Wordless Wednesday *The Joy of Spaghetti Sauce*

A Merry Christmas!

This year we celebrated Christmas Eve with my side of the family, and Christmas Day with Steve's.

Christmas Eve:

Our festivities included a special Christmas Eve service at my parent's church, and yummy Chinese food. My grandparents (Nonnie and Pop-Pop to Christian) were also with us to celebrate.

Christmas Day:

Steve was able to Skype with us for nearly two hours Christmas morning while we opened gifts and stockings. It was most definitely a sad day without him, but on the other hand we are that much closer to his homecoming! [Cannot wait!!!]

We also enjoyed a nice brunch and Christmas dinner, the Disney "Scene It" game, and some good ol' guitar hero!

Aww, it is so good to be home for the holidays and to celebrate Jesus' Birthday with our family! :)

Like Mother, too.

Christian has always looked a lot like his daddy, but maybe there is some resemblance to mommy as well?My dad has been busy switching our old family slides into digital pictures, so it has been fun to see how both Linden and Christian look like their parents from when we were children.

Sleigh Rides and Twinkle Lights

We have been enjoying some holiday outings on these not too cold wintry nights. My parents' neighborhood had a horse carriage ride the Sunday after we arrived and a few nights ago we went to Hudson Gardens to view the beautiful display of holiday lights. Nothing says Christmas like warm mittens, white sparkly lights, and a cup of hot cocoa. Hope you are all enjoying this Christmas season. Any special outings?

Wordless Wednesday *All Bundled Up*

Cookie, Cookie, Cookie Starts With C

Usually by the time we arrive in Colorado for the holidays all the Christmas baking is complete, but this year since we came out a little sooner I have enjoyed baking and decorating with both my mom and my mother-in-law. Mmm, sugar anyone? :)

Linden helped too!

Christian is 15 Months

I haven't done a little C update since he turned one, so I thought it was about time for another. So where to start:

• Christian is generally an easy-going little guy and is very affectionate, but can also be quite determined. He has a strong mommy preference (hmm wonder why?) especially if I am within sight, otherwise he does pretty well with others.
• Christian loves live animals and literally squeals when he sees them.
• His favorite toys include anything he can put in and take out of a container, "feely" books, cars, and stuffed animals.
• C has excellent fine motor skills- he likes to point to what he wants, put caps on water bottles, clap his hands, etc. He loves to investigate toys and new objects. Maybe an engineer in the making?
• Christian is great at sharing. He loves to offer his toys to others, and will often trade for a different object. I am hoping that this will translate to being a good sharer as time goes on.
• His favorite game right now is hide-and-seek/peek-a-boo...it used to be me doing the hiding, now he is the one who likes to "run around" and hide.
• I put "run around" in quotes because Christian still gets around mainly by crawling. He is a speed crawler (as evidenced by the holes in his jeans.) And he has mastered the stairs up and down. He stands up and cruises around furniture, and though he barely uses it for support, he is still a little reluctant to let go and really walk independently. He took his first steps Wednesday 12/8 at 14 months. He also likes to "walk" on his knees. One of these days he will learn that walking on his feet is by far the fastest way around.
• Christian likes to talk, sometimes carrying on his own little conversations. His most distinct words are still "ma-ma" and "da-da," and a new one: "nom nom" when he sees food or is hungry. (I guess that is not really a word.)
• C's favorite foods include: MILK, oranges, cheese, pasta, bread, and peas. He is a bit of a picky eater. Sometimes meals are hit or miss.
• Christian most certainly dislikes: diaper changes, getting dressed, hoods and hats, and getting his hands and face washed after meals. And he is not afraid to let you know.

Looking ahead: We are excited to witness Christian master new tasks each and every day and cannot wait for the arrival of Daddy back home in these next couple of months (Steve has already begun his countdown! Despite not having an official leave date.)

Home for the Holidays

Last week my mom flew out to South Carolina for a few days to visit, shop, and help me fly to Colorado with crazy C man. (I wish I took more pictures.) Now we are home in Colorado on an extended visit through the holidays.

Waiting at the airport in Columbia.

Colorado has had some fabulously warm weather for December, and I cannot believe it- NO snow on the ground. Meanwhile in South Carolina, it has been uncharacteristically cold and they may even be expecting a little snow. Weather flip flop I suppose. But I am enjoying the beautiful 60 degree weather here and afternoon walks.

We look forward to spending time with our family and friends during our visit and enjoying the comforts of our Colorado home.

Hi Daddy! I Missed You!

