December Art!

We made some really pretty art work during the month of December. Here are a couple of my favorites. The Santa sleigh and reindeer turned out so cute! Merit loves to have his hands and feet painted so this was perfect for him. He also had a great time decorating and building the snowman.

 

DIY Coasters

For Christmas this year I made coasters for some of my family members. I had so much fun with this project! I decided I'd try one set of coasters in color and they turned out really good too! What a wonderful gift to give someone you love!

Here is the link I used to learn how to do this. http://leelala.net/2011/02/diy-tile-coasters/

 

My Warm Hat

We made our weekly trip to the donut shop on Saturday morning and then Merit and I ran a few errands together. I think he looks so stinking cute in this gray hat! The hat came with his snow coat that I bought him last year and it came with matching gloves too. What a cutie!

 

Nana + Northpark = Great Day!

We really had a wonderful time visiting The Trains at Northpark with Nana on Friday. Merit could not get enough of the trains; I don't think he would have ever been ready to leave. His favorite part was the replica of the State Fair of Texas, Big Tex included. After our visit at the train display, Nana insisted on treating us to frozen yogurt. Merit devoured his yogurt and we enjoyed ours too! We certainly love our time with Nana!

 

Snow Day in Dallas!

We hit the road for Dallas early Wednesday morning. I wanted to get home early hoping that there would still be snow on the ground. Merit has talked about snow on Christmas day for probably two months now. He really wanted to see snow! So, we arrived in Dallas around 11:30 and the snow had not melted yet. We were super excited! I quickly got Merit dressed in snow play clothes and we had a great time playing outside. He enjoyed this activity for about 30 minutes and then he said he was too cold and wanted to come back in. :)

 

My New Helmet

Merit thinks his new helmet from Papa 'D' and Grammy is pretty cool. He likes it so much that he wanted to keep it on while he was playing and while he was eating dinner on Christmas night. It was hilarious!

 

Merry Christmas from our Family!

Fun with the Cousins!

Merit thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his cousins, Aidan and Ella. He played very well with both of them. I wish we lived closer to they could play together more often!

 

Christmas Morning!

Merit was beyond excited to see the gifts that Santa had left for him. What's funny is that he kept telling us he was excited to see his present from Santa. I really think he thought he was only getting one present. So, when he saw more then one present he was ecstatic! Santa left Merit a train table with tracks and train cars, Woody cowboy boots and some new Hot Wheels cars. It brought JP and I such joy to see his smile and enthusiasm over his Santa gifts.

 

Treats for Santa!

Merit and I put together some treats for Santa before going to bed on Christmas Eve. Merit put peanut butter cookies on a plate and then insisted that we leave Santa some potato chips too. He said Santa liked potato chips. And, we of course left Santa a big glass of milk. I told Merit we needed to leave plenty of treats because Santa might want to share his goodies with the elves and his reindeer. :)

 

Merry Christmas from Papa 'D' and Grammy!

Papa 'D' and Grammy wanted to give the kids their big gift a little early. So, when Merit woke up from his nap he was surprised with a lime green Power Wheels ATV. Ella and Aidan got a blue jeep. The kids were so excited when they saw their gift and they couldn't wait to test drive them! Needless to say, the rest of the day and evening was spent driving their Power Wheels all around the yard. The dogs stayed as far away as possible!

 

Christmas Eve Fun at Bass Pro!

After Daddy returned from his shopping trip, the three of us went to Bass Pro for some Christmas Eve fun. We rode the carousel, looked at all of the animals, played with the remote control cars, and test drove some ATVs. Merit thoroughly enjoyed this outing!

 

Merry Christmas Eve!

Daddy braved Walmart early Christmas Eve morning to pick up a few last minute stocking stuffers. Merit and I enjoyed a relaxing morning of eating breakfast and playing. Merit wanted to wear the Santa hat while he was eating. Funny boy. :)

 

Sunday Fun in San Antonio!

On Sunday morning, JP and David took Merit to get donuts since we missed our weekly donut day due to traveling yesterday. Merit likes to go in his pj's and Elmo slippers. :)

After breakfast, we met Emily and the kids at church. Merit was so excited about seeing his cousins and about going to Sunday School with cousin Ella. We then enjoyed lunch together and a little play time too.

