White, Wet and Cold

I truly thought we would miss the snow while we were gone. Our area got a few inches of snow on Christmas Eve. I was a little disappointed that Austin wouldn't get to play in it and figured that since we were there, that it would be the only snow our area would get all winter. We just have that kind of luck!

It snowed again while we were gone to Little Rock. I saw all kinds of people commenting about it on Facebook. I thought that we would definitely not have anymore since it snow TWICE while we were gone!

The day before we got back to NWA, they got another 3 inches of the white stuff! And it definitely wasn't going to go away before we got there!

So, after getting back and unloading the car and doing a few other things, I got Austin bundled up to go outside. It was pretty cold out there, but nothing like we knew we were going to get, so I figured it was now or never.

Now, I knew that if I didn't buy any snow pants that we would get snow. If I would have bought them, we wouldn't have gotten one single flake. So, he wore jeans under the wind pants that you see in the picture. A t-shirt, a sweat shirt and a double layered coat. Plus hat and gloves. I don't think he was cold (until the snow went up his sleeves).

Just like last year, he wanted to make snow angels. The boy loves to make them!

Then he wanted to make snow balls.

And then he wanted to throw those snowballs!

This picture was taken totally by accident. I thought I was going to take a picture of him throwing it at Brian, but he turned around and started to throw it at me. The focus is off, but I was more worried about shielding my camera than the picture! I'm glad it took because it's one of my favorites!

Ok, so it's the second year in a row that we have not had a sled. I'm not sure that Austin really cares that much since he seems to be having just as much fun on the body board as he would probably have on a sled!

Later, we got Colten in the snow. This is his first time out in the snow. Of course, we don't have anything for him to be in the snow either, but he wasn't out there that long. Maybe 3 minutes?

So, he's probably not ready to go sledding or anything, but at least I have the pictures to prove that he had this experience, right?

He obviously doesn't like the cold stuff. I'm pretty much right there with him. I like to look at it and I'm sure 30 minutes or so would be fine to sled in or whatever, but I am much happier looking at it from inside while drinking some hot chocolate!

So, now it feels like winter (and we've had the almost zero temps to prove it) and looks like winter. I'm done with it...when is Spring?

Liberty Bowl

What can I say about the Liberty Bowl...

IT WAS COLD!!!!

That would be the biggest thing that sticks out in my mind! It was seriously cold. The good thing was that I was bundled up really well and only felt the cold in my feet. I don't think my feet have ever been that numb. I thought I had frostbite in them by the end of the game. LOL

We were pretty bundled up though and enjoyed the game despite the teams playing pretty messy. It ended up being a battle of bad kickers in the end. I was just glad that there was another team with a kicker worse than ours!

So, here are the pictures:

Do NOT ask me how John survived without a coat. Personally, I think he is crazy. :-)

The 101st had sent 2 paratroopers to bring in the teams flags and the game ball. Pretty cool to see the Screaming Eagle up there!

The coin toss.

Like I said, it was a sloppy game. Definitely not one of the better games the Razorbacks have played and I think they were definitely outplayed. However, a win is a win...and I think we'll take it!

There was one thing I was truly glad about though...that my children were back in a warm house having fun with their relatives! I saw some small kids at the game and thought that they must have been even MORE miserably cold than I was! I think Nathan was at the right age to brave the cold...but I saw 5 or 6 year olds there and just can't imagine sitting in that cold with them!

Thanks to Bill and Mary for the tickets...despite the cold, we had a great time and it was neat to be there!

Beyond Christmas

Christmas was more than just one day for us! In fact, Austin kept asking, "Is Christmas tomorrow, too?" We opened WAY too many gifts, but saw all kinds of family. We saw people in Missouri, Arkansas AND Tennessee! It really was a great Christmas and New Year.

This year for New Year's Eve, we stayed at Bill and Mary's house and had a fun night with the family. Matt and Paula and the kids were still in Little Rock and after the three youngest ones went to bed, we played Wii. Nate and Anna got Rock Band for Christmas, so we started off with that. The boys rocked it...as you can see by the picture of Brian!

