One More Day of Christmas

Our tradition with my Dad and Dianne is to have Christmas on the 26th.  George, Ashleigh, Syenna, and my Grandparents also come over to celebrate.  The boys are very comfortable at Grandpa's house and had a great time.  Gannon was more focused on the Polar Express this year than anything else.  Garrett had a great time with Grandma and I had fun showing off our family scrapbooks with my Grandma and her sister. 

 Our new TV junkie!

 Garrett's new Toy Story 3 bike!

 Garrett relaxing while Gannon takes a nap!

Four Generations!  Yes, Grandpa bribed Gannon with money!

Christmas Morning

We woke the boys up around 7:30, (I will enjoy this for a few more years until they are waking up at 4 on their own) and they were very excited that Santa had been to our house!  Garrett's Santa present was a Leapster Explorer and Gannon got a new kitchen!  Okay the kitchen really is loved and played with by both boys.  Gannon really is still at the age that he cares more for the wrapping!  Garrett just wanted to go around the room an open anyone's presents. 

 Garrett's gift

 The new kitchen is a favorite for both boys.

 Complete with phone and sizzling pans!

 Garrett focused on his game

 Helping Daddy with his gifts

 Taylor and Justin

 Grandpa and Eddie

MaMa (as Gannon says) reading a story!

Cookies for Santa!

"Dear Santa, we have been good! Love, Garrett and Gannon"

Written as spoken by Garrett. 

Santa has been my friend this year!  Garrett really understands consequences now and so we explained that is he is not a good listener, a nice brother, and a good helper Santa will know.  It was so cute one day driving home from picking the boys up from school Gannon did something that Garrett thought would make Santa upset and he said, "Mom, no presents for Gannon!"  I had to then explain that Gannon is little and it would be okay if he told Santa he was sorry.  To which he answered, "I don't have to say sorry, I was a good boy."  This kid kills me!

Cookies compliments of the {kakery} and G-Ma!

Christmas Eve Tradition

Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember we have celebrated at my Aunti Gin's and Uncle Bob's with their family.  The boys are finally getting really comfortable over there (after years of multiple parties per year) so it's a lot of fun.  Kevin and Mindy's kids and Robby and Amy's kids are all there too.  We have a great mexican dinner and open presents. 

Thanks to Mindy, this year we had a fun gingerbread house activity too!  Gannon wanted to eat the walls, no surprise there, and Garrett wanted his to be perfect!  These little suckers were hard to put together. 

 Gannon doing the job!

 Garrett waiting patiently

 Mindy made each of the kids a pair of Christmas jammies with their names on them.  Garrett was good to put his on, Gannon on the other hand wasn't very interested! Just trying to get undresses was a challenge.

 Wow Baby it's cold!

 Half way there - cover those boobies!

Shane and Nicholas joined us for the first time in a long time.  It was nice to have them around for Christmas!

Annual cousin's picture

Trenton, Jarrod, Gannon, Allison, Madison, and Garrett

Oh Boys!

My best friends were also blessed with boys as their first children so my boys have lots of little friends.  We first made a stop to visit Aaron and Aleicia for the boys to exchange gifts and they really were just more interested in Aaron's toys.  It's amazing how a different toy can make a world of difference! 

 Second stop was to see Jaxon's G-Ma and Mamu for their Christmas gathering.  Again, the boys had a great time running around a new place.  Gannon did his duty is showing Justin that they aren't the only ones blessed with a child who likes to throw fits!  Sorry kid, you aren't walking around with a skewer full of food! 

Awe, much better a nice little show for the boys to be entertained with. 

from left to right

Gannon, Jaxon, Garrett, and Elijah

Christmas Program

Garrett's preschool has a Christmas program every year and I do believe this is Garrett's first performance!  (oops if not, I can't remember) Anyway, we weren't sure Garrett was going to make it because he had been sick the week prior and missed school.  I spoke to his teacher on Friday and she said if he felt good he was able to join because our little drama boy knew the songs!  Of course he did!

The uniform requirements for the night were a pair of jeans and a white tee shirt.  What? Really? So, he knows the song, but I'm not sure about the uniform!  For a few days we had to explain DAILY to Garrett that for his performance he would need to wear jeans and a white shirt.  This as most of you know was quiet the challenge since we are still in the sweats faze and who has a 3 year old boy with a plain white shirt? Not us!  We went shopping a found a plain white shirt and much to our surprise after days of coaching Garrett didn't fight to get dresses and he even let us fix his hair!