 

Kicked Back Relaxing

Our first evening in San Antonio was spent playing and relaxing. Merit really enjoyed the Santa hats that Papa 'D' and Grammy had out and he had lots of fun putting the Santa hats on the dogs. I'm not sure if the dogs thought if was very fun though. David and Melissa had Merit's CARS bed set up for him in the guest room and he couldn't wait to jump in. He thinks the bed is really cool and he kept thanking Papa 'D' and Grammy for buying it. It was very sweet.

 

Slumber Party with Mimi

Merit is quite the big kid now spending the night away from home. He is also quite spoiled when he goes to Mimi's house. She serves his dessert with lots of cool whip, let's him watch movies in her bed, and even serves him breakfast in bed too! What a life!

 

On the Road Again!

We certainly carried a heavy load with us to San Antonio this year. JP's truck bed was packed to the brim with gifts and luggage. The inside was packed with both dogs, Merit, us, food, luggage and more gifts. We always have fun traveling as a family and we make good memories too!

 

Christmas Haircut

This little guy needed a hair cut in a big way! We absolutely had to fit this in before leaving for San Antonio. He looked very handsome after this trim.

 

Jingle Bell Rock!

Love these pics of Merit dancing to Jingle Bells and watching a Christmas movie. He was very excited this year about Christmas! We spent a lot of time talking about Jesus' birthday and why we celebrate on the 25th. I'm hoping he realized that Christmas was not about the presents!

 

Story time with Santa!

Merit and I have made Friday morning story time with Santa a tradition for the past couple of years now. He was a bit too young for this in the past but not now. He was pretty enthused about seeing Santa and about mailing a letter to Santa too. Nana joined us for the fun and then we had lunch together back at our house. What a special day!

 

Gingerbread Cookie Night!

We decided Sunday night would be the perfect time to bake up some gingerbread cookies. Merit was super excited about helping Mommy with this. We have used cookie cutters with play dough many times so Merit already had a good idea of how to do this. I really couldn't believe how well he did! After the cookies came out of the oven I got the decorating supplies ready and we all decorated cookies together. It was a great evening!

 

Happy 4th Birthday, Ashleigh!

We had  a wonderful time celebrating Ashleigh's 4th birthday. Merit absolutely loved the gymnastics center and literally cried because he didn't want to leave. Ashleigh looked like a little princess in her pink tutu. What a joy it has been to watch these two cuties grow up together!

 

Story time and a little shopping too!

 

Merit and I had a couple of items already picked out for Ashleigh at Barnes & Noble. So, Saturday morning we went to story time and then picked up Ashleigh's birthday gifts too. Merit enjoyed listening to the stories and it was a great way to start our day! We can't wait to give Ashleigh her gifts later today!

 

Our Santa Calendar

Aunt Nancy gave us this cute Santa calendar last year. Merit didn't really understand what it was for last year but he does this year. I've been letting him change the date for us. He thinks this is a really big kid thing to do!

 

New Room!

I decided I wanted to get rid of the large desk that was taking up most of the room in our study and get a smaller desk. My mom and I did a little brainstorming while driving home from Houston and by the time we got home I had a plan! I used a beautiful black desk from my bedroom and made that the new computer desk. It looks great! I then moved Merit's black table and chairs from his bedroom into the study. We are going to use the table for crafts and games. I really like the extra room in Merit's bedroom now that the table and chairs is gone. I have a large shaggy rug picked out to put in the center of this room which I think will make the space a little more warm and cozy feeling. Merit is already enjoying playing in this new space!

 

My Race Car Tree!

Merit was pretty anxious to find his race car ornaments in the Christmas boxes. So, we found all of them on Tuesday and he proceeded to tell me that he could decorate his tree all by himself. He did a fantastic job! I folded laundry while he hung the ornaments. He couldn't wait to show Daddy when he got home from work!

 

Northpark Fun!

On Monday Merit and I went to Northpark to watch the Scrooge puppet show. He thought it was pretty funny but he didn't quite get all of his humor. I think he liked the end of the show the best when Scrooge squirted all of the crowd with water from his water gun. While we were at Northpark we did a little shopping at the Disney store too!

 

Decorating with Mommy!

My little helper did a super job this year helping decorate the Christmas tree. He carefully unwrapped each ornament one by one and then placed it on the tree. I had warned him that some of the ornaments were breakable so he had to be really careful with them. His reaction to seeing the ornaments was priceless. After he saw the ornament he would say, "Mommy, wow! Look at this one! This ornament is beautiful!" He was quite expressive about the beauty of each one. What a sweet boy!

