Back-Blogging ... again!

I am very excited to announce that I will be working on posts this weekend and doing some of my famous Back-Blogging ... so I can finally get this little blog caught.back.up ... at least for a little while!  Daddy & Kendall will be busy enjoying time together while Mommy meets up with one of my besties for a special {and free} Bed & Breakfast & Scrapbooking/Blogging retreat at the Norris home ... yippppeeee!  I told Ash I was so far behind, I just might need to do this once a month, ha!

I'll update a list below & put the link in to the posts as I get them completed ...
under September:
While Daddy was away ...

under October:
Pumpkin Carving
Minnie goes to school
Pop's comes home!
Halloween 2011

under November:


under December:
a year of "nastics"
Santa Claus has come to town


For anyone who is even still reading this ... thanks for sticking with me and this little blog of our's!

our "Christmas Eve"

Due to being in Abilene for Christmas this year and the difficulties we had with transporting the type of item that Kendall asked Santa to bring her, we decided to have our "Christmas Eve / Christmas morning with Santa presents" after we returned home.  It worked out to have it with Ashley's parents once they arrived ... tonight.  Since Kendall is only 2.5 this year, we figured we could get away with it this year ... but possibly not next year!

So, for our "Christmas Eve" on Dec. 28th, we started a couple of family traditions this year, now that Kendall is able to participate a bit more ...

We sprinkled out "reindeer feed" on our front lawn.  Uncle T went to Alaska on a recent mission and visited the North Pole while he was there.  He brought back reindeer dust for his niece & nephews.  We covered our lawn with their feed ... to help the reindeer find our home and enjoy a little snack on their long journey!  Kendall loved sprinkling it everywhere ...

We decorated {more} cookies for Santa ... and put them on our new plate, along with a nice cold glass of milk, with a note, for our special visitor.  {She really wanted to eat the star she had decorated but was finally convinced that Santa could have it.  However, she did suggest that "he just eat a little bit and share with me later" ... and she was very serious about it.  Luckily, Santa was willing to do just that!}

We read {or should say, we listened to} a book called the Very First Christmas, which is a recordable book that Huni & GranGran gave Kendall last year and we have enjoyed throughout the year!  I know we'll add more story traditions as she gets older, but this was a good start for this year.

And then, Little Miss went off to bed ... knowing Santa was coming over to leave her a present after Mommy & Daddy and Kendall were all in bed and asleep.

And then it was time for Daddy to get to work ... being Santa's little elf to put together her new kitchen.  21 instructional steps and a power tool or 2 later, it was time for Mommy's job of adding on all the sticker-decals ... and then it was finally complete!

Looking forward to a fun Christmas morning with our sweet 2 year old in the morning!  Not only will Santa have left her a present, but Huni & GranGran will be at our house as well ... she will be quite surprised!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas

from our family to yours!

our Christmas Card 2011

I am soooo behind on posting plenty of events & things for ... well, since September when preschool started up for us, I suppose.  I will be doing some of my famous "back-blogging" soon, so beware!  I've gotten several "mean calls" and reminders that I'm waaaaay behind on our blog ... and I'm going to be catching up soon!


In the meantime ... and the real reason for this particular post ... we have a finished Christmas card for 2011 ... woohoo!  This is really thanks mainly to, {and despite that I am NOT her easiest client, so I've heard ... from her, nonetheless ... ha!} my sister, Estee ... aka Auntie E ... who has spent just a few hours on her own working on this card ... then {maybe} a few more hours on skype with me also working on it.  {She told she was done with it, whether I thought it was done or not!  So I guess it's done ... And I do like how it turned out!} The pictures on the card are all of her photography handiwork as well ... we're happy that our Little Miss was happy to participate an impromptu photo shoot with Auntie E ... and the mere outtakes alone from Little Miss deserve it's own post, so that is soon to come!  She is a 2 year old with many faces that is for sure!


I LOOOOOOVE getting Christmas cards in the mail ... I mean LOOOOOOVE it!  I LOVE going to the mailbox each and every day after Thanksgiving - New Year's-ish to look to see what came in ... (and this year Kendall started to get that "lovin' feeling" too ... it was a fun activity each day to watch our mailman arrive with our mail!) ... and then opening up each one & admiring their card and saving them and seeing how each family changes year after year ... I simply LOVE IT!  It is one of my most favorite things and traditions on my VERY long list of favorites about Christmas.  This year we have hung up all of the cards along our built-in bookshelves in our living room ... I've enjoyed seeing them hanging up there.  {I heard of a fun new (to me) way to display the cards that we might try out next year ... hanging them as ornaments on a tree, so you'd just have a small tree of card ornaments.  The one I'd seen looked really cute, so that might be a little decorative addition that we add to our home next year ... we'll see!}


Since the cards are finally created, printed, stuffed, labeled and mailed out ...
for record-keeping sake, here is our family Christmas Card for 2011 ...

We wish you the wonderful JOY of the season and God's continuous BLESSINGS in 2012! 

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Santa Claus has come to town

and this year, Kendall has taken notice!  We have had several opportunities this December to see the jolly man in the red suit & white beard ...

12.04.2011    The 1st time she saw Santa Claus was at our North Pole Express train adventure in Grapevine.  It was there that she realized and said aloud (as we saw him from across the room) "He a man."  I guess until then, to her, Santa was just a cartoon character on tv, or in books that we've read ... I didn't realize she didn't understand that he was a guy.  (Throughout the rest of December, Daddy & I took several opportunities to talk to her about what a nice guy he was, that he loved children, that he made toys for children.)  But, she saw him that night, for the 1st time (that she could remember) in the train station's general store ... couldn't say a word to him and especially didn't want to sit on his lap ... but decided she could go see him with us all together.  So hand in hand, that's what we did ...

