Cookies for Santa

Garrett was so excited to write a note to Santa and leave his cookies and milk. Stay tuned for the Christmas morning excitement!!! Every year it is so fun to watch him understand more and more of what is going on.

Writing his note
Placing the cookies

Leaving for Santa

Christmas Eve

Another great family tradition...Christmas Eve. Every year we spend Christmas Eve with Aunti Gin, Uncle Bob, Robby, Kevin, and their families. We enjoy a nice Mexican food potluck and open gifts.

Gannon enjoying a cupcake with Grandma
Garrett enjoying ALL the cupcakes! He really wished this was his dinner plate, he even pulled the chair right up to it all on his own!

Daddy reading Gannon his new present. Gannon loves to be read to and looks up at you every couple minutes to make sure you're the one reading. So cute!

Yeah, Santa jammies

Jarrod, Madison, Allison, Trenton, Garrett and Gannon

Cousin's Christmas

We celebrated Cousin's Christmas with the Hall side of the family last weekend. Four generations of Hall's, yes Uncle Frank 4 generations!!! When we first moved to California we spent Christmas Eve every year at my Aunt Barbara's and with Uncle Bob and Aunti Gin's families. As the second generation began to marry off and have families of their own (about 17 years ago) this tradition was changed to a Cousin's Christmas that is celebrated a week or two before Christmas and we rotate between Escalon and Merced. We draw names with all the 18 and unders and they each open a gift from the other side of the family. Dawn, Nick, and kids, we miss you every year, but thank you for hosting the first Cousin's Christmas at your house forever ago. Jordan we missed you for the first time this year also. It's a great night to celebrate our family together!!!

Garrett wanted to help everyone open their presents.
Openning Gannon's - as you can see he really doesn't care!

One of the cutest packages!

Most of the kids - minus Garrett

Crazy Man

Gannon is now 11 months old into EVERYTHING!!! Well except his toys. I guess when he visited Santa a few weeks ago he asked for his two front teeth and he got them a little early. He continues to grow into a line backer as Dave calls him and a little lover baby! Here's what he's been up to over the past week...or should I say into! On my list of things to do today I'll be heading to OSH to grab more of the cabinet hooks you see in behind him and I think I better invest in toilet hooks too. Kid loves water and really doesn't care where it is!

With a little assistance from his brother

A little kitchen fun

Didn't you say you need a garbage bag - or 20?

Lake Tahoe

Dave and I had a little weekend getaway to Lake Tahoe last weekend to attend my step brother George's wedding. It was snowing all weekend and it was a great time. We had a great time at the wedding and enjoyed our little time together.

The snow was beautiful

Dave excited to visit the cashier for the first time all weekend and it was Sunday- the chips

The money!!!!

Aunt Shannon and Grandma Toni Came to Visit

Aunt Shannon and Grandma Toni came to spend a night and day with the boys so Dave and I could escape to Lake Tahoe (next post). Aunt Shannon brought Garrett an early Christmas present that he is in absolute love with. As he approaches his third birthday he has become a "project" kid. Projects started with simple water colors and have now expanded to wrapping presents with mom and using his new easel!!! Any type of little art project he loves.

The boys had a great time with their aunt and grandma while they were here and we wish we could see them more.

Oh WOW were his words.
How exciting.

Drawing his circle - who cares that it never connects right! It will soon.

Yeah a Field Trip

Atwater FFA goes on a field trip every year to see the San Jose Shark's play and this year we decided to ride the bus with the kids for the first time. Garrett absolutely loves riding the big bus and Gannon did great too! Up was the movie of choice on the way to the game so of course Garrett was in heaven. Gannon took a little rest on the way and was perfect as always. We stopped at the mall in San Jose and I did a little more Christmas power shopping which was great. Gannon is my trooper tag along so we left Dave and Garrett at the kiddie land. The game was a great time with all the students and a lot of family. Aunti Gin and Uncle Bob joined with some friends at the last minute to enjoy extra tickets, Papa Gossman was there, Aunt Shannon and her family and the De Rose's joined also. We were a little pooped the next day, but it was worth it.

Leaving the school on the big bus
Gannon enjoying his new adventure

Garrett sitting with Aunt Shannon

Family shot - Garrett was too into the game to look

Aunti Gin and Uncle Bob joined us also

Little Sharks Fan