I'm sure you also notice the "what in the world are you doing" look from Mary! :-)

I think Matt had the hardest part...the drums are NOT easy. I played them later in the night and that takes a LOT of coordination. Coordination that I, apparently, don't have!

Nathan did a great job with the vocals. He's even holding the mic like a rocker!

The next afternoon, our family, John, and Bill and Mary loaded up the van and drove to Memphis. Brian's cousins live there and his aunt was still there visiting (his uncle had to go back to North Carolina before we got to get up there). We also had Liberty Bowl tickets to see the Razorbacks play.

Colten doesn't exactly like getting put in his carseat, but once he's in there, he's pretty good. On longer trips, it helps that we have a portable DVD player that we put Baby Einstein videos in for him every once in a while. He gets so excited about those things!

I'm also very lucky because Austin is great in the car as well. He plays with toys and watches movies the whole time.

Our hosts, Michael and Wendy have a BEAUTIFUL house. I really loved the layout and the color choices. It was a perfect house for all of us guests since there were plenty of rooms and bathrooms for us to use! They have a little boy, Wade, who is only 5-6 months younger than Austin. That can be good AND bad! They had a lot in common and loved the same toys. Which brings me to the bad point. LOL

Yes, they fought a lot over those same toys! I just happened to catch this little argument with the camera...it was NOT planned. They had actually been playing very nicely and then all of a sudden this happened! I can't even count how many times we had to break them up. However, no matter how many times they fought, they would go right back to playing and having fun.

The day after we arrived, Matt and Paula got up there. They had spent an extra day in Little Rock. It was fun visiting with everyone and catching up. I can't even remember the last time we were able to see this side of the family!

Right before the Liberty Bowl game, we got some pictures taken. I really need to learn more on camera settings. I definitely didn't have them right this time around, but the pictures still look pretty decent. (Remember, I just don't like flash...which makes it hard getting things in focus in lower light...can't wait until my new lens gets in!)

We had a great time in Memphis and want to send out a great big Thank You to Michael and Wendy for having us at their house and Aunt Kay for cooking for us! Amy did quite a bit as well and we don't want to leave her out! :-)

Christmas...Part Two

As I said, our Christmas was pretty relaxed and the kids played with their Santa toys before opening more gifts.

Apparently, Santa's gift to Colten was also meant for Austin:

We opened everything, ate a great breakfast of bicuits and gravey. Relaxed a little bit, then started in on lunch. I have NO pictures of lunch! Jimmy's girlfriend, Eryn, and Amanda's new boyfriend, Brian, joined us for lunch. Food was yummy and it was great to meet Brian!

After eating and cleaning up, Brian and I took the kids to see the Frede side of the family. They usually have Christmas at noon, so we knew we wouldn't be able to see everyone, but was glad to get there and see that a few people were still there! I am sad to admit that we haven't been to a Frede Christmas since we've been married. Hopefully, we'll be able to change that sometime. :-) It was fun to see some cousins and their kids along with some aunts and uncles.

The boys got quite a bit of gifts from their Grandpa Frede...definitely MORE than enough! :-) It looks like he had a blast picking out all the toys for them! Here's the only picture that was taken...yes, I am sometimes VERY bad at getting the camera out. I view it as "living in the moment" and not through the camera lens. :-)

{Oh, and this would be the ONLY picture of me throughout Christmas. Sad, huh! My boys are always going to wonder where Mommy was at all the major events. I guess I need to start handing the camera to someone else or start getting some self-portraits!}

Austin got a really cool scooter from Grandma Jean...and it was one of his favorite gifts. We are allowing it to be ridden in the house until Spring when it warms up a bit.

I know Amanda will love this picture. Colten was getting ready to go to bed and I was having him say goodnight to her. He reached for her and so I gave him to her to hold for a minute and this is what he did. He just layed on her shoulder for a couple of minutes. SO CUTE!

