Christmas

We started out Christmas break with actual snow! I was so excited! It seems like years since we had a real white Christmas around here! The kids were dying to play in the snow, but Clayton was at work and I couldn't take Bryson out, so they actually went out and played. It seems like when they go outside to play if one of us aren't with them they don't stay out very long, but they were having so much fun that I was actually sad to not be out with them. That takes a lot because I didn't even like playing in the snow when I was a kid! But they were so cute, Courtni was trying to teach Brayden how to make snow angels, but he wouldn't lay down. It was hilarious! Headless snowangels!

So another Christmas has come and gone. I don't know about you, but I always feel a little bit let down when it is over! All the build up and then it is done so quickly! I love Christmas with kids though. It makes everything so fun and new again. The kids seemed to really enjoy it, despite all the craziness that is our life during the Holidays.

We consider ourselves very lucky to have both sets of grandparents nearby as well as so many of our siblings, but this time of year it can make it a little stressful! Trying to make sure we get to both houses and give as much time to both while still having our family time can be tough, but the kids truly don't seem to mind, thank goodness! We decided a couple of years ago that we would switch off and go to one on Thanksgiving and the other on Christmas and just switch it every year. That works pretty well, as long as we go to the other set of parents on Christmas eve. Anyway, it makes for a lot of gifts and even more pictures with opening gifts 3 different places. That is probobly why the kids don't mind, right?! We were at Clayton's parents on Christmas eve this year and since there was so much snow they pulled out the 4wheeler and attached a sled. The kids loved it!!! They didn't even complain too much about their bums being frozen afterwards. I was surprised that Brayden even got on (he tends to be a little bit nervous about strange things).

It was a wonderful Christmas, probobly the best in years! We figured we would have a sick baby since Courtni and Brayden were both sick on their 1st Christmas (Brayden even went to the ER) but luckily for us we were given a year off! They all had a touch of a cold but nothing to keep them from thoroughly enjoying themselves!

Bryson didn't show much interest in the opening of the gifts, just wanted to watch all the excitement around him, and believe me there was plenty! I am so glad that we have him this Christmas to celebrate with us and complete our little family. We are so completley blessed!

Ok, Courtni really did get more than peanuts, but this was the best shot of her, and for some reason she was really excited about the nuts in her stocking!

This is about as much excitement as he showed all day! Even getting to sit with his favorite Aunt Betsy didn't make him excited about his gifts

Brayden wasn't so sure about this Santa guy coming into our house while we were sleeping, but he was so excited to find his very own gum in his stocking! He was, I promise, don't let the face fool you!

Free Scentsy

I have a friend that sells Scentsy. Ok, I have a few that do, but Charissa is doing a giveaway! If you haven't heard about Scentsy they are a wickless candle that you put in an electric warmer and they melt cooler then regular cande wax. And the smell lasts so long! I have been in love with them for a couple of years now, I think I am addicted! Anyway it is ending soon, so go check it out! http://www.phelpsfamilyfun.blogspot.com

Elfyourself

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Potty training, concerts and snow, oh my!

They are just way too cute for their own good!
I think Courtni is beautiful in red!
Brayden looks way too grown up!
He looks huge here, but still so stinkin cute!

This has been one busy week at the Smith house! To start it off, last Sunday Brayden (who is 3) got up Sunday morning and announced that he needed to go potty! I have been trying to convince him to try potty training for months, but of course it had to be his idea! (Just a piece of advice, when it comes to potty training don't waste your time trying to force your little ones to do it. Both of mine so far have done it so well and quickly when they decided on their own that it was time.) He made it through all 3 hours of church in big boy undies and has only had about 5 accidents all week! I would say that is pretty good. He is so proud of himself, and I am pretty dang proud too!
Courtni had her school Christmas program too. I didn't know that they did that in kindergarten, but this school does! It was insane in the little gym at the gradeschool with all of the other people there, but she was so cute! The kindergarten sang 3 songs and she just beamed the whole time! I was lucky enough to sit right in the front (because I forced my way and sat on the floor in a pile of other crazy parents) but the pictures still didn't turn out.
We got all ready for church today and I was a week ahead so I got the kids all dressed in their cute little Christmas outfits. I was saving them for next Sunday since it was the week before Christmas, but oh well! They all looked so cute. I had to take pictures because I don't know how many more times I will be able to get Bryson and Brayden to put their ties on! It was also our 1st snow of the season that actually stuck when it hit the ground. The kids were so cute watching it all morning to see how much more was sticking. They were so disappointed when it was beginning to melt when we left for church, but they ran through it and were very thankful to get to the church so we could go inside where it was warm. I thought that was funny since they begged me all morning to go play in it! I guess they must get their love for the outdoors from me:)!

