Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Our Merry Little Christmas - 2010

Christmas has come and gone again!  We had a wonderful Christmas this year, and even with all the running around we did, we really enjoyed all of our family.  It was a really special Christmas with Addie, since she is really beginning to understand things and was so excited to open presents!

Our first Christmas was on Thursday night.  Addie really liked opening her first presents!  She got lots and lots of books for Christmas and this was one of the many Elmo books that she received!

 Daddy and Addie!  You will be able to tell who was taking all the pictures this year.  There is very few pictures that momma was in!

On Christmas Eve we spent the day with my aunt from Hawaii, my cousin, Max, and my parents baking cookies!  That evening we went to church and all my Sunday School kids sang their Christmas songs.  The one thing that was hard for me is that I didn't get to sit with my family because I had to sit with my kids in front of the church, but Dan told me that Addie was perfect in church and really enjoyed the kids!  After church we came home to open our Christmas Eve presents.  Dan and I started a tradition last year that we all buy each other new pajamas to go to bed in on Christmas Eve.  Daddy got mommy some pink one, mommy got daddy some Packers pajamas and we got Addison a pair of Christmas ones!  We have really liked it the past two years will keep the tradition going!
Christmas morning Addie and I waited for Daddy to get in from milking before opening the presents that Santa brought and opening presents from each other.  Addie was really good with leaving the presents alone, but I am thinking next year this will not be the case!

Addie got lots of toys from Santa.  

He left some cool stuff in her stocking too! Including yogurt melts, which we had to open right away!


Addie got a slide from mommy and daddy!  Actually the only toy she got from us!  Dan and I decided that we would go a little more practical with presents from us since she was getting every other toy under the sun from our parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, and Santa!  She got lots of clothes, books, and her new potty!!

For lunch we headed to Grandpa and Grandma Garbes' house.  We had a great Christmas dinner with Dan's family and Addie was VERY spoiled with presents!



She got a Cabbage Patch Doll from Grandma and Grandpa.  You did not know if it was a girl or boy in the box.  You had to open it and take off the leaf it was wrapped in to find out!  It was a GIRL, and Addie instantly turned on her mommy mode! And you can see her new slippers from Santa that she actually keeps on her feet!

She even had to feed the baby while she was driving her half-put-together car!  This is one of her favorite toys of all!  She is in and out of this car all day long!  I am truly struggling to find places for all of Addison's new toys.  They have literally taken over our house!

In the afternoon we headed to Grandpa and Grandma Hillegas' house for our big Christmas with the whole family.  Addie AGAIN was spoiled with LOTS AND LOTS of presents.  She loved all of them!

Waiting patiently for Aunt Vicky to open her puppy Max, who follows her around the house by putting a little bone on her wrist.

This picture cracks me up every time I look at it!  Just lounging on her new Elmo couch.  This is another one of her favorite gifts.  She sits in it all the time.  She can even lay in it!  It folds our into a bed and had a sleeping bag attached.

Another new baby and new table and chairs.

Uncle Max working really hard at opening his presents!

After opening all the presents, we played Minute to Win It games with the whole family!  It was a BLAST!  I could post SO many great pictures that I took, but I think some of my family would be after me!  So here are some pictures of our family members that will not care!




Addie being a goof with Max!  She was running around so much and my parents have in-floor heat (which makes it very warm in the room) that we had to take Addie's pants off the keep her cool!  She was sweating like a little piggy!



Aunt Brenda gave Addie a cookie and didn't think she would shove the entire thing in her mouth...well, she was sadly mistaken!  Addie doesn't get sweets too often and when she does, she makes sure they do not go to waste!  We ended up digging cookie out of her mouth because it was so full that she could not chew!

On Sunday we finished our last Christmas with the entire Garbes family.  I forgot my camera and was SO disappointed!  I told Dan that my anxiety level increases when I don't have that attached to my hand. I might just miss something that I will never be able to capture again!  Addie had a lot of fun playing with Dan's cousin's little boys.  They ran all around the church!  I did get a picture (sort of) of her last Christmas outfit.  And wouldn't you know, it is with her babies!  She has been making me help her take care of these babies all weekend!  One night she led me to the fridge with her baby's sippy cup and wanted me to put milk in it!  I had to pretend, and away she went to feed her baby.  She rocks the babies,takes their clothes off and has mommy put them on, pretends to burp them, and feeds the constantly!  She is going to be such a good little helper when we have our next one!

 Hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  Tomorrow Addie turns 15 months old!  We are going to go sledding before the weather turns nasty!  Addie got all her snow gear for Christmas, so this will be her first time out in the snow!  Should be a blast!  Uncle Max will be joining us too! 

Big Girl on the Potty...

For the past few weeks, Addie has been showing signs that she might be ready to start potty training.  She hates to be in a wet diaper and will either go get me a diaper to change her, or she just tries to get it off.  Her diaper isn't even very wet when she does it, so we thought that she might be ready.  She had also been waking up in the morning with a dry diaper.


