a december to remember

Remember that time in your life when days and weeks seemed to drag by...NOT ANYMORE!! It's mid-December already! We have been so busy with playdates, parties, crafting and cooking. I started preparing for Christmas back in November but have still managed to get behind. I finally breathed a sigh of relief after shipping off the last of my packages yesterday. We are headed to Arkansas next week for a long visit and I can't wait to spend some time with family and friends.   

 We finally named our elf. Welcome to the family Tree Stump.

 Snow and lots of freezing temps.

 Observing the toffee making process.

 Ditto.

Bundled up for our trip to the Christmas tree farm.

a little holiday magic

 An ordinary light switch...oh no. It's one of the best things about our rental house...

A gas fireplace that you turn on with a simple flip of a switch!

I find myself turning it on just because I can. Actually it's come in quite handy with temps not breaking the freezing mark for several days now.

albuquerque turkey

We hosted the Thanksgiving festivities this year and had such a blast! It was truly heartwarming to see Presley play with Ava and Macy and I know Landon loved being passed around. Everyone arrived on Tuesday so that allowed for plenty of play time, a trip to the zoo and lots and lots of eating. With 4 cameras flashing, I had a hard time selecting pictures for this post. Here's to that warm, fuzzy feeling the holidays bring and the special place in your heart reserved solely for family. Happy Thanksgiving 2011.

turkey prep

Thanks to Pintrest, I have been in full craft mode lately. Here are my latest creations for Thanksgiving...

Getting ready to make our turkey hand print craft.

Gobble Day attire.

Extra absorbent for all that turkey he will be eating.

dinner and a show

Leave it to Presley to provide the entertainment along with dinner...I am guessing her hands were colder than her feet.


Landon is no longer happy just laying around all day. I have been required to find him new, more entertaining activities to keep him happy. Here we are enjoying the door jumper. Not so much a jumper yet, but a fun swing when sister is around to push.

Landon Update

from his 4 month appointment

14 lbs 14 oz (36%)

25.6 in (61%)

16.6 in (40%)

hummm...sounds a lot like another male Wyatt I know...tall, skinny...

busted stuff

Presley experienced her first major injury on Monday night. I should probably not call it "major" because I am sure worse things are yet to come, but it was the first injury that required more than an ice pack and a bandaid. She was running around with Winston, slipped on the tile floor and split her chin open. Luckily the family doctor was on his way home and rescued me. We laid her out on the operating table, aka the dining room table, and slapped on a few wound closures and she was good to go. Here's to our first busted face!

cheek to cheek

2nd anniversary

I celebrated the 2nd anniversary of my 30th birthday on Monday. We spent the weekend hanging out as a family and indulged in a yummy breakfast and dinner on Sunday. Jon caved and got me a new coffee maker per my request. My mom and I usually meet in Dallas for our annual girls shopping trip but with two kids in the mix now, we had to call it off this year. No worries, we'll save the money and do it big next year!

I spent 5 years in west Texas without any boots, moved to New Mexico and picked up a pair after only 3 months. Thanks mom & dad!

no tricks here

What a wonderful Halloween. It seemed to last all weekend long and then some. We had a great time eating yummy treats at a party with our stroller class, went on our first trick-or-treating adventure and wrapped things up with a party at school. Like the Elvis costume of last year, the elephant required some candy bribery but once she was all dressed up she really enjoyed running around with her ears blowing in the wind. Here's to probably my last year having a say in her costume selection...as for Landon, I get to call the shots for at least 1 more!

The elephant.

The peanut.

It's really hard to get a picture of a 4 month old.

We practiced for a few days about what to say when you went trick-or-treating and the first house we came to just had a bowl of candy out. Don't worry, we had plenty of opportunities to perform as the night continued.

Happy Halloween 2011

G.U.S.

My Uncle Steve (my dad's youngest brother) was a big part of my life growing up. It's so fun to watch him duplicate this role in Presley's life. During our trip to Little Rock in September, Uncle Steve and Presley really hit it off so he decided to make the trip to visit us in Albuquerque. Presley definitely has him wrapped around her finger...who else would want to play "awake-sleep" (getting in the bed under the covers and turning the lamp off and on) for almost an hour?!? We all had a wonderful visit and I can't wait to watch this special relationship grow. We love our U.S./G.U.S! (Uncle Steve/Great Uncle Steve)

family fun

With a bye week and 2 away games, we've had the pleasure of having Jon around on the weekends. We decided to venture to Santa Fe and the Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument for a day of family fun. Santa Fe was a slight bust. We went down to the morning farmer's market, but found it a little difficult to get around with the kids. We tried to find a recommended burger joint, but it was closed for the week. After grabbing some local fare at McDonald's, we headed to the Tent Rocks. We managed to complete the 1-mile hike through the rocks. Jon was a trooper and carried Pres most of the way. All-in-all, it was a good family outing and another memory of our short stay in New Mexico.