Christmas Memories

We spent Christmas with Chris' family this year.  In the previous post, I told you that the three of us celebrated Christmas at home a couple days early; then we leisurely packed up and headed north to see his family so we could be there before my birthday on the 24th.  (Yep, Christmas Eve baby here.  I just wanted to be able to sleep in and not have to get packed, loaded up, and drive on my birthday.  Turned out great!)  We had multiple family dinners over the next few days, met some new friends of the family, and "shook our groove thang" to a new dance-off gaming program!  Chris, his older brother, and their mom even got into it, but I promised NO video of them dancing on the blog.  I gotta tell ya, though, we were all. cracking. up.  The boys, God love 'em, were at the back of the line when "rhythm" was being handed out...and I think I know where they got it (or, ahem, didn't get it) from!  But they all rocked it out and had a blast!!

Since we didn't have any cookies with us, we left some mini muffins and milk for Santa and his reindeer.  Boo knows who Santa Claus is and that he brings gifts, but other than that, really doesn't get Christmas yet.  So when he saw that the muffins had been eaten and the milk half-gone, he just got a kind of confused look on his face.  That is, until he saw the stuffed stocking sitting on the floor!  Then it was like, "great, he's been here.  Let's open presents!"

"Cars" tattoos and underwear!

(No, he's not potty-trained.  Yes, I'm hoping!)

silly straw glasses

told ya that's always where the bow goes!

straight to the head.

that's my sweet little package!!

Watching a new movie with Grandma.

more cuddle time with Grandma

playing with new camper toy with Grandma and Great-grandma

my big boy

I love this family picture!

Great-grandpa with Lexi.

He loves our little girl 'cause he had one just like her many years ago.

He is also the one man (besides Chris) that she goes right up to without acting scared.

Boo, Daddy, and great-grandparents

he loves being able to use his sleeping bag.

Lexi was quite comfortable with it too!

We had a great time and Boo came home with a lot of fun presents.  Good thing this only happens once, or twice, okay, maybe three times a year!!!

Our Family Christmas

With Christmas being on a weekend this year, we knew we were going to already be at Chris' family's house for the holiday itself, but still wanted to have our own family Christmas with Boo.  So Chris took off work the Friday before Christmas and we gave Boo his gifts from us that morning when he woke up.  So sweet to see the excitement in his eyes when he saw the wrapped packages under the tree!  He was hesitant at first, until he made sure the gifts were for him, and then he enjoyed ripping them open.  And he is getting to be a "ripper of the wrapping paper."  Yeah!  Mama has to learn to curb her impatience, though: I wanted him to open all his gifts and then choose which to play with, while he was content to open one and sit there playing with it while he still had other unopened gifts under the tree!

Every time he takes a bow off a package, it goes straight on his head!

Our little package:

He loved the "Cars" room decals we got him.

We had to go up and put them ALL up!

He even detailed his crib.

And the Sheriff watches over him when he sleeps.

Our first fur baby, Jinx.

Our younger fur baby, Lexi.

Taken on an (obviously) frosty cold morning.

I think this picture is pretty cool. (ha! get it??)

 These next few pictures are just me playing around with the camera, settings, and then color on the computer.  I love the macro pictures I see on other's blogs and thought I would try my hand at some.  Not sure how good they actually turned out in comparison, but I like them.

These flowers remind me of my wedding bouquet: beautiful orange roses.

Gorgeous.  Brought back some wonderful memories!

 Here, I fiddled around with the color or outlining or something in Ph*toshop and came up with this pretty neat picture!

And I will leave you with a message from our son:

Holiday catch-up: Thanksgiving

We've been so busy since Thanksgiving, that I am just now getting pictures downloaded to the computer!  It has been fun to go back through them and see how much fun Boo has had this year with our families.  Not saying he didn't have a good time last year, but this year, he really knows the rest of our family and understood who we were going to visit.  Plus, he is much better at ripping that wrapping paper; last year, I think I had to help him open most of his gifts because he was reluctant to rip the paper!  Sooo not the case this year.  He completely got the fact that gifts are to be opened, to the extent that we had to stop him from opening the ones that weren't for him!

Just a warning: this post is picture-heavy!

"cheese!!"

Grandpa with his two oldest grandsons

using Grandpa as a jungle gym

good work, Grandpa!

these two are a year apart; not much height difference!

Aunt B and cousin J

Hel-lo, beautiful brown eyes.

bathtime with the boys...it got a little wet!

some loving time with the newest cousin, Z.

all five boys

chillin' in the wagon on the way to the park

starting to climb...

uh, don't go too much farther!

"I'm stuck!"

I really like this picture of these two.

It looks like Boo is guarding his little cousin.

mesmerized by the movie "Cars."  

I think this was the quietest they were the entire weekend!

lounging on J coming back from a different playground

my godson!!

Is this a blast from the past, or what?!?!

For some reason, the guys spent a lot of time doing push-ups with the kids during the holiday.

It was pretty funny to watch them all pile on top of whoever was on the ground!

