Tags for Christmas!

On Christmas Eve we went to Fresno to Papa and Grannie's house for Christmas, and we had to come back today because daddy has to go back to work. I had fun opening my presents. I am not sure what was even in them, but they are wrapped in this super tasty paper stuff and ribbons and all sorts of other things to chew on. So I did a whole lot of chewing. You think I am joking? Please see below:







































And one present that was made especially for me by my grannie and Aunt Heidi, was a wee blanket, but the really cool thing about my blanket was that the whole thing was covered in ribbon TAGS! I am so happy.















Some other highlights of the day:

Ate some yams and took a bath




















(I've decided that I need to stand for my baths now. Actually, I want to stand all the time now)

We wish you a merry Christmas!

From our house to yours, some Christmas jollies:





















Now that I'm a big boy (7 months today) the top of the exersaucer is no fun (don't you know the top part is for babies?).

A boy and his cat

They say there is something about a boy and his dog, but since we don't have one yet, the cat will have to do. Here are the boys watching the rain.

Christmas at Nana and Grandpa's

The funny thing about having a baby is that it creates grandparents, and those grandparents need to be called something to distinguish them. Even though Bryce can't say much of anything about it, every grandparent has a name. Now if only we could keep them straight. I have enough trouble remembering my own name sometimes (could be due to my old friend sleep deprivation), so thank goodness for only 2 sets of grandparents to remember. :0) We have Grannie and Papa, and Nana Bekky and Grandpa respectively.

This weekend we went to Nana Bekky and Grandpa's house for Christmas and had loads of fun. We think grandpa's Christmas spirit has been pleasantly improved by the grandbaby. Bryce got to munch on some ribbons and wrapping paper (the wrapping paper while mommy wasn't looking). So far I haven't found any of the wrapping paper in the diaper (this topic could be a blog in itself), so all in all, a successful Christmas. We have some video of the momentous occasion which you'd enjoy if only we could find the cord to the video camera....

Getting ready to go out in the rain.

Where did Nana and Bryce go?

Christmas is hard work

Sometimes your mommy takes you shopping...forever.


And other times she puts a costume on you, how embarassing!

New Cousin

Bryce's cousin Leah Susanne Leach was born on Dec. 7th to Andrew's sister Heidi and her husband Ryan. She was 7lb 2 oz (which for some reason feels very light when I hold her :0) and is super cute. We went up there to see her this weekend.


And in a totally unrelated picture, here is Bryce being coy. (The massive slobber is from getting 4 teeth on top)

Christmas is coming!

Even though I am a little bit of a ham, everybody has limits on their picture being taken. Now if only they would go away and let me eat this ornament in peace.

Taking the Christmas Picture

You'll probably be getting the Christmas picture soon by old fashioned mail, but here's a preview.

O Christmas Tree

Today we went and got our tree. Bryce likes trees and he really liked pulling on the branches until he started to pull the needles off, and mommy had to take them away. When we had ours picked out, and it was a big one, we found out they somehow had run out of netting wrap. Who runs out of the netting on Dec. 1st? So we decided to take one home that was already wrapped (a travesty) and take our chances. It turned out better than all the ones we were sizing up at the lot, must be some of that Christmas mojo.










Getting ready to get the tree-it's cold outside!



Picking our tree.

Being fascinated by the chainsaw they were using to trim off the ends.

I like the tree!

Bryce's Favorite Book

So Bryce's dad here. He has a book that he absolutely loves. It is called "Silly Faces." In the middle of the book there is a giant hole and you put your face in it and you become the sheep, the rooster, cat, puppy, pig and cow. Bryce will laugh and laugh when mommy reads the book. What happens when daddy reads the book and becomes the cow? I will just let you watch and see.

Thanksgiving

Things I have learned from our first go at hosting Thanksgiving:

1. Inviting 9 adults, 9 kids and 2 babies to your house three weeks after you move in may be an insane idea.

2. If your husband asks you to have 9 adults, 9 kids and 2 babies over for Thanksgiving and you say yes because you love him, there are no take backs or do-overs.

3. If you are so pooped that you fall asleep and leave your husband to put the thawing turkey in the fridge before you go to bed, it may still be frozen in the middle, causing mild panic and some extended hot water rinsing to get the neck out of that cavity.

4. If you manage to figure out that the neck and giblets are supposed to be cooked outside the turkey, you are already half way to being a Thanksgiving expert. Or at least an Intermediate Level Hostess.

5. If you are trying to brine a turkey, you should get a friend to help dump the extra juice in the sink when it's in a 5 gallon bucket and you are for some reason dumping it out inside.

6. If you call the Butterball hotline, your own personal home economist can tell you how to cook a 14lb and a 16lb turkey in the oven at the same time.

7. If you call the Hazmat people, they will not come clean up the floor in the kitchen.

8. If you have coffee and good desserts, no one cares if the floor in the kitchen is thrashed.

















Things I am thankful for:

My mom coming to help, and Andrew's mom and sister bringing desserts, rolls, yams and jello.

Lots of food to share.

Our new house.

The 9 kids eating in the kitchen.

Bryce being a super good boy and just eating puffs and laughing in his highchair the entire time we were eating.

Football!

It's Saturday, gotta sport the colors....

Apple Break

We've been working on the house all day every day, so it was nice to finally take a break. We went to Tehachapi on Friday to pick some apples and barely made it before apple season closed. Bryce had a good time. As you can see he likes apples, and if he could figure out how to chew them, he'd totally go for it. For now, he is eating sweet potatoes and peas.































This last one is of an attempted diaper change. Bryce has decided that flipping over and trying to get away is more fun than lying still. This is for sure going in the slide show at his wedding some day.

C is for Cereal

that's good enough for me. Cereal, cereal, cereal starts with C. Grannie gave us the assist we needed to really get going on the cereal today, since I am now a big boy eater. (Guess mommy was making it too runny and having a hard time keeping it in my mouth since I take after my daddy and have to look at everything besides what I am eating)


Cereal Face

I've Been Working on the New House

all the livelong day...literally.

The boys fixing doors:

Checking to make sure daddy's work is up to par. Yep, looks good daddy.





















Playing with my toys while mommy and daddy clean (and mommy sneaks a break to video me)