Christmas 2015

We had very warm weather here in Texas on Christmas so we spent Christmas Eve morning outside playing soccer and flying a kite. Harper wanted to fly it all by herself which meant she ran around dragging it on the ground behind her. But after I showed her how to do it and she let me help her get started, she ran with it in the air for a bit.

We also did our annual Christmas Eve crafts – we made bead candy canes and painted wooden gift tags. I also tried to get a little Pinterest-y and do a handprint wreath with Harper and a footprint mistletoe with Finn but they turned out horribly, as most of my Pinterest endeavors do.

Harper was excited to frost and sprinkle some sugar cookies and put them out with milk for Santa (and some carrots on our driveway for the reindeer.)

I put them in matching jammies and Daddy read The Night Before Christmas.

Christmas morning started at 6am and after feeding the baby and getting Harper a snack in her room and all ready to go, I walked the kids out while Drew shot video from the living room. Harper immediately spotted Finn’s Little Tikes car and then her bike and rocking chair. She was so excited! And because it was so warm, we got to spend some time outside trying out the new toys! It was a very merry Christmas!

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holiday fun

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas and was particularly excited this year since it was Finn’s first Christmas and our first Christmas as a family of 4. Last year, I was so sick (and pregnant) and it kind of took all the fun out of the holiday. It’s hard to believe in the span of a year, we had a baby and now he’s big enough to sit up and open presents.

We started the holiday season by decorating our tree on Thanksgiving weekend and then I started the myriad of holiday photos of my kids. I just can’t get enough. But they sure had enough. “Ugh! Not another picture, Mom!”

This one of Finn might be my favorite of them all. Bah hum bug!

But he eventually relented and let me snap away. Cheese!

I used these for our Christmas card.

We went to a big electric train set display in downtown Round Rock and stopped for a few pictures outside where they had a giant tree and giant ornament.

There was a big stage that Harper kept running over to and doing her happy dance for us.

Our annual santa hat picture!

And this is blurry, but I caught them sitting together under the tree and giggling and thought it was so cute.

Halloween 2015

I realize I’m pretty late to the game on this post, but for good reason! Actually bad reasons – we’ve been plagued with a lot of sickness the last 5 or so weeks, mixed with lots of working overtime, lots of exhaustion, teething, work travel, back injury, you name it.

But we were determined to enjoy Halloween! We started with our annual tradition of painting mini pumpkins and carving a big pumpkin. Otherwise known as: everyone loses interest so I carve the pumpkin myself. At least this year we learned that you can’t put a carved pumpkin outside in this heat or it melts. So it stayed inside and rotted. Maybe next time we’ll just paint pumpkins…

Harper had a fall festival at school and dressed in her favorite Rapunzel dress and had lots of fun making crafts and playing with her friends.

We were in the thick of all the exhaustion and sickness right around Halloween. Finn had a bad cold, then I got a bad cold, then I had to work overnight the night before Halloween and the whole day of Halloween, right up to trick-or-treating time. So I was exhausted and practically lost my voice from all the coughing.

But the kids looked darn cute in their costumes and had a blast trick-or-treating with our neighbors!

We ended up with a lot of leftover candy that we enjoyed for weeks!

4th of July 2015

Drew’s sister, brother-in-law, dad and nephew Augie came to visit for his birthday and the 4th of July. It was Augie’s and Finn’s first 4th and our first time meeting Augie. The boys are just 2 months apart and already fast friends!

Augie’s hand on Finn’s thigh kills me.

We walked to the neighborhood pool for Finn’s first swim.

The water was a bit cool that morning. I’d say Finn didn’t like it or dislike it.

But he was happy to dry off and relax.

We went to the local coffeehouse/brewhouse on Drew’s birthday.

We spent a lot of time outside on the new patio.

We had a yummy carrot cake for Drew’s birthday.

On the 4th, I tried to get pictues of my kiddos holding flags, but they were too distracted by them to look at the camera. Harper tried to get Finn to wave his flag.

And we got pictures of the boys together in their matching outfits.

Little bandits!

What a fun weekend with family!

Easter 2015

Easter weekend started out with Gram and Toddy visiting to meet Finnegan. Harper had an Easter egg hunt at school, so Drew, Gram and Toddy went and Tod snapped these pictures.

Then on Easter morning, the Easter bunny left goodies in the kids’ baskets! Finn was too sleepy to notice.

But Harper loved all her goodies!

And Gram made Harper a bunny-shaped pancake!

It was too wet and cool outside to do an egg hunt, so we hid some eggs upstairs in the playroom.

Harper was pretty excited about all the candy.

Our first holiday as a family of four!

Harperween 2014

Harper got really into Halloween this year and made it so fun! She loved to say “Happy Halloween!” We went to a local pumpkin patch (or rather, a little festival with a gathering of pumpkins) and picked out a big pumpkin to carve together and little pumpkins to paint.

“I’ll take this one!”

I tried to take a mommy-daughter-baby-bump picture but she was more interested in the pumpkins.

