Santa Baby

Hi Friends!!!  We have been super busy this last few weeks.  Josh finishing his finals (he's DONE!!!!), family visiting, and decking our halls with Christmas cheer!

Our Beautiful Tree!!  And yes, that is Elf on in the background!

I completely slacked on my 30 Days of Thanks at the end...BUT, it was always in the back of my mind, and such a great exercise to do, regardless if what I was thinking about made it on the blog or not.  My heart is SO full of thanks.  I feel like we are in this wonderful little season of our lives right now.  Just the three of us.  Harper in all her marvelous, 18 month old, adorable, glory!  Just wanted to quickly share Harper's picture of visiting Santa.  I wasn't sure if I was going to take her to see Santa this year or not.  I think I'm alone on this one, but I just hate to see little kids scared and crying on Santa's lap!  I know most parents find it pretty amusing, but I just feel bad for them.  But, we've been hyping up Santa for quite some time, and so when we were at the mall today, and there was NO line to see him...my mom and I just couldn't resist trying at least.  She was a little hesitant, but not scared.  We even got a teensy smirk out of her for the picture:

How sweet!  Harper has been able to enjoy more of the Christmas spirit this year than I even expected.  I've busted out several of my favorite childhood Christmas movies and she has loved many of them!

In her 'chariot' (lol) watching Elf!

I have watched these movies every Christmas season ever since I was in grade school, so I'm happy to see that Harper is in on this tradition with me already!  She also loves pointing out the Christmas decorations everywhere we go.  As we stroll through Hobby Lobby, every aisle she's saying "another Santa!" and then "another Santa!"  Just hilarious.  The other morning she pointed at our Christmas tree and said "Chismas has pitty on it" (translation: Christmas has pretty on it!)!   Awww, I die.  Life with a toddler is too fun.  Happy Holidays, everyone!  

Thankful: Day #20-25...Oops!

Ooopsies!  I have slacked on my 30 Day of Thanks updates these last 5 days :-/  Sorry, y'all!  Life's just been too fun for me to sit on the computer too much, I guess! ;-P

So, 5 days squeezed into one post!!!  Lots and lots to be thankful for.  Awesome yoga classes, snuggly snow days, relaxing weekends, yummy foods (especially pizza and breakfast burritos!), morning dates to see MUCH anticipated movies, good sleeps, funny babies, sweet husbands, goofy dogs, AND only one more day until my parents get here to celebrate the holiday!  Phew!  Lots of thanks to give this last five days.  Here are some pics snapped along the way:

Goofy Dog

Yummy Beers

Funny Babies

Snuck our breakfast burritos in with us to see Catching Fire!!

A delicious Josh creation: Breakfast Empanadas

Sweet Snuggles, Sweet Husbands, Sweet Sleeps

Thankful: Day #20

Thankful for awesome talks with my husband. 

We are SO busy these days, Josh especially.  Juggling work, school, babies, applications, house stuff, health stuff, dog stuff...it's a lot!  We've been so focused, heads down, on getting this semester done.  But now Josh is starting to apply for OT school, so we've been actually starting to look up and forward again with what's coming up next.  Tonight, we started discussing some future scenarios and what the heck we were going to do about everything.  I shared with Josh this awesome article that I had ready earlier today, and it lead to an awesome conversation.  Read it, it's good!  So important to stop and connect even (and especially!) in the midst of all the chaos of our daily life!

I love you, Josh, and I am ever thankful for the wonderful life that we have created together.  You are the best.  Thank God it is YOU that will walk this journey of life with me.  So positive.  So kind.  Such a good heart.  I am blessed to have you next to me.

Thankful: Day #19

Awww, thankful for my mornings with Harper.  

Our morning ritual of 'nuggling' and reading books in bed.  Not the best pic...but I wanted to try and capture this sweet moment!  I love when she 'reads' me Brown Bear, Brown Bear and her Fairyland books--her two current favorites.  These are such precious moments together, and I cherish them.  

Thankful: Day #18

18 Months on the 18th!  That's gotta be some kind of good omen ;-D  Yes, today I am thankful for my amazing, goofy, giggly, talkative, adorable 18 month old daughter.  Just saying that gets me a little tear-eyed.  18 months...

She loves exploring, especially outside.  She loves the water.  She is brave like her daddy, and enjoys a good scare like him, too.  She is my little rabbit who loves tomatoes, broccoli, and carrots.  But, she also loves a bowl of oatmeal every morning and never passes up a piece of bacon.  She loves when we read to her.  Funny, her favorite book right now was MY favorite book as a toddler-this little book called "Fairyland."  She likes to sing and even 'knows' a couple of songs that she sings frequently.  Her current favorite is 'jingle bells' where she just sings 'jingle bells' over and over again.  She also likes to pretend to put mommy to sleep and will sing me 'rock-a-by-baby.'  My heart melts.  She loves her giant doggies, but is completely no nonsense when dealing with them.  She tells her giant mutts to 'back-up!' and 'no kisses!' when they're tooooo lovable.  She loves the zoo.  She talks about it everyday.  Her favorite animals right now are the 'clocodile' and the 'ninocerous.'  She is a family girl and is most happy when her mommy AND daddy are both at home.  And she knows where we go when we're not home.  She frequently will tell us 'mommy loga (yoga), daddy work.'  She has suddenly become much more affectionate, and likes to ask for kisses and hugs.  Every morning when she wakes up, she asks to 'nuggle' in our bed.  She amazes me everyday.  Makes me laugh everyday.  She makes me so proud, and Josh and I are two beaming parents!  Harper, I could not be more delighted to call you my daughter!  Happy 18 month birthday!  I am SO THANKFUL that you are YOU!

Thankful: Day #17

YOU GUYS.  I am beyond thrilled with our family photos which were taken by LizAnne Photography.  Holy Moly, they are wonderful!  Harper was a little toot the whole time.  I mean, really pissed that we were even trying to take her picture.  But you cannot even tell in these photos that the wonderful and talented, Beth, captured!  They are just really, really sweet.  And, this has BY FAR been my favorite age with Harper.  ((In fact, I am even hesitant to say it for fear I will jinx her...but, for the last month Harper has slept through the night...like 12 hours straight.  I am a new woman, people!  Josh and I were rarely sleeping more than 4 hours at a time for about 16 month straight.  I mean, we'd have a good week here and there...but, after a month of this, I am REBORN!))  So, I feel extra grateful to have this wonderful stage in Harper's life to forever remember in photo-form!  Here are a few of our favorite shots:

Thankful: Day #16

Thankful for a day full of family time!  Check out this silliness that went down today:

Trying to stuff daddy in the cabinet... ;-D

Peek-a-Boo!

Hide and Seek-ish...where could she be?!

I always love a day of hanging out with Josh, Harper, and our doggies!  The best in the world!