So, for Christmas Dan and I decided to get her a potty and see what happened.  I put her on it for the first time on Sunday night.  She stood up and sat down about a hundred times, but no production.  Yesterday, I sat her on a few times during the day and got about the same reaction.  Last night before her bath I sat her on the potty for a few minutes and long behold, SHE WENT POTTY IN IT!!!  Dan and I were both standing there, and Addison's reaction was priceless.  I think she surprised herself too!  She got up looked in and we all started clapping.  I got some toilet paper to wipe and she took it out of my hands and started wiping herself!  I still can not believe it!  She has been sat on the potty a few times this morning and has not gone.  I don't know if this is a fluke or not, but until she starts fussing about sitting on the potty I am going to keep it up!  I don't want to push her, so we are not taking things too serious, she is only 15 months old (tomorrow)!  Would it not be awesome to have her potty trained?!!  No more diapers...sounds like a dream!

Here is Addie sitting on her potty for the very first time!!

It is so hard to think that raising kids can go this quickly.  Seems like she was just learning to crawl, and now we are working on potty training!  Makes me that much more happy about the decisions I made to stay home with her most of the time and only work part time!  Time goes WAY too quickly not to enjoy her as much as I possibly can.  I have a terrible feeling that before I know it she will be starting school...

Friday, December 24, 2010

'Twas the Night Before Christmas...

...and all through the house, our family all scurries, just like a mouse.  

For on our way to church we go.  
To celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus, of whom we love so.


With family and friends we celebrate, 
looking forward to the Garbes family tradition that soon will await.


To open one special gift, to go to bed in.  
A new pair of pajamas, we opened with a grin :-)


In our new pair of pajamas we read books all night, 
and put out cookies for Santa's flight.


Awaiting Santa all comfy and snug, tucked into bed like a little bug.
I begin to fall asleep, when I hear mommy and daddy peep...

Merry Christmas, I love you, and goodnight.

_______________________
Hoping that everyone has a safe and happy holiday!  
Merry Christmas to all our family and friends!
Love, The Garbes'

Monday, December 20, 2010

The countdown is on!!

Only 5 days left until Christmas.  Can it be?  The holiday seemed to creep up on me again this year.  And for the FIRST year EVER...I don't have my Christmas shopping done this close to Christmas!!  I am cutting it way too close!  I think most of it is because the weather never wants to cooperate on the weekends and Dan has been so busy that we have not had time to go together.  I have only been out shopping twice...usually I go at least 4-5 times before I have everything, so this could get interesting!

Dan FINALLY has the next couple of days off, so we plan to head out on Wednesday!  It will be nice to spend some alone time with my husband, we don't get that much anymore and I REALLY miss it!  Before Addie was born we planned on taking one date night per month, which has not panned out...maybe a new years resolution to me made there...

Lately we have been hanging around home and spending time with my Aunt Deb, who flew in from Hawaii.  Yes, 80 degree weather to THIS!  And yet another snow storm today!  Will it EVER end?!!  Dan is hauling snow into the field with a manure spreader to keep up with all the snow we have gotten and it is only December!  Deb is loving this weather though, since she rarely gets to have a white Christmas. 

Addie has been sick the past few days.  Well, I guess I wouldn't call her sick, but she has been running a fever since Friday because of two teeth that have been giving her such a hard time!  Friday night she woke up with a 103.4 temp.  Needless to say, momma FREAKED out!  I called the ER and they gave me some instructions.  To make a long story short, I followed them, it worked, and we didn't have to visit the ER!  It never fails that these things can not happen during the week and within office hours!  We have managed her fever with Tylenol and Ibuprofen.  I have been keeping her home so that while her immune system is down she doesn't really get sick for Christmas.  Tonight she seems to be doing well, but still no teeth.  I can feel them, but they just will NOT break through!

We have a busy week ahead with all our family Christmas' to attend.  We have one Thursday night, one on Friday, Two on Saturday, and our last one on Sunday!  Getting them all done in one weekend.  I think this is actually a first for us!  We have plenty to keep us busy, and plenty to celebrate!  Well, I think that I have rambled enough now, so here are some pictures from the week...

Here is Addie in her little cow outfit!  She walked around that day saying "moo" all around the house!

 

I decided to put a Christmas tree in Addison's room this year.  It had white lights on it, but we decided to spice it up with some colored lights.  Addie is putting her "Melmo" on the tree!

Playing games with Uncle Max and Cousin Jaime!

Max had his Christmas concert on Thursday.  It was fun to watch him sing out of the corner of his mouth, but at least he sang!  The picture is a little blurry, but we were pretty far away.


Addie and Mommy!  Someone asked me this weekend if Addie had my eyes.  You can clearly tell in this photo!

Addie drags her monkey, or "Mr. Monk" as we like to call him, all around the house!  She does not go to sleep without him and makes us drag him out of the crib with her in the morning!

Everyone have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS, in case I don't blog again until then!  Plan on doing lots baking this week, so hopefully Addie is in the helping mood!  I am so excited to watch her open presents this year!  It should be a lot of fun!!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Looking out the window...

...this is what you see!



Addie is wearing her cow outfit! How fitting when you live on a dairy farm!  I will post more pictures of that another time...