2001-2012

11 years ago today Michael and I said "I do".

I'm so glad we did. 

I can't imagine spending the rest of my life with anyone else (well, except Matt Damon but Michael made peace with that a long time ago).

We got married like 6 months before digital cameras really took off and film went bye-bye. I have to scan our wedding pictures whenever I want to include them on the blog or facebook (which is why I always use and reuse the same ones!)  Can you imagine?  We've been married for longer than digital cameras.

 

Last year on our big 10 year anniversary, Elliott was just 13 days old.

 

He came to dinner with us!

 

This year my wonderful friend Monica and her stepsister Brittany volunteered to babysit.

 

They took the kids to the park, played and ate pizza while we went to the movies and for an awesome steak dinner.  Then we went to Home Goods and bought a table to go under the new flat screen TV we got for the bedroom.  It's like the tiniest flat screen I've ever seen.  The table makes it look a little less ridiculous hanging on the wall.  I recognize that I am a bad blogger for discussing this with no picture, but Elliott is sleeping just feet away and I can't risk the flash.  He was awake between 2 and 5:30 am this morning and Michael and I almost got divorced at 5:00 am on our 11th anniversary.  Then we got 4 hours of continuous sleep and liked each other again. 

The rest of Winston

There were a couple of Winston days that I didn't take pictures.  Oops.  One morning he was in Ginger's stocking.  And the day we left to go to Tucson he was already buckled in a seatbelt in the car.

 

These are most of the other places we found Winston.

 

Coloring pictures at the kitchen island,

 

Reminiscing about the time he got to ride in Santa's sleigh.

Sleeping in Spencer's bed with some of his animal friends (Spencer had slept in Elliott's room the previous night because I was working on organizing his room.......until 3 am)

 

Trying to eat our gingerbread house.

 

Hanging out on the dining room chandelier the day of Elliott's birthday party. 

 

Yee-haw!  Riding a pig in the kitchen.

 

Playing with Elliott's birthday presents.

 

In the pantry eating marshmallows.

 

Watching the Today show.

 

Hanging upside down on the chandelier at my parent's house on Christmas Eve. 

 

Wrapping the presents that Santa brought on Christmas Day

Winston left to head back home to the North Pole on Christmas Day after we went to bed.  He left ornaments for both of the kids.  We already can't wait until he comes back on December 1, 2013.

Other December Happenings

I'm trying really hard to wrap up everything that I missed in December when I was the worst blogger ever.

 

On December 8th we participated in a candlelight walk to raise money for Phoenix Children's Hospital.

Elliott has received so much care there and it was really important for us to do something to help.  This seemed like a perfect opportunity.

 

Chelsea Kane was the grand marshall.  She is, apparently, famous, but I had never heard of her.

Scott MacIntyre was the featured entertainer.  I had never heard of him either.  I guess I am not as young, hip and in the know as I thought I was.  He was a finalist on American Idol.

Our goal was to raise $200.  We ended up raising $280.  Big thanks to all of our donors: Jerry & Lois, Kara, Karen, my parents, Michael's parents, Rosemary, and Susan.

 

On December 10th, Spencer and I made our gingerbread house. 

December 10th is my dad's birthday.  We were driving home from school that day when Spencer said to me, "mommy?  If grandpa's birthday is on a Monday this year then it means his birthday was on a Sunday last year."  How in the world does he know that!?  I certainly never explained it to him.  He totally blew my mind.  Then I really blew his mind when I told him about leap years.

 

The next day, December 11th, we had Amy, Jake and Trent over for one last dinner.  They moved to Indiana on the 17th.  We are very, very sad about it. 

In true second child form, Elliott had 2.5 teeth before we started brushing them on December 13th.  I think Spencer had half a tooth when we started with him.

I got to go to Spencer's school to do his Christmas craft with him on December 17th.  Last year I was either still on bedrest in the hospital or Elliott was like 3 days old.  I don't actually remember. 

 

And finally.

 

Elliott pulled the towel off the oven door on December 19th.  Ginger saw fabric on the floor and in true Ginger form she sat on it,

and then took a nap on it.

Sleeping

3 Day old Elliott on December 19, 2011

I was really asleep here.

 

And later in the day, so was Michael.

 

1 Year and 3 Day old Elliott on December 19, 2012

 

I was a fake sleeper here.

 

So was Michael.

Santa!

When Spencer was 3 months old we took him to the mall to see Santa.  When he was 1 we took him to a neighbor's house where the homeowners had created Santa's Village, including Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  When he was 2, 3 and 4 he saw Santa at Bass Pro Shop.  I didn't get to go last year because I was in the hospital.

We had planned on going back to Bass Pro Shop this year (a free picture with Santa is hard to pass up) but then I got an email about a special night that My Gym was having.  Five dollars for hot cocoa, a cookie, play time, story time and a 1-1 meeting with Santa.  I reserved spots for both kids.

Elliott's first time in the ball pit. 

I am planning on starting classes with Elliott at My Gym as soon as Spencer starts kindergarten in July.

I prefer Santa to have a real beard, but as far as Santa's go, he wasn't that bad.  He was better than cocaine addict Santa from Spencer's preschool when he was 3.

Elliott was not impressed at all.

Poor baby.  Why do I think this is so hilarious?