Merry Christmas!

It was our year to stay in Indiana for Christmas...which meant a busy, busy time for us. Trying to cram four Christmases into one day is crazy! I don't know how people with step families or two sets of grandparents do it! We started off our Christmas celebrations with dinner and church with my May grandparents on Christmas Eve just like my family has done for as long as I can remember. I did ask my grandmother if it would be okay for us to exchange presents while we were there so we could have more time at home with Jack on the actual Christmas day. Grandma had no problem with that at all. Since we would be getting home late on Christmas Eve, we just went ahead and dressed Jack in his pajamas so he would be ready for bed and Santa.

Jack with his Grandpa II

Mamaw and Jack at Granny and Grandpa II's house

Jack opening presents

I love that face!

On Christmas Day we let Jack wake up at his normal time and find what Santa had brought him. Below are pictures of him opening up Santa's gifts at home.

Walking out and seeing what Santa left for the first time!

Santa left him a kitchen set with food and dishes!

Cookin' up a little breakfast while still sleepy eyed!

Santa also brought him a cash register and a magna doodle

After opening presents and eating breakfast at home, we headed out to my Aunt Patty's house to have Christmas lunch/dinner with my mom's family.

Sierra and Jack

Dad and Uncle Steve carving the turkey and ham

After Aunt Patty's house, we took Jack to my mom's for a nap and opened presents there with her, my dad and sister. For some odd reason I have no pictures from their house. Too many Christmases must make one lose their mind....

Once we got back home, Jack cooked us up a little snack from his kitchen. He takes after his father and is an excellent cook.

All in all our first Christmas home with Jack was a fun and memorable experience. He's such an easy going and fun loving kid. He fills our home with so much joy and laughter. I can't wait for more Christmases with him and his little sibling and watching them grow up together. What more could a mother ask for? Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas.

Pictures with Santa

Today we went with Lori and CJ to St. Pius X for their breakfast with Santa. Jack got his picture taken with Santa there. He wasn't afraid of him at all! While we were waiting in line, Jack kept trying to get down and run up on the stage where Santa was sitting. Of course when it was his turn Jack just wanted to stand and stare at Santa! I sat him on Santa's lap and then tried my best to get a decent photo. Jack wanted to turn and stare at Santa instead of look at the camera! I think we got a couple of decent shots though!

Ashley thinks he looks like he wants to fight Santa because his fists are closed! In the last one you can see him checking Santa out...maybe looking at his hobo gloves? Ho ho ho...

Christmas Cookies

Jason started a wonderful Christmas tradition for Jack today...making Christmas Cookies. He said he remembered making the sugar cookies with his mom when he was little and wanted to pass that tradition on to his own children. Jack had no objections! He had a great time laying out the flour on the table so Daddy could roll out the dough.He enjoyed pressing the cookie cutters into the dough...along with just poking holes in the dough with his fingers too!

And what great cook or baker doesn't sample their own creations? Of course...normally it would be cooked first...but hey...don't we all like a little raw cookie dough?

Or a lot of it!?

Add some sprinkles for the finishing touch and they you go...Christmas Cookies! They had a great time making them and I enjoyed watching. I never realized how much work goes into making the batter and rolling and rerolling out the dough. Glad this was a Jason project! I think I got the best job of all...eating them!

Dang it!

Jason hung the Christmas lights today. Jack, the ever helpful boy, decided that Daddy needed a little help. He thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and climb the ladder...

and hand Daddy strings of light.

Daddy on the other hand had a different idea. He didn't think it was okay for Jack to climb the ladder. Dang it Daddy! Poor Jack!

Love is...

...watching the two of these guys together. Even doing simple things such as reading a book. I've said it before but let me just say it again. Jason is not only a terrific husband, but a super awesome daddy. Just look at Jack's face if you need proof.

Announcing...

