Another Great Trip to Grandma & Grandpa's

Grandma even let Ave do her hair!

Well, even though it was a verrrrrry long six and a half hour drive up north to my Grandparent's house... it was totally worth it! We have had the priviledge to see them three times in the past year and each time has been special. This time we were able to be at my cousin, Jeremy's birthday and we got to spend lots of time enjoying family and friends! They are so good to Avery and Graysen and they just love to be there.

2011's Updates...

The new year has proven to be a little, okay A LOT crazy around our house! So it is time for a few updates. Avery is back to school after a very, veeerrrryyy long Christmas break. She is thrilled to be back! We are heading up North for a long weekend to see my Grandparents and she can hardly wait to see them.

As for Graysen, in the past week I have had three people tell me he has outgrown his "baby" face! Sad news.... But with that comes lots of fun new things! He has new words by the day. Yesterday alone, he learned to say 'please', 'tickle', and 'night-night'. And we were at someone's house the other day and saw football on, he started screaming 'ball!' and clapping his hands. Is this normal "male behavior" for a 14 month old?! Tonight, Avery told Nana, "I am going to be a doctor and Gray is going to be a football player." I love how the way three year olds think!

Bananas still hold title for his favorite food. He wakes up every morning,

walks to the kitchen and asks for a "dana".

He's got him trapped, so he can pet him. He adores dogs, BIG and small!

Where do boys learn to make car noises with their lips? Is it programmed at birth?

Christmas Eve Thoughts

Kids are in bed, finally, sound asleep.

I just finished filling Avery and Graysen's stockings and wrapping the last of the presents and now I am wishing I had used my larger springform pan for my pumpkin cheesecake as I am watching it in the oven billowing over the top of the pan, yes, at midnight. Hoping the mistake won't be a tragic one. *crossing my fingers*

Tonight, we continued my absolute favorite holiday tradition, chinese take-out. Fa-ra-ra-ra-ra...

We went to our Christmas Eve service and realized just how blessed we are to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

Ben is now very, very patiently putting together the doll house, that, of course, came in about a thousand pieces and he is finishing the last M & M cookie just so Avery will be amazed in the morning at the sight of the empty plate.

As I am counting the many things we got done today and the hundred things we have to do before we go to bed, I am so grateful. Now that we are on the other side, as the mom and dad, we see just how much work and effort our parents put in to making each and every Christmas special. I remember my mom up until 3 am cooking and stuffing stockings and my dad struggling to stay awake in his chair, trying so hard to "support" in her efforts. Dad would spend all of Christmas day getting toys out of boxes and equipping with batteries, as mom would put on a fantastic meal with her best China. But more than the presents and yummy food, our parents taught us the true meaning of Christmas, they taught us the gift of giving, the true meaning behind presents and how fortunate we are to celebrate in Christ's birth. A gift that we receive everyday of the year, freedom in Him. This is our first Christmas without family around, and I am so grateful for both of our wonderful families who, even though we couldn't be with either one, we are still so blessed by them every day.

Happy Merry Christmas!

Ave and her two best buds at the Christmas Eve Service

After many, MANY attempts to get a picture by the tree...

This is the best we got!

Gray in his seriously cute Christmas jams!

And one last wild attempt at a picture of them together!

And the beginnings of a doll house...

Brighter Days to Come

If you've been up on the news, California is drowning. I have never ever seen this much rain in my life. In Montana, it freezes before it hits ground. Here, well, it's pretty much 60 degrees all the time. We definitely were not equipped for this kind of rain. I wouldn't call it a White Christmas but probably the closest to it Santa Maria will ever see.

This picture reminds me of brighter days to come!

Preschool Christmas Show

On Thursday, Avery's preschool had a Christmas show for all families to see what they have been up to these past few weeks. The kids sang a few Christmas songs and had a slide show of pictures from the past few months of school. Felt like a total sap when the video almost made me cry, but things like that make me realize how fast these past 3 1/2 years have gone by! But they were all too cute and it was a great oppotunity to meet some of the other families.

Lately...

I took this picture the other day and just love it. Her and I have really been connecting on a very different level recently. It's exciting, a tad bit sad, but mostly very cool! Her vocabulary and understanding of life is increasing by the day. We have officially exited the tantrum stage and are on to bigger and more "emotional" things. But her smile is big and her heart is even bigger!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like....

Well, Christmas! On a beautiful, sunny 65 degree day we decorated for Christmas. In our attempt to make it feel more like Christmas, we put on Christmas music and started a fire. We have really enjoyed this holiday season with many old traditions and lots of new ones! Between the Christmas Parade, baking lots of yummy things, and having eight hundred Christmas parties to attend we have had lots of fun!

Avery was a big help with the tree this year!

(And I'm sure Ben will be thrilled with this shot)

Ave & Graysen setting up one of their nativities. Yes, one of four!

Graysen is very curious as to why we have a tree in the house?!

My 'Merry Christmas' trees... Love these!

This year I got a little crafty (weird, right?) and made an advent calendar. We have enjoyed it thoroughly.

Each day, there is a new craft or activity. Definitely a new tradition at our house!