Colten playing with his Nana on our last day in Missouri. Our visit was WAY too short...but our doggies were being boarded and it can be quite expensive!

Nana and the boys...I'll be printing this one out for her new picture frame that says "Nana" at the top of it. I'm still happy that I got this picture of them all three smiling and looking at the camera on the FIRST shot!

We played Wii with Nana and hung out with her, then visited a bit with Papa before we left Missouri. The drive was pretty uneventful since we left in the evening and the kids slept pretty well.

We are visiting Little Rock now. When we got here, there was a TON more gifts under the tree. Seriously, where are we going to put this stuff at our house??? Our kids are MORE than blessed this year! I think we'll have to bless some other kids and make them happy with some great toys that we already have.

Colten had some help this time with his gifts...his cousins, Anna and Nathan were more than happy to help him!

One of the few pictures I have of Austin opening gifts. He was so quick! I only wish he would LOOK at the gift tags first...that would have helped with thanking people!!!

Nathan obviously loved part of his gift that we gave him. He immediately put the Razorback hats on...at the same time.

Anna is ALL about Colten right now! Why is it that little girls just FLOCK to babies (for the most part anyway). She's constantly playing with him or redirecting him or helping us with him. She's going to be a great mom someday!

Brian opened one of his gifts from his parents to find that they had given him something he has been wanting to buy for a while now....a GPS! We KNOW it will come in handy as we make our way half-way across the country this summer!

A rare moment of stillness! Anna and Austin were watching a movie and Colten climbed up and started cuddling with them. Love it!

I did say we were travelling a lot this Christmas, right? Well, just wait...there's more!!!

A Christmas Full of Travel...Part One

I probably needed to show less photos, but I just couldn't! So, I have to do a few parts of our Christmas!

Last year, anyone who wanted to see us for Christmas had to travel to us. I was due to have Colten soon after Christmas (although, he decided that he would take his time after all was said and done) and we just didn't want to travel so close to my due date. It was SO nice to be able to stay put in one house. :-)

This year, we didn't have that excuse. We knew we probably needed to take advantage of the proximity of all families while we could and decided to just travel to everyone for the Holidays (Christmas and New Years).

Christmas Eve, we loaded up the car (sans dogs since they were boarded) and headed to Missouri. We were staying at Amanda's house, so we headed there, unloaded the car and got everyone's rooms ready. That night, we headed over to the Todisman's house for Christmas Even dinner.

After eating, we opened presents. I don't have any pictures of Austin actually opening gifts...he's obviously VERY good at this part and was done before I could get the pictures. :-)

Colten didn't quite have the hang of the unwrapping part at the beginning, but LOVED seeing what he got after it was revealed. He really liked this Spider Man toy that dances and sings. It came with an echo microphone and he will actually "sing" into it and dance with Spiderman. SO cute!

Family picture time before everyone leaves...do you see why I HATE using my flash? The closer you are to the flash, the more vampirish you look. Let's just say the family is a tad too big for the living room! :-)

We headed back to Amanda's house to get the boys ready for bed. Stockings were hung by the chimney door with care {with hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there}. I tried getting a picture of the boys together in their CUTE COOL pajamas. This was the best I got...still pretty cute! :-)

Then, off to bed they went. We were hoping for late morning...no such luck. At 5am, Austin came into our room, waking Colten in the process, so we tried getting them to go back to sleep. Austin wasn't happy about it, but he ended up getting a little more snooze time in. Colten took a little longer, but soon he was out as well. We eventually got up at 7:30 or so and tried to contain the boys while we woke up and got things set up.

Here's what it looked like BEFORE the boys came in.

I totally messed up the pictures of them coming in. It's a little hard since Colten can walk now and just started coming in, prompting Austin to come in early as well. Their reactions were priceless though and I THINK we have it on tape. :-) They both knew what toy Santa brought them and went straight to it.

