This is disturbing.

Consider that your warning.  Read on at your own risk...

This morning Hunter was still asleep before I left for work.  This is rare, but the couple of times that it's happened, I have gone in to kiss him goodbye, which ususally ends up waking him.  James had an interview today and was in the shower when I left, so I didn't go into Hunter's room because I didn't want to wake him up just to be alone in the living room (because we all know what serious consequences come from a toddler having free reign over the house).

So I get a call at my desk around 8:30.  It's James calling to tell me that Hunter hadn't ever woken up so he went in there and found him sitting up in bed looking down at Bear.  He wanted to text me a picture of his face.  A few minutes later (but what seemed like hours to me), this is the picture I was looking at...






Seriously.  You may not want to look.






Are you sure you're ready?






Don't say I didn't warn you....

Yes, ladies and gentleman, that is blood.  And apparently it was all over the sheets and pacis and headboard and even sweet Bear.  I guess he had a bloody nose from all of the dry air and somehow wiped it all over the place. 

Poor, sweet boy.  I felt so sad when I looked at it and couldn't be there to clean it up for him:(  I did get to talk to him on the phone, though.  And he's all better now.  We'll be using the humidifier tonight!

Christmas Day

Every morning,  Hunter comes into our room and climbs into bed with us.  He'll actually lay there with us for a while so we can sleep a little longer...yes, we know how lucky we are;)  So on Christmas morning, he did just like he does every other morning until we were awake enough to grab the video camera and lead him into the living room for the surprise of his life. 

(James and I spent some time before Christmas discussing whether we were going to teach our children to "believe" in Santa Claus.  We eventually decided to do Santa gifts, but not spend a lot of time talking about him. (Please don't feel judged by this.  We've received some judgement for choosing to not hype up Santa, so we'd never judge you for choosing to hype him up!  We definitely don't think Santa's bad or negative in any way...both of us grew up in homes where Santa was a huge deal, and we love him!) We've just tried to spend a lot of time discussing Jesus' birth this Christmas (not that you're not focusing on Jesus, just because you are doing Santa), but we still join in the excitement with Hunter whenever we see Santa or he mentions him.) 

So lots of people had asked me if Hunter was excited for Christmas (before it got here), and the answer is, I don't really think he was, because he didn't know what to expect...he didn't realize there'd be presents waiting for him in the living room...but was he ever excited when he saw them!

My favorite part of the Christmas gift exchange process has always been the stockings.  My mom always did an awesome job putting really good things in our stockings (and she still does...thanks mom!), so I tried to do the same for Hunter this year.  But all that kid cared about was the candy.  Somehow he kept digging around all of the toys and pulling out more and more candy...

(SIDE NOTE:  Before you look at the pictures, just know that yes, I know that my toddler's pajamas are entirely too small for him.  We waited too long to look for Christmas ones, so he got to wear the mommy-needs-to-do-laundry pair.)

Skittles (notice how he's paying zero attention to the toy on the coffee table and his new DVD on the floor...awesome)...

What's that in your hand Hunter?  A totally fun recorder that you can't wait to play?!

Not the excited face y'all were expecting from that special treasure?

Oh wait.  There it is.  All in the name of the cheapest candy ever...Pez.

Enjoying his Pez...

Finally a toy that makes him happy!

Of course it would be a weapon.

And after his candy fix, he sees the fun that is the recorder...

After Hunter was done with his stocking (and basketball hoop and basketball...somehow I got no pictures of that), we woke Charlotte up.  As you can see, she wasn't too happy with us...

And her gumball machine and stocking full of baby shoes, baby bows, and baby legwarmers didn't seem to help matters any...

My family came over later that morning for lunch and our gift exchange.  I was a to-tal slacker with the picture taking for this.  My "immediate family" consists of 13 people including us, so it was a lot more stressful than the night before when it was just James's parents over.  There were presents and wrapping paper all over the place, so I did the best I could. 

I'm pretty sure this gift was clothes and got thrown to the side about .4 seconds after I snapped the picture below...

This was one of his two favorite toys for the day...

My dad and I had a great time putting that tool bench together.  Hunter loves it...he carries that drill around all day!

Other faves of Hunter's from the day...his very own toddler digital camera (I'll try to post some pictures he's taken with it later) and this vacuum (he screamed, "A vacuum!" in the most excited, shrieky voice as soon as he had torn the wrapping paper enough to see it).

Again, Charlotte was kind of grumpy - partly from the maddening pain of sharpness forcing it's way through her gums and partly from being overstimulated with laughter and shrieking kids and crumpling wrapping paper and toy vacumm and drill noises...

