The Holidays, 2012

We had an AWESOME holiday season this year.  We alternate our holidays with our families.  Thanksgiving with one side, Christmas with the other.  It's more of a formality as we still see the other side for the holiday it's just not on the actual day.  It started with...

...a very full Thanksgiving.  This Thanksgiving was with the Joneses and McCanns.  This meant that Austin's aunt, uncle and three cousins from Colorado came to stay with my in-laws and we got to celebrate with them TONS!  As cheesy as it sounds, it was just really fun.  The cousins have grown up so much in the last few years and this was also their first time to meet Asher.  We ate, played games, laughed and then ate some more.  Asher LOVED being around everyone and still asks about the McCann clan often.




...Christmas was long but in a good way.  It started on (Friday) the 21st for me this year.  Austin and I went on a double date with the Newtons, to which we attended concert called Yuletide.  Let me just tell you, the group Folk Angel has changed my life.  I thought I loved Christmas music before but MAN I love what they've done with all the old songs!  That night made my heart sing. (Pun intended.)

That weekend we were set to spend a bunch of time with my side of the family, including my grandparents who were in from Arizona.  Unfortunately, everyone came down with the stomach bug.  First my dad and grandpa, then my mom and grandma.  So, suddenly our weekend was open.  While we were sad to miss out on visiting with family, snuggling in with our own little unit was the sweetest gift.

Christmas eve we attended service at our church.  Asher love every minute of the music and wanted to go up and see each of the instruments.  He kept saying "That's a lot a instruments!" We came home, had Pasta Bolognese, cookies and then put Asher to bed.  Immediately following, Austin assemble Asher's first Christmas morning present.  A toddler motorcycle.  It's plastic, without a motor or batteries.  It was perfect.

On Christmas morning we I woke up before it was light.  I was so dang excited.  Thank goodness Asher started to stir shortly after.  We scooped him up and brought him out to the living room where he immediately spotted his stocking and the motorcycle.  We opened stockings, had breakfast, then opened presents, then had cinnamon rolls.  It was a precious morning spent together and I can't wait to do it all over again next year!

After all the excitement we headed to my parents' house.  We packed a "just in case" bag because the weather report said snow.  My dad laughed.  Then ate crow 'cause IT SNOWED!!!  A few inches in fact.  Northerners, don't laugh.  That's a lot for us Texans.  It made it a white Christmas and I felt like a kid.  We celebrated all afternoon and evening and ended up staying the night just to avoid the icy roads.  It was so nice to spend the time with the family and especially to see my grandparents with Asher.  It's a luxury to have the relationship I have with them and huge privilege for our son to know them.

I say it all the time but I never get tired of it, we are blessed.  The Lord has blessed us in so many ways and this holiday season was such a beautiful reminder of what He has given us.

Pumpkins, a Skunk and a Turkey Leg

Fall is my FAVORITE.  I love cold weather, I love the changing colors and to me it's the gateway to the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas!  So when September rolls around and football is in full swing, you'll find me giddy.

Being that this was Asher's first fall, we had to make sure that he got the full experience.  Pumpkins, a costume, family and friends and TURKEY.

First we visited the Pumpkin Patch with some dear friends, Nolan and Ghirin:

Following that we attended a playdate where all the kids dressed up.  This year, Asher was a skunk.  Quite appropriate for a crawling nine month old, if you ask me.

Then we had the family over the day before Halloween (as Halloween fell on a Monday this year) for some food and fun so we could show off the costume.

On Halloween, Asher and daddy ventured out to knock on a few doors and wave to the neighbors.  Mr.Man even scored a Kit Kat!

Our last stop of the season was Thanksgiving.  This year was a bit off-kilter.  Disaster struck Austin's parents house and they were dealing with renovation realities and my mom had to leave town unexpectedly the Sunday prior to Turkey Day because my dear Grandma Donna was not doing well.  She passed later that day in fact so Gigi was not coming home for the holiday.

The original plan was to have Thanksgiving at my parent's house as my grandparents on my dad's side were in town.  We kept that plan and Shana (my sister) and I helped pulled dinner together and Asher got his first turkey leg.

We then got to see the other half of the family on Saturday and enjoyed some yummy lasagna at Lauren and Dave's.

While this season wrapped up with a loss and things still in limbo it has been a reminder to be thankful, more now than ever, for what you do have and to spend time with the ones you love.  Living life to the fullest will leave you with little regret and a full heart.  Something we hope to continue to teach Asher.