On the Go

I can hardly believe how fast this past 6 months has gone! One day, I have this newborn baby who needs me for everything, and next thing you know he is crawling! Yes, he is crawling. I don't know how anything can be more enjoyable or entertaining then watching your kids go through their milestones. I seriously love it so much!
Bryson has been our little steamroller for several weeks now, but last night he actually crawled. I know in the pictures it doesn't really look like he has moved, but in person you could actually tell. (Don't you feel like you are looking at one of those flip books of him moving?) As the night progressed he ended up making it all the way to the Christmas tree. He does the cute little army crawl and sort of kicks off with his toes. So stinkin cute!!!!! He is so busy and I have a feeling that I will later regret my enthusiasm for him crawling, because he will be getting in to things and causing all kinds of mayhem, but for today I am reveling in my sweet, little guys newest accomplishment!

Just a little update

Hey everyone! I hope that you are enjoying the Christmas season, we are here! We got the tree and decorations up the day after Thanksgiving, the kids wouldn't let it go a minute longer, which was fine with me, because I love it too! It seems like we just get even more bogged down with things we have to do this time of year and don't take the time to sit back and smell the mistletoe! (ha!ha! I made that one up myself, can you tell?) I hate that, I want to be able to really focus on what matters most during Christmas! Oh well, I guess we take whatever spare few minutes life throws at us and hopefully use it wisely because I really think it makes it even more special when we try to keep the focus on Christ's birth.
I just wanted to take a minute because I haven't blogged about any of our goings on around here for a while now. I can't believe how fast Bryson is growing up! He is already 6 months old and doing so much! At his last well child check, his pediatrician told me to make sure that I had poison control's number handy, because I was going to need it with him! He is just so busy and won't settle down for anything, so she decided that meant he was going to be a troublemaker! He finally cut a tooth a couple of days ago and is working on another one. I hope it comes in soon, because he is miserable and I hate to see him not feeling well.

Here he is actually taking a tiny break from rolling all over the place to see what Brayden and Courtni are watching on tv. I thought it was cute the way he was laying. It didn't last long, soon enough he was off to get into something else!
We spent Thanksgiving over at Clayton's parent's house and while we were there he took some tiny crawling steps (is that what they are called when you crawl?). It was too funny because he looked like a caterpillar! He gets up on his tiptoes and then scooted his hands forward, went down on his belly and then stretched that way again. I have never seen anyone crawl like that before.
Brayden is just as onery as ever! He managed to bend his glasses all up and had to get them adjusted just to get them to sit on his face, not to mention that he popped the lens out at the same time. Poor kid got his coordination from his mom! He was trying to jump off the couch like Courtni, but seeing as he is my son, managed to hit his face on the coffee table instead! He had the tiniest of black eyes, but was fine thank goodness!
Courtni started the weekend off with a quick trip to the walk in clinic. She has an ear infection. I felt bad because I almost didn't take her in because she wasn't really acting sick, just an earache. In fact, while we were waiting for the doctor she couldn't remember which ear we were there to get checked! That had me really doubting, but it was infected! She is doing so good with school and loves every minute of it.
So, the Smith's are doing good, and since I am not sure how much I will get to blog between now and Christmas, I want to wish you all a Happy Holidays!