A Short Trip to Charlotte!

We made a quick trip to Charlotte after Christmas to visit family that was in town.  We had a wonderful time at the park, having dinner and then games and sweets at the hotel! 

Hilary, Namu Patti, Karina (Lara's friend from Mexico) and Vijaih

Gayathri, Lara, Micah & Vinnie!

Low-key Christmas

Merry Christmas from NC!  We had a relaxed day of some nerf-gun turkey hunting, sword-wielding, and a wonderful time with family!!  

Ugly Sweater Anyone??

How do we look?  

This past weekend we attended an Ugly Holiday Sweater Party.... Andrew even took home the grand prize!!!! 

IT IS A......

BOY!! 

Yes, despite our best efforts to keep it a secret from the kids until Christmas, and everyone else, Ben discovered the balloons as we were trying to stuff them in a box, so everyone gets to find out 3 days early. :)

YAY for another BOY!!!!  Let's bring back the blue!!

Baby Boy!

Bedtime Routine

"Mama, I you bubber-fye!!"

 Sometimes I could just eat this girl!  

I thought I would right down some of her crazy bedtime routine, because I am sure it will end all too soon.  :)  Here is small insight into our naptime and nightly routine:

Naptime, she sleeps in our bed so that Ben can play in their room:

while dragging at least three stuffed dogs and her favorite purple blanket:

Naomi: Mama!  I need YOUR pillow!!!

I move my pillow to the middle of the bed (it is the best pillow in the house) as she jumps three times and lands on the pillow, and puts her head down.

N: Sing Baby Beluga and Tih-Tle my Back!!

L: Okay, Naomi, that was our last song, now you need to close your eyes and go to sleep.

N: Lay down with me PIIIEEEE (five) mih-mih!! Tih-tle my belly.

I tickle her for 15 seconds...

N: Tih-tle my two arms! (all said with her eyes closed.)

I tickle her for 15 seconds...

N: Tih-tle my two legs, my pie (five) toes, my two feet, my pie fingers, my side, my other side.... etc.

If she does open her eyes, she just grins as if all is right with the world, and then closes them again.

L: Okay, Naomi, I am all done, sleep tight!

N: I need my old boo (her word for dog) and my new boo and my huge boo!!  

L: Okay, here you go!

N: No Mama!  I need to see their FACES!!  

I arrange all dogs so that their faces are facing hers.

N: Blanket Mama!  Cover my arms, but not my ear, but it can touch my chin.  And don't close the door all the way!!!!  

---

Bedtime is much the same, except that it involves teeth brushing, and pajamas (if we can force her to put them on... she much prefers to sleep neh-neh!), stories and more singing.  Then bed...

However, usually within 15-20 minutes, from downstairs we hear the squeak of her getting out of bed and then her great trek from her bed to ours, and back and forth about 4 times to gather all her stuffed dogs and favorite blankets.  Then all is quiet again... And when we head to be a few hours later this is what we find (minus the passie now!!!  YAY!!.  :)

As Andrew often tells her... "It is a good thing you are so cute!!" :)

 

Tree Decorating...

 Every year with kids gets a little more fun.  They understand more, and enjoy the traditions so much more.  This year Ben especially was sooo excited to decorate the tree and see all the decorations.  I love telling the stories of where we got each one.  :)

Crazy Kiddos

Decorating...

Decorating the tree!

Finished Tree

Turning 30

 Andrew's attempt to make 30 not feel so bad.  I love yellow, it is such a happy color.  :)

Coloring cards for his mama. :)

Well, I am now 30.  The birthday that most people dread.  Well, despite my best efforts, I cried a few times leading up it.  I think I just felt like I wasn't where I wanted to be in life (not sure exactly where I was supposed to be, but just that I wasn't there :) and feeling so sick and pregnant didn't help at all. 

However, I survived, and life hasn't fallen apart yet... :) 

Picking Out A Tree

 This is our 7th Christmas picking out a tree from Sandy Holler Farms.  The kids love riding the tractor-pulled trailer, not to mention the mini candy canes they hand out.  :)  I love going right after Thanksgiving and getting the tree all decorated before Thanksgiving Weekend is over. :) 

Naomi & Aunt Becki

Watching Daddy Cut Down the Tree

Hanging with Beloved Aunt Becki

Taking it Home! 

Thanksgiving Cinnamon Rolls!

 For the past several years I have had a Thanksgiving Day Brunch... this year we moved it up a day since Micah was in town.  The kids helped me make the cinnamon rolls. :)

Many Hands Make Much Work :)

The best part of helping...

Getting dirty making orange rolls...

My cinnamon roll making helper with his masterpiece.

Ben's First Race!

On Thanksgiving morning Ben ran his first race... the 1 mile Gobble Wobble!!  His Uncle Daniel ran it with him.  His focused personality certainly shone through... his only goal was to beat the person in front of him... :)

He never stopped running and ran the mile in 11 minutes!!!  GO BEN!!  

The Gobble Wobbler...

With his ribbon!

Can you say...

You have a blonde half-indian little girl dressed up as a Native American??

Asheville Holiday Parade!

This past weekend was the Asheville Holiday Parade.  We made a morning of it and went out to breakfast downtown at Over Easy (yay for Andrew's work parking garage!) and then got good seats for the parade... which meant we were there 90 minutes before the parade started... :)  Here are a few pictures...

Passing the time, riding the copper pigs. :)

More wasting time... group hugs!!

More time wasting... taking pictures!

Finally starting!

Kids favorite thing... jugglers...

Enjoying their parade loot... Statue or Liberty style. :)

Cool Uncle Daniel!

The kind that play checkers with you while you wait for dinner at Cracker Barrel. :)

Adding to the Family!!!!!

This weekend we added to the Krishnan Family!!!!!  My brother Micah "popped the question" to Lara and she said YES!!! 

Since this is MY blog, I can say whatever I want... I just want the world to know... THIS IS MY HANDIWORK!!!!!!!  I set them up 2 years ago (I told Micah, but never Lara :)... it took them long enough to figure it out, but so thankful for both of them, and that God brought them together!!!!

 Celebrating Micah's 19th birthday... 6 years late... since he missed it while at boot camp. :)  Lara made his traditional "Flag Cake" with a fall twist... the pink sparkly candles were her special touch. :) 

We also went on the LaZoom Purple Bus Tour (this time without crashing into a car in Montford).

Little did Lara know, that her day of surprises for Micah would end with one for her. :)

The Happy Couple

All dressed up for the Asheville Pregnancy Support Services Annual Gala. :)

Halloween Activities

Painting Pumpkins!  (Sooo beats carving :)

Pumpkin Decorating #2

Naomi, Ben & Juliet

 This is the second year in a row we hung our with our friends the Whipples on Vermont street in West Asheville.  It is quite the "destination" for trick or treating.  We had a great time people watching and hanging out with a bunch of friends.  Mr. Mark Whipple dressed up as the Abominable Snowman... Poor Naomi was TERRIFIED... hence her face in this picture. :)  He was standing behind me. 

Loot Collecting :)

Tinkerbell :)

Peter Pan :)