Memory Lane....

I have a lot to write about today...explaining the r-word to my sons, Hailey turning 9 months and my trip down memory lane.  I'll worry about the first two tomorrow.  Today, I want focus on memories.  I grumble sometimes about decorating for Christmas.  It can take sooo long and when the holiday is over and we return from our families, I'm done with them and I want them all to put themselves away with a wrinkle of my nose like on "Bewitched"!  I have to say though, decorating our Christmas trees is such a trip down memory lane.  We buy the kids an ornament every year (okay sometimes more than one!).  We buy them each one on vacation and then another one of their choice, generally what they are "into" that particular year.  I love it when they decorate their trees because it reminds me of vacations and all the things they have loved.  Some days it makes me sad to think of things they have outgrown and how much they are growing up.  I look forward to one day when they have moved out and they can decorate their tree at their own home with these wonderful memories.

The boys LOVE decorating their own trees!

Ian said these two ornaments are his favorites (this year!)

Ian didn't realize this was a tree skirt.  He said, "Oh wow!  A bib big enough for me!"

This is Brayden's favorite ornament this year.

Hailey even has a tree in her room.  The boys said it wouldn't be fair if they had trees and she didn't.

I hate that this one was blurry!

My favorite on Hailey's tree.

Aside from the kids' trees, we have two downstairs also...yes, we have 5 trees.  The other two are bigger.  One is full of Disney ornaments and the other one is our "memory" tree.  It is the tree filled with homemade ornaments from the kids, ornaments from vacations, and ornaments we get as gifts.  They are all special to us.

My favorite wedding gift...

Some ornaments remind me of special days....

Some remind us the reason for celebrating Christmas

Some remind us of special people 

(my husband's grandma's name was Dorothy so this one is in memory of her)

Several of them remind me of special trips....Our trip to Disney when Ian was only 3 months old.

We are celebrating our 10 year anniversary this December!

An ornament from our honeymoon in Hawaii and a reminder of a new adventure when we moved here 5 years ago.

Our vacation last year.

Some remind us to be thankful for all of life's blessings.  My in-laws both had open heart surgeries the year my oldest was born.  They made these ornaments that year.

Some remind us of little things...I bought these when we first moved to Ohio 11 years ago...I had gone to a Longaberger party and could only afford the cheapest thing in the catalog, which happened to be these snowflakes!

The year I became a mom....

Some are just funny...my husband had this in his stocking one year from his mom.

Hailey seemed to have fun in the boys' rooms and with the Christmas decorations.

Playing with oven mitts in her big brother's room

Mom, I said, "No more pictures!!"

Hey, I like it up here..Can I come up here more often to play?

Wow...there are all kinds of neat things up here.

I'm not doing anything....yet!

Yay...I got to the ornaments!

I  hope everyone enjoys decorating as much as I do (after the grumbling!).  I love our tradition of the kids' decorating the trees and them choosing ornaments for their own trees.  I hope one day, they will love and cherish them as much as I do. 

What are your Christmas season traditions?

Ready for the smells of the holidays...

Yesterday was a long day in our house.  It started at 2 a.m. with my middle one getting sick.  That lasted until about 6:30 a.m. when it finally stopped.  He is such a trooper...he doesn't complain and he makes it to the bathroom every time.  He spent the rest of the day laying on the couch sleeping, watching TV, and sipping Gatorade.  Luckily the vomiting doesn't last long but it just isn't fun and zaps the energy out of them.  I was typing my status on facebook yesterday.  I got the words "I pray Hailey doesn't get this bug"...when she threw up all over the blanket she was on (thank goodness I had put the blanket down...it would have been so much worse on carpet!).  Fortunately, she only did it once but then we had the Pedialyte every 15 minutes.  She wasn't happy because she wanted food and she wanted a bottle.  By early evening they were both feeling much better and ate a little for dinner.  Hailey was not happy in the evening though because I still was not comfortable giving her a full bottle of milk.  My husband caught the bug last night after the kids went to bed.  I'm hoping he will feel a little better this morning.  We are letting him sleep as much as possible today. 

I spent most of the day washing every blanket, sheet and pillow case in the house, scrubbing the bathrooms and disinfecting anything that didn't move!  I'm looking forward to putting up our Christmas decorations and making yummy Christmas treats later in the week....less smell of Lysol!

