We're off!

Merry Christmas to you all!  We had a wonderful time with the Robbins' side of the our family.  We all went to the Christmas Eve service at our church on Wednesday night and then to Bill's parents' house for presents and dinner (David went to bed after presents!).  We came home that night and opened presents and stockings at our house on Christmas morning.  We went back over to Bill's parents' for lunch and a GREAT time with family!  We are blessed that they live so close.

Here are the highlights... More pictures and stories to come!

We head out tomorrow morning for Wyoming to visit Bill's Aunt, Uncle, cousins and their kids (cousins once removed??).  Then on Saturday we will drive to the cabin for the annual New Year's celebration. 

David has his snow suit all ready ... think the little brother in "A Christmas Story!"

I know there will be much more to share.

2008 was an AMAZING year for us and we are looking forward to another fantastic one for 2009!

Merry Christmas to you all and Happy 2009!!

My Love

My Bill is amazing and incredible for so many reasons.  

But for today it's his PERSEVERANCE that gets me.

We decided in July that he should finish the 4 classes he needs for his degree.  He would be taking 2 classes in August (one night class and one online class) and 2 in September (one night class and one online).  Since these classes were set to end by October 1, we decided he would start the job at the church on October 1. 

One problem: One of the September classes wasn't offered until November.  So during the month of August, Bill worked full time and took 2 college classes.  He then took another class during September, started the church job in October and took his last class during November and December.  For the last 6 weeks he's been working full time at the high school, running the youth ministry at our church (with many weekend events), reading and writing papers for his class and all the while continuing to be the most incredible husband to me and father to David.

But now... it is finished.  He sent his final paper in on Sunday and received a A in the class.

PERSEVERANCE.  My husband doesn't give up.

I love you, sweetheart, and I'm so blessed to have YOU for my husband!

A new adventure awaits .... I'm sure of it!

Christmas Traditions part 2: The tree

After the Christmas party at Bill's parents', we headed to The Home Depot to get our Christmas Tree, sans David; it was just too cold.  Our car read 1˚!  

Because of this cold, there aren't pictures of us getting the tree and tying it to the roof of the car (not us, Bill).  All hands and fingers stayed covered at all times!

After getting David snug in his bed, Bill brought all of our Christmas totes upstairs from the basement.

The mess before

Bill worked on the tree while I set up the Christmas candles.

The finished products:

We love Christmas time.  The cold weather, the lights, the smell of the tree.  Ahh... 

Robbins' Christmas Party

Sunday was the annual Robbins Family Open House and Christmas Party.  It was great to catch up with friends on a very cold, snowy day!

David is practicing his walking skills with Melissa.  Melissa and her family have been friends with Bill's family for decades.  Melissa works at the charter school I worked at last year.  Her dad, Dennis, was the AWESOME principal at the school.  I really enjoyed working for him.

Crystal is a friend of the Robbins' family from when Bill worked at a church in Englewood, CO

Laura is Diana's really good friend and fellow Grandma!  
With Auntie Nicole and Grandma Pat!

(Did you notice the new, spikey 'do?)

Happy Birthday Cousin Bailey!

Our wonderful friends, Casey and Bethany (both in our wedding) have a beautiful little girl who turns 4 on Sunday!  Bailey was our flower girl for our wedding.  

We were invited to celebrate with her on Saturday.  She wanted a 'color' party where everyone dressed in their favorite color.  

Bailey is rocking out with her cousins on her new guitar!

The kids jumped 'on stage' to perform their songs.
Cute little lady with chocolate cake on her face!
Her Uncle Bill!  When I come over to visit them without Bill, I'm greeted with "Hi Auntie Donna, where's Uncle Bill?"
Crazy Uncle Casey... everyone's got to have one ... and only one!
Happy Birthday, Bailey!  We love you!

In case you didn't get the memo...

Sitting is for babies ... we only stand now!

Christmas Traditions part 1.3*

*part 1.2 took place after David was in bed.  It involved rolling and cutting the dough and a very hot oven...maybe next year he will be up for it!

Frosting the cookies was always my favorite part of cooking... it looks like David is just like his mom!

Our Daily (usually) Walks

I've often referred to our walks around the small lake by our house.  Sometimes we go just to get out and walk.  Sometime we walk to the grocery store.  And sometimes, Starbucks is calling!  And if the weather is bad... there's a Mills mall not too far!  It's built in a big circle, so we make the loop at least once.  

Here are some pictures.

Oh, and check out the fuzzy hair starting to come in!  He actually has bed head some mornings!

A missed nap

Here's our normal day:

David wakes up between 6:30 and 7 (he never did make the time change) eats and goes back to sleep until anywhere between 7:30 and 9.  He wakes up and plays for bit, eats breakfast, plays, takes a nap, play some more, eat lunch, play, take a nap, play, eat dinner, play, bath time, go to bed.

Every once in awhile, if that last nap is started too late, he fights and fights it, screaming.  

Monday was one of those days (hence the tired boy and cookie making).

After dinner was ready for mom and dad, we all sat down to eat: David with his mashed bananas, carrots and cereal.

