catching up...again

i have been an awful blogger.

we are trying to slow down a little and really enjoy the season, so blogging has taken a back seat for now!

here is a little of what has happened since last time:

the day after thanksgiving, little man and i helped grandma and grandpapi put up their christmas tree.

their tree is ridiculous.

you have to fluff each branch in a certain way, and then attach each one in a specific row, and it takes forever.

here they are surrounded by branches.....


and here i am stringing the lights.....


somehow, i have become the designated light stringer over the years.

i love them, so i do it.

but it takes a long time, and a lot of patience.

so when we bought our tree, i knew i wanted something easy and pre-lit.

we get our entire house decorated in less time than it takes to put up their tree.

okay, i exaggerate.

slightly.

anyways, i absolutely love christmas decorations, but husband is a typical man, who doesn't really understand it all. but he loves me, and he does a wonderful job at humoring me.

i was very surprised that little man seemed to be leaving the tree alone.

until yesterday.

he started to remove ornaments, and bring them to me one by one.

so the baby gates went up, and he has been banned from the den.

i have also gotten most of our christmas shopping done. i actually did a lot online this year.

talk about easy!

i used to really enjoy going shopping - just walking through the mall with a starbucks in hand, hearing the christmas music, seeing the decorations, and just browsing.

that doesn't happen anymore when you have kids.

so online i went, and online i will be going more often!

christmas also arrived in our kitchen.....




i will not be telling you how many cookies i ate yesterday.

and last, but certainly not least, this little guy was born.....


our sweet nephew. pretty cute, huh?

we got to visit him and his mommy at the hospital with little man in tow, who was fairly oblivious to anything except eating goldfish.

we are very, very thankful for goldfish.

is this post all over the place, or what?

okay, i'll be back soon (hopefully) with more updates and pics of our decorated house!