Here is how our yesterday started, two sick little ones....

And we ended with "squishy" face!

Exhaustion.....(photo explosion!)

It definitely has been a long couple of weeks.  The week leading up to Thanksgiving my husband was out of town.  He travels about once a month for work and it always throws life out of whack.  The boys then think they can sleep in dad's spot in the bed, which results in mom not sleeping because they are like heaters (I can't sleep when I'm hot).  Life just runs smoother when dad is home!

We had to travel to Indiana separately because my husband had to be back at work on Friday.  The kids and I stayed a little longer.  I headed out with Ian and Hailey before Bray was out of school (I don't like driving in this area at night...I'm worry about all the deer and my eyes aren't the greatest!).  Hailey has not made the trip to Indiana since her heart surgery.  We were "hoping" she would travel better...nope, not a chance.  She managed to scream the last hour of the drive.  It was not fun.  It took quite awhile to settle her down once we got there.  I think her stomach was bothering her....she is not a good traveler!

Hailey was quite the ham while visiting our family.  She gave them all squishy face and laughed at them.  She gives the best slobber kisses!  It is funny when she does that because she will take her hand and put it on one cheek and then will pull your face to her and kiss the opposite cheek.  They are all full of slobber!  She showed them how she can sit by herself, rock on all fours, gave high 5s and she even has a modified plank that she showed off.  Hailey had a good time exploring both of her Mamaw's houses and meeting her aunt's puppy Skippy.  At one point, they were nose to nose in a stare down.  Hailey won...Skip didn't like it when she moved too much.  She did enjoy the tastes of Thanksgiving...turkey, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, rolls, cranberries and a little pumpkin pie.  Hailey enjoyed seeing all her cousins....her cousin Shea liked that Hailey isn't as floppy and can "chat" with her.  Her cousin Korbyn was totally in love with her...he will be a good big brother in a couple of months.

We had a good visit with everyone with the exception of the stomach bug that circled through the families.  We were there to celebrate my nephew's and my mother-in-law's birthdays.  We saw "Arthur Christmas" one evening while Hailey hung out with her uncle Michael.  I've said it before....she is a very easy baby.  Knock on wood, she slept better than either of the boys ever have when we have traveled.  Thank you God!

Fortunately the drive back to Ohio was better than the drive there.  Hailey slept almost the entire trip and we stopped by Dad's work to visit with him.  The kids missed him.  We came home to put away everything and start the mound of laundry.  I was so hoping to start my Christmas decorating but that thought was put to the wayside this morning at 2 a.m. when Ian started vomiting (thank goodness I laid her on a blanket and not just on the carpet!  Guess the bug traveled back home with us.  I was in the process of typing that I was praying Hailey didn't get it when she threw up all of her blanket.  The doctor doesn't seem to think that she has the bug but wants me to treat it the same...pedialyte every 15 minutes for 4 hours and then slowly start back table foods and formula.  I'm sure she will be super cranky by then!!!

So, today, instead of decorating...I am disinfecting every inch of the house and washing all blankets and sheets!  Hopefully I will get sleep...later this week (and not get the stomach bug!)

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!!!

Look mom...I get stuck here too!

Hmm....what is this...doesn't look like my brothers!

Daddy, that dinner wore me out!

Cousins

Mamaw trying to get a Christmas card picture

Ian is the "smother brother" and "smother cousin"!

They are going to be great big brothers

Mom and Hailey

You can't have my roll Shea!

Everybody telling Jason bye!

Hmm..I don't have this one at home

You know, they never would have gotten this close if I would have asked them!

These toys taste better here.

Check out those baby blues!

I told you I was finished with pictures

Great Grandpa...are we done yet?

You know, mommy doesn't let me sit on the table.

Nap with mommy

Nap with Uncle Shane

Hi Kendyl

Dylan, what on earth is this thing?

That can't be true!

Wow...you are serious!

Give me a high 5 for that one!

Can I take this puppy home?

Did I get put in time-out....you are making me watch football?

Papaw is such a good sport

Who is this in the mirror?

She's cute, Mamaw!

Crafts with Aunt Kiki and Aunt Staci

Add caption

Looks like the craft was a success!

Maybe next year, I'll do crafts.  Right now I'll nap with Mamaw.