Like father.....

...like son.

And don't forget about Molly.

Christmas Crafts

I am not crafty.

I just pretend to be.

I keep telling Auntie Leesha she should start a craft blog.

She is pretty good at them...

Hey Auntie Leesha...you should start a craft blog.

Because, you know you have time for one. :-)

Christmas time is my favorite time to decorate.

I have more decorations than I have house.

So of course, I feel the need to make more decorations.

Pine Vase

I have 7 of these vases.

We used them on our head table, at our wedding.

I filled the bottom with marbles.

Then cut up a pine and holly branch from Hobby Lobby.

The frame was also on our head table at our wedding.

Christmas Card Hanger

Please excuse the extremely ugly curtain that was there when we bought the house...

and will go with the house if it ever sells... 

DJ nailed ribbon onto the sides of the windows.

I hot glued ribbon onto clothes pins.

Super easy!

Snowflake Jar

I painted the jar brown.

Then painted cream over the top, and dabbed it with saran wrap. 

 Painted on a red snowflake and tied raffia around the top.

  ...easy...

Joy Sign 

I painted a board cream and put brown streaks in it. 

Then cut out the letters and an angel from scrap booking paper. 

 I modgepodged the letters on, and put a coat over top. 

 Seriously, took me 10 minutes total...maybe...

I actually didn't make anything on this shelf...

I just like Christmas decorations.

Snowman Jar

I painted the jar red, and sponge painted cream over. 

I tried painting a red snowflake over it, but I didn't like it. 

I repainted the cream over and took the saran wrap to it again.

 Then modgepodged a snowman from the scrap booking paper to it.

Stocking Sign

{my favorite}

I painted a board red...

Printed out the letters, and used carbon paper to transfer them.

{Thank you Auntie Leesha}

I used a paint marker to write with.

{Again, thank you Auntie Leesha.}

I do know I am missing an 's.'

 We were not getting along...

DJ added the nobs and hug it on the wall for me.

{...not an announcement.  We were just planning ahead.} 

Have you made any fun Christmas crafts?

Molly

In case I haven't expressed...

...just how bad Molly's separation anxiety is.



Keep Away

Molly and Karson...

 ...are best buds.

 Even when Karson...

 ...insists on stealing Molly's bone...

 ...and then plays keep-away with it.

 Oh how I love my Molly...

 ...and my sweet baby boy.

I can no wait...

...to watch them...

...grow up together!

Thanksgiving

I am currently sitting on my couch.

Eating a piece of left over peanut butter pie.

In my pjs.

Watching TV.

Snuggled up with Molly & Maggie.

Feeling a little guilty.

While my husband waits in line for four hours at Walmart.

Feeling a little guilty....but enjoying the couch!

Our Thanksgiving was wonderful.

Karson tried to make it though the day with only 1{short} nap.

He did surprisingly well, but crashed 2 hours early.

Could be an early morning.

He chowed down on stuffing...

...and pumpkin pie.

Giggled and giggled when Grandpa tickled him.

Played in GrandmaNana's cupboards with Uncle Steve & Aunt Jenni.

Crawled.

Took a few steps.

Played with his Molly & Maggie.

Loved on Mommy...

...and helped GrandmaNana cook.

And entertained a house full of family.

 Happy Thanksgiving.

There is so much to be Thankful for!

Chocolate Cake

You would think I would have learned after this post and this one.

Karson is fast.

Really fast.

While we were at my parents this weekend, my mom made a cake.

We were having it for dessert Sunday night.

Karson was sitting on my lap.

I gave him a few tiny bites.

Apparently that was not good enough.

He stole my cake.

The whole thing.

He ate 90% of it.

The rest was thrown to the floor for the dogs.

Or smashed into my favorite jeans.

Thankfully, he was already hanging out in just a diaper.

And at the time, I was being lazy and using a disposable.

Although, they ALWAYS  leak, so I don't know why I think I am being lazy.

It just causes more work in the long run.

...another post...another day.

My 8 month old ate a whole piece of cake.

My dad laughed harder than I have seen him laugh in a long time.

And we know Karson will not be shy on his first birthday.

...and yes I colored my hair. :-)

Did you read about Baby Cliff yet?

Consider giving to this amazing fundraiser.

Make Christmas count for Cliff.

Santa Parade-Santa

This weekend, for the first time since we have been married, I was a "Deer Widow."

This is Michigan talk for:

"My husband left us for the weekend to go kill Bambi."

I hate being home alone, so Karson and I (and Molly too) went to my parents for the weekend.

It was so nice to hang out with my Mom all weekend!

