5 years

It's our 5th year Wedding Anniversary today. It's amazing how much has happened in such a seemingly short period of time. It seems like it was only yesterday that I was planning our wedding, and here we are 5 years and 2 kids later. Micah became a doctor and in another 5 years we will finally be settled down for good in a practice somewhere and enjoying whatever life's twists and turns have to offer us. We've had our share for sure, but we wouldn't be the couple we are today without them. So Happy Anniversary love...I love you! And I can't wait for the rest of our forever :)

Our families became one!

Cheers to our future and the New Year!

Belated

Merry Christmas! I know it's a little late, but it's still the season :) We have had such an incredibly busy couple of weeks, as I know many of you can attest to as well. We celebrated Christmas a bit early with my family and then enjoyed Christmas with Micah's family, and now we just hosted a party for a lot of our friends tonight. Devin has been cutting his canine teeth and has just been a totally different child these past few weeks-to the point where we don't know what to do anymore! It was so bad for a few days that I could get absolutely nothing done-because if I wasn't holding him with both of my hands-it was just the end of the world. At any rate, we're getting through it and enjoying everything the holiday season has to offer.
I have many more things and events to post about, and will get to them in the next few days or so-but right now I cannot get my camera to connect to my computer. So I have not been able to download all my pictures that make posting more fun. We have a lot going on these next few days, as tomorrow is our Wedding Anniversary, and then Micah leaves to go do a pediatrics rotation for 6 weeks. We'll be helping him pack up and move, so it will probably be later this next week before I will have the opportunity to try and figure out what is going on. But rest assured I will get to it soon! :)
I hope you have all enjoyed time with your families and friends this past week, and that this upcoming year brings you lots of joy!

Time out

As many of you can attest to, a Christmas tree is just too much temptation for a toddler. Since we put the tree up I have been reminding Devin not to touch it or take any ornaments off. And of course he cannot resist sometimes. During my days of baking, I was on my own as Micah had been on call and stayed at the hospital when he was post call to finish up work...so I did not see him basically for 3+ days. Toward the latter part of that time I was starting to get to my wits end with the boys' misbehavior and finally had enough when I walked around the corner to see Devin sitting in front of the tree with an armful of ornaments-like 8 of them! So I put Devin in his first timeout ever. I was fuming on the inside-and a little on the out...and I knew we had to start punishments at some point. We did the whole routine when he got out by telling him what he did wrong, he had to say "sorry" which is more like "yea yea" and he gives us a kiss. Well, he didn't learn the first time around, so it became a routine for the evening of him touching the tree, being sent to a timeout, etc...So these pictures are more like the 4th timeout than the first...but it was the same day. I'm sure he doesn't feel the same way-but for a mom-it's an occasion worth mentioning! So brace yourself...these photos may break your heart just a little...but still cute ;)

Oh yeah, and as you can tell by the icing on his face, this was just post-cookie-snatching too...

Oh, but I must say that the touching of the Christmas tree has diminished quite a bit and I've only noticed it maybe once or twice since that day!

Baking cookies

I went into Christmas cookie baking mode. All day Sunday and most of Monday were spent in the kitchen. Of course Micah was on call and so it took me two days to get everything done with the help of the boys. I was hoping for some more pictures, but with messy hands and things constantly coming out of the oven, I was only able to take a few here and there.

One of my favorite memories growing up was helping my mom in the kitchen and the special jobs that were just for us...including unwrapping all the Hersey kisses for the peanut butter blossoms :)

Aiden was so systematic and they all had to be facing up.

Devin got to help clean off the spoons...it's a dirty job-but someone's got to do it!

So I had finally finished and organized all the cookies on plates and platters that were going to specific places...and I catch Devin red handed-literally! He's got red icing on him from somewhere and I have yet to find the cookie he got into-I'm thinking it's somewhere in his tummy....

All the cookies I put together for my neighbors. We bundled the kids up and set out to deliver the cookies, cards, and do some caroling to spread Christmas cheer! All of our neighbors loved it and it was fun doing it old school ;) Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread house

We've had this Gingerbread house for awhile...well, since last Christmas. We never got around to actually doing it, and I knew we couldn't let it sit for another year. Actually everything seemed good, some of the candy is a little stale, and who knows-the gingerbread could be too. We've told Aiden we can't eat it until Christmas. And by then we'll have so many other goodies that if it's inedible-no biggie. I think it's more fun decorating than eating anyway-but I'm sure there are others who would disagree with me ;)Oh-there is that goofy grin I can never seem to get him to outgrow...