The Orange Room waiting backstage

 Gannon cracking himself up waiting for Garrett

Such a cute performance 

 A little brotherly love after - trying to get a Christmas Card photo!

 A project after the performance

Any Garrett's project

Annual Sharks Game

We joined Dave's school for their annual shopping/hockey trip to see the San Jose Sharks play.  Dave was determined to get a puck for Gannon this year because Garrett got one last year.  Once we got into the pavilion Dave headed straight to the ice with Gannon to wait for the plays to come out.  In the mean time he made friends with the little old man guard.  Before the players came out the man came from the back with his hand held out for Gannon.  An official game puck!!! Daddy was too excited.  Mission accomplished!

The Sharks won and overall it was a fun day!

 Waiting patiently

 The puck!



The Purse

Now that I am back to work I carry a purse more often than the diaper bag.  I guess Garrett associated the purse with me going to work!  He has for a purse the other day and of course Gannon then had to have one too.  They both were walking around all night with the purses and saying they were going to work.  They would walk over to the door and turn the knob, say goodbye, and come right back.  It was pretty cute! Who cares that they are boys and they have purses!  Gannon had the bigger purse and in order for it to stay on his shoulder he had to keep his arm in the air so he walked around just like this....



Tech Baby!

Gannon has become very savvy on our iphones. He has discovered that Daddy will load games for him, Monkeys, and Mommy has shapes on her phone.  He is working on learning his shapes and colors and loves to practice with these apps.  Here he is playing shapes on Mommy's phone. 

Our Tree Tradition

Every year on the day our Christmas tree is put up we exchange an ornament.  This year the boys were both excited to see their new one.  During a scouting session Garrett had requested the Mickey Mouse train so that is what he got and Gannon got a Mickey Mouse horse one.  I thought Dave had enough sports ornaments so I gave him a picture one with our family and he gave me two interlinked engraved hearts with our birthstones.  This is such a fun tradition and our tree is beautiful. 

An Afternoon with Grandpa and Grandma

Garrett, Gannon, and I headed to Modesto to spend the day with Grandpa and Grandma after Thanksgiving.  I love Santa pictures and feel they are a must every year and since they are never the cutest pictures (a screaming kid or two!) I wanted to head to Bass Pro Shop about 20 minutes north of my dad to take a picture with Santa since they were available for free!  Just as I thought Garrett was not the slightest bit excited to sit and visit with Santa, Gannon on the other hand was just shocked by his screaming brother and just sat there, quiet as can be!

After Bass Pro we headed to Grandpa and Grandma's for a little holiday lunch and nap!  Gannon's nap was not little - almost 3 1/2 hours!  Garrett got lots of attention during this time.  I have learned to take the pack n play for Gannon and then we can visit and get a good nap - the best of both worlds!



Giving Thanks!

This year we are thankful for so much.  Our wonderful family, health, jobs, and the food on our table!  Thanks to my little Rachel Ray knock off sister, Taylor, we had a WONDERFUL thanksgiving meal!  I can remember when Taylor was in high school and she would go home after school and watch Rachel Ray for meal ideas.  She would then call Mom with a shopping list for the evenings meal.  She continues to love to cook and our Thanksgiving meal was a reflection of this! The turkey was seriously one of best I've ever had.  Instead of being stuffed with stuffing Taylor used a whole lemon, onion, and garlic clove all cut in half with some type of fresh herb.  It was SO yummy.  Add that to her gravy and yellow mashed potatoes and it was delicious. 



Thanksgiving Preparation

I am so thankful for our little boys...and that they love to cook and clean!  Garrett loves to help add ingredients and now Gannon loves to stir!  If Gannon see Garrett helping with the cooking he has to tug his chair over to the counter too.  So Thanksgiving morning as I was making the pies and green bean casserole the boys HAD to help!  Garrett was so funny when I dumped the pumpkin mix into the bowl, he said "that looks disgusting Mom!" Oh, thanks Garrett!  I love pumpkin pie so this isn't going to stop me from eating it!