pictures from xmas week

Shopping with Drake. He was sleepy and popped his leg out to rest. Reminds me when Stella used to sit like that in her high chair.  Also, notice the upside down pacifier.  He always has it upside down.  If I give it to him right side up when he is sleeping, he reaches up and turns it around. 

Drake chilling with Joe.

And cuddling with Grandma.

 Playing with Pee-Paw.

The 3 amigos.  They loved all their toys but this train was a big hit.

Reese reading, Drake relaxing.

Reese loves apples.

So does Stella.

Our new tee-pee.  Someone is hiding in there!!

When Stella is sleepy, she grabs her blankets from her crib and heads for the tee-pee.  So cute!!

Mommy's xmas present - my shelves are DONE!!!!  Decorating still in progress.

 

Wes's xmas gift from his Mom.

Sunday morning.  Stella is thrilled!!

I have TONS of videos to sort through.  Here is one, I'll try to post more tomorrow.  Reese and Stella are opening a present from Jill and Byron.  Reese immediately asks for more presents.  So sweet.  (ha ha)

back to "normal"

The last of our company left today.  What a week!!!  We had a total of 8 visitors at different times.  Mom and Dad arrived on Monday a week ago.  Reese had a hard time saying Grandpa so it sounded like Pee-Paw.   On Tuesday, Joe arrived.  All 3 kids were excited to have a jungle gym (jungle joe?) to climb on.  Christmas morning - the girls understood the art of opening presents this year!!!  They knew to open the gifts instead of just throwing them on the floor like last year:)  Every time Reese opened a gift, she would ask for more presents.  Stella was happy to play with each toy as she opened it.  Anadean came on Wednesday to join the fun.  Thursday brought more gifts as Lynda and Steve arrived.  And Wes got an amazing gift from his mom - a handmade quilt that chronicles his baseball days.   Jill and Byron arrived on Friday afternoon and now here it is Monday night and we are all alone!  It was a whirlwind of a week but we enjoyed the noise and chaos.  Hope y'all did too.  Hope everyone survived the cramped quarters, crying babies and frazzled sleep-deprived hosts!!  Can't wait to do it again next year.  I will organize pictures and try and post them tomorrow.  This hostess is going to bed early!! 

Deck the halls

We are finally deck-orating our halls with pictures!!  I had some of our family photos blown up and wrapped them on canvas.  I will hang them tomorrow and take pics.  They look awesome!  I think I'll hang one on the landing of the staircase and one over my desk nook in the upstairs hallway.  Our bookcase is supposed to be finished by next weekend and I can't wait to unpack my books and pictures.

I decorated our tree a few nights ago.  Turned out pretty good considering it was my first one to decorate.  Last year, our tree just had lights.  This year, it looks like this!!

I only put a few ornaments at the top of the tree.  I know if they are anywhere near Stella's reach, she will be playing catch with them.  The kids loving looking at the lights and touching the gold ribbon.  So far, they have been pretty good about not playing with it.  Drake wants to pull the extension cord out but he is obsessed with every plug in our house.

Here is a picture of Reese and Drake on our way to pick up Stella the other day.  Drake is SO chubby and cute.  Reese has some serious static issues with her hair.

Videos:

I was counting with Reese and I asked her what comes after one...this is her response.

Stella's current favorite song is "If you are happy and you know it."

And here is Stella singing in the car.

Reese loves to read.  Count how many times she says "crying" as she reads a this princess book.  I think I counted 27 or 28.

odds and ends

A few pics from this week.

Drake eating pretzels in his jumparoo.

Reese loves having her hair put in ponytails.  She says, "prit-tee!"

Stella loves to stack things.  Impressed that she was able to balance strawberries on top of her crackers.  

Now that Drake has started eating, he won't stop.  Carrots!!

Reese likes to measure things.  My little handy-girl.

Videos -

Drake wants to be part of the action - he's persistent!!!

Here's a video of the kids playing.  Stella has a hard time sitting still - it's like she has ants in her pants, she is so wiggly.  

And here's a video of Reese with ants in her pants.

Seriously, it's too cold!!!

I woke up to find the deck covered in ice and small icicles forming on the rails.  

Wes has been in Dallas the past couple of days and they were hit really hard with the storm.  All his Friday appointments cancelled so he began the SLOW drive home Friday morning.  His car was covered in ice and snow when he left the hotel in Dallas.  A lot of it stayed on the car and fell off in our driveway.  I don't think he enjoyed scraping ice off his windshield early this morning.

Since it was such a nasty day and both Reese and Stella are still snotty and run-down with their colds, we made it a movie morning.  Here they are enjoying Dora the Explorer.  

We have two beautiful trees in our front yard that are dropping their bright leaves like crazy.  

Can you see that big pile of crushed granite behind the trees?  Wes and his wheelbarrow have a date with those rocks tomorrow.  I'm debating if I want to tag along as a third wheel.  Probably won't be too much fun.  

Have I told y'all that Drake is FINALLY eating solid food?  I kicked things into high gear after our last pediatrician appointment and with lots and lots of coaching and prodding, he is getting comfortable chewing and swallowing little bites of food.  

All for now:)

It's cold outside

Winter is back in full force.  Supposed to get to 30 degrees tonight, 25 degrees tomorrow night.  Brrrrr!!!  Makes me realize we need those new windows sooner than later.  Stella's room gets colder than the other rooms upstairs.  Closing the vents in the other rooms hasn't solved the problem yet.  Might need to get a portable heater for her until the windows are replaced.  That should happen in February.

We have a few other house projects going on.  I had the carpenter over yesterday to plan out my library!!!  Here is a picture of my painter's tape version (with some masking tape mixed in since I ran out of blue tape).

I'm copying these shelves below I found on a remodeling website.    They are best described as floating shelves.  They will be stained dark like the picture, but my wall color will be lighter behind the shelves.  And there won't be a dog next to mine:)  Can't wait to unpack my books and picture frames to display them!!!!!!!!!  These will be done before our Christmas company comes, which makes me super happy.  I feel like our house is finally decorated instead of an empty canvas. 

Modern Family Room by New York Architects & Designers gne architecture

My last project to try and finish before the new year is the wall of paintings/pictures from our travels that will go on this wall in the sitting room off the kitchen.  I need to print out a few 8 x 10 pictures of our travels, frame them and then decide on a layout before I start hammering nails. 

Here's the blank wall.

And "The Daughter of the Year" Award goes to....

someone else!!!  Guess who forgot her mom's birthday?  Yep.  I'm sensing a pattern here.  Wes and I went to dinner last night with some friends, who reminded me about my forgetfulness with Drake's bday.  And as they spoke, I gasped - I did it again!!!!!!!!  Seriously, I think early onset dementia is settling in.  So HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, Mama!!!!  Maybe next year.....

I promised a video of Drake walking and here it is...

And here is the latest tour of Stella's room. Pretty much done in here. Time to move on to Drake's room. 

 

I mentioned our friends Chris and Eric came to visit from Houston. All 3 of our kids were thrilled to have a little playmate. Emily took a liking to Drake and he was happy to have the extra attention. Here are some pics from our weekend.

Dinner time.

Reese and Emily playing copy-cat.

Posing for pictures.  Not sure where Stella was during this photo shoot. 

Digging is FUN!!!!!!!!

I took this picture right before the rope snapped and Drake came tumbling.  Oops!  Glad he wasn't hurt.  He loved the jumper while it lasted so we bought another one today.

And here are some good pictures from today.

Drake loves watching football with Daddy.

And eating jerky with Daddy.  Yummy:)