Christmas with my family

I'm not sure if I had mentioned yet that I got the greatest Christmas gift ever when my mom agreed to come to MY house for Christmas. This is a HUGE deal people! Since I was 7 or 8 I have always shuffled around houses on Christmas day between parents. When I got married that added yet another house to visit on Christmas day. It wasn't THAT big of a deal until we had kids. Well I should say until we had Colby. Shuffling 2 kids aged 1 and under and their normal baby loot PLUS all the Christmas loot got to be quite a feat. Our families and our home are spread out along the four corners of Kern County. Oh it can be exhausting and really can take the fun out of the holiday when you're just running around all day. So since last year when we got our own home I've been begging my mom to let me host, at least once. This year, I'm still not sure exactly why, she relented. It was the BEST gift ever! Add to that that we talked my inlaws AND my dad to come over for our Christmas time with them. So we didn't have to go ANYWHERE this year! Oh my it was amazing let me tell you! Not sure if it will happen that way ever again but for just this one year I got my wish :) Thanks again Mom! Ok so more than a week later here are just a few of the pics from our Christmas day. I didn't really get to take that many since I was the hostess :)

Here is Lacie giving her Auntie the presents she picked out.

These raincoats were inspired by that chilren's book that Madonna wrote. Given from Poppie & Mammie.

Auntie gave Colby a gigantic stuffed dinosaur! So cool!

My mom was reading Beverly Cleary to Lacie and she fell asleep!

Up next, Christmas morning, a couple videos, and the gifts I made :)

Independence Day

I've mentioned before, that we go to my inlaws for the 4th every year to BBQ with family & friends and to watch the big college show. What I didn't mention, was that we were pretty anxious about this year's event because we would be seeing (and possibly speaking to) David's brother and his new wife for the first time since their wedding back in February. There has been quite the load of family drama between us and then for about a year now and we were just not sure how things were gonna go down. Unfortunately there was drama but fortunately (I guess?) it happened and ended fairly quickly (with their leaving) and we were all, somewhat, able to enjoy the rest of the evening. Everyone ate & chatted, the kids ran around and played, we got ice creams from the ice cream man - good thing cause it was definitely a warm night! We also celebrated Lacie's bday with everyone there. Poppie & Mammie bring her cake every year and this year they had enscribed it with their nickname for her - BUTTON (get it? cause she's "cute as a button"? :) )And then it was time for the big show! It was gorgeous as usual and this was the first year that we ALL got to sit outside and enjoy it - in previous years we had the kids inside watching through the windows because it is SO loud. Colby did get a bit nervous but overall did WAY better than expected. Here's to next year! My baby sister - poor thing, she fell at school earlier that week and got an owie :(
Doesn't the ice cream look JUST like my mom? we got a chuckle outta that :)
The kiddos waiting for the show to start- Ethan, Baby H, Isabelle, Lacie, & ColbySinging Happy Birthday to Button - I love Colby's face in the background
YAY Sparklers!!!
The following 2 photos were taken by my friend Doris (Ethan's mommy)

Isabelle's Dance Recital

My sister Isabelle will be 5 in a couple weeks, she is 6 weeks older than my son. Didn't know if you knew that ;)

I ended up being the Super Big Sister on Wednesday because my father had to go in for kidney stone surgery and so they were unable to get her ready or make it the performance :( Isabelle doesn't know that though!

So I did her hair, her makeup, got he dressed, and took all the requisite pictures. Isn't she cute?

Mammie to the Rescue!!!

David and Lacie signed up to do the Daddy-Daughter dance number at her recital this year. We knew this would entail a few extra practices and additionaly costumes. What we didn't know, was that we were expected to MAKE Lacie's costume. As in buy the patterns, fabric, and SEW it all together.

Crazy dance teachers say what?

Yah, Mommy doesn't OWN a sewing maching because Mommy DOESN'T sew!

Oh and by the way, we found this out just 2 weeks before the DRESS rehearsal! EEK!

So, even though I'm 27 years old I STILL call MY Mommy when I'm in a crisis :)
And true to form, she came to the rescue!!!

I picked up the materials and she brought her sewing machine over and we had a family sewing party.

She said she wanted to teach me but I was not learning very well. It was actually quite comical! Luckily my SIL was there to help Mom out where I couldn't.

At one point when I was being "taught", mom even said "Don't make me go get Isabelle!" - You know, my 5 year old sister? Yah she knows how to sew better than me!

After it all was said and done, we had an ADORABLE Lil Miss Muffet costume for Lacie to wear.

We have been jokingly telling her that she is GOING to be Lil Miss Muffet for Halloween!

A face only a mother could love...

Or in this case DAUGHTER! :)

My Father got a hold of my camera the other day and later on when I was reviewing my pics I came across this! Classic!

Love you Father***!

***For those of you that may be confused, I am very blessed to have both a DAD & a FATHER. I see my Dad quite regularly for holidays and birthdays and such. My Father is actually my Step-Father but that Step just getting in the way ;) He is more frequently known around here as POPPIE

A Very Poppie and Mammie Christmas

Christmas Eve FINALLY came! We've been counting down days to Present-Palooza for weeks! We were off to Poppie and Mammie's house for a yummy lunch of homemade chili in Pyrenees bread bowls and PRESENTS! MMMMM! The siblings and grandkids drew names amongst eachother so it was lots of fun seeing who got what. We had a REALLY nice time spending the day with everyone.

David drew Belle's name and got her HSM2!!! I love her face in this picture. And Lacie was very jealous! haha

Mailboxes from Mammie and Poppie/Mom and Dad. The begining of the note passing fascination begins!

The kids all got a really cool fishing set for the bathtub.

I made some tshirts for Baby Ray. This one, and one that said Everybody Loves Raymond, and a Nertz one "I haven't been changed because my parents are still playing Nertz"

My baby sister "Ham2" (me being Ham1)

Poor Baby Ray was sick :(

Crazy noisy horses on sticks from Nana!

Looks like he LOVES his magna doodle from Auntie K and Uncle Davey!

David got this cool HOME plate doormat from my parents - would go great in his ManCave don't ya think? haha If only he were getting one!

I made those! Gotta love the iron on printer paper!

Nana with a pretty cross that we bought her that says NANA on it

I don't have any pics of the purdies that I got but I got I really cool purse from my sis and some FUN antique coffee cans to decorate my kitchen with from my parents.