Christmas Highlights

We had such a wonderful time visiting my family in Illinois for Christmas. Despite the long drive and ROUGH hotel stays with a puppy and a baby, we would do it all over again for another visit. :-) Here are a few highlights:

**Perfect driving weather both coming and going (minus a bit of rain on the way back)
**Vicious game of Phase 10
**Garrett playing in the fun tunnel and tent combo that his Grandma set up
**Garrett standing unassisted for a long long time (until he realized what he was doing and freaked out)
**Seeing the Koch side of the family and meeting little Roman, Beth and Aaron's newest addition
**Seeing Laura and Jenelle again--I miss my girls!!
**Playing Scattergories...the inner workings of my parents' minds are scary but hilarious
**Going on a date with my husband to see The Blind Side
**Seeing the Festival of Lights
**Russ getting his first haircut by yours truly
**Garrett getting his first haircut EVER by his Grandma
**Garrett experiencing his first REAL snowfall and sledding around the backyard
**Garrett's first Christmas morning...brunch, stockings, presents and lots of family time
**Introducing Russ to the "live version" Alvin and the Chipmunks not the cartoon
**Taking Garrett to Great Grandma and Grandpa's house--visiting all of his cousins
**Shopping with Mom and Krista (thank you boys for staying with the baby!)
**Watching the Cowboys win!
**Hanging out at Uncle Nate and Aunt Krista's to watch the Aggie game (not a win)
**Garrett getting to bond with his aunts and uncles and grandparents...we miss them!


Phew! There was a lot more that went on than that, but I can't fit it all in. :-) Tonight is New Year's Eve and we're planning to lay low and relax with some fingerfoods and Tivo'd shows. Here are some pics to enjoy on this, the last day of 2009. It's been a fabulous year full of all kinds of blessings. Thank You Lord, for all You've done, all You're doing and all that You've got planned for 2010. Happy New Year!!!

Helping Daddy put up the tent

Tunnel fun!

Christmas Morning

Time to play in the snow!

Chillin with Grandpa

At Great-Grandma's House

Napping with Grandpa while Mommy and Daddy pack

Visiting Grandma at her library

Hanging out at Aunt Krista and Uncle Nate's house

PS: As I was attempting to post this to our blog Garrett was pushing Lucy's crate across the room, emptying a basket full of towels onto the floor, crawling behind the couch all the way to the Christmas tree, and pulling out every single toy he owns to chew on. Busy boy!!!

Uncle Jeff

So, as most of you reading this already know, Russ's Great-Uncle Jeff passed away yesterday morning. He was a wonderful man of God and touched many lives. Well, I had intended to post a little something about Jeff and his connection to our family, but Russ not only beat me to the punch but he did a much better job than I could. Russ has his own blog now, called russVision, and he's posted an entry all about his Uncle Jeff and what he meant to him that's pretty moving. Make sure you have kleenex nearby when you read/listen.

Here are a few random Garrett pics from the last couple of weeks to help bring a smile to your face. :-)

Once again, he's messing with Lucy's bowls. At least he's dropping the food for her instead of stuffing it into his own mouth this time!

The drool monster up close and personal.

He loves to push around the shopping cart that "Santa" brought him a bit early. It makes all kinds of fun noises and he can go go go. PS: I love the Once Upon a Child resale store. Great toys and clothes for garage sale prices.

10 Months Old

I know I say this every month, but I can't believe that our little boy is growing up so quickly! Here are some of Garrett's favorite things at 10 months of age:

*Mommy and Daddy and Lucy
*Crawling FAST
*Putting everything in his mouth
*Kitchen cupboards
*The dustpan and broom
*Creeping along the couch, cupboards, available legs
*Saying ma-ma-ma-ma-ma or ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
*Clapping
*Crawling FASTER
*Peek-a-boo with others
*Peek-a-boo with self in the mirror
*Lucy's bowls
*The Christmas tree
*The nativity sets
*Bath time
*Crawling, crawling, crawling

We took his picture with the Airborne Bear in front of the Christmas tree this month since we put it up and decorated our living room on his 10 month birthday. If our decorating day is any indication, Christmas morning is going to be entertaining this year! Once again, it was hard to get him to sit still for a perfect picture, but he's awfully cute even in perpetual motion. :-) That's our boy!

