Shame on Me

       Shame on me for taking so long to get some holiday photos up. I've just been recovering from all of the holiday fabulousness. I'll be back soon. Until then...

Hellooooooo Santa!

       What has one sick baby, one sick mama, one busy fireman and one long to-do list? Our household. That's what. I'm starting to think that that tune "the most wonderful time of the year," should go something like "the most chaotic time of the year," "the most exhausting time of the year," or "the busiest time of the year." Not to be a scrooge, because I love the holiday season just as much as the next gal, but during the other 11 months of the year I seem to forget how utterly crazy the month of December is. 
       This weekend was jam packed with holiday festivities. On Friday night we had our first holiday party of the season, hosted by the Meek's Bay Fire Department where Jon volunteers.  It was filled with good food, a visit from Santa, and fire engines. What could possibly better then that?

We were pretty excited to see what Nolan 

would think of the the ole' guy. 

We anticipated some pretty loud screaming. 

But the kid surprised us. 

Funny enough, this Santa was a woman. 

I think I heard a rumor that it was one of the fireman's wives.

This photo will go down as Nolan's first photo with Santa. 

Thoroughly enjoying his goofy expression.

We took Nolan on a tour of the trucks.

Notice Nolan's fire truck sweater...

...and socks.

       Friday nights festivities were followed by some gift wrapping and lots of cookie baking on Saturday. On Sunday we got to go to a cookie swap party. Everyone that came had a baby or kiddo in tow, so we swapped lots of stories and tips about baby food, sleeping, chilcare and milestones. I didn't take any photos of the cookies (which I've enjoyed several of today), but I did take lots of pics of BABIES!

Meet Huck, Romi, Hannah, and of course Nolan.

Hmmm...3 tame and manageable heads of hair + Nolan.

Hannah was showing off her crawling skills all day.

I love to think that all these kids may end up in highschool together.

Yes, Nolan is wearing the same pants as a girl. 

And socks. 

Jon said that I can't dress him anymore.

It was a great holiday weekend and the days 

before Santa arrives are really winding down now.

Hope that you're enjoying the holiday season!

The Fairest Tree in All the Land

       This Sunday, we took advantage of some time off together to get in the holiday spirit. With Jon gone all day on Saturday and a very busy couple of weeks ahead of us, we wanted to get our tree put up in our house while we had the chance. This year, I very much wanted to fork over a little dough to purchase a tree from a tree farm. We've cut ours down in the woods for the past few years, and while the experience is great, you get what you pay for. As in...a tree that leaves a little to be desired. But when our plans to visit a tree farm were foiled by bad weather, we went out and purchased ourselves another permit so that we could go and hunt our own. 

       Every year we've gone to a different area to cut down our tree. This year, we landed ourselves on the West Shore of Tahoe in an area we had no idea existed. So after driving around and scouting out our kill, we pulled ourselves over and got to work. 

I had the best view of them all. 

This little guy.

We strapped on some borrowed snowshoes and headed uphill.

Jon actually took a few pictures of me with Nolan, 

which is pretty rare.

Man, dog and saw.

Nolan even wore his lumber jack shirt.

Jon finally found a tree that he was happy with. 

{It actually doesn't look nearly as fat in this picture as it really is.}

We've decided that tree selection and cutting is his territory.

And all other holiday items are left to me.

And so, with his eye on the prize. 

He got to work.

Here comes my lumberjack now.

Nolan took a two hour nap after we got home, which allowed us

to dig in to all our boxes of decor. 

Two exhausting hours later, the Milam halls were decked. 

      Natural Christmas trees, while they feel so right, don't look quite so right. They're a bit sparse and quite oddly proportioned. But they are nice on the pocketbook. Once we own our own home, I vow to find myself a picture perfect tree. 

Hunt down a tree... check.

Deck the halls... check.

Christmas tunes in the house... check.

And... Christmas cards have been ordered... another check!!!

This great day is being followed up by a not so great day. 

Nolan heads to childcare Monday.

For his first time. 

Not sure who this will be harder on. 

Him or me?

Best Friends Forever

...Or at least the next 13 years or so.

       In our house, Jon and I are chum. We're just here to pay the bills and do the chores. Blue is the real prize. Nolan will babble to Blue, not to us. He laughs and stares and Blue provides lots of kisses. We actually have to try to steal Nolan's attention away from Blue... regularly. I don't really know how people raise a baby without a dog around. I guess you buy lots of toys. We have very few toys... just a baby loving dog. And we're starting to think that Nolan's first word won't be "mom" or "dad," but "Blue." 

Oh, and there's the free pony rides.

So if you're thinking of having a kiddo, go out and get yourself an amazing yellow lab, stat. 

A mellow lab. 

A well behaved lab.

 A baby loving lab.