Devin's smart-he finds the good stuff and begs to have some. I actually bought those fresh in case we ran out of candy...

Daddy helped out too-especially putting the structure up a few days ago.

Oh yeah-Devin wants in on the action!

The finished product!

I knew I would never be able to make a gorgeous perfect house with kids-so I just planned on putting our initials on it and see where it went from there. Overall I think we did a pretty ok job :)

Visiting with Santa

My father belongs to a club and they have a Christmas party every year for the kids and grandkids of all the members. All the children actually get presents and there are some refreshments. Over the years the party has scaled back and there used to be entertainment, but it's still good to go. To our surprise, this year they had a Santa, Mrs. Clause, and and Elf! This is the first year that Aiden has really gotten the concept of how the whole Christmas thing works-and was excited to talk to Santa since he added a toy to his list that he already mailed him. So this was his big chance to tell Santa about it. I was nervous about Devin, because I wasn't sure if he was going to be happy sitting with Santa or not. But he did great and was pretty oblivious to it all. I think it helps to have an older brother to look to as well. Next year I fear will be the real test...when Aiden was two, that was the year he really didn't like Santa. So we'll see. For now though, I'll take it!

The other picture I have Aiden has a cute smile, but Devin's eyes are half closed...

Devin's telling Santa that he is going to take all of his brother's toys if he doesn't get the same thing ;)

Santa is telling Aiden that he has to eat nice all the time. (I prepped him to say that...so far it hasn't really helped...)

Here is Aiden's big moment to tell Santa about the Rocket ship with the aliens and Woody and Buzz he saw at the Disney store. He has been asking about that toy for the last few weeks....oy. I told him he already sent his list to Santa, and Santa is very busy and he may have to wait until next Christmas, but we'll see. And so that is what Aiden says to everyone now...that he wants this rocket ship, but "We'll See". My girlfriend Laura had a picture of her daughter last year whispering in Santa's ear, and it was so cute...I had to have Aiden do the same ;)

Micah was entertaining Devin while we had been waiting in line. Goofy boys ;)

And we tried to get a good family picture...but of course there is always one kid who doesn't smile...

Sitting on my Santa's lap :)

And here is the official mall Santa picture. We were so lucky. After we had our family portraits done with Micah's family, we went downstairs and I thought to myself...wouldn't it be great if Santa was out already? There wouldn't be much of a line, and the boys are already dressed up. It was the Sunday before Thanksgiving, so I really didn't think he would be-but lo and behold! I was so excited! There was only one other family in front of us! I was ecstatic. And we got a pretty good picture in the first few frames...done deal. No long lines for us-Merry Christmas to me :)

Decorating the Tree

As has been a tradition in my family for years, we decided to continue with our own family the picture taking of us decorating the tree. It was getting late and I had been working on the lights of our tree all evening-even running out to the store for more lights (it's a pre-lit tree and had a strand go out, and then discover than another had gone out), and wanted to get the kids to help a little putting the ornaments on. So they got to put their special ornaments on the tree plus some more. My parents have gotten us all special ornaments marking special occasions-such as their births, our wedding, Micah's graduation from Medical school...so those are what we chose to take pictures of.

Oh yes, digging in the box for all the breakable ones!

Devin enjoyed taking them off more than putting them on...probably because that's the part he can do all by himself!

And then of course it would not be Christmas without the ornament casualty of the year. I remember how upset my own mother got when we would accidentally break one of her ornaments. Now I know how that feels...
Devin grabbed an ornament off the tree that Aiden had put on-too low-and I was planning on moving up after they went to bed. I was standing by the couch with the camera still in hand as we had just finished taking pictures. There were boxes in between us and I had no direct route to get to him. But I specifically remember the look on Devin's face when he saw this ornament and grabbed it. It was a look of "aaaaahhhh!" the ball of all balls, and I'm going to bounce it like every ball should be bounced! I saw it happening before it happened and it was all in slow motion. Me reaching out-screaming NOOOOOOO!!!!-and Devin just all wrapped up in how perfect this ball was and that he was going to throw it down even if it killed him...and sure enough:

Ugh. My beautiful, hand painted from the inside, gift from my mother-in-law, ornament in a million pieces that is in no way salvageable :( Oh well...no one was hurt, and there are worse things than a broken ornament. I still love my Goobotz :)