 

Fun in the Sun!

The title of this post certainly sounds like a post about a summer day but it was December 1st. I think the high was around 80 in Houston. Merit and I went for a short walk to Alicia's neighborhood playground. We watched the ducks swim, played on the playground and got to see a family release three 10 year old turtles into the pond. It was a fun morning!

 

Fun Times with the Birthday Boy!

We had so much fun playing with the boys on the morning of Luke's birthday. Merit couldn't get enough of the Sock Monkey jack-in-the-box and Luke clung to Alicia every time the music started to play. It was hilarious! Alicia also showed Merit the story of Jesus' birth using the Jesus cube. I need to get one too! He really thought it was so neat! What great memories made today with my family.

 

I'm BIG!

Merit is completely obsessed wit being "BIG". He tells us all the time that he is a big kid now. He has been asking us lately how big is an inch and how many inches tall am I. It is really cute! We went to the doctor right before leaving for Houston and he wanted to check his height while we were there. While we were in Houston, some of Alicia's friends stopped by with their kids. When he saw the kids he didn't say hi or what's your name, he instead said, "I'm big!" It was hilarious!!!

 

The Polar Express Train

We set up the Polar Express train last night and Merit was overjoyed by this! He has been asking for days now if we can set up the train. So, we spent part of our evening putting the track together and hooking up the wires. Merit was literally dancing he was so excited!

 

Helping with the Outdoor Lights

Merit was really excited about helping us hang the lights outside this year. He was a great helper too! He wanted to hand JP that hammer and nails every time he needed them. He also enjoyed driving his dump truck through the leaves and digging in the various Christmas boxes. It was a perfect afternoon to hang lights as it was warm and sunny!

 

Merit's First Christmas Gift!

Merit couldn't wait to open his first Christmas gift! Poppy sent his gift in the mail. He picked out the cutest book for Merit. He knows that Merit is pretty obsessed with reading books and he found a book about a Boston Terrier who goes to visit his family on the farm. Merit absolutely loves the book. Thank you Poppy!

 

Playing with the Boys!

We had so much fun playing with these two cuties on Thanksgiving day. Merit did a great job sharing his cars with Luke. I was so proud of him! It was quite different then play time while we were vacationing in Destin this summer. He didn't get frustrated or annoyed, instead he gave him some of his cars to play with and then watched him play. Merit really liked playing with Sharon's Star Wars light saber stick as well as story time with Sharon. It was a great Thanksgiving day!

 

Thanksgiving Meal...Delicious!

We celebrated Thanksgiving with Alicia, Marc, Luke, Sharon, Dave, Papa and Mimi. It was a day filled with laughter, delicious food and good conversation. Everyone enjoyed watching the boys play with cars and all sorts of toys. Sharon made three pies and the turkey too. Mom and I made the cornbread dressing, green bean bundles, and a spinach casserole. Alicia made a  yummy frozen cranberry salad. We were officially stuffed after lunch!

 

Thankgiving Day Fun!

Sharon had some neat activities planned for us. She had Merit be her helper, which he thoroughly enjoyed. We played a silly game where we had to draw a turkey on top of our head without looking. It was hilarious! Papa's was the best! Then we made Thanksgiving bracelets using various color beads. I read the Thanksgiving story and we talked about being thankful.  I brought a Thanksgiving tree with me to Sharon's house. We wrote what we were thankful for on the leaves and then hung them on the tree. We certainly made some great memories this year.

 

 

Thanksgiving Morning

We started our Thanksgiving day with yummy cinnamon rolls and the Macy's annual Thanksgiving day parade. Merit really liked seeing the neat balloons and he especially enjoyed the singing and dancing. Mom and I finished up the cooking and then we headed to Sharon's around noon.

 

Fun with David and Daniel!

We always enjoy spending time with Beth and her sweet boys. Merit thinks Daniel is pretty cool because he's a big boy. The boys had a great time playing on the playground, eating a snack together, and playing cars in Merit's room. What a bunch of cuties!

 

Cute Turkey Cookies!

I saw this idea for a turkey cookie on Pinterest but the person used chocolate Oreo cookies and whoppers or Reese's peanut butter cups. I decided it would be even cuter to use the vanilla Oreos. I had caramels at the house leftover from Halloween and decided the caramels would make a good head for the turkeys. I think they turned out really great! Merit had so much fun helping me make these treats. We packaged them up and gave one to each of his friends at Ms. Brenda's house. We attached a "thankful" verse and a little note to each cookie package. Merit insisted on carrying the cookies into Brenda's by himself. He was so proud as he handed Brenda the cookies. He said, "my friends are going to love these Mommy!" I don't think my baking efforts have ever been so rewarding!