Later that night, when Santa arrived on our North Pole Express train car, she did talk to him ... she quietly told him that she wanted a kitchen for Christmas ... and said thank you when he gave her a special bell ... all from the comfort of her Pops' safe lap.

12.06.2011    A few days later, Santa & Mrs. Claus made a special appearance at our preschool.  Each class came out to see them.  My little class was just finishing up our visit, when Kendall's class came out for their turn.  She was first in line (which I was hesitant about since I thought she'd do better after she saw several of her classmates do it & be just fine) ... but once they arrived in line, her sweet (and very brave, confident) little friend Haley, just kept on walking (out of line, by this time) right on up to the sleigh Santa & Mrs. Claus were sitting in.  Haley reached up for Santa to put her on his lap and started talking a mile a minute about what she wanted him to bring her ... she was fantastic!  Kendall & I stood there watching Haley chat away to Santa ... I encouraged her to go see them just like Haley was doing ... and then it was Kendall's turn.  She did sit on his lap easily ... she did answer his questions and (quietly) tell him what she wanted for Christmas ... her Christmas wish list:  a kitchen (which we've been priming her for), a baby doll and a juice box (the last 2 items she added in herself).  However, she would not smile for a picture.

12.10.2011    Daddy's company had a "Breakfast with Santa" this year as their company holiday party.  Their CEO dressed up as Santa ... Kendall was a little hesitant to see him up close at first (maybe because Santa's beard was a little off ?), but she did sit on his lap for a few pictures ... although she kept her serious face.

12.14.2011    We've had Pops staying with us each week, while he is working in DFW.  He had a random mid-week day off, so the 3 of us visited his favorite stores Cabella's and Bass Pro Shop.  At Bass Pro, there were several fun games and a craft area set up ... and a {free} Reindeer Carousal and a {free} picture with Santa.  This time, we walked right up to Santa, sat on his lap and told him what she wanted, quietly.

12.17.2011    Our final encounter with Santa was at the North East Mall ... Today.  She was all dressed up in her Christmas dress, well rested and fed and we headed to the mall.  After a small debrief, she was repeating the instructions about seeing Santa ... see Santa, sit on his lap, smile, get candy, yeah!  Yes, we did give her a small bribe of a starburst if she would sit on his lap and actually smile at the camera ... for just. one. picture!  With the excitement of candy, she did just that ... amazing!  We were very thankful that the line wasn't too long (only 6 other families in front of us) and we were next to the indoor fountain, which Kendall loved looking at.  (For the record, she also happily talked to him, and told him the 3 things she wanted ... a kitchen, a baby doll and a juice box.)  So, we bought the digital image!  Here's Kendall (in the best Santa picture she's had) at 2.5 years old ...

We really didn't know how she would react to going to see Santa this year ...we just keep expecting a screaming cry picture experience, but it didn't happen this year, either.  Here's Little Miss with Santa ... the previous two years ... where has the time gone?

at 7 months, 2009:

and at 19 months, 2010:

a year of "nastics"

otherwise, known as gymnastics ... for those who don't necessarily speak 2 year old-Kendall-English. This nastics is a major highlight for her each week!  She is so sad when our gymnastics class goes on breaks in between sessions.  Especially lately, while we are at home, she often gets all dressed up, grabs her purse, sunglasses, several necklaces and announces "bye-bye. see you later.  I'm going to nastics." or "I've got errands."  Oh, dear ... help me!  This 2 year old is such a hoot!

She's {we've} been in the Mommy & Me Tumbling Tots class at our city's rec center for one year now ... and she has graduated to the next class, that starts in January.  This new class is a smaller group of {young} kids & Coach Tammy ... and no Mommys!  This Mommy is very excited about Kendall getting to start this class and being in class without me ... she is ready and I can't wait to get to watch her!

a Flashback look at Kendall's debut in gymnastics (with her precious Coach Tammy) last January ...  at 20 months ... oh, what a difference a year makes!

And, here is Little Miss Gymnast a year later ... at our last class in December!  It's been a big year of growing & developing ... a year of growing in confidence ... a year of loving running around & playing on all the equipment.  She has loved our circle time of singing, stretching and parachute fun ... and really LOVES swinging on the bars, walking the balance beams (there are several different heights & widths she does each time) and doing the vault (she will tell you exactly how to do it "ready. set. runnnnnn. jump, jump, jump, jump. arms up and jump off.  Ta-Da!").

Hope she loves her new class as much as she's loved this past year!

We will soon see ... her new class starts up January 11!

Halloween 2011

Happy Halloween ...
and Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet niece / cousin Kylie Jayne!

We had a fun Halloween evening ... starting with Kendall getting dressed up as Minnie Mouse, for the 4th time ... perfecting the phrase "trick or treat" and holding out her pumpkin pail ... oohhhing & ahhhing over every piece of candy that was received ... and just enjoying a fun family evening together!

We visited our close neighbors a little early in the evening ... before it even got dark.  We went to a church's Trunk or Treat that was across the street ... Kendall had a great time playing more games & getting more candy! 

We wanted to get back to our house for some trick-or-treaters before it was too late ... and Kendall was so excited about "kids coming" to our house ... and her big job as treat distributor this year!  She could not wait for our doorbell to ring!  She was so sad when we told her it was over ... that we were turning out our porch light and that all the "kids going night-night" (as she put it.)  There's always next year, Little Miss!

Happy Halloween!