We stayed home Friday night and ordered in pizza,

and ate the whole thing saved the left overs for later.

 Saturday we took Karson to the Grand Rapids Santa Parade.

I was so excited to take him to the parade.

I remember going all bundled up when I was a kid.

At the end of the parade Santa comes.

We had Karson all bundled up.

He looked like the little boy in A Christmas Story.

  



 Karson loved watching all the floats go by.
He got excited when a dog would go by.
He danced when music played.

Then all of a sudden we realized he was asleep.

 He wasn't just kind of asleep.

A semi went by and blew their horn.

Kept sleeping.

We thought we would just wake him up when Santa came.

We realized when the semi didn't wake him up, it was hopeless.

So we missed Santa.

But Karson got a really good nap in!

And Mommy and Grandma Nana got some extra cuddle time.

And next year, we will see Santa.


A Side Note:
Notice the sweet baby boy on my side bar?
Cliff is a baby with DS, living in an orphanage in Eastern Europe.
He spends his days laying in his crib.
If he is not adopted by a certain age (not sure what) he will spend the rest of his life in an institution.
Jeannett from Life.Rearranged is hosting a huge fundraiser for baby Cliff.
To raise money for his adoption.
Click on his picture.
Read about this sweet baby.
Consider giving.
Make Christmas count for baby Cliff.

A Challenge

Karson has not slept well the last few nights.

Which means I am exhausted.

My exhaustion caused me to get up an hour and a half late this morning.

A morning we actually had to be out of the house by nine.

My house was trashed, but we did it.

Went to our Sign Language Class.

Went to his Post Op. appointment.

Came home and read this.

A challenge to take pictures all day.

To see your blessings, without all the extra stuff.

The laundry...dishes...crabbiness...

I have been meaning to get some more good pictures of Karson.

I was up for it.

I did not realize how much I needed this challenge today.

You see, Karson is an EASY baby.

He is almost 9 months old.

I remember 3 really rough days with him

Today was number 4...

He screamed the majority of the day.

He crawled around on the floor sobbing.

He didn't want to be held.

He didn't want to eat.

He didn't want to sleep.

Days like today are hard.

But the pictures I took today...

You would never know today was a rough day.

You would never know Karson sobbed for 90% of the day.

Or that Molly got so scared when a truck parked in front of our house, she hid behind the couch.

She barked...and barked...and barked.

The pictures show what a normal day is around here.

Karson following Molly around, everywhere she goes.

Playing in her toy basket.

Sneaking to her water bowl, when he thinks I am not looking.

Playing with his trucks.

Reading books.

Having a bedtime snack.

Taking a bath.

Normally I don't give him a toilet paper roll.

Or push play on Praise Baby as much as I did today.

Or let him play in a tub of water in the living room.

But, I was desperate, and it worked.

And at the end of the day.

My baby is sleeping soundly.

An hour and a half earlier than normal.

But he is safe and warm in his own crib.

So after a rough day.

I will once again choose to be thankful.

Because our rough day could be a whole lot worse.

...

So lately there have been quite a few hits on our little blog.

But not so many comments.

Not gonna lie...kinda creeps me out.

Basically, if you come to visit, please say hi.

Thanks!

Monday

Most people hate Mondays.

I love them.
After a busy weekend, of having to share my baby, on Mondays, I get him all to my self.
At least until DJ gets home from work.
Today we played all day.
Karson learned how to walk behind his toy.
He is such a boy.
If something is in his way...no worries...he will just push through it.
He giggled so hard, he had me crying.
He loved on his Molly.
He snuggled with me in the rocking chair, and let me rock him to sleep.
The days of rocking him to sleep are fleeting.
I cherish every snuggle I get.
We played with the Get Well Soon balloons from
Aunt Katie & Uncle Shawn
and
Aunt Leesha & Uncle Brian.
Karson is so lucky.
He is so loved!
He tried more times than I can count to play in Molly's water dish.
He repeatedly took bones from her.
Then giggled, and gave them back.
Continually reminding me why I love our Molly so much!
He found his stash of Christmas presents in the entry way.
The ones I insisted he not be with us when we buy.
Another one of those, he won't know...but Mommy will times.
And what did I do when I found him playing with his Christmas gifts?
The ones that Santa will bring him on Christmas Eve.
The ones he is not supposed to know about.
I took a picture.
Because that is what good Mommies do.
Then I swept him into the living room for more giggling play time.
Today we stayed in our pajamas all day.
Today is one of those days I want to always remember.
Spending the day with my sweet baby boy.
Giggling. Playing. WALKING. Snuggling.

I wish I could keep him 8 months old forever.