The rest of the festival had fun stuff for bigger kids. But she liked watching all the kids on the inflatables. Maybe next year, kiddo.

Harper helped to scoop out the pumpkin but did not like the mess on her hands.

So we learned here in Texas that carved pumpkins don’t last more than 2 days in this heat. By day 2 it was completely molded black on the inside and by day 4 it was literally a melted pile of mush. But it looked good for one day!

She loved painting our little pumpkins together. And only tried a few times to eat the paint!

Today we went to her Halloween party at school where we saw several Anna’s, Elsa’s and Olaf’s (as did all of America today.)

Then we came home and got ready for the trick-or-treaters.

We went to a few houses with our neighbors and Harper totally rocked the trick-or-treating. I was really surprised, but she knew exactly what to do and wasn’t shy about it. When we came home, she took all of her candy out of her bucket and sorted it into piles for Mommy, Daddy, and Harper while singing “Happy Halloween!” The best part – Mommy and Daddy get to eat her candy!

fourth of july trip to missouri

We made our way back to Missouri again for the 4th of July this year to see lots of Drew’s family. We basically replicated our trip from last year – except this year Harper was running around and playing and swinging. Lots of swinging.

She swung with Great Grandma and ran around.

And we got to meet our nephew, Ulysses, for the first time! What a doll he is!

Harper loved playing at Uncle Don and Aunt Deb’s with Devyn and Audrey – 2 of the many second cousins that are closest to her age.

“No pictures! I’m too busy playing!”

Harper wanted to swing on her tummy just like Devyn.

The girls played in the cows’ water trough. The cows weren’t thrilled. 🙂

Exploring in Aunt Deb’s garden.

The girls loved jumping on the trampoline!

On the 4th, we went to a party at Drew’s cousin’s house where we had some awesome cousin-made barbeque! All Harper wanted to do the whole evening was swing, swing, swing.

She also loved playing the bags game.

Before we left, I grabbed some quick pics of my cutie patootie nephew!

Thanks for hosting us again this year, Great Grandpa and Great Grandma!

harper’s 2nd easter

Easter gets a whole lot more fun when you have a toddler! Harper loved hunting for eggs. So much so that we did it 4 times that weekend. Harper already showed great hunting prowess at her first egg hunt at school. She knew exactly what to do! She grabbed all the eggs and put them in her basket until it was overflowing!

Then we went to our neighborhood egg hunt where she and her neighbor friend didn’t get one single egg. There were just too many kids. So they filled their baskets with wood chips instead and did some swinging.

We got the obligatory scared-of-the-easter-bunny shot.

Easter morning was quite fun to see Harper enjoy her gifts – Legos, some books, and a few other things.

Then we headed over to our neighbor’s house for a make-up egg hunt since the neighborhood one was a bust. Harper loved swinging on her friend’s playscape and now points to it from our yard every time we’re outside.

And finally, later that afternoon we headed to Drew’s cousin’s house for dinner (like we did last year!) and Harper’s 4th egg hunt.

Needless to say, Harper really enjoyed the holiday and we loved watching her enjoy it.

a midwest christmas for a texas girl

I’m quite late with my Christmas post, but for good reason. We had a whirlwind holiday! We packed up our whole house, traveled to IL for 10 days, and promptly moved out and into our new house the day after we returned. I’ve just now gotten internet hooked up and dug myself out of a sea of boxes. It takes a lot longer to unpack and return to normal life when you have a toddler who insists on climbing on everything all day long.

Because we were traveling at Christmas, we gave Harper a few gifts a week early so we wouldn’t have to bring them with us. Her favorite among them was a surprise gift from her daddy – Elmo.

Despite the exhaustion and logistics of planning a move during the holidays while simultaneously packing for a trip, we were really glad to get to IL and have some fun family time. We were lucky enough to see both my family and husband’s family all in one trip. We spent the first part of the holiday at my mom’s house and the second part of the holiday at Drew’s mom’s house. And both of Harper’s grandpas traveled in to see us too! Harper really loved having family around when she woke up every morning and was spoiled by her grandparents and aunts and uncles. It made me a bit sad that Harper doesn’t get to spend more time with family who love her, but we’re hoping for lots of visitors to Texas!

Harper got to see and play in snow for the first time! Naturally, she was not a fan. So we didn’t stay outside for long. Just long enough to get some use out of the snowsuit that she won’t ever need again.

This holiday was special for another reason – we got to be there for my niece’s first Christmas! Little Avery is getting big and sitting up and smiling so easily now! I mean, you just looked at her and she’d grin up at you instantly!

I think this little munchkin might have just been teething too! Her first tooth came shortly after!

Cousins and besties!

Harper wasn’t a huge fan of the annual santa hat picture.

But she was a fan of Uncle Chris!

Of course we had to get the girls matching x-mas jammies.

harper’s first easter

The Easter Bunny (and some relatives) gave Harper a few goodies!

And the bunny ears! Cuteness overload!