Goodbye, 2009!

Farewell 2009! Thank you, Lord, for making this such an amazing year. You've provided so much strength and love to find our way through the amazing path you've laid out for us. Thank you for all the wonderful people we met this year. Thank you for all the beautiful loved ones we got to spend time with or we missed this year. We are so blessed and wouldn't have wanted anything this year to have been different.

I have always loved New Year's. I remember when I was told as a kid to go to bed because kids didn't get New Year's, it was only something grown ups really comprehended and enjoyed. I didn't get that - I was so excited to be passing into a new year and making a point to make it special!

The kids and I got some Bagel Bites and mozzarella sticks and made a movie night out of it. I had planned on watching Up, but their votes were for Thomas and the Magic Railroad. Horrible, horrible, horrible movie. They, of course, loved it and requested we watch it again immediately. Didn't happen.

Brandon and I got to Skype for a bit just now, as he woke up on the first day of the new year and I prepare to watch the festivities here. I am looking forward to spending this holiday with him next year.

So, I say goodbye to an awesome year as I sit here and listen to music I have no means of describing radiating through the wall from our neighbors', and pray it doesn't wake the baby. I'm trying to be cool about it because this never happens - they are pretty good neighbors - but a "single mom" doesn't have a lot of patience to work with when it comes to baby sleep issues.

Peace out, 2009! Rock on, 2010!

Hip Hip Hooray!

This is my 100th post on the blog, hooray!


I wasn't going to post again tonight, but just received this great picture in my email box and had to share. This is none other than my goofy dad as an adorable little muffin...

Christmas at Home

Some images and moments from our Christmas festivities here at home...

Our very first gingerbread house. I had no idea what I was doing and read the directions twice. We had a lot of fun with it though. Each boy got a side of the roof to decorate and a bowl full of candies to use. This was Bubby's side, and you can Popo's below (the full shot of his side turned out fuzzy).

I had to double-up the cards because Baby Bear was taking it upon herself to admire the lower ones in the best way she knows how... with her mouth.

This is the cool little fiber optic tree I bought to send to you, my sweet husband, to enjoy for Christmas. I obviously didn't quite follow through on that one. The kids and I are enjoying it a lot though, and I'm excited to make it a part of our yearly decorations.

Some candy pretzel treats I made to share with loved ones. I only managed to package a few up for our neighbors. Looks like the rest are a treat for myself. Yum.

Sweet ornaments that their Sunday School teachers made for them.

The tree and presents as arranged before I went to bed on Christmas Eve. Their stockings were just about stuffed to capacity.

Their pile of gifts to open while sleepy Daddy looked on via Skype.

Chatting with Daddy.

Christmas breakfast: waffles and apples, with Christmas sprinkles.

Baby Bear, gearing up to have at her new toy. Basically her only present she got from us. I'm still working on three, yes, three crochet projects for her.

On our calendar for this month, we used some cute date cards I found online. Each day was an empty manger until Baby Jesus's big day! The boys had a great time counting how many more days until Christmas for the last week or so.

Don't worry loved ones, I'm doing another post about our celebrations at your houses.

RIP, SB

This one's for you, Babe...

Mmm-hmmmm

One of your freak sons doing his thing with the puzzle

Both your freak sons celebrating their success!

Your stinking adorable snaggle-tooth with her first big biscuit. I'm not showing the after shot - it's too gross for me to look at.

Same adorable munchkin at the hangar Christmas party

Your cool dudes with their awesome, masculine toys they picked out with Christmas money with Papa

Angel Bear having fun with Papa after said outing

Disney World!

Yes, believe it or not, I'm finally posting some pictures of our trip to Disney World. Once you recover from your shock and pick yourself up off the floor, enjoy... (I'll post pics from the other days of our vacation next.)

They still include Mickey's House in their prayers every day.

Baby Bear and Minnie Mouse really bonded, since they were matching. Baby Bear wanted so badly to eat Minnie's nose.

One of the highlights of the day for them. A real-life grasshopper!

Waiting in line with Mommy for a ride with just the two of us. Popo was a little too nervous to try the spaceships. They really were pretty high.

Baby Bear was such a trooper. She slept maybe 20 minutes all day, only because I covered her up in the sling a couple of times. She had a blast.

Watching fireworks at the end of the night.

In the Spirit