Happy Holidaaaaaays!

This is a photo montage (in no particular order) of our Christmas holiday with the Sanders side of the family. I'll spare all my attempt at wit for now and let you peruse our pics. I will say, though, that we had a blast getting to have a full house, eat lots of good food, and play games til we dropped every night (literally). We're so glad they all made the trip down here to spend Christmas with us!

Enjoy!

Brayden with AmyReading with Aunt HannyAunt C
Memaw
Smiling for Daddy after naptime

Pops makes a good pillow!

The kids Christmas morning
Ode to pictures past (Mommy had a picture like this her first Christmas)
Can I open my stocking now?!
Uncle Isaac
Happy with his Bear
All bundled up and ready to go!
Brayden loves his bike

Checking out his loot
Sampling his loot

Tis the Season

In addition to being delinquent in posting, we are a bit behind the 8 ball when it comes to putting up decorations. Well, for me anyway. I come from a very serious lot of Christmas decorators. My Grandpa was the Grand Poo Pa of decoration. Every Thanksgiving all the grandkids were called upon to help him decorate the tree. Now, this seems like a simple enough task, but it really wasnt. There was a precise method to the madness, and you quickly found out where ornaments were to go and how they were to be placed. It was comedic really...my Grandpa taking it all very seriously while all the grandkids looked around at the other adults like, "He's joking, right?" but their grinning would always confirm that he was indeed VERY serious so we usually all proceeded to laugh at the whole process...but more so at him...
I was reminded of this process as I applied our lights to the tree in a very willy nilly fashion (neither Luke or I have what you would all an eye for detail) and couldnt help but smile knowing that my kids will also be the recipients of the same tradition I was. Even though my own Grandpa isnt here anymore to pass this tradition on to my kids, my own father seems to have picked up where my Grandpa left off with the OCD Christmas tree decorating...and I cant wait to sit back, watch and laugh.
Here are the pictures of our tree...not fancy or Jack Holcomb decorated, but I bet he'd approve.

Give Thanks

This is an aptly named blog considering the time of year we are in and also because I'm sure all the grandparents are thankful I'm finally posting.

These are some pictures that have been taken since we last posted, most happening over the Thanksgiving holiday when my parents came down to visit along with my sister and Grandma (my Dad's mom). It was really nice to see family, but its hard when they have to leave. The house still seems empty, but with Christmas and Luke's family coming we will get a few more days of a full house. Its funny how you work hard to forget how far away you are from the ones you love. If I try really hard I can make myself believe they are just down the street, but sadly, they arent. And with each visit it takes just a bit longer to forget the distance. So Luke and I are grateful for many things, but today I feel overwhelming gratitude for my family that was just here as well as for Luke's family coming soon.

Oh...and of course there are two men in my life who I cant leave out, even if one is screaming for attention right now...you decide which one that is...he shall remain nameless.

Making my company prep go a little slower

"I think my present is bigger!"
"Do you need something? We're trying to read here."
Holcomb family picture

Lions and Tiggers and Bears, OH MY!!!

Today Luke put Brayden in his crib and let me take a glorious 30 minute nap. When I woke up Luke told me go come look at Brayden. I walked back to the bedroom to find the little guy still hugging the Tigger he must have been wrestling (Uncle Isaac, you would have been so proud!). All I can guess is he just fell asleep mid half-nelson.
And this is our little man displaying how big he is. He LOVES to stand and I was at the counter and he wanted to watch what I was doing so Luke held him standing on the kitchen stool at the bar. I'm thinking he's caught on to the fact that he's cute.

Issues

So I cant seem to get my act together when it comes to this blogging thing. I think about blogging every time a cute picture is taken, but getting it onto the blog is another story entirely. My hat goes off to those mommies with more than one child who blog religiously (you know who you are). In their shadow I feel like a failure. But I take solace in the fact that I'm at least not failing to take pictures. I do have lots to contribute when I do post. That gives me some reprieve, right??

Things are going well here. Luke has had some time off lately, so its been nice having long weekends with him and getting to spend more time together as a family. We're getting ready to have my parents, my sister and my grandma here for Thanksgiving, so that will be exciting. Brayden will become more spoiled than he already is, I have every confidence. But he is the first of his kind for both our parents and siblings. I just cant help but feel that when he gets a sibling it will be a rocky road for the little guy. In the meantime he's the center of our universe, as he should be. Enjoy more of our little man!

Before Bedtime I'm ready to get up now....
Arent you going to get me up?
Daddy makes a good recliner

What?
Mommy cuddles
Whoa I'm tall!!!
I need a nap between courses

Since We've Been MIA

Since we've been failing miserably at keeping up with blogging, we will catch all our loyal readers up on whats been happening since last time without my rambling...but that will come later! You can count on that!

A little fun New game with Daddy
My Boys
Eating Daddy's shirt
After a lovely dinner of squash...
Mesmerized by his new bedtime toy

Our little bird on Halloween
...because we just cant get enough of these pictures
What Brayden does while I clean the bathroom

Chicken Little

As all parents out there know...there are innumerable joys of being a parent. Today I discovered a new joy...Halloween costumes on my 3 1/2 month old...it makes your heart sing, does it not? Ok...maybe not sing...but giggle at least.

We're Home

I just wanted to send out a quick post for everyone who is checking to make sure we made it safely on our drive back to Texas. It was a long drive but it was worth it because we had a great time visiting family for the past 10 days. We will post more about our trip later but I just wanted to make sure everyone knows we're ok.

Tummy Time Is Tiring!

So yesterday I put Brayden on the floor for some tummy time while I did a few things in the kitchen. When I no longer heard him grunting and cooing in the living room I went to investigate. Now you're probably thinking I had nothing to worry about, but he has started to roll over and for all I knew he had trapped himself under the couch. He hadnt, in case you were wondering, but I did find this...my child sleeping soundly on the floor right where I put him.

Our Chunky Monkey

Since I seem to be SERIOUSLY delinquent in posting I am ingnoring my growling stomach and throwing caution to the wind and posting instead of eating lunch. Why not do both you say? Well I'll tell you. Brayden has deemed naps as optional and when he does nap its really more of a...mmm...cat nap than a real nap. So I have limited time to eat as it is...but this is how much I care for our readers...and how guilty I feel for depriving the internet (ok...ok...the three of you who read this) of the precious face of my first born.

We have a lot of fun taking pictures of Brayden, but in looking through the ones we've taken recently I've noticed a trend...we LOVE taking bathtime pictures. So in light of that I have only included a small sampling of the lastest bathtime pictures in addition to our boy sporting the only sports onesie that seems appropriate for this time of the year (GO CUBS!!!)

These bathtime pictures are especially precious in light of the fact that Brayden has found his best friend...his daddy. After baths, as soon as his naked cheeks his the towel the grin spreads across his face in anticipation of the daddy cuddles that ensue. Our little guy just jabbers at Luke while he dries him off and talks to him. It does this heart good. And what kind of proud wife and mother would I be if I didnt show my boys off to all who care to venture here?!



Precious, no?