How does this ALWAYS happen???

Every year I finish shopping early, the presents are wrapped, the baking is done... every little thing is in place and yet somehow I still feel like I have so much to do and I have forgotten something and am left scrambling until the wee hours of the morning... oh well, its my own little christmas tradition I guess... Merry Christmas to everyone!!!!!

Pictures with Santa

Its a christmas tradition of ours to go and see Santa and have our picture made with him (really I just want to have it to scrapbook but we can call it tradition). This year at Reagans school Santa came and they did pictures there but since Brody doesnt go to school yet we had to take him at a later time. I tried to take both of them but Reagan would have nothing to do with Santa after her first experience at school.

Here is Brody looking all handsome in his Christmas clothes...he is such an easy going little guy...if you smile at him, he smiles back. Reagan had a pretty red dress with black sweater to match Body but she wasnt interested in participating.

And this is how Reagan feels about Santa (this was the very first shot the photographer took... it only went downhill from there.) I guess it is an improvement from last years picture where she is screaming with huge tears coming out of her eyes. I guess its safe to say Reagan is not a fan of Santa. Maybe her opinion will change when she sees all the new toys he brings her on christmas eve.

He went to Jared!!!

You know all those cheezy jewelry commercials where the girl is always saying "He went to Jared"...well yesterday Stephen went to Jared (Jared the Galleria of Jewelry for those of you that are still lost) and he came home will this GEORGEOUS watch. Our 5 year anniversary is next weekend and while I thought our trip to New York was enough to celebrate it Stephen had other things in mind.

I had mentioned a few months back that I would like a watch. I havent worn one since high school but with little kiddos I am always needing to know what time it is. So Stephen logged that in his memory bank (why nothing else ever seems to land in that memory bank I will never understand=) and picked this out for me. He couldnt have picked a more perfect watch for me. The picture doesnt do it justice... the face is pink and all the number are little diamonds. Then all around the face on the outside are little diamonds as well. And one of the best features about it... it's virtually indestructable. The guy that sold it to him threw it on the ground a few times and scratched the face with a steak knife and it was still in perfect shape.

The funniest part of all of it was that last night after I put it on I couldnt get it off. I was starting to get frustrated until I realized that I just wasnt pulling hard enough (I guess I thought I would break it.) Oh and in case your wondering why he already gave it to me...that is Stephens tradition. Since I have been married to him I have never received a gift on the actual holiday. He says its more of a surprise when he comes home and its unexpected. He is right!!!

Family pictures

Every year (usually around Christmas time) we have a family picture taken. It is always nice to have for "grandparent gifts" not my kids grandparents but my grandparents. They dont get to see me or my family very much anymore so I figure a picture is always a nice way to see how everyone has changed over the past year and this was the first time we had had a family picture taken with Brody in it. Reagan Brody and I had a picture made when I had a photographer come to my house when he had just gone to the hospital but Stephen wasnt able to be there for that on. We met an old friend of mine Heidi at a park in Gainesville and in less than 30 min she got several great shots. I was very pleased with the way they turned out...all I wanted was one good one, thats what I kept telling Heidi..."All I need is one good one for a frame and for christmas cards" so I would say since we got several good ones it was a successful shoot!

MIA

I know, I know... I have ben totally missing in action lately. It has been a CRAZY few weeks and I am still trying to get caught up... not that it will do me any good because the month of December is always busy...even if you already have all your shopping done (which I have since the beginning of October) but nonetheless here is why I have been missing in action:

Getting family pictures taken for our Christmas card (getting Reagan to cooperate with a camera is a challenge in and of itself so trying to get Reagan, 7 month old Brody, Me and Stephen to all look and smile at the same time...well lets just say our photographer did good)

After getting our pictures done, selecting a christmas card and addressing mailing, all that stuff that goes with Christmas cards (they are still in a pile waiting for stamps in my dining room).

Thanksgiving: We had my mom, sister, nephew, brother and all of Stephens family over for Thanksgiving dinner. Thankfully my mom was here to help me and Stephens mom brought over plenty of yummy stuff as well.

Then we turned around on Friday and went to my dads house for Thanksgiving over there...my step-brother Bradley came home from his mission Thanksgiving day so we decided to celebrate Thanksgiving with them the next day...it was so fun to see Bradley after 2 years.

Speaking of Bradley...I had been doing a scrapbook of his mission for him and in typical fashion I had to play catch up with it right before he got home so the times I would have spent blogging, I was scrapbooking.

I also had a few scrapbook clients that I had to get caught up on so betwen them and Bradley's album I was spent...

My brother and his wife had a baby boy, November 18th at 1:30 in the morning so I spent quite a bit of time going back and forth to the hospital visiting them.

Planning a New York trip: Stephen and I are going to New York for our 5 year anniversary so we have been planning everything for that...it should be lots of fun, I just need to go shopping for some VERY WARM clothes for the trip. I have been there before at this time of year and it is COLD!!!

I have had a few christmas "Projects" that I have been working on and hopefully will finish before christmas.

WE decorated the house this past weekend. We got a 10ft tree this year and it is really pretty, I will try and post some pictures of it later.

Anyway, you get the idea... I have been busy but we are all healthy and happy so I couldnt think of a better time of year to be thankful for all the things we have been blessed with...especially eachother!!!