December 30, 2007

Another lunch at Mimi's house! She sure knows how to keep us full :) And oh so yummy!

December 29, 2007

Happy 30th Birthday Chris!!!!

Wow, you're old :) (I'm allowed to say that for another year and a half!!) But we still love you :) Thank you for being an awesome father and wonderful husband...it's amazing to me that I sent you your first birthday card 10 years ago...time sure flies...Love ya babe!

This is the coffee crew at Meena K's house! Braden and Katie are always in charge of the coffee...it is Braden's specialty!
Braden wanted nothing to do with smiling for a picture when there was a big lit candle in front of him...if he sees a flame...it HAS to be distinguished!

Bonus:

The Many Faces of Braden

December 28, 2007

Let me tell you...when you are 3 years old, it is pretty COOL that your PopPop owns a hardware store...oh the trouble you can get into on truck day!

Gee...I hope he gets a paycheck for all the work he did!

Playing with plungers...just one of the many perks :)

December 27, 2007

I don't think Meena K has watched this many cartoons in a very LONG time!

December 26, 2007

Another first before the end of the year! Braden went sledding for the first time today! There is a great hill behind Chris's great aunt's house and it was a warm 40 degrees out and there was a little snow left so we decided to give it a try! He LOVED it!

Here's a few action shots...

Then we went inside for hot chocolate and Sissy got out tubs of action figures for BRADEN to play with...well look who ended up with them...all the big boys...and you know who you are...they loved the Ninja Turtles and Dick Tracy Figurines...it was pretty funny...especially since Braden was no where to be seen...

December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours!!!

We had a great day with the Missouri clan!

Caden was really enjoying his very first Christmas! It is so fun to have babies in the family again!! And family, fun and HUGE firetrucks can really wear a kid out :)

December 24, 2007

John thought Santa might need something a little stronger...but Daddy and Aunt KT thought he might enjoy milk and cookies a little better :)

December 23, 2007

Well Santa made a very special trip to our house last night and in the words of a little boy "My kitchen, he brought my kitchen. Dad, he brought my kitchen. Mom, I found my kitchen." Oh boy was he one surprised boy! All day long we had to order food from him and he would cook it up and serve it for us! He just loved it! One of our most favorite quotes of the day sums it all up...Braden had some chocolate on his face from the hot chocolate we drank while opening presents. Chris said, "Braden, what's that on your face (meaning the chocolate)?"

Braden's reply..."Nothing Dad, just a happy smile!"

If that isn't the most adorable thing I've ever heard...

...and this is about the most adorable thing I've seen :) Cousins celebrating Christmas in their Christmas jammies! I know they are going to grow up to be the bestest of friends!

December 22, 2007

Keegan was so happy that I bought him some cute Christmas jammies...we had a big occasion happen at our house tonight. Santa had talked to me at out Christmas party and had told me that he was going to make a very special trip to Braden's house on Saturday night b/c he knew that Braden was going to be in Missouri for Christmas and he had something for him...so we had to go out in the 5 inches of fresh snow and leave the reindeer some goodies to eat...Braden was pretty excited!

December 21, 2007

Just about the cutest Stocking Stuffer I've ever seen :)

Chris has a HUGE stocking and Keegan still fit right in it! We are so happy that Keegan and his Mommy and Daddy came to join us for the weekend even though they had to drive through some yucky fog to get to us! I predict we're going to have a great weekend!

December 20, 2007

It's goodie time! Braden did most of the work on these and he was so proud! He was a great helper! I sure hope Santa brings that kitchen so he can keep on cooking!

December 19, 2007

Our buddy Bret came to play with us while his mommy went to his big brother's Christmas party! The boys had lots of fun putting puzzles together!

Then that night we heard the doorbell ring...mysteriously there was a package addressed to Jedi Braden...I caved and let him open it :) He loved it! His very own LightSaber!
Thank you to the awesome Boybarians for thinking of Braden...he loves it!!