Awesome new ornament I made with my super creative friend, Ann.

The adorable ornaments Ben got for his Grandmother on a missions trip to Russia ages ago.

I just love these, and they look so cute on the mantle!

My first nativity, Melissa got me before Ben and I even got married. And I look forward to it every Christmas!

On the Move!

It's happened, Graysen is now walking. He started taking steps here and there two weeks ago and now he is walking about 30% of the time. Though still primarily crawling, he is pretty proud of his new talent!

Breakfast at the Burdettes

A Few Gray Moments

Graysen is such a riot, and the funny thing is... he knows it! He is always laughing, sometimes at Avery or Harley and a lot of the time, himself. He's becoming quite the comedian!

I left the room for two seconds, I got back to Avery feeding him applesauce.

Well, trying anyway and of course, he thought it was hilarious!


Look what he got a hold of!

Even when he is upset, it's really hard to take him seriously with such a cute face!

Oh...those cheeks!

Life...

Yes, we are still around. Life is good. Very full, but good! Feels like we've been a bit disconnect, so let me fill you in on our past month!

We celebrated Graysen's first birthday, which means he got some really cool new "boy toys" and we got to turn his car seat around so he can face forward now... Yay! He has started taking a few steps all by himself... uh-oh! He also learned how to go down the stairs by himself. Yesterday, he had to get his one year immunizations, five shots... Ouch! His check-up went really well, he sat so patiently as the doctor listened and poked at him, and the outcome was that he is super sweet and very healthy. Gray came in the 68 percentile for height and 55 percentile for weigh, UK basketball... maybe?

We had our last small group of this semester, which was bittersweet. We have so much enjoyed getting to know all the amazing people in our small group over the past ten weeks and will miss visiting every Thursday night. But we also look forward to next semester of getting to know a whole new group of people!

Ben has been busy at work, very much enjoying his new position and has been trying to get in some golf here and there. He has even taken Avery a few times... she may have a future! Ben had to go to Urgent Care yesterday, him and Gray were, well being boys, and Graysen accidentally scratched his cornea. UGH! He is much better today.

Avery, oh, Avery. She just keeps me laughing everyday. She is LOVING school and is learning so much. She comes home with lots of stories, and some good "gossip".

As for me, just trying to keep up with these three has kept me busy. Our church's annual ladies event was last week and that pretty well filled up our days last week. I just finished reading Fresh-Brewed Life by Nicole Johnson. Probably the first book I have finished since I had kid. I have lots of books started but now I have actually finished one... Success! And now that Graysen is getting more self-sufficient I have found more time for my favorite hobby, cooking! Now, if only I could find some extra time in my schedule for culinary school!? Someday....right?

But for now, here are some pictures of life over the past few weeks.

Graysen was not overly amused by birthday festivities...

maybe it's a boy thing.

He enjoyed deconstructing it more than eating it.

However, Avery was VERY excited for him!

We couldn't even get him to open his presents... but of course, Avery was more than willing to help!
However, once it was opened, he was thrilled!

First ride, forward facing!

The morning of his birthday!

What was intended to be an outside toy from Nana & Papa, is now taking up way too much space in my kitchen!

Harvest Festivites

As if we haven't had enough fun for one Halloween, then came Sunday. Our church had a Harvest Festival that we took the kids to, and they had fun! They had a big maze, trunk-or-treating, and Ben's favorite, the car bash. But Avery really wanted to go trick-or-treating so after that, we went to a friends house and the dads stayed back with the babies so us mamas could take the older kids out, yes, for more candy!

Two cute Tianas!

Our little Chickadee

Too busy being a superhero to take a pic!

And Ben, smashing the car... scary!

Pumpkin Hunt

Last Thursday, Avery's preschool had a pumpkin hunt for all the kids and all the parents were able to come watch the fun. SO CUTE!

Halloween Madness

This year, more than ever, Avery was super excited about Halloween. She was excited about the costumes, and decorating the pumpkins, and of course, the concept of knocking on someone's door and them giving you a handful of candy. But who wouldn't love that?

We have never been ones to make a big deal about Halloween, it really is probably my least favorite holiday. But I do love that it brings neighbors and communities together. Now that Avery is older she understands the concept so she had decided weeks in advance that she was going to be Tiana, from Princess and the Frog. As I was digging around the garage I found the minnie mouse costume that I wore when I was Avery's age! She loved it and ran around in it half the day. Then of course, she had to try on Gray's chicken costume! That girl is so funny.

Maybe a little small?!

Nice tail, huh?

Cute!

He's ONE!

Yesterday was Graysen's first birthday, as hard as it is to believe! He has kept us on our toes and has brought us overwhelming joy this past year. And as much fun as I have had documenting him each month, it has become more and more difficult to keep him still long enough for a picture!

This month has brought many new things in Graysen's world. His newest word is car and he has braved taking a few steps here and there. He has six teeth, and two more trying to come through. He finally learned how to go down the stairs, and we got to turn his car seat forward! Whew... he has been a BUSY boy this month!

New Move

So Graysen absolutely HATES the tile floors in our house. Actually, so much that he will not even crawl on them... so here is his solution.