 

Happy Anniversary to Mommy & Daddy

I was a tad under the weather this past weekend so we decided to postpone our anniversary dinner. We had a nice quiet dinner at home instead. For the first time, Merit saw our rehearsal dinner and wedding video. He really loved seeing me and JP when we were little. His reaction to seeing the pictures was priceless. JP bought me flowers and he picked up take-out. It was a great night. And, now I have a nice dinner to look forward to this coming weekend!

 

Cute Turkey Pumpkin!

We made the cutest turkey pumpkin this year. I drew some feathers on fall colored construction paper, a turkey head, two wings, a beak, a waddle and two googly eyes. Merit loved watching this turkey come together! What a fun Saturday craft!

 

Visiting Aunt Nancy's House

On Friday we went to Aunt Nancy's house to see her beautiful fall decorations and Max of course. Merit really liked running through Nancy's yard and playing ball with Max. He also enjoyed seeing Nancy's beautiful seashell collection. Aunt Nancy sent us home with a nice aloe vera plant so we can grow some of our own. She has a ton of it growing really well in her yard. Merit can't wait to go back to Aunt Nancy's house!

 

Lookin' Handsome!

This cutie was in desperate need to a haircut. His hair grows fast just like Mommy's hair. He is usually very still and well behaved for the stylist but today he was a bit silly. :) His favorite part of getting his haircut is me letting him pick out a sucker when he's done.

 

Fun Day with Daddy!

Merit and Daddy got to hang out together on Monday while I went to teach my two classes. Ms. Brenda was feeling a bit under the weather so she couldn't keep her kiddos. I loved the pictures JP sent me throughout the day! They had a great day together and I enjoyed my day knowing they were getting in some one on one time.

 

Growing Up

Some impromptu pics that turned out way too cute. Merit likes to climb in and around our trees. I ran in the house to grab my camera. He's so stinkin' photogenic!

 

Election Party with Mimi!

We thought it would be fun to have a little "Election Night" party with Mimi. Daddy is working out of town this week. :( We don't like it when he's gone. However, we do get to spend extra time with Mimi and that's always fun! So Mimi brought over strawberries and I made a chocolate dipping sauce and put some powdered sugar in a bowl. Merit thought this was a fantastic treat! He couldn't get enough and kept asking for more! So, the results weren't what we had hoped for but our family will continue to pray for our leader and our nation.

 

First Time Spending the Night Away from Mommy & Daddy!

Merit has been asking for quite some time now if he can spend the night with Mimi sometime soon. Mimi of course couldn't wait for this to happen! When I told Merit that we had decided he could spend the night with my mom he was beyond excited. He immediately started gathering all of his things. There were a ton of items he wanted to bring with him. He packed, lady bug pillow, bear pillow, both snuggies, dinosaur blanket, blue blanket, 10 cars, and a few movies. Really it looked like he was going to be moving in with Mimi. It was hilarious. He was so happy on the way there. Mommy & Daddy both took him. :) I have to be honest and admit that I was fighting back the tears as I was helping him pack his things and on the ride over to my mom's place. It was truly bittersweet. I was really filled with joy because he wasn't scared or hesitant to spend the night away from home, but I was also sad because it was such a reality to me that he is really growing up. So, we drove away and discussed where to eat and what movie to watch. We had a nice evening at home, just the two of us, with no distractions. I think we will definitely be doing this again soon! :)

 

Leaf Printing

We had so much fun with this craft! We picked out some really pretty leaves from our yard and then some pretty fall paints for the project. It was easy and Merit really loved seeing his finished pieces!

 

Cookies for Daddy!

Merit has really become such a good little helper. He can be very particular too. His job for these cookies was to pick out three M&M's or Reese's to press into the top of each cookie. He was really proud of his work and couldn't wait to serve one to Daddy. What a cutie!

 

Recipe:

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/11/01/bite-sized-peanut-butter-pretzel-mm-cookies/

My healthy modifications:

I lightened these by using PB2 instead of regular peanut butter. I also used half the amount of butter by replacing the other half with 1/3 less fat cream cheese. I always use light butter instead which also really cuts back on the fat content. They turned out amazing!