I hope y'all had as great of a day with your families as we did with ours.  We feel so blessed to be surrounded by such a loving, giving, supportive family.  And above all we are so thankful to be called children of the most high God.  A God who would leave his heavenly home to come here and be born in a stable to live the life of a poor man, all so that we could live with him forever...

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Christmas Eve

James's parents came over on Christmas Eve to bring Hunter his own personal toy store celebrate.  They are always so generous to us, and we are so thankful for their loving, giving hearts. 

Since I only have 2 arms and I need about 8 for helping Hunter open presents and opening Charlotte's presents for her and comforting my poor teething little girl and taking pictures, something had to fall to the wayside this year.  In rare form, I opted for slacking on my picture-taking duties.  With James's help, we got at least 1 picture of most of Hunter and Charlotte's gifts (obviously the clothes aren't included as part of the most - I'll give  you a mental image of opening them though...picture Hunter throwing the box to the side as soon as he rips the wrapping paper off.  He's no dummy.  That kid already knows how to spot a clothing box.)

Here's the gift rundown...

Rescue Force Play Set...

Mag-neats...

Those things are pretty awesome.  That's the toy I'm most excited about playing with;)

Char's Baby Einstein Press N Play Duck...

I think she approves.

City Garage Heliport...

I didn't get a great picture of it, but this toy is pretty fun too. 

She's not feeling the baby doll too much yet, but I know she'll grow to love her.  Every girl's gotta have a baby doll...

Remote Control Fire Truck and School Bus...

A picture's worth a thousand words, right?  Obviously the whole fam loved those two.

Doesn't that make you pooch your bottom lip out from sadness?  Seriously.  I'm pooching right now.  Poor, sweet baby girl.  Teething breaks my heart.

And now, for the greatest gift of the night *drumroll*...

Gasp!!  A play kitchen!  Hunter was in heaven.  The microwave Char brought to him when she was born is already worn out from over-use, so this came just in time.  The boy was giddy. 

And after he'd adequately checked out all of his new toys, this is the one he settled on for the night...

Of course he did.  Why play with one of his own 300 choices, when he can play with one of sister's 3?

For those of you who don't live here, the night ended perfectly...

It was very important that we (again, by we, I mean James) get a picture of the front and the back yard on our white Texas Christmas.  We had to have proof...especially since it was 75 degrees the day before.

Christmas day pictures coming soon! 

Winter Fun

I realized about a quarter of the way through the month that I wished I had started an Advent calendar this year, so I've been trying to come up with fun activities to do at night to put in next year's calendar.  Believe me, it's not easy to come up with 24 fun and toddler-friendly ideas, but I'm getting closer every day...the activities might be getting a little lamer by the day too.

Last night and tonight we did two of the un-lame activities I have for next year's calendar, and we had so much fun!  Last night we had Hunter's cousins, Aunts, friends Ronnie and Ethan, and their mommy over to eat smores and go ride the train in our neighborhood...

Toasting our marshmallows...

Hunter and Ronnie were a little cautious of the fire...we taught them well!

Char didn't get smores, but she's prepped for next year...

Then our fam and Ronnie's fam went over to ride this fun little train in the neighborhood.  This sweet man starts building it in his backyard every year on September 15 and opens Thanksgiving night.  He's open every night and gives free rides!

I was really surprised how many people were there.  Here's the entrance...

Waiting in line...

Ronnie and Hunter were mesmerized by the train.  They didn't take their eyes off of it for a second!

Char just looked cute as usual:)

We got there at a perfect time and didn't have to wait that long at all.  Here's our first ride...

James and Charlotte and Carrie and Ethan rode in front of us.

I tried a self-portrait, but cut most of Ronnie out of it.  Y'all know I don't have good picture-taking skills anyway, and that train was pretty wobbly and fast, so Carrie took one of all of us...

I promise my child isn't drugged...just in a train trance:)

After we finished, Ronnie and Hunter begged to go again, and even though it was bedtime, we waited for the next train and let them.  I know.  We're so fun.

Waiting for the train...

James didn't ride the second time, so of course I put him on picture duty...

Here's the sweet man who runs it (in front)...

What a good man!  That's a huge sacrifice to spend every night running trains for kids for free.  We're so thankful for his sweet heart:)

Then tonight we went to Santa's Village at the Civic Center in Richardson.  When we drove by we were surprised at how few people were there, and then we felt so lucky to score the most awesome parking spot ever...but when we walked to Santa's house, he wasn't there.  And then the reindeer weren't in their house either.  Soon we realized all of the shops were closed, but Hunter loved looking at all of the lights and characters anyway.  And, of course he loved the fountain...

Here's our stroll through in pictures...

Have a Merry Christmas, y'all!