I got for Christmas.

Russ had my blog printed into a book!

I absolutely LOVE it! I use to be a scrapbooker but have essentially given up on it because it can be very time consuming and {if you're like me} a huge mess. So I look at this blog like my way to scrapbook and document the important/exciting or not so exciting things in our lives. It will be a gift I cherish for ever!

Russell's parents gave us a coffee pot!

It seems like ever since B was born we started drinking more coffee {hmm I wonder why}. We were desperately in need of a new coffee maker. I love that it has a craft and Russ can brew it at 6:30am and it's still warm by the time I get to it around an hour, hour and a half later. And it is programable! 

My parents gave me this a sewing machine!

I am not a huge sewer but I enjoy it and would love to do more so when I opened this {or when T and B opened this for me} Christmas morning I was pretty excited! I have been using my Grandmother's old Singer {like really old} which I love but it only sews in a straight line {not even zig zag} and it has a really wide base which made it hard to do smaller things. I can't wait to start sewing more!

Christmas 2011

It was another busy Christmas week!
We headed to Medford the Wednesday before Christmas. It was a fun week of visiting family, friends, shopping, baking and even hosting a baby shower for my sister!

My dad's birthday is Christmas Eve. Usually my mom makes a lunch or dinner to celebrate my dad's birthday. This year we went out to lunch at one of my dad's favorite places {and mine too! I'm sure I have mentioned it before} I think my dad is lucky that his birthday is on Christmas Eve because he always gets to spend it with us! {we rarely see my mom for her birthday}
After birthday lunch we headed over to Russell's parents to hang out and give Blake a nap before church. For church this year we went to Table Rock Fellowship. It was a simple Christmas Eve service with lots of Christmas Carols and a short message of the true meaning of Christmas. Blake had to sit on our laps the whole time and did surprisingly well!
From there we headed to my Aunt and Uncle's annual {I think it happens almost every year, if not every other} Christmas Eve open house. There we were able to see even more extended family!
Before bed the boys helped Grandpa open his birthday gifts.

"What is it Grandpa!!"

It's a remote control garbage truck!

After that it was pj time!

 {I tried to get one good picture of them, Christmas Eve in their new Christmas PJs, this is the best I got}

Christmas morning the boys woke up to this...

The Cars tent was for Tristan and the Little People Rampway was for Blake.

Even Grandpa got in the tent!

Then we headed down to the Spani's for breakfast and to open gifts.

 Blake opening his stocking

Yummy Christmas morning breakfast

After gifts at the Spani's we headed over to Russell's parents for our second Christmas morning!

 Blake got a kitchen from Nana and Grandpa!

It amazed me that he used a pot holder to remove the pan from the oven.

This is his "thank you everyone for all my fun new toys!" face.

Christmas dinner was at my parents house with both sides of our family!

They knew who to go to to get the good stuff!

 Mom and Dad

 The Family
{this is a rare occasion that we are all in a picture together}

It was a fun busy Christmas this year!

Two Christmas Traditions: PJs and Cookies!

Growing up my sister and I were given one gift Christmas Eve. That gift was always new pjs. Then we would wear our usually ways matching pjs Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning. Now our boys get new jammies for Christmas Eve! Though this year we let them open their new pjs a few days before Christmas so they could wear them longer {makes much more sense, especially if they are Christmas jammies!}

They were pretty excited to open a present.

They boys in their new Christmas pjs all ready for bed!

Almost every year a couple days before Christmas we decorate sugar cookies with my cousins.

 Ali and Kayla

 Blake had more fun eating the icing

 Tristan

He enjoyed eating the icing too but was better at getting it on the cookie before putting it in his mouth.

I love our family traditions!

Merry Christmas!

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men. 

Luke 2:8-14

And that's the true meaning of Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Zoo Lights

Last Friday after I got of work, Blake and I headed up to Portland. 

Russ was in Montana for the weekend for the annual River Design Group Christmas Party and the Stevenson family {my sister} had just arrived to town and were staying at my Aunt and Uncle's in Tualatin. It worked out great to go spend the weekend with them! 

The boys had so much fun playing with each other, it was hard when it came time to say good-bye for a few days. 

Saturday Michelle and I took the boys to Zoo Lights!

It was so cold FREEZING!!!

The poor boys were so bundled up that they could hardly move.

Blake didn't enjoy that so much.

 Buddies

 It was nearly impossible to get a picture of them both looking at the camera.

 They loved all the lights!

We lasted at the Zoo for about an hour and a half. Which considering the freezing temperatures, I thought that was pretty good.

It was such a fun weekend! The boys had so much fun together. When we got in the car to get Russ from the airport Sunday morning and Blake realized T wasn't going to be coming with us he looked at me and said "no" in this sad disappointed like where's-my-friend voice. It was pretty much heart breaking. The good new is we get to spend almost a week together next week for Christmas before they head home across the country.

{Not sure if you can tell in the pictures and for some reason I have yet to mention this, but.... my sister is pregnant with #2 and due the beginning of February with another boy! So excited to be an Auntie again! And another boy who would have thought soon there will be 3 boys under 3! Crazy!}

18 months!!!

Blake had his half Birthday last Wednesday! 

I can hardly believe that he is already one and a half. 

Or maybe, its that I can not believe in just six short months he will be two. 

 Taking his picture is still a challenge...

 He doesn't like to hold still

And he loves climbing on things.

Love that smile!

Blake stats:

Weight: 21lbs. 9 oz. {15th percentile}

Length: 31in {5th percentile}

He's still a little guy!

He has six teeth. Four up top, two on bottom.

He can say: dada, mama, Re-Re {Raven}, ball, hot, no, uh-oh, oh no, bye, wow. 

He knows where his ears, eyes, mouth and nose are.

He can sign for more, all done and please.

He is becoming quite the little helper and loves to find things to put in the garbage.

He can feed himself pretty well using a spoon or fork.

He is becoming more of a picky eater... he still isn't liking the vegetables.

We have started using time out when he does something he knows he shouldn't {like unrolling the toilet paper or pulling the Christmas ornaments off the tree}

He sleeps about 7:30pm-7am and has finally dropped the first nap and just takes one nap in the afternoon for about  2 hours. Occasionally he'll just rest in the morning in his crib for a half hour or so but doesn't fall asleep.

He loves going to work with me and playing with the kids his age!

He still goes to sleep with "night night" his blanket every night.

I can't believe he's one and a half. It's just crazy how fast they grow! 

We LOVE you Blake!