December 18, 2007

Today's was Braden's very first Christmas program at school! It was very cute! He did a good job during Jingle Bells, but then his attention span pretty much cut out...but there was no crying or screaming and he stayed up there, so I guess it was a success! Here he is singing Jingle Bells :)

After the program we got to eat snacks and play for awhile in his room. Here he is with his buddy Sally!

Then he ran over to the kitchen and whipped us up some lunch. He put the hat and apron on and was ready to go. I sure hope Santa listened to him when he said he wanted a kitchen, or we're going to have one sad boy :)

December 17, 2007

One happy boy!

December 16, 2007

Meena K. and PopPop Dirk brought up our Christmas present...a brand new snow blower!!! So Braden and PopPop had to try it out! It worked great!!! But I can seriously take a little break on the snow!
Here's the new blue mustang that Santa brought Braden! He and Meena were playing cars...he would line all his cars up in the *parking log* then the mustang would run them over...what a great game :)

December 15, 2007

We had a little Christmas magic tonight! Braden met Santa for the very first time! I don't know how the big guy knew that we were having a neighborhood party, but he showed up with presents and all! After getting over a few nerves Braden jumped on his lap when he called him by name and even gave him a great big hug and told him he wanted a kitchen for Christmas!

It really was cute! And I was snapping away on my new camera! And he was so excited b/c Santa knew that he loved Mustangs and he got a cool blue one to play with! Santa is just amazing!
Santa with the neighborhood kids.

Christmas Party Fun!

December 14, 2007

Imagine my surprise when Braden sat down at the table and saw a picture of an American Flag on a calendar we had gotten in the mail. All of a sudden he said "Mom, an American Flag", I thought wow, that's pretty good....then he launched into this...I had NEVER heard him recite this before...I guess he is learning some things in preschool :)

Then Meena K and PopPop Dirk came to our house (they were supposed to come last weekend but couldn't because of the snow and ice) so Braden was SOOOOOO excited, he'd been waiting all week for them to come.

December 13, 2007

I swear I am going to be an popcicle before this winter is over! This kid would spend all day, every day in the freezing snow! He doesn't care that it is 18 degrees outside...ugh! Oh well, at least he's happy and it wears him out :)

December 12, 2007

Well, I got my new camera today and I love it!!! Whoo hooo...I think I'm going to have some fun playing with this and I'm happy I got it before the holidays so I capture all the fun!

Braden said my new camera was "so pretty" and he of course wanted to touch it and take a picture...but I wasn't quite ready for that! So I gave him our first digital camera and he was in heaven! Here he is taking a self portrait of himself. I think it's going to be hilarious to get the memory card off of that thing!

December 11, 2007

Let's just say it was a *trying* afternoon with my 3 year old! This is the time he went to bed tonight...and before you think this is mean...he was snoring by 6:45 and slept till 7:15am...I guess he needed it!

December 10, 2007

Aww...if only those vacuums really worked!!!

And here's Braden's latest injury :) He was attacking my feet today and I guess a toenail caught him across the forehead...it was pretty long and pretty deep...and he didn't even say a word about it...he came up to me about 5 mintues later and I saw it bleeding down his face...I swear this kid has a pain tolerance like no other!

December 09, 2007

This is as close as I came to going outside today (taking pictures from the window) Thank goodness for daddys who will take their little boys out for some cold fun!

December 08, 2007

Just a little game of running wild down the hallway...oh my goodness!!!!

December 07, 2007

Just a couple of snow buddies playing in the snow! I think they played for over an hour and didn't want to come in! They discovered the backyard play epipment was a lot of fun with snow on it and made their own *sledding* down the slide!

Then later that night our friend Brooks came to see us! He is in the secret service and was on Obama's detail while he was in town with Oprah and since he'd never met Braden he decided to swing on up to our house! He and Chris played football together in college and were roommates for many years! It was good to see him again and Braden thought he was pretty cool too!

December 06, 2007

Do child labor laws still exist? :) Braden was a shoveling fool today..I told him he didn't have to shovel the whole time he was outside, he could just play...but he told me no...his job was to shovel!?!?