Here's one with Daddy...

...then Uncle J...

...and then C wanted to try it...what a strong 4-year-old!

We had a good time and enjoyed seeing all the boys playing together (both big and small!)  Thanks for hosting, sis.

Christmas pictures with the other side of the family to be coming, I promise.

Fortune Cookies

Sometimes you just need a little reminder of what you have.

It doesn't have to knock you down or punch you in the gut to get your attention, but it stops you in your tracks just the same.  I had one of those gentle reminders tonight after dinner.

After meeting my husband and son for a great dinner at our favorite Chinese restaurant after work, we got our fortune cookies.  I read mine and "stopped in my tracks."

You see, I sometimes wonder yet if our family is complete; most of the time, I feel it is.  I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and an amazing child.  But at other times -- you know, those times I torture myself by looking at the photolistings of waiting children who need loving homes -- I feel like we could add one more.  After hearing of a sibling call this past week and seeing a couple pictures of cuties waiting for their forever families, as well as more people pregnant at work and both siblings having more than one child now, I have had the "itch" recently to give Boo a sibling.

Last night, I asked God to open our hearts to another child if that is what is meant for our family, or to give me a sign if our family is complete.  I got whacked over the head with the answer tonight.

My fortune?

"Stop searching forever, happiness is just next to you."

Literally.

Okay, okay, I'm listening.

Let the Season begin...!!

I love Christmas.

I love the sense of joy everyone has at this time of year, I love the Christmas carols, and I love giving gifts. Yes, I enjoy getting them as well, but I get absolutely giddy when I have a gift for someone that I believe they will love, and cannot wait to give it to them.  That usually results in me being the one to push opening presents so that I can see their reaction!

This year, Boo has been helping with the season preparation.  We started listening to Christmas carols three days after Thanksgiving (on the way home from my family's holiday celebrations; will post more on that later) and he has been asking to hear Jingle Bells ever since!

This weekend we got our tree, which had to be sniff-tested first:

 helping haul the tree with Dada

the naked tree

our little Santa boy

Sunday night with lights and a fire going.

Oooohhh, have I mentioned I love this season?!

Last night, Chris and I decided to put together the train table we bought back in the spring for what was supposed to be Boo's Gotcha Day present.  After we got it, we decided to give it to him once the weather got colder because he loves being outside and we didn't want to give him a gift that would keep him inside when the weather was warm.  And wow, were we right!!!!  His reaction this morning was milder than I thought it would be:

...BUT, we had to make him stop to eat and then go to the grocery store with us later!!  

"I'm playing."

Also, when Chris put him down for his nap, he was quiet for about 45 minutes and then started crying.  When Chris went up and asked him what was wrong, he said that he wanted to play.  We're never going to get out of the house again!!

In the morning.  Three solid hours.

Another three hours of play in the afternoon and evening.

He ate dinner without any fuss.  I guess that's what all-day playing with your new train set will do to you...makes you a hungry boy!!

Train table: on sale.

Time to put it together: about 3 hours.

Expression on Boo's face and his enjoyment of the gift: priceless.

Giving Thanks for my Dream Come True

"What do you do when you realize all your dreams have come true?"

This quote came to mind when I started thinking about all I am thankful for in my life this year.

Because my dreams have come true.

Someone calls me wife.

And someone calls me Mama.

I adore being able to claim those two titles for my own (although daughter and sister are pretty awesome too!).

I am thankful for so many wonderful people that I have in my life: my family, my friends, Boo's babysitter, my co-workers.  But there are three very special people that I thank daily in my heart and whom will probably never know the depth or extent of how grateful I am to them.  They are Boo's foster parents and his birth mother.

The mother and father who opened their hearts and their home to a baby boy who needed some loving care, knowing that they would eventually have to say good-bye to him.  Judging from the pictures of Boo that we received from them when we picked him up, we know that he was a happy, well-loved baby during the time he was with them.  They did not know that he would be with them for an entire year when they first took him into their lives; at that time, it was more like 4-6 months.  They probably have one of the hardest jobs and they do it voluntarily, time and time again; that of taking in a child, loving him, caring for him, giving him a piece of their hearts, and then placing him in another couple's arms who whisk him halfway around the world.

These are amazing people.

The woman who made two of the hardest decisions one may possibly ever have to make in her life; the first being the decision not to end her pregnancy (in a country where there is still a huge stigma against unwed mothers) and the second being to make an adoption plan for that child...for her child...for our child.  Because I cannot imagine my life without the little boy she gave birth to for the both of us.  I thank God for him and for her unselfish decision every day.  A decision that is most humbling because I do not think I would ever have been able to do the same.  I feel almost guilty at times because I am the one who gets to see our little boy grow up, who gets to feel those arms wrap so tightly around my neck, who gets to hear that little voice say "mama."  And I just end up holding on to him tighter, never wanting to let go.  I hope somehow she knows that he is absolutely loved, cherished, and adored and that because of her decision, my dreams really have come true.

So to you: "What do you do when you realize all your dreams have come true?"