Family Pictures 2012

We had a family photo session in November, and the pictures turned out great.  (I forgot that I never posted them!)  There was a little drama in the days before our session.  We were scheduled to meet at a fun park on the first Sunday in November.  Daddy went to early vote on the Friday before . . . and he got his big toenail ripped off by a door.  Ouch!!!  He stopped by the doctor's office, and they cleaned him up and wrapped up the toe.  On Saturday night, Beau started gushing goop from his eyes, so I ran him up to the After Hours Children's Clinic to get him checked out.  He had an ear infection that was making him all goopey, so we headed to the 24 hour pharmacy to get his prescription filled.  The boys got to sleep around 11:00 pm, but they woke in happy spirits.  Daddy had to wear his flip flops and a bandage, and Beau was looking a little puffy and not his happy self, but the show must go on!  Our photographer asked if I wanted her to do a little photo-shop "magic", but I told her I wanted the pictures to be honest.  Hey, this is what life is like!  I love how the pictures turned out, and these are my favorites.

What an awesome year 2012 has been, and these pictures capture what our family was like as the year came to a close.  We are ready for 2013, and all of the blessings in store for us!  God bless!

New Year's Eve 2012

As 2012 comes to a close, the time to pack away our Christmas decorations is here as well.  Nana, Marian, and Larry came over to play with (distract) Lincoln and Beau so I could work quickly and undisturbed.  Daddy was amazed that I had all of the stuff packed in storage boxes in an hour!  It is definitely easier to take it all down than put it all up.  I worked for hours on the garland in the living room and kitchen, but it came down in two minutes!  The boys helped take the ornaments off their tree and box them up.  The had to get a flashlight and make sure all of the ornaments were off!  Such little investigators!

We celebrated New Years Eve with Popsicles after dinner.  What more appropriate treat in the dead of winter than Popsicles, right?  Beau loves Popsicles and doesn't mind getting covered in sticky blue mess. 

Lincoln is a much neater Popsicle eater, so I'm hopeful Beau will be someday.  This one would eat Popsicles for breakfast if I would let him!  (Which I won't, but don't think he doesn't ask!) 

Ally gave Lincoln a cool 2013 calendar, and we are all excited to begin marking off each day with a sticker.  If it's true that time flies when you're having fun, then we're having a way too much fun!  This year has been crazy and amazing, and Lincoln and Beau make each day better.  As I wrap up my thoughts about this year, I've been thinking about a few things I've caught myself saying that I never imagined would come out of my mouth.

* "No, you can't have another chocolate kiss.  Here, have a glass of ice water!" (I didn't get a good response to that one from Beau!)

* "Uh oh!  Everyone come look for baby Jesus - he's missing!"  (We found him under the recliner safely lying in his manger, and returned him to the nativity scene.)

* "Quit playing in the Clorox!"  (I guess they were actually "on" the Clorox, but they shouldn't be dancing a jig on any cleaning products!)

* "Slow down with the cauliflower!  Eat your chicken and french fries too!"  (Seriously, that is said weekly.  They really like cauliflower, followed closely by broccoli.)

And my personal favorite . . . 

* "Stop kissing your brother's butt!!!!!"  (Linc was overwhelmed with love and kissed the nearest thing, which happened to be Beau's bottom!  I was dressing them in their pjs after a bath, so at least it was clean!  Daddy came running when he heard that one, and it took a little explaining!  I hope I never have to say that one again!)

After Christmas Fun

The excitement of Christmas has not faded!  Lincoln and Beau have been crazy playing maniacs for the last few days.  They love each new gift and have inspected, tested, and played with each thing.  There has been a bit of toy-trading, but that's a sensitive issue.  There are not clear time rules, and they don't always agree when time is up!  Beau really loved watching Linc play his Cars PlayStation 3 game.  (This wasn't a Christmas gift, but it is a special and semi-rare event!)

Beau has been super silly lately.  This is one of his favorite poses . . . strange!!  Linc does it too, so Beau learns his antics honestly! 

"Mommy, can you help me?" came from the playroom.  This is what I found!!  I asked why he was in the bucket, and he said that Beau left him alone for a second so he climbed in.  Not sure what that has to do with Beau.  Usually they get into these "troubles" together!  Beau was back to investigate the ruckus quickly and shouted, "Lincoln stuck!" a few hundred times. 