Here was the result:

Yep... our worn-out little man just couldn't keep his precious eyes open any longer!  So we gave him a bath (fed him the rest of his dinner while in the bath!) and put him to bed!

Christmas Traditions Part 1

Last year we were in Arizona for Christmas.  

We had Christmas with Bill's family the week before. 

This will be our first Christmas as a family of 3 and thus want to have some traditions of our own. 

Our first tradition started because of a very tired little boy and a dad who needed to work on his last college paper due Sunday (more on that to come!).  

So while dinner was in the oven, David and I made cookies!

David is making sure the bowl doesn't fall off the counter!

Helping me get ready to measure sugar and flour

The best part: tasting the batter!  Thankfully, he didn't put his dough covered hands in his mouth.  If so, he'd really never eat nasty peas again!

The dough is for cut-out sugar cookies so later this week we'll be rolling, cutting, cooking and then frosting and decorating the cookies... more messiness (and pictures) to come!  I love it!

The Hartog Christmas Party

Last Saturday night was the Third Annual Hartog Christmas Party!  And, of course, it was a blast!  Nicole is an amazing hostess and she, Chuck and Pat through great parties!  They live in a duplex with Chuck and Nicole on one side and Pat on the other (Chuck grew up in this house that his Grandpa built!)  They share the back room, so it's easy to get from one side to the other.  They had food on one side and dessert and drinks on the other.  David had a blast and is looking forward to really being able to play with the other kids next year!  Check out Chuck and Nicole's blog for more on the party!

His little personality

Like I said in an earlier post, we are having so much fun with this little bundle, there is little time for much else.  We take a lot of pictures and just laugh with him!

He LOVES his bear run from Grandma Joy.  This morning I came downstairs and he was laying on it with his cuddle blanket watching Veggie Tales with Daddy!  These pictures are from a few days ago.

The bath is still his favorite place to be.  

He's taken to splashing so hard his little duckies come out sometimes.  

Oh, that smile!

He now sits by himself and rarely falls over.  But when he does, he just lays on his back and plays with whatever toys are around!

(cell phones are definitely for more than just phone calls)

Meeting more family

Before Thanksgiving, Bill's cousin's daughter came out from Iowa to visit her grandparents in Wyoming and spend a few days with her Great Uncle Bill and Great Aunt Diana (Bill's parents, for those who are confused... I know I was!).  Gabby is a sweet young lady who had so much fun with David.  Before she left, we took this great shot of the second cousins!

Thank you, Gabby, for hanging out with us and playing with David!

The promised pictures and updates

I'd start with Thanksgiving pictures, but I never took our camera out!  I know, I know... don't say it!  But Bill's sister took some pictures so when I get them, you'll be the first to see them!  She got some really cute shots of David in his "little turkey" shirt.

The day after Thanksgiving, we started what we hope will be an annual tradition.  We got together with friends and family to hang out, eat left over dessert and play games (and thanks for the YUMMY chili Nicole!)

One table played Mexican Train Dominos 

The other played Uno.  

David went to sleep, after a few tries, on Grandma and Grandpa's bed only to be woken up a few hours later to head home.  He did great and went right back to sleep once he was warm in his own bed!

As we were getting ready to leave, we looked outside and saw complete white!  It had snowed a good 4-5 inches while we were laughing and playing!  

It was a GREAT night!

Unfortunately, Chuck wasn't feeling well, so after a few rounds of Uno, he fell asleep on the couch!

Leaving his foursome a trifecta! 

We would have missed it...

For the most part, David sleeps right through the night without a peep.  

Sometime we hear him before he falls right back to sleep.  

For the last month of so, he'll wake up sometimes and not be able to go back to sleep.  We go in to comfort him and help him go back to that special dreamy place, but every once in awhile, he just can't and the assumption is that he is hungry.  

So I'll take him quietly into the living room (with his cuddle blanket, of course!) and feed him.  

A few nights ago, Bill came downstairs to check on us and make sure everything was OK.  When I sat David up to burp, he took one look at his daddy and smiled his huge melt-your-heart smile that lights up his face and ours!  We smiled and giggled for a bit in the moonlight enjoying this middle of the night moment when we were all 'supposed' to be asleep.

We've read the books: If you feed your child in the middle of the night, use only the light you need.  Keep the room dark and quiet; you don't want baby to think it's time to get up or it's play time.  Feed and gently place your baby in bed to go back to sleep.

Had we followed the well-intended advice, we would have missed this very special moment still etched so vividly in our hearts.

We just love this little man.  We lay in bed at night and just laugh at all the silly things he does: His facial expressions, 

his smiles, 

his explorations of his world from a seated position, 

his personality that we are just beginning to see.  

We love bath time almost as much as he does.  

We love getting over him when he's on his back so we can laugh and giggle with him.  

We love sitting on the floor playing with his toys.  

We love him.  

We are so thankful.  

So blessed.

Which kind of explains the lack of blogging: 

When he's up, we play with him.  

When he's asleep, well... the house needs us!

I'll get back on it!

Promise