Mia Visit

Mia got to stay for an entire week!  We were excited and so were the kids. The weather was pleasant so we took advantage.  I guess we walk no matter what the weather is...what can I say, we like to be outside! This is the trail directly behind our house.  I mean you enter the trail through the back of our fence...that is how close it is.  It's been great living with beautiful trees behind us instead of staring into someone else's house. We walk this trail A LOT and we love it!

NYE 2011

The day after our drive home from Ohio, we had our favorite Texas visitor come to visit! When Mia comes, CJ always requests to play bubbles with the bubble ball...nonstop!

Bubble ball fun!

 For NYE we decided to make it a night with our most favorite neighbors ever! We had lots of food and then rang in the new year in our pj's with champagne...at 10:45pm.  Yes, we admit that we are ol' fogies and can't stay up past midnight without it affecting us the entire next day!  We figured it was midnight somewhere!

Come on Clay, you can do it!

Almost there!

My Virginia and Texas mom

the bubbley runnith over 

nice pj's

always enjoying life!

this stuff is good!

they are cute!

and so are these peeps

yes, this was staged

Happy New Year!

Ohio Trip: Part 4

Celebrating Christmas with gift opening happens on Christmas Eve.  That tradition began when Brian and I were little and we wanted to open 1 present on Christmas Eve. My dad thought that would be ok. Then the next year, we begged to open 2.  The next year, you guessed it...3.  Who knows when it happened, but eventually we started opening all our presents on Christmas Eve and then it stuck!  Even though I'm an adult now, I still don't mind a little early gift opening extravaganza ;)

Hannah is helping uncle and auntie open their presents

grandpa is cool!

blue train green train!

ripping paper is fun!

Christmas day hike

with Great Grandma Moore

dude, she's in my space

you stay over there and I'll stay right here

let me help you

kissing Great Grandma 

attempting a family photo...not quite

there we go!

CJ LOVES to take walks

so does Hannah

It's been a long day...cuddle time with Grandpa!

Ohio Trip: Part 3

Not only do we get to celebrate Christmas, we got to celebrate the 1st birthday of our nephew Ethan. Hannah got all dressed up for the occasion.  She was so cute, that daddy requested to have a picture taken with her!

All dolled up!

She loves her daddy...

...and her grandpa!

Here's the birthday boy! He is so stoic that he did not even give a smirk to uncle Clay even though Clay tried really hard

Waiting for pizza

Who is this girl and why is she holding me? ;)

The birthday boy all dressed in chocolate!

Ohio Trip: Part 2

Someone really likes his laptop

Watching Baby Can Read video...he likes the BIG words on the BIG screen

Airplane Carter!

Poking Grandpa's eye out just like he does on skype

This girl was so hungry and I couldn't keep up. We tried avocado but most of it ended up on the bib.

She had fun trying!

Ohio Trip: Part 1

Packed like sardines, we set off for the 8 hour trek to Ohio. Clay only had to rearrange the car 3 times in order to fit all our stuff. And guess what...the 8 hour drive took exactly that...8 hours! With a 5 month old and a 2 year old it was an unexpected surprise! 

Clay drove the entire way

My camera didn't do this justice...it was beautiful

Potty break! 

playing on his new laptop

sound asleep!