This has provided hours of entertainment...

Christmas 2009

We had a nice, quiet, relaxing Christmas this year. As much as I was so sad that we were not in Colorado this year, we did enjoy our time at home just with each other. We got our tree at Johnson's Farm the week after Thanksgiving, which is always a fun thing to do. I just love the feel of it up there, and the kids love trying to find just the right tree to cut down.

Christmas Eve

The thing Livi was most hoping to get for Christmas was new footie jammies....they are her favorite thing in the world, so she was very pleased to get a new set from Grandma and Bumpa. Now, hopefully, there will be no more tantrums when her other pair is in the wash. :-)

We got Carson a set of clamps, springs, some rope, carabiners and some pullies, and boy has he had fun rigging up all kinds of things. Great idea daddy. He knows his son well. :-)

Livi really wanted bacon for breakfast. :-) (She didn't eat all that)
And please don't even look at those so-called cinnamon rolls there on that blue plate....cooking while pregnant has not treated me well, neither for Thanksgiving nor for Christmas. It's hard to cook (or do most things) with half a brain. Usually those are the highlight of our morning breakfast, but this year...not so much. I hope some of my brain comes back after this baby is born!! Please don't tell me I'm going to be like this forever! I barely even got any decent pictures of Christmas this year, but hopefully it was one the kids will just remember in their hearts. :-)
I love the Christmas season, all the lights and treats and traditions and excitement, but especially the pondering of what it really means, Emmanuel, God With Us!!

Thanksgiving 2009

My parents and brother came out for Thanksgiving again this year, and we had such a nice week together. They spoiled me rotten with all the help they gave....cleaning the kitchen after every meal, doing our laundry, playing with the kids, dad refinishing our dining room table and front door, giving me foot rubs and just being here....they are such servants and so fun to be with!

Uncle Matt with Buzz

At lunch down in Pacific Grove

My beautiful mom

My sweet, handsome dad

By the end of this trip, my boy was on his belly swimming in the water like a seal just in his jeans

The Thanksgiving meal with my Aunt Ruth

A rousing game of Uno! Even Gracie was part of the action. :-)

The Belly

So here are a couple belly shots that I had Carson take. The first one is from week 13. I tried to take this one and get it on the blog before my parents got here to spend Thanksgiving week with us, but I didn't get it up, so they got to see the real deal first instead. :-)

The second one is week 15, earlier this week. I can't believe how much bigger I seem this time around. I think it's seriously from all the food I've had to eat to keep the nausea away, and I haven't been throwing it up (much!) or exercising it off....so it's just popping right out. :-) It's okay, I've finally (this week) given myself over to losing my body for this pregnancy....for some reason it's been harder this time around. It's so worth it though. I just love knowing there is a little life deep in there (actually it's almost the size of an avocado!!)....it's such a mystery and so absolutely AMAZING to me, and I feel SO blessed to be given this gift of another baby!