So this was Christmas

I'm late, I know. It's been a heck of a week with daycare being closed and I having to find people to watch Logan so I could go to work.

Here is our Christmas in photos:

Naked after bath time

Playtime in the living room

A not - so - bad visit to Santa

Popcorn with Dada

My outfit for the family christmas party

My new motto...

Logan was glued to the pinball machine

Lots of guacamole was consumed

We weren't a fan of Christmas Eve service

But a Paci and Aunt Kelly helped that

Our first time to play Santa!

He loved his nap mat!

Digging in the stocking...

Crayons!

Time to color

And play Legos while watching Buzz & Woody.

Aunt Kelly brought a new tricycle

And they all played on the swing set

Momma got a new skillet and shoes!

Thanks for the Rocking Horse aunt Laura!

Mommy enjoyed her new mug and it's sweater..

And to all a good Christmas....

Snowflakes

Today my office is spending lunch in the conference room making snowflakes to send to Newtown so that the new school will be a winter wonderland when the Sandy Hook students go back.

Here is a link with tutorials if you want to try and participate as well!

Sandy Hook Snowflakes

Have a wonderful weekend, hug your babies, and let them ask Santa for whatever they want!!

Half Mast

I drove to work yesterday observing all the flags around the city half-mast for those sweet angels (adult victims included) in Newtown.

To tell the truth, I have felt very half-mast lately myself.

I am not sure what my deal is. I didn't feel like decorating for Christmas - and I blamed that on the massive sleep issues we were having with the new toddler bed situation.

Lee dug the tree out for me and I left it undecorated for a few days - seeing it as a daunting task rather than something joyful like usual.

So now, on top of any of our "issues" at home - the Newtown tragedy has just upped the feeling of dread following me around.

All I did on Sunday was cry. Cry at the breakfast table when the ESPN guys started talking about the shooting. Cried in Target while buying a 1 year old a birthday card and present. Cried while reading about one of the little boys who loves Mario and the color blue.
Bawled while Obama read the names.

Bawled in the parking lot after leaving my precious son at school Monday morning.

Last night, a helicopter was circling our neighborhood for over an hour and I was so anxious about what the hell that could even be about. I felt dread like I would see a man with a gun running down my street at any moment. It took forever for me to finally sleep.

Next week will mark the first Christmas since my step-sister passed away - and I am extremely worried for how my step father will handle it. While I wasn't super close with her (she lived in Tennessee) I am very close to him and my grief for him is overwhelming.

So I guess between sleep issue, family issues, and the grief I feel for those in Newtown - I am not feeling Holly Jolly or Merry and Bright.

Where I Grew Up

The other day, after a loooong drive home from work thanks to an accident on the highway, I had a wonderful surprise in my mailbox from my grandparents.

A cookbook from the Jr. Service League in Palestine, my home town.

Tears sprang to my eyes and I was so excited to see so many contributors that I went to school with.

The neatest thing was that each tab had a photo taken in a historical place around town with the history behind it:

The Texas Theatre

This image really brought back memories. When I was 16, my cousin Billy and I volunteered at the Theatre to run the spot lights. To this day I think back on the production of My Fair Lady and think of us singing along quietly up in the balcony.

The exterior, back in the day.

Then there was this:

A picnic outside the railroad tracks (kinda scary actually?). Palestine runs the Polar Express and a Mystery Murder on the Texas State Railroad every year.

Link: https://www.texasstaterr.com/

There were many a field trip on this train.

Since Palestine is the 2nd oldest town in Texas (after Nacogdoches), there are many historic homes. Like the A.B. Hodges Home:

It's quite something in person, I won't lie.

Aside from all the history, the FOOD looks amazing.

I went to school with Kelley, who also delivered my nephew on New Years Day last year!

If all that old timy history bored you, just know that the famed Running Back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings is also from Palestine. He even gets his own day and a parade.

Most of the debris from the Columbia Shuttle also landed around the area as well.

Do you have any nostalgic feelings about your home town?

Lately...

Logan turned 2 on Nov 30th and on the 1st we had his party:

My attempt at a "Yellow Hat" table

Goodie Bags

Chocolate sheet cake - tradition in our family

Shamefully, the best photo of Logan all day. Things were hectic.

 That next Monday Logan had his check up - he is 36" tall (ALREADY) and weighs in at 31 pounds. No shots but did have to get his finger pricked:

 We acquired an Elf:

He still has no name... But he is normally drunk anyway.

Logan has some awesome new kicks:

He loves Mariachis:

And Doggie Doors:

And climbing trees:

Lee and I attended a brunch and had a great time.

My best friend in this world - Donald (Uncle Hop Hop)

 I met a sweet guy name Joseph - who mistook Donald as my husband and later told me about it and said he was thinking "Oh that poor girl doesn't know her husband is gay!!"

My contribution to the party was this Heath Bar Cake:

Recipe Here

I went shopping with the work peeps and this happened:

Ryan and Christi @ West Elm

and on Sunday I made a stop in at a building I work in to observe and direct a carpet install:

The new carpet is on top - I had to pick a pattern. Settled on this.

 I lost my voice for a few days last week and otherwise felt overwhelmed with chores and other goings ons and didn't get to blog - my apologies. I will try better this week!