Austin had been asking for Devestator for months...and Santa came through for him! We found out just before he came in the room that he had peeked at the living room before coming to our room at 5am. However, he said he only saw Colten's car, not Devestator (who was all wrapped up...but really wasn't). He obviously tried to hide the fact that he already knew what he was getting before coming into the room. :-)

Colten walked right up to the car, then walked around it, opened the door and got right in. He is LOVING his Cozy Coupe.

We opened stockings next...in which the boys got some pretty good stuff. Colten loves this baby toothbrush and paci keeper.

Austin was pretty happy with his loot as well. The kid loves his character socks and was so happy to have some Lightening McQueen socks to wear.

We tried to keep the morning relaxing so that not everything was happening all at once. I think we did a pretty good job with that. The kids played with their Santa toys and stocking stuffers for a while and we snacked on cocktail weiners and donuts for a bit before opening more gifts.

By this morning, Colten had started to get the hang of opening gifts. He's working really hard at pulling the tissue out of this bag.

You had to pull a bit of paper away from the package so he could grab it, but then he just started ripping.

Again, Austin is pretty proficient at unwrapping, so pictures of that were pretty non-existant at this point! The boys were REALLY happy with all their gifts and I know they got WAY too much...even at this point. We still had more to go! I don't know where we will put everything, but I'm sure it will go somewhere. I'm thinking some toys at the house will need to be donated...I'll have to get that done while Austin's at school though!

Part two will be coming soon!

11 Months

My baby won't be a baby much longer. I mean, we have less than a month until he's a year old. How in the world did that happen?

Colten is just growing up too quickly. I think he has been MONTHS early on almost all his physical milestones. Wish he would have decided to be born a little earlier as well, but I guess we'll let that one little thing slide! :-) He is definitely a kid on the go. He is constantly moving and doing things. He is only still when he sleeps (which isn't as much as I would like during the night) and when he gets to watch a Baby Einstein movie (when he's SUPER cranky and I need to get something like dinner done). Even when he eats, he is turned around looking at Austin or the dogs or WHATEVER is going on around him.

Colten LOVES to take an object, bring it to you and then take it back. He'll do this over and over again. He is pretty good at playing independently, but sometimes he just really wants his Mommy. Usually when I'm trying to do something that can't be done with a baby in my arms!

Walking? Been there, done that...pretty much running nowadays! :-)

Colten still has 6 teeth. Not sure when more will come in...I really thought he'd have his next bottom teeth in by now, but I guess they are just stubborn!

This kid LOVES to eat. Seriously. I think he can eat just about as much as his brother...and sometimes more! I'm trying to figure out how to get him his vegetables though...he doesn't like the texture of some of them that he liked as purees. He just really likes to feed himself though, so baby food is frustrating for him.

Colten had been going through a HORRIBLE sleep phase before we started traveling for Christmas. He was getting up 2-3 times (or more) a night AND waking up early. His naps have been horrible as well and seems like he's starting to transition to just one nap a day instead of two. However, he's been so tired while visiting family, that he has started sleeping through the night. Yay! Last night, he went to bed at 8 and slept until 7am. Let's hope he continues this habit!

Over the next month, I will be cutting back on some nursing sessions. We introduced some milk yesterday and he LOVES it. Today, I cut out his second nursing session and he did fine. I'm going to cut out one a week and see how it goes. I'm not totally against still having one or two sessions for a bit after one year, but it would be nice to have a little more time to myself. :-)

A Virtual Christmas Card

Yes, I was supposed to get our Christmas Cards out earlier. Did I? No.

I'm sure you're asking why....

Well, I couldn't decide on what I wanted to do with them. Then, I had picture issues (horrible picture, wanted another, etc). Then, I couldn't get them to print out right. In the end, I decided I just didn't like the one I made, so I scrapped the whole thing.

Today, we took the kids to an AWESOME Santa. I got a MUCH better picture. Then, I came home and created a card that I actually like. However, it is too late to send them now. I am afraid they would be late and I just don't like late. :-) So, this is how I'm sending them.

At least it can't be late unless YOU decided to put off visiting our blog and seeing our cute kids! :-)