I wish I had our car conversation from this evening on video, but I'll try to recreate it because it's pure gold!  We were at the bank ATM depositing some money, and Linc wanted Beau to know that we were at a drive through.  I think Linc said it at least five times, but Beau was ignoring him and just looking out of his window.  Linc was getting louder and more insistent, so I asked Beau if he could please tell Lincoln OK.  He barely whispered it, but I announced that it was done.  Linc told me at least five times that he didn't hear Beau say anything, and then he told Beau at least five times that he didn't hear him say anything.  Beau is still ignoring!  Lincoln starts telling Beau for the gillionth time that we were at a drive through.  Beau turns to look at him and shouts (in his most exasperated yell), "OK Lincoln!"  Even Lincoln couldn't help laugh at Beau.  We were practically in tears laughing so hard, and Beau was just glad Linc stopped going on and on about the drive through.  There is never a dull (or quiet) moment with these two guys!

Christmas Festivities

We gave the Santa pjs one more try before Christmas, and the boys were at their silliest!  They were both shouting, "Ho Ho Ho!" 

Minnie, Bubbles and Ally came on the 22nd to begin celebrating.  We all had so much fun!  Kevin and I cooked a ton, while Lincoln and Beau had such great playmates.  I think they played with every single thing in the playroom!  Building blocks, marching bands, tons of reading, and many hours of "cooking" . . . the boys were in heaven!  Ally's iPad was a real source of amazement.  They watched Charlie Brown Christmas in awe!  (We totally have it on DVD, but it was cooler when Beau could tap the screen a million times!) 

Bubbles found a fun movie and everyone climbed up to watch.  This iPad business is serious!  Daddy has one, but the kids have never even seen it.  I'm thinking that may change soon.  Thanks to Ally for sharing! 

Christmas Eve dinner was wonderful; we had great food and happy guests.  Minnie, Bubbles and Ally were here, Nana and Pop Pop joined us this year, and Marian and Larry (Kevin's Aunt and Uncle) came from California to celebrate with us.  The dinner was a success: ham, dressing, baked potato casserole, green bean casserole, yeast rolls, fruit salad, cheesecake and cupcakes.  YUMMY!  It was our first year to have a kids table, and I was lucky enough to be stationed there.  So fun, as Beau would say!  The boys were super excited.  Lincoln told me he loved the dinner his daddy prepared for him - so sweet! 

My little monsters ate like crazy for 10 minutes then managed to wiggle out of their chairs to play under the table.  They had a blast!!!!  They chased each other forever on hands and knees and squealed a million times! 

While I was serving dessert, my #1 dishwasher was contemplating the mountain of dishes in the kitchen!   

"No worries - I got this!"  (Note the rubber gloves, of course!) 

We opened tons of presents from the Freemans and tons more that they brought from our relatives in Arkansas.  I think the favorites were a Mickey Mouse dance mat, some dress up super hero costumes, and an instrument set with microphones! 

Minnie, Bubbles and Ally had to leave super early on Christmas Day to beat the snow storm, so we didn't get to see them on Christmas morning.  Santa came during the night and left fun goodies for the boys.  Somehow Santa knew that Lincoln and Beau have been obsessed with cooking and sweeping lately! 

The stockings were examined first.  Santa left flashlights, goldfish crackers, M&Ms, and bananas along with a few other treats.  Beau needed to chow down on the banana right away! 

When they finished the stockings, they got down to business playing with the kitchen and brooms.  We have had many wonderful new meals prepared by Lincoln and Beau.  They totally love the kitchen!!!  Beau couldn't wait to have Daddy cut the tags of the broom so he could bet busy cleaning!

Lincoln was so excited about his Tow Mater RC car.  It is super cool and super fast! 

While we played with our awesome Christmas gifts, the snow arrived!  Who doesn't love a White Christmas????  After lunch, we bundled up and headed out to play.  They were so excited!  We caught snow on our tongues, scooped it with shovels and blew bubbles in the snowy wind.

