Merry Christmas!

Ho ho ho!!!  Meeerrrry Christmas!  What a great weekend!  Presents certainly aren't everything to me by any means, but I was certainly blessed this weekend by my family.  To start off, I enjoyed one of my favorite Christmas Eve services since I can remember.  A quote from Scott our pastor, "I know many of you wanted to come here and hear about little baby Jesus and how we was born and it WAS great, but he grew up!  And this is how he showed love..."  So awesome.  Love who I am.

Katie and I had a wonderful Christmas Eve routine that includes a service, looking at Christmas lights and champagne.  Service was wonderful.  Daniel cried after the service most of the ride home so we nixed the Christmas lights.  The champagne was on sale at Wal-Mart and was pretty awful.  BUT, I came home to an HD Television from my wife.  She had given my parents the keys and they set up everything while we were out.  I had NO idea.  Very cool.  It's just one of her many gifts.  A couple before and after shots below.

Clever thief

Santa in his younger years

Christmas day was wonderful.  We woke up (or I should say, were woken up) at about 5am and decided to exchange gifts and hang out with Daniel.  Daniel got a Johnny Jump Up and just LOVES it.  He jumps around more than House of Pain.  I should be honest, he probably spins more than he jumps right now, but as my father always says, "spininess is next to jumpiness".

Happy dude

Following our small family Christmas, we went over to MY parents and celebrated with my mother and father, Eric and Noelle, and Jason and Tina. What a nice time.  I do love ALL of my family.  Beyond gifts even, I just love having such a great support system on all sides while we go through this transition in our life. 

Daniel is growing like crazy.  He's so heavy and it's starting to take a toll on my back and legs.  I need to do some calisthenics or something.  We got big plans this week of random acts and planned resting.  I wish you all the best.  Daniel has been steadily improving night to night with not having his Swaddle Me and we're so thankful..rest is good.

Family picture in front of our tree

Little elf

Happy Thanksgiving...ish

Cutest monster.

It has been a day since the Great Thanksgiving Feast of 2011, but this'll have to be my Thanksgiving post seeing as time seems to fly by more quickly...I wonder why...

It was a bittersweet Thanksgiving this year for me as I had fantastic times and meals with both of my families, but my mother was not able to join us because of my Poppy's (her dad's) health in Alabama.  It sounds like she had an enjoyable time, however, so we are thankful for that.  Three things I'm thankful for and three things I wished:

1.  I'm thankful for my wife and son.  Daniel has been sleeping through the flippin' night almost EVERY night.  Holy beans!  I could not ask for a better wife either.  I've been able to spend much more time with them lately and it has been great great great.  I'm excited for what we grow into.

"Leave me alone! I'm resting!...where's my milk!?"

Cute stuffs.

2.  I'm thankful for the rest of our families.  If for nothing else, they give our arms breaks from holding Daniel..I gotta get this kid walking.  Rehabilitation or something...anyways.  They are just so supportive, loving, and understanding of what we're going through right now.  These past two days show me how blessed we are.  I know not all families are such.

Grandma and her troop of grand children...well...except one.

GG and GKs

Aunt Jenny carrying two babies.  Queño watches in amazement.

Aunt Tina

Daniel ruined this picture

My dad closed his eyes as well.

3.  I'm thankful for my friends.  It is especially great to have so many friends going through this journey right now.  The advice and sympathy is very encouraging and helpful. 

Zac, Jeremy, and children.  Daniel's acting like a big baby.

4.  I'm thankful for Netflix.

I wish...

1.  ....that dirty diapers could be used as some sort of fuel alternative. 

2.  ....that spit up could be used as some sort of a fueld alternative.

3.  ....for world peace.


We're inching closer to Christmas and our Daniel's first experiences.  I'm going to have him write down his experiences this year so he can meditate on them next year.

Here's some pictures to wet your whistle.