{ Merry Christmas, Mr. Oliver }

Oliver,

Tomorrow is Christmas, and even though you celebrated your first one last year, we're feeling like this one counts more, because its magic is coming to life through your little eyes this year.

You are 14 months old today, and at least once a day I look at you and wonder how you could have changed so much in just over a year.  You are all boy, a little rough and tumble, and oh so sweet.  You're a charmer.  We just love your giggles and we love to get them going as much as possible.  It's even more fun that you're getting our giggles going with your impish grin, grunts at difficult jobs like exploring boxes, sing-songs in the car, and how you laugh at your own jokes and we have no idea what's in your little head, but we can't stop laughing.

Now you're a big brother and we just can't get over how sweet and loving you are to your baby sister Katy Grace.  You're already working hard to be a helper:  handing me a diaper, responding to her fussing, whimpering when she cries, and helping to burp her.

I miss having as much time to snuggle with you and I can't wait until I am recovered enough to pick you up again, but you've been very understanding.  I am loving that you and your daddy are getting lots of special time together these days.  I love that he plays on the floor with you and how you help add resistance when he does push ups!

Tomorrow you're going to wake up to a stocking and all those presents you've been playing with under our tree.  You're going to go to church and help celebrate the baby Jesus.  It's such a wonderful time of year.  I am praying that this year marks just the beginning of wonderful Christmases all through your life, and I will be praying that you will come to know the story of Christmas in your heart as real and wonderful and that Jesus will come to live in your heart every day, not just at Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Oliver.

I love you,

Mommy

{ Kathryn Grace }

Our beautiful little blessing 

Kathryn Grace 

arrived safely into our arms on December 15 at 9:06 p.m.

She weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces, 19.5 inches long 

 Being mother to a daughter is so incredibly special.  I can hardly believe I am so blessed.

{ Meeting her daddy for the first time.  He is just smitten with her.  So happy he got his little girl!  Seeing them together just melts my heart.  He's helplessly wrapped around those little fingers.  }

 { Big Brother Oliver.  Grandma and Grandpa brought him back to meet his little sister the next morning.  He'd just woken up from a nap so he was totally low-key and not too responsive.  Once he woke up, however, he discovered he is taken with her.  He LOVES her so much.  It is the sweetest thing to see him give her kisses in the morning.  He is learning to be gentle with her.  Nothing makes him smile like being with her.  He talks to her and somehow, I think they understand each other :) }

 {  Happy Birthday, Katy Grace.  We are so happy you're here and a part of our family forever  }

 {  Meeting Grandpa Forest and Grandma Linda  }

{ Christmas at Our House }

Last Saturday our little family set off to find our Christmas tree. We've gone to the same farm the past three years and it has become a special tradition. We listened to Christmas music and had a good time visiting while we drove. We were a little disappointed there was no snow, but when we got to the farm, it started to snow a little and it continued until we got home and had trimmed the tree before bringing it in the house. It was a special surprise straight from Heaven! This was technically Oliver's second time to get a tree, but he was barely 2 months old last year.... this year... this is how he enjoyed it! He fell asleep right as we pulled into the farm. It did make finding a tree easier since we could leave him in the car!

{Getting ready to take it home }

{ See the little face in the window?  He was absolutely beside himself with excitement watching his daddy prepare the tree to come in the house! }

{ Wow!  Here it comes! }

{ I love Tim's expression in this picture, "What did I get myself into?"}

{ Sooo excited }

Here are some more festive touches going on at our house.  Tim has done a lovely job on the outside of our house and inside we're loving how merry and bright it is.  Merry Christmas from our house to yours!

{ Shared Secrets }

This is a rather random post, but I was asked to post it after this dear friend's visit.  It included a very unfortunate but funny and memorable mishap.  You can read about it over at her blog.  The short of it is, we ended up sharing laundry tips, things I've learned but have taken for granted.  Maybe you have more secrets.  Feel free to add them to this list!  I'd love to hear them. I've learned all of these tips from my mom or friends so I can't take the credit, but here goes:

To remove fruit juice stains, including grape juice YEAH!:  boiling water applied directly to the stain
To remove ink pen stains:  hair spray
To remove grease stains:  liquid dish soap, applied very generously, rubbed in well, followed by a good stain remover
To remove pitch:  rubbing alcohol.  This also works well to remove it from your skin as well as a Christmas tree after clipping the branches.  (My husband discovered this!)

I'd still like to know how to remove coffee stains.  Anyone?  Last weekend we attended a wedding and shortly after arriving at the reception, I offered to get hot drinks for Tim and I.  I very casually stood in line and waited my turn.  They had provided pretty clear glass mugs.  As I was filling the first mug, it literally fell apart in my hand!  I felt this sort of "pop" in my hand and hot coffee at my feet!  The bottom had just dropped of it and exploded.  Thankfully it didn't land directly on my foot and I was wearing black pants, so even though I had a wet leg the rest of the evening, it wasn't obvious!  A little embarrassing, but good for a laugh in the long run!