Putting up the Christmas Tree!

So, this is the first Christmas we've had since selling our house and it felt VERY weird but it was also kind of fun. And, since we don't know where we will live next Christmas (hoping to buy a house this summer or fall), our decorations looked a little...pathetic? I dunno, I'll let you be the judge. And pathetic or not, Braden ADORED having lights in the house and the front yard (but, of course, I forgot to take pictures of the outside stuff...dang!).

Our Tree
(before presents)



Our Tree
(after presents...SO much better!)

This is the last year for this tree, having just found a 7 footer that I am in LOVE with and can't wait to put up next year! Also, we had to rig this tree...kind of embarrassing when it is CROOKED!

Our Mantle and Stockings

Also, on their last leg. I wanted to wait until our family was complete before ordering nice, embroidered ones. And I found the most amazing ones that I can NOT wait to put up next year...why can't Christmas come once a month?!

And yes, once again, still no TV stand. Like I said: pathetic. LOL

Our Kitchen Ledge

Man, I wish I had taken a photo of the front of the house because Jay did a great job!

The best part of the day, though, was when Braden woke up from his nap to find the house decorated and the tree and lights plugged in. He just kept saying "Wow!" 

It was so much fun!

Thanksgiving!

Well, for Thanksgiving we had planned to go to Jay's family's in Marlow, Oklahoma...but then Braden and I got a stomach virus the weekend before. The problem was, we didn't know if we were still contagious or if Jay might come down with it so Jay ordered a turkey from Dickey's and planned an elaborate meal for our family. But then, things got even better when we found out that my family wanted to come visit! Lots of fun :) And, though I didn't get pics of the food (what was I thinking?), I did get some of our family.

Hello, 21st Century! My man cooks AND cleans!

Okay, seriously though, he wanted me to get to rest and spend time with my relatives.

He's a good guy that way ;)

My brother, Jeff, & his wife, Ashlin

 Cousins, Braden and Bentley, play 

while the Cowboys do their thing 

(whatever that is)

Oh, and yes, our flat screen sits on the fireplace ledge...lol...we've only lived here a couple of months and haven't found a TV stand that we like.

It was a great day!

Good (despite the bad) Weekend

Friday night around 9:30pm, I hear Braden crying in bed and I run in there to see him holding his tummy...fast forward ten seconds and I am watching him deposit his dinner into our bathtub :( It was a multi-room massacre. No fun at all and it didn't stop until 12:30am. And, the most pitiful part was, I came into the room thirty minutes after the first time he got sick to find him curled up at the foot of our bed using his stuffed horse Boomer as his pillow because he had thrown up on his pillow and the only dry portion of the bed that was left. The little guy was so tired that he didn't even bother crying or coming to get me, he just wanted to go back to sleep...

But, the next morning, he was demanding milk and Pop Tarts so I had a feeling he was all better (lol). I also was aware that it had probably been a bug meaning I was next...poop. But in the meantime, I had errands to run and a well kid, so we hit Hobby Lobby and SuperTarget!

He was so awesome at both places that I let him pick out a prize at Hobby Lobby.

Painting His Treasure Chest!

  

The Finished Product!

Oooh, and Hobby Lobby had 80% OFF their fall products and the monogrammed pumpkin I almost bought for $30 a few weeks ago I got for $5!! Score!!!

My Prize Pumpkin!

We had an awesome day :) The next day was just spent kinda chillin' and Braden got to play with the other thing I bought him at Hobby Lobby. It is a large Dry-Erase workbook for him to work on all his numbers and letters and shapes. But it's a little too advanced for him at this stage so right now he just doodles, but man does he love coloring with those markers! And bonus for me is they are 100% washable (already tested out on the carpet and couch, lol).

 

Then the night came and guess who finally came down with the bug? That's right! ME! Yuck... It lasted from 11pm until 7:15am -- just enough time for me to have to make a decision and call in to work. Poopers. I couldn't even drive out to work to put in a sub plan so thank God for Maurine (my "mentor" who also teaches TechApps at my school) because she covered for me and made sure my sub got the work they were supposed to have for the day. The worst part about getting sick was that we had to cancel our trip to Oklahoma for Thanksgiving because we didn't want to risk Jay coming down with the bug when he got home Tuesday. I mean, if he got it on the road...yuck yuck yuck! Not to mention the fact that possibly getting the other kids or his 90 year old grandmother sick would be Horrible...so we didn't go.

Our last minute Thanksgiving story coming soon :)

A New Beginning

So, I decided to start blogging again -- mainly to have a creative outlet for the insane fun that is my life :)

What's so different now? Well, we just moved (again) to Mesquite, Jay is now working 350 miles away in Midland for an oil company, and WE ARE PREGNANT!!!

Yep, and we found out two weeks ago that we are having a little girl (due on April 2nd). I'm having a second sonogram done on December 9th because the Doc wants to double check -- doesn't wanna be the guy who tells a couple to go stock up on pink and other girly stuff, and then SURPRISE: Baby's got an extra appendage! I would laugh but it's happened to two friends of mine...yikes!

It's nice to be close to my Garland family again as well as my extended family (cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents) in Richardson, Mesquite, Dallas, and Rowlett.

Okay, so I'll be posting more soon, but until then I will leave you with a couple of photos :)

B's gonna be a Big Brother!

Pajama Day @ B's School

(Boomer got to come, too!)