It's Christmas Time!

This sums up our Christmas.....hope everyone's was as great as our was!!

There No Such Thing as a "Perfect Picture"

Try as I might, each Christmas I attempt to get that"perfect shot".  That "Norman Rockwell-esqe" family photo under the Christmas Tree - with the children all dressed in their finest.  I have found it to be impossible. The 2 olders are used to the torture, but with the never-sitting-still 19 month old and a grumbling hubby who mumbles something about this being 'ridiculous' under his breath behind me, it turns into a nightmare.

 let's try him behind you too - maybe he won't escape.

no.

 let me get in the picture and hold him in my lap?

no.

 maybe if I hold him a little tighter?

no.

 cause then he will just slam his head into that big Christmas necklace you are wear, bruising your chest.

 well, now I am getting comfy, mom.

 not for long bubba.

 so, with all that pain & suffering (mainly by me), I did manage to capture a few sweet moments.

Next year, I just need to give it up and realize I'm never gonna capture the perfect shot.  These ones a way better!!

Merry Christmas 2010

Top Ten Moments Christmas Card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Most Busy Time of Year

Every year I want Christmas to be a relaxing, joyous time.  But who am I kidding?  If I gave up the many parties, the baking, the Christmas Card addressing, the shopping, the Christmas programs, the Christmas light shows.....maybe, just maybe it would be.

It is such a busy time of year.  I try to find as many fun things to make this a special season for my kiddos.  I want them to have such wonderful memories of Christmas.  I figure, once they are grown and gone, I will miss all this hustle & bustle.

So for now, once again, I will rejoice in the busy-ness:

 the special "holiday" program that Sissy prepared 2 months for

 we sang about Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, La Posada, and ......Santa Claus?

I must have been kidding myself to think they might actually sing about the birth of Jesus.....

 never the less, it was precious.

 the fun birthday lunch my girlfriends threw for me at Chuy's

 the girl scout ornament exchange

 the gingerbread house that we started 2 weeks ago...only to finish 2 days ago.....

 the fun classroom parties

 celebrating Christmas with the cousins....

 having a "elf" visit us each morning....even if somedays he didn't move.....ooops.

One day, Brody decided that Santa might need some money and sent $2 in dimes back with George.

huh?

and the fun Christmas pj exchange that Sissy & I hosted yesterday 

Tons of business...but tons of fun.  We have also seen some amazing Christmas light shows in the neighborhoods around us - set to music with animatronic puppets too!!  Tonight I am taking the olders to the Rockette's Radio City Music Hall show too - so much fun!  And we have an amazing Church service tomorrow night.

I love this time of year - I love the business - but most of all, I am reminded to take a step back and remember why we celebrate the season....the birth of a son who came to save.  It is so difficult not to get all wrapped up in the craziness, so we all need to reflect on why we are here.  Why we celebrate.  Why we love this season.

Because of him...... and not the "busy-ness"

Santa Came to Texas!

My kids have had interesting reactions to Santa.  From staring at him wide-eyed, to smiling very prettily to screaming their heads off...my photos with Santa are always a riot!

 Brody was 2 and Sissy was 3 - she knew what to do...obviously, he did not.

So this year, with Bubba being about Brody's age in the above picture, we were thinking he might have the same reaction:

 we were cautiously optimistic at this point....

 nope

 don't like this momma....

 We had to bring in big sis & bro to show him how it was done.  

At this point, he was more interested in the basket of candy canes next to Santa....

 finally, a cute capture...

 old pros...

 and he gets his candy. despite not liking Santa...

after all, this is all he really wanted.

who cares about the man in the big red suit?

A Boy & His "Boon"

Hi Friends & Family.  It has been crazy busy around here getting ready for the holidays.  I have also been making lots of Virtual Christmas Cards too!!! (It's not too late to make one!!)  So,I have not had much time to blog and tell you all about what's going on in Texas.

However, I was able to capture a special moment with Bubba over the weekend.  My sweet boy LOVES balloons.  "Boons" as he calls them.  It started at our local H.E.B., where the sweet checkers give Bubba a "boon" every time we go.  The fascination started with the colorful bouncy object, but quickly moved to what was attached to it...a sucker...that my stinker now knows how to unwrap and eat in the car on the way home....with out momma knowing it.  stinker.

Anyways...back to this weekend.  We went to a Christmas festival in Downtown RR which was fabulous - a great home-town event complete with Santa on his sleigh.  Our sweet friends waited in a huge line to get balloons for all the kids and gave the Bubba boy 2.  He was perfectly content the rest of the night holding onto his "boons":

he took a bath with them

 and wanted to go to bed with them.  

don't worry- I snuck back in 5 mins later and gently pulled them out of his hand after he fell asleep- still in this position.

 he woke up the next morning

and "carried" them around all weekend, stuck to his hair.

After watching this, I seriously contemplated returning all his expensive Christmas gifts.  I think I'd rather get him a helium tanks and a bag of "boons" this year.

Our Thanksgiving Traditions

As we celebrated Thanksgiving last week, I observed my family participating in some unique traditions.  Have you had any of these at your family get-to-gethers?

 because doesn't every family have a iPhone or iPad for every child to play with?

 seriously, grandma, what are you playing on your iPad?

 and I know every family sits on the back porch drinking beer amongst the trash cans and raw turkey being "brined"

shush.  you know your baby has played in the "liquor cabinet".

 when the baby is eating at the same height as the dogs, all is fair game.  

let's just say that otis ate well this week.

 aunt randi found a new game for the kids...flippin fish.

 all siblings love to pose for their first picture in years with kitchen appliances

 or even better, large knives.

ever wonder what's going on in their heads?

all nieces tend to "tune" their uncles out.

sorry uncle brad.

ok, maybe not always.

 and there is always time for a dangerous game of spoons.

in this family we cheat, throw, break fingernails, and scratch to win.

it's in our "beck" blood.

and sitting on great-grandma's lap is always scary to an 18m old.....

Despite all the craziness that we call family, I couldn't have asked for a better holiday!  Bring on those crazy traditions!  Who needs a sappy Thanksgiving anyway?