This is at the beginning of our decorating extravaganza. Garrett made friends with the Christmas Frog that scares the daylights out of Lucy.

Daddy shared his Rangers Santa hat with his son.

He's singing "All I want for Christmas is my two (top) front teeth..."

Attempt #1 to get a good 10 month picture

Trying to escape the photo shoot

Showing AB (Airborne Bear) how to escape

Smuggling AB out of the photo shoot area

The final get-away...and then our photo shoot was really over.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

We went to San Diego for Thanksgiving this year to celebrate with Russ's parents. If you've never been to San Diego, you should visit! It's beautiful and there are so many things to do and see that you'd need way more time and energy than we had this time around. It was a wonderful visit and Garrett enjoyed his time with his Grammy and Grandad and their dogs. I think the pictures speak for themselves as far as how much fun we all had. :-)

This is at the DFW Airport, waiting for our flight to San Diego. Thankfully, they had clean carpeting and a little friend for Garrett to bond with.

The next day we went to a restaurant appropriately named The Beach House. As you can see, it's right on the beach! Garrett was kinda cranky but had fun watching the seagulls scavenging for leftovers.

Garrett and his Daddy at the Beach House

Thanksgiving Day! Garrett is sporting his Grandma's Little Gobbler bib that his Grammy had waiting for him. And he did gobble down that day!

He loved playing with some of Daddy's old toys and a new Sesame Street toy that was a Christmas present from Grammy and Grandad. Notice that he's now wearing a Baby's 1st Thanksgiving shirt, compliments of Grandma and Grandpa in Illinois.

Playing with an old school toy clock.

Messing with Kiwi (I think this is Kiwi anyways).

Rocking the rocking horse. I think this was his Aunt Hillary's back in the day.

Finally!! I got a good shot of his two bottom teeth! He's STILL working on the top two. Maybe by Christmas??

Playing cowboy with Mommy.

Playing a different kind of Cowboy with Daddy.

Using his Grandad as a jungle gym. I don't think he minded a bit.

Digging into the basket of toys. What a face!

At the Wild Animal Park on the train. Unfortunately, I was too diligent in his skincare and he got some sunblock in his eyes which made them red and watery. So, he wasn't very happy for some of the park time and then he fell asleep. Thus the lack of pictures from our time here. But the big kids (Russ and me) loved it!

This is on the train still...I just loved this picture of Garrett resting on his Daddy. :-)

We exchanged our Christmas presents while we were all together. Garrett LOVES tissue paper so we had a blast. What a big helper.

Here he is helping me unwrap my new digital picture frame. I can't wait to set it up!

Here's Garrett helping his Grammy break in her new Dallas Cowboys Snuggie!

And of course, Daddy needed help pulling his new books out of the gift bag too.

This was Russ's rocking chair when he was Garrett's size. So cute!

He is definitely his Mommy's son...I think that 95% of the pictures taken of me as a child/teen are with my tongue hanging out. I don't know why.

This is later on in the afternoon on Saturday (same day as our Christmas) and it had been raining quite a bit, making it the perfect staying-inside-day.

And now is one of my favorite parts of the trip...the beach! It was kind of cool on Sunday, but we wanted to see the beach where Grammy goes the most. It was gorgeous!

Garrett's first beach walk! He loved the sand squishing between his toes (just like his Mommy does!)

Yay for the beach!

Garrett is inspecting a mussel shell. He doesn't know what to make of it!

Enjoying a little hand-holding on the shore. Aww.

With his pants rolled up, Garrett looks like a regular beach-goer. And he loves being tossed by his Daddy no matter where they are.

Garrett and Grammy on "her" beach.

Thanks for bringing us to San Diego for such a special Thanksgiving visit! We appreciate all you did for us and loved all the fun times together. Garrett loves his Grammy and Grandad!!