Christian and Daddy's reunion. (C had just woken up for the day.) I believe that Christian definitely remembered Steve and was so happy to spend time with him. He talked about "da-da-da" the entire time.

This past week we drove to Tampa, Florida to meet Steve where he had flown stateside for a short TDY in the midst of his deployment. If only all deployments offered this luxury! Preparations for our travel were pretty short notice and despite an 8 hour drive from Sumter, it was completely worth it. Steve's mom was even able fly and meet us halfway in Jacksonville to break up the driving and help with Christian. Hooray for a date night (which come pretty few and far between even when Steve is home.)We were able to enjoy a full day together and the evenings. Grandma, little C man, and I went to the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa and Clearwater Beach during the days when Steve was "doing the stuff he needed to do."

With 4 months down and a couple more to go it was a huge blessing to see Daddy and to get a few precious days with him. An early Christmas gift perhaps? :o)

"Oh Daddy! I sure love you!"

Christmas Scrooge?

There will not be a whole lot of Christmas decorating at our house this year. Maybe a few things here and there, and no tree. :o( We would only get to enjoy it for about 1 week in December so I decided that it probably wasn't worth it this Christmas. We are leaving mid-December for our Colorado Christmas and will be in Florida most of this week.

Sooo...we helped our friend Leigh decorate her home instead. :o)

Christian decided to decorate the tree with a scarf he found after seeing us hang the lights.

Kensington Mansion

One of the places we visited while my in-laws were here last week was the Kensington Mansion in Eastover, SC. Like I have said before, I enjoy living in a place with so much American history. We went to the mansion randomly one morning, and received our own personal tour!

The 29 room mansion was built in 1854 and has been restored to its former glory only recently. Originally it was a plantation, then a dairy farm, then it was unoccupied for a time as it went into disrepair, and at its worst (though hard to imagine now) a storage building for grain and farm supplies.

Much of the information about Kensington during it's plantation years has been made available through a book written by Jacob Stroyer, a former slave who was born at the mansion.
(Above) This is considered the "front of the house" even though as you drive in it is on the back side. The front faces the Wateree River. The picture at the very top is what we thought was the front, but it is actually considered the back, even though it was used as the "entrance" and includes an exquisite foyer.
(Above) So this is the back- but entrance...strange huh? Some of the grounds. Only 1 slave cabin remains.

Check out the "Restoration" section from the website. Click on the little pictures on the bottom for more in depth pictures (before and after) and info. I find it so interesting!

Thanksgiving

"I thank God for you."
~2 Timothy 1:3 (NLT)

I know that I do not spend enough time thanking God for all that he has blessed me with. I am glad that we have a day set aside to rest and thank Him for the dear friends, family, and the multitude of ways that He continually pours out His love for us. But what about the other days of the year? I pray that we will remember all year long that each day is a gift. I have written just a short, general list of things that I am thankful for. Just for fun, leave a comment with 3-5 things that you are thankful for too. :)

1. My incredible family. Both sides. So very supportive and encouraging.

2. Our friends and neighbors. Those who have called during these past few months or have made the effort to reach out and love on us.

3. My wonderful husband. Serving our country and sacrificing for our freedom.

4. Our "baby" boy, Christian. Who brings joy and awe before me every day.

5. Jesus Christ, our Lord, Savior, and ALL.

Pears- the Real Deal

C's first real food was pears. Now it is even better!

Grandpa and Grandma's Visit

This past week Steve's parents flew to South Carolina to celebrate my birthday and to enjoy some time with Christian. We had been eagerly awaiting their arrival; it truly helps during Steve's deployment to have something on the calendar and something to look forward to. (On that note, these upcoming weeks are filling up quickly...which means the time will pass that much faster!)We enjoyed some beautiful fall weather while Grandpa and Grandma were here. We visited Swan Lake, the Sumter County Museum's "Backcountry Homestead," Columbia, Florence, and the Kensington Mansion in Eastover. Of course, we also enjoyed some wonderful food, shopping, and even a little girl time (thanks to Grandpa.)

I know Steve feels like its "Groundhog Day" quite often, but sometimes it feels like that here, too, on the home front. I was definitely in survival mode, with pleasant outings and time with friends here and there. Lots of days are so exhausting, evenings and weekends being the hardest. That being said, I forgot what it felt like to be able to have a spare moment to myself, to check my email, run a quick errand, or even use the restroom. Thank you both for making the trip out here to spend time with us, fix things around the house, hang pictures, etc. etc. and the adult conversation. :) We love you!