Christmas 2009!!

Our Christmas this year was by far the best one EVER!! For many different reasons, but starting out with it being Caleb's 1st Christmas. I know he won't remember it, but I have some of these memories forever engrained in my mind.

This year we decided to take our first long road trip as a family, in our new van! We drove the first day, 6 hours to Conway and stayed with some dear friends, the Phillips. Sadly, we didn't get any pics, but we had a great 12 hours with them! Thank you Doug & Becca for opening your beautiful home to us! The next day we were on the road and on to STL to stay with my parents! We got in mid afternoon and the fun began!

Caleb just sitting and reading some of Grandma's books!

PRECIOUS picture of Great-Grandma Smith and Caleb, both smiling AND looking at the camera!

Caleb opening his first gift, specifically for bath time. This was the day we got in.

Checking out his new bath toy from Grandma and Papa!

It took a little warming up to, but he ended up LOVING it! It's a motorized penguin that flaps around the water and talks, so cute!

Miriam just staring at Caleb, I think it took her a while to warm up to him. I can't get over Miriam in her precious skirt and polkadot tights! Makes me want a girl just so I can dress her in pink (which happens to be my favorite color!)

You can't really see it here, but one of mom's cats was sitting on the stairs and the kids were awestruck trying to reach for it. Caleb mostly stared and pointed, so cute!!

I L-O-V-E this picture and how it shows how big Caleb's socks are! They were breand new and had the rubber bottoms so he wouldn't fall on the wood floors, but they kept coming off. I think that's a first for my little fat footed boy!!

Miriam having a very important conversation with Uncle Aaron. So stinkin' cute!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture! Miriam is wearing my first pair of roller skates from when I was her age, smurfs! She's such a honey!!

Playing games on Papa's iPhone

Dad was working on a video with Anthony and Miriam (a later post)

Seeing Grandma's new room at Crystal Oaks. It's PERFECT for her!!

This picture is a VERY momentus picture, even though it does not look like it, it's the first picture taken of us as a family of FOUR! Yep, that's right, we're expecting! That's reason #2 that our Christmas was the best EVER! Not to mention that it's also Aaron's birthday, so I'm sure it was his best birthday EVER as well! I had gotten up early and taken a HPT and was SHOCKED that it came back positive since we had only been trying that one month. I quickly texted my mom and asked if she had a long skinny bracelet jewelry box that I could borrow to wrap up one of Aaron's gifts, and that I needed Dad to come and video something for me. When everyone was in the dining room, I handed Aaron the wrapped gift and told him this was an early Christmas/Birthday present that I wanted him to open before we started the day. He opened it and paused, and then realized that I had wrapped the positive HPT and we were pregnant! Many tears and joyous screaming followed and thus, our first family of four picture! Praising the Lord for this precious little baby growing inside of me! We are due around Sept. 4th, and are about 8 weeks along. This is the reason this post is SOOOOOOO late! I wanted to make our announcement in this post becuase it's such an important part of our Christmas, but we obviously wanted to wait until after our first Dr.'s appointment which I had this afternoon!

Love this pic of my boys!

Famous Kanakuk Kamp Koffee Kake for Christmas morning breakfast! YUMMY!!

We didn't get as much snow as Dallas (so sad!), but we did get some huge flakes!

One of my all time favorite pictures of my sweet precious baby boy!! Christmas morning nap in his Christmas sock monkey jammies, red cheeks and all! AAHHHHH, it makes me want to scoop him up right now!!

Grandma's new sweatshirt with all of the Grandkids names on them!

Dad's (toto small) bathrobe. I think him and mom ended up switching and finding perfect matches!

me and my honey!

My boys!

Caleb's new shoes (thanks Grandma and Grandpa Garcia!!)

Also one of my all time favorite pictures of me and Julie! Taken seconds after telling them our big baby news!!! (You can see the pee stick in my hand!)

Caleb's newest favorite toy, his $3 puzzle! he must have sat there for at least 30 minutes and played with that thing!

Just chillin'

Miriam reading her new Olivia book with Papa, precious time!

Playing with all of our new gifts and toys!

Sweet Anthony got tons of spy gear, but ended up playing with Miriam's new stuff, so cute!

Christmas family dinner! (Don't mind the date on the pic, it's off by one day)

Such a wonderful, sweet picture of Ben & Julie! Needs a frame!

Sweet family (of four!)

Caleb playing with his new toy phone

Me and my honey!

Me and Grandma!

And FINALLY, we ended the day by celebrating my honey's 29th birthday! Homemade pumpkin Spice Cake, homemade icing and milk, yummy! Happy Birthday to my wonderful, amazing husband! I'm so blessed and thankful every single day that the Lord gave you to me! You are such a precious gift and I cherish you and our marriage! I love you baby!!

Be Blessed and Encouraged!