Daddy ordered his favorite Christmas Day Dinner pizza, and Nana and Pop Pop came back to celebrate a little more.  They brought gifts, and the boys were so excited as we set up the roller coaster.  Lincoln was definitely ready to go first!  He loves it! 

Beau wasn't far behind, although he wasn't as confident (or wild) as Linc.  Beau's first few rides on the roller coaster were with his eyes shut and gripping the handle tightly!  After twenty or thirty trips, Beau is definitely enjoying the rides with his eyes wide open and a full squeal! 

We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful Christmas Eve/Day.  We were surrounded by our families who love us, we were all safe and sound (minus electricity those back in Arkansas) and we were blessed with yummy food and fun presents.  Lincoln and Beau were so excited about every single part of Christmas this year.  We tried not to go overboard with gifts, and they were totally ok with that.  Santa gave shared gifts and we only gave them two each.  Beau refused to open his two gifts on Christmas morning.  He said, "Done Mommy, just play."  I love their excitement and pray that every Christmas is as joyous as this one was.  It was a truly Merry Christmas!

Smiling (or not) Santas

I guess the novelty of taking pictures in our Christmas pjs has worn off!  Beau got the stools out and told Lincoln to sit down to take a picture, so I grabbed my camera . . . something went drastically wrong in those few seconds.  Beau wanted to be the picture-taker, and he wasn't happy when I told him to sit down and say "cheese"!  He got a little less upset as I snapped each picture, but he never got back in the spirit.  They looked like super cute little Santas in spite of the drama!

Visit with Santa

We made our annual visit to see Santa Claus on Friday afternoon.  It wasn't at our usual Santa stop at the Galleria . . . my office brought in a Santa this year!  The boys get so excited to visit Mommy's office, so they were super happy on the way there.  We walked in the lobby and they spotted Santa . . . whoa, so cool!!!  (We didn't visit with Santa right then because he might have been busy sending a text or checking something on his phone, but my guys wanted to visit my office before chatting with him!)  After chatting up my coworkers and eating everyone's candy, we headed back downstairs to see Santa.  Lincoln was definitely ready to climb up on Santa's knee to talk with him.  He didn't really want to tell Santa anything he wanted as a gift; he was just content to sit there with a big smile.  Beau held back a bit just watching Linc.  I scooped him up and plopped him on Santa's other knee, and he reacted with no cries but definitely no smiles.  Beau wouldn't look at me or Santa!  He just kind of kept his head down or looked at Linc with no expression.  I'm guessing he was thinking, "Ok, Mommy, I'll sit here.  I see that Linc thinks this is fine, but I'm not sure.  No "cheese" from me, but I'm not gonna cry!" 

After the boys had been released from Santa, the big guy tried to win over Beau with chocolate . . . and it worked!!!  Beau was happy to get close to Santa as long as his little basket of chocolates was available!  Little stinker! 

I love that we had a crowd-free, germ-free (there were only three kids there the whole hour!), stress-free, and cost-free visit with Santa!  There might have been a chocolate incident in the car seats on the way home, but everyone got cleaned up and apparently had a fun treat!  Thanks for a fun afternoon, Santa!

The Trains at NorthPark

We made our annual visit to the Trains at NorthPark on Friday, and Nana met us there to join the fun!  Lincoln was so excited about all of the different landscapes, trains and train cars.  I can't decide which was his favorite . . . the State Fair of Texas display or the Thomas the Train display.  We definitely spent the most time checking those out. 

Beau had a great time too.  I think he loved that he got to be a big boy and see the trains just like Lincoln.  He sang "Choo Choo Boogey" a few times from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse movie!  I think his favorite thing was yelling out when he saw a Frosty or aSanta on a train car.  He did a lot of shouting! 

This picture is 100% typical of our family!  Lincoln is smiling super sweetly but definitely not looking at the camera, and Beau is eating something!  Seriously, I can't imagine a more true picture! 

Beau really enjoyed all of the Christmas activities that NorthPark had to offer.  We stopped to listen to a middle school band play Christmas Carols, and he was jamming out!  Poor thing almost jumped out of my arms when they began to play the Charlie Brown Christmas tune . . . so exciting!  Jingle Bells was a favorite of both boys.  They sang along, all the while envying the boy who was actually playing the jingle bells in the band!  After a yummy lunch, Beau rushed over to hear the choir singing carols.   