After learning in August that we lost a baby at 11 weeks, we are happy to announce:

Here is me at just over 14 weeks. :) It's not hard to tell huh?! Guess I'm going to be HUGE! We could not be happier though and all looks good.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

I used to have this really awesome Christmas tree. I got it from Family Dollar when I moved into my apartment. It was a six foot prelit tree with really full branches that spread out and folded up nicely. It was really a fantastic cheap-o tree. When Jason and I moved in together we used that tree until we bought our house. The first year we moved into the house we did not put a tree up because we were spending Christmas in Tulsa. The next year we bought a small real tree. When we bought that little tree Jason decided that our basement could no longer hold my pretty prelit tree...because "it didn't fit in the box and took up too much ro

om". So I let him convince me to throw it out. BIG mistake! Jack's first Christmas we passed on a tree again since we'd be in Tulsa and we figured at 7 months, he didn't really need a tree anyways for the time we'd be in Indy for the Christmas season. But this year we're home and Jack's a year and a half...so we thought a tree was necessary. I wasn't really fond of the mess the real tree made, so I went in search of a new fake tree. Now, we don't have much room in our house so I started looking for another 6 foot prelit tree. After looking at a few stores, I quickly found that a) prelit trees are expensive and b) trees under 6 feet look like Ch

arlie Brown's rejects. I am so sad that we tossed my perfect little tree! =( So we ended up getting a sad looking little tree so Jack would have something to decorate. He seemed to really enjoy putting the ornaments on his first tree....even if it is something even Charlie Brown wouldn't take home. It's the process not the product right? And besides...when he's grown, he'll probably be more embarrassed about the outfit I have him in than the way the tree looked! Below is the best picture I could get of the sad tree.

Thanksgiving

Each year we alternate where we spend Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year it was our turn to go to Tulsa to spend Thanksgiving with Jason's family. The weather was really nice so we were able to spend a lot of time outdoors. Jack enjoyed spending time working with his Grandpa when we were indoors. I love seeing him sit on John's lap and "working" at John's desk in the office. Jack also enjoyed playing in the creek that runs through Grandma and Grandpa's back yard. This is a creek that Jason, Todd and Daniel spent a lot of time playing in while growing up. Nice to see the creek on it's second generation of Ravenscroft Men. I think Jason enjoyed sharing this experience with Jack as well.

Other outdoor activities included checking out Grandpa's bird wall outside the kitchen window,

fishing at a local park (which Mommy doesn't seem to be too good at. I was the only one to

throw the pole in the water while casting),

and sliding.

Jack also got a kick out of riding the little wooden rocking chair and just chillin' with Grandpa. Obviously we have lots to be thankful for this year.

My dad is...

I think Jack has to be one of the smartest kids that ever lived. Here him and his daddy are playing with magnetic letters. See what Jack has spelled out on his board? I think Daddy's pretty awesome too Jack. =)

Reading

It's a little long as I was trying to get his animal sounds on video...but here's some video of my little reader! Have you ever seen one so excited about a book! I think he's going to be a talker!

Happy Halloween

This year we decided to celebrate Halloween at our house, in our neighborhood. Last year we drove Jack around to my mom's friends and didn't actually do much trick or treating. I figured this year with a "wild monkey" and a scared banana in tow, we might have more luck a little closer to home.

Jack was all prepared...having gone through several dress rehersals at Zoo Boo, our Toddler Time Group and Ashley's work trick or treating. The kid actually didn't mind his costume because he knew it was going to get him some candy. He was so anxious to get started, he was actually crying as we kept him on the porch.

Monkey on the loose

Jack enjoyed taking his pumpkin up to the houses and getting candy from people. How quickly they learn with such sweet positive reinforcement.

The other highlight of the evening was Jack walking his "banana"...my sister's dog Ema. Ema was terrified and will never enjoy Halloween again, but Jack loved every minute of it. We only ended up making it to 8 houses...but with a monkey and a dog dressed as a banana...I don't think that was too bad. Next year our goal will be to make it to 10 houses in less than an hour.