Christmas.

This Christmas was delightful.

It is always a pleasure to spend time with family and to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

We loved it all...

The laughs...

The Nutcracker...

The presents (lucky dude)...

The yummy Christmas dinners...

"Auntie Tate"...
The piano...

Making Christmas cookies....
{He liked them until he found out he couldn't eat them}

Driving the car with Meems...
Ordering food...

Watching (or dreaming about) Avatar...
Playing with/being the Nativity...

Bennett's stocking...

A new bouncer....

{please notice that while this turkey refuses to enjoy a pacifier, he will take a rubber ducky any day of the week}

Meems' Jewelry...

Opa...
Walks...

Cousins... and baths (LOVED them both)...

Rockband 2 with Papa...

Daddy time during the infamous gift exchange...

The Christmas suit from Great-Grandma Mergens...

This chair...

The cuteness...
Christmas Trees and the smell of "Home for the Holidays"...

{that surely should be the name of a candle}

Mom's new Christmas feather...

Samsey and her smootchies...

Christmas sweaters and eggnog...

more time with Mom...

and much much more!

We loved loved loved it all!

Disclaimer: The awful fuzzy photos are the result of my stupidness. I forgot BOTH of my cameras at home this year (way to go me). Who does that? So, my parents let me use their extra coolpix (purchased 3 months ago) that we regrettably learned was defective. I downloaded the pictures, saw the fuzziness and nearly cried. Bummer.

finally.

{Bennett loves to help Mom study.

He likes how my notes taste}

Finally - finally done with the semester! Yay! It sure was an adventure. Only one more to go. We may survive this after all. Thanks to my wonderful boys who have been nothing but supportive. I love you both! Thanks to all of the family and friends who went out of their way (some even 900 miles out of their way) to help and support us during this challenging time. We feel so blessed.

This Holiday season I look forward to doing a little unwinding and a little reflecting on a year I will never forget. I am humbled and truly grateful for all we have been blessed with. I wish each of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Happy New Year!

5 months.

The past 158 days have been wonderful.

That's how long we've had him -

and these two extra chins...

oh, and a new pair of feet (a recent discovery)...

He came with some smarty pants...

...that can now sit,

and drink on their own.

{probably because this smarty pants refuses to take a bottle}

We have also learned that this little one comes with some teeth...

Which are surely on their way -

{hence the love of the teether toy}

All in all, we feel lucky to have our very own "humpty look alike"

and can't wait for the days ahead with our little 16 pounder.

sweet sweet dragon.

Kids sure do bring out the best in a whole lot of things -

Halloween is one of those things.

Pumpkin by day....

{thanks Meems}

Fire breathing dragon by night...

Mommy? Leonardo?

The gals & the turtles.

Yes, I was a turtle. A true Ninja.

{thanks Aunt Missy}

At Daddy's Halloween Work Party.

Pumpkin Bread Bowls.

{thanks Aunt Jenn}

With the Boys.

Sticky eyeballs.

With Second-Cousin Kelsey.

Trick-or-Treating for the First time.

Some snuggles for Mommy.

Checking out his loot.

With the Great-Uncles.

Us.

Fun, fun, fun times.

{Thanks to everyone for all of the wonderful partays.}