Lincoln made sure we stopped to visit the ducks and turtles, and he insisted that the turtles were saying "arf"!  I'm not sure where he got that, but he thought it was hilarious!  Linc also loved the band and choir, and he was glad to see that the Gingerbread Houses were still holding up from his last visit a few weeks ago.   

Before heading out, we stopped for a cookie break with Nana!  The boys picked M&M cookies, of course.  They were super yummy!  No trip to the mall is complete without a yummy cookie, right?

What a fun outing, and one that we will continue for years to come!  (Until they think Mommy and Nana and trains are totally uncool!)  We picked up a new pair of Christmas Eve pjs at Hannah Anderson while we were there.  Beau spotted the bag in my car the next morning, and his little brain went into overtime . . . he shouted, "Nana bag", "pjs", "Chick fil A", "yummy", "marching band", "drums", "jingle bells", "singing", "rain" in rapid fire!  I know he was remembering each fun event of our visit and yelling out the key words.  What a smartie!  I acknowledged each one, and he was looking proud of himself for remembering it all.  It was so much fun, how could we not remember it all!

Speed Racers!

Lincoln and Beau have been giving the race car ramp a lot of attention lately, and they think of many creative ways to use it.  The latest use of the ramp is a crash-bridge.  One end sits on the table, and the other end sits on the window ledge.  The cars race over the bridge only to crash into the window.  Fun!!! 

There are so many squeals that come from the playroom, and I'm glad these are squeals of delight!  Another bonus is that this is age-appropriate for all.  Beau just can't stand to not participate in Linc's activities, and this one keeps them both happy.  They even willing to take turns sending the cars flying! 

I get a request each evening to take their picture after the bath.  They love their Christmas pjs so much, and they always want to see how cute they look in the pics I take.   

We have a long weekend ahead . . . I'm hoping for lots more fun speed racing!

The "Christmas Hotel" Visit

We met Nana and Pops at the Gaylord Texan Hotel on Saturday morning to check out their fabulous Christmas displays.  There were so many thing so see, and they boys were amazed right away!

They both loved watching the fish swim.  Lincoln decided he needed to throw something in, and Pop Pop provided a coin.  (He might have knocked out a fish with his killer throw!!)  Beau didn't feel the need to disrupt their habitat, and he just enjoyed their swimming! 

Daddy helped Beau get a better view of the trains on the bridge.  The trains were a big winner with Linc and Beau! 

Our visit to the Gingerbread Houses sparked many comments about building our own at home.  They had one that was super life-sized, and there were many smaller versions to admire as well.  Beau looked longingly at the one decorated with Reece's Pieces . . . he didn't want to leave it, and I"m sure he was trying to figure out a way to get his hands on some yummy candy! 

Another special train display really captivated their attention.  We stayed her forever just watching the different trains going by.  One train had Santa riding on top, and Beau and Lincoln loved to wave and yell each time he passed by. 

Beau made sure to tell me "Look" several times.  They were totally amazed! 

There were several cool exhibits that we didn't do, but they are already on our list as the boys get older.  Sledding on snow ramps looked like a blast, but those sleds were going really fast.  We also didn't brave the Ice Tour because it's totally 5 degrees in there . . . next time! 

Lincoln stopped yapping for a second to pose with Mommy, and I was happy to hug my sweetie!  We found the Madagascar shop, and the boys went crazy for Melman the giraffe.  Lincoln gave us all a serious lecture about giraffe beginning with the letter "G" before we could move on.  Got it, buddy! 

Our attempt at a family photo was not too successful.  Everyone might have been over stimulated and super hungry . . . 

As we were driving to lunch, Beau gave me the sweetest, saddest, tiredest look EVER!  He definitely needed his microphone to keep him happy, but he wasn't singing to many cheery songs!  

Luckily, Kincaid's was nearby.  We all had yummy burgers to end our field trip, and everyone left happy and full!  Lincoln gets so distracted while eating and needs constant reminders to take bites, but Beau is one dedicated eater and never let his little burger far from his mouth.  It was so much fun to visit the "Christmas Hotel" and have a great lunch with Nana and Pops.