A First for Eden, Antics of Harry Boy, and a Few Dancing Elves

This post is so no one forgets just how random this blog can be. :) 

One of the traditions we have at Christmas time is to go see our local School of the Arts' production of the Nutcracker. Grammy bought tickets for all who wanted to go every year and it is one of my favorite things. This year was Eden's first year! 

Here she is all dressed up and ready to go:

This year our group consisted of Grammy, Kellan, Sarabeth, Eden and me. 

We had a great time, as always. Thank you, Grammy, for taking us every year!

Harry boy has been up to his normal tricks, entertaining us with his antics:

(wearing Daddy's shoes)

(he likes to use the slide as a pillow)

(caught him on our bed - guess he figured out how to climb up)

(Harry is the king of lounge)

(one of my faves!)

And seriously, these kids have a really tough life. :) 

Lastly, I know these have been around for ages, but it is the first time I've done one for our family. I CANNOT stop laughing! Jason's face looks all gangsta cool and seeing myself move like that is so improbable I can hardly stand it. Be on the lookout for Harry, he only pops in a couple of times. :) 

Eden's 3rd Birthday

Jason and I have always been of the mind that there is no need to throw big parties for the kiddos when they are really young for their birthdays. But this year, since Eden was going to be 3, I wanted her to feel special on her birthday especially since it is so close to Christmas. We still only had mostly family (plus our friends Shawna, Greg, and their two daughters, Clara and Zoe), but we did some extra special things for her. The first was to decorate her door:

Jason and I stayed up the night before her birthday and blew up balloons, hung them from her door as well as decorated the dining room. 

She loves balloons, so she was thrilled!

Eden and Harry spent most of the day playing with all of the decor.

Grammy came with us to pick up her cupcakes and take her for a birthday lunch at Wendy's:

Harry was ready for a nap by the time lunch was over:

We had the family come over that night for pizza and cupcakes. Uncle Ken, Clara, Poppie, Grumps, Harry and Eden:

Greg and Zoe:

Eden and Kellan:

Grammy with Harry:

(typical Harry - wants to be held for all of a millisecond)

Shawna and Clara:

The birthday girl with her double chocolate cupcake:

After supper we went downstairs for gifts:

She loved all of her gifts and has been playing with all of them:

She was also given a special birthday party dress (I didn't manage to catch a picture of her in it, but here it is on the hanger!):

All in all, a good birthday for our sweetie. We are so thankful that God blessed us with a precious little girl. She warms our hearts and reminds us of God's great love for us. 

Multi-tasking: Health Check-In, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Tree Hunting

This post is going to be one conglomeration! First up, my weekly health check in. I made it through the holidays without overindulging, although I certainly ate some very rich, sugary foods that I wouldn't normally! I was up two pounds at my weigh in, but I am not discouraged. I am pleased with how I ate, especially with so many temptations lurking. Exercise has been on somewhat of a standstill because my back is really having fits. I would appreciate prayer, if you think of it. My verse for this week is Galatians 5:16: "So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

We did have a wonderful Thanksgiving day, consisting of cooking, the Macy's Day Parade, lunch with family, naps, and lots of family time. We always drive up to the mountains on the Friday after Thanksgiving to get a Christmas tree, so all of the pics in this post are from that day (I forgot to take any pictures at our family meal on Thursday!). 

Eden couldn't wait to pick out a tree - here she is waiting on the rest of us to get ready:

Still waiting, outside this time:

The place that we go to is called McInnis Farms and they have a hayride down to the tree fields. This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Jason, he is making an expression exactly like his dad:

(they always have hot apple cider to take with you on the hayride)

Eden was hanging out with Grammy and Grumps on our ride:

Harry spent most of his time hunting for sticks and rocks, but he loved being outside and roaming the hills:

Our tree!

One of the best shots of the day:

We claimed that baby!

The G's:

Family shot:

Love this one too:

Sara and Kellan (who had to play Harry herders all afternoon):

Harry loved riding on the hayride:

And last, I had to share this series of shots. We were trying to get one with all of the kids and Harry just was not interested in helping. Poor Kellan, he didn't stand a chance! 

~Heehee~