Christmas Wrap Up (Ha! Get it?)

Let me start by saying I am so blessed to have such a beautiful, loving, fun, and HUGE family! I thought growing up that my family was big... and then I went and got hitched to a boy with an even bigger clan; well, that's when things tend to get out of hand! So here is the low down of our Christmas events...

Ugly Sweater party... yes, that is a kitty on my shirt, we should have won!


Christmas Adam (or Christmas Eve Eve) was spent shopping and baking my head off, I don't know why, because I just ate all my goodies. Then out for a girls night drink (Diet Coke for me thank you) with my sister, cousin, and friend... this was the extend of the holiday "fun just for Emily with no work involved". Oh, and onion rings.

Christmas Eve was spent pondering the whereabouts of my Mother in Law who made the snowy trek down from Portland (She should have had a sled dog, but the Subaru seemed to do the trick). Just before the Christmas Eve church service started we got a call that she just made it into town. Yeah!! That was great news! After church we headed to my parents house for corn chowder and the first annual Cousins Gift Exchange. It went OK, next year I will make sure its not last minute! Everett also received his first pair of Christmas pajamas, a tradition in my family that we want to keep going for him.

Uncle BJ, Aunt Lisa and Ev in his jammies

Yeah it's Christmas! Everett woke around 7am (I was up earlier but had to lay in bed because there was no way I was going to look more excited than my kid! But I was) He immediately spotted the big yellow dump truck that Santa left him... He thought it was pretty cool, and fell in love when daddy put him in the truck and gave him rides! After our small present exchange between Ev, Doug, G-Ma and I we got started on breakfast... oh yes, I decided it would be fun for everyone (22 people) to come over for breakfast. My Martha moment quickly faded as people piled in my tiny house and the eggs wouldn't bake!! I slowly turned into a shreaking Martha monster and poor Doug has not left yet. Kudos to him. It all turned out and I hope people enjoyed the food and company. After a short break we headed over to a quiet pre-dinner visit at my parents house then headed to Doug's sister's for dinner with the Striley clan. Thankfully we ate fairly early so Doug, Ev and I were home by 7:30 and I'm not kidding in bed asleep by 8:30.



Friday was the big Nanny's Kids Christmas party and my cousin Carla's 40th birthday! The party was awesome, the kids had fun the grown ups had fun. Carla wore a tiara and was 40 and fabulous (NOT over the hill, that phrase was banned from the party, you would have been stabbed probably).


The rest of the weekend was spent at home with a sick baby... I think all the excitement just wore him down poor kiddo. On the mend now though!

Looking forward to an exciting 2009! Lots to expect, and be thankful for in the coming months.

Everett meet Santa

It's really strange that we are now in "seconds". Everett is celebrating his second Christmas this year, he had his second visit with Santa, he is ripping ornaments off his second Christmas tree, he received his second stocking (because the first one was a babies first Christmas stocking). This year is much more fun than last year, and I'm sure the fun will multiply until we have to start buying Wiis and cars and crap like that.

I thought I'd do a little "then and now" for you all to reflect upon, since I know my child is the most important thing in all your lives... haha... I suppose this is more for the grandmas and aunties.

If we don't see you, we wish you all a Christmas filled with the gifts of love, peace, family and laughter.

Love you!

Then...

...and now

Then, the failed Christmas card photo shoot...

...and now, the failed Christmas card photo shoot

Then, angelic Santa baby...

...and now, helpin dad chop down the tree

The Great Tree Adventure - or next global warming documentary

This is Doug's latest creation. I thought we were being primitive that day so please, picture me with movie worthy hair and makeup on, thank you.

I'm One Today! Ev's B-day party

I won't go on and on about Ev's birthday party this weekend... It was so much fun, and so much work! Next year, pizza parlor all the way! Here are some pics of the day:

Opening presents with wonder (or fear?)

NOT eating his cake... what a boring kid!

Cheese!

Evy and Papa, chillin before the guests arrive

We also went Christmas tree hunting this weekend and were able to get really high since there is no snow! We got a great tree, and mostly had a lot of fun on our adventure... Doug took some great video and I'll post it as soon as its ready :)

And then there were 4!

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! We had a beautiful weekend up in Portland with Doug's mom and aunts and family... We ate way too much, laughed pretty hard, and laid around lazily for 4 days. It was perfect :)

We have a LOT to be thankful for this year. We just found out that we are expecting a new addition to our family! #2, as we affectionately call it, will be joining us on or around June 23rd. So that is our big news, sorry to those of you that feel this official announcement is a little impersonal, it is pretty difficult to spread the news on an individual basis.

Ev will be turning one tomorrow! I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. He is now walking all the time, has going on 6 teeth, says mama and dada, and what I swear is "that". He is also developing quite a strong will, so that should make for an exciting year! AH!!

Here are some pictures to update everyone on our November adventures!

Out to dinner at Rockbottom Brewery with our P-Town friends and soon to be fellow parents

Doug makin the gravy
Grandma and all the aunts

Ev on T Day, He wore the hat for about 5 minutes and I think thats a cat toy he's chewing on.

Our lame attempt at a self family portrait

A couple of our professional family pics from this year

Its a Bird! It's a Plane!

Halloween is definitely better with a kid! We had a great day, starting out at the Ashland parade... always a sight to be seen! After the parade we headed home to pass out candy and then do a little Trick or Treating of our own. I felt pretty silly lugging an 11 month old around to take candy he will clearly not be eating, but once that first Butterfinger was dropped I was hooked! We ended the night at the Pres. Church's Harvest Carnival; it was so down home I felt like I was in a movie. It could not have been more perfect.

Superman and Dad at the parade

CANDY!

Ev and his cousins, Indiana Jones and the Beauty Queen

The next day we headed up to Grants Pass for a Cyclocross race in the pouring rain. Here's a pic of Doug after the race! Needless to say, that afternoon we bought Everett his first big winter coat, poor baby was cold!

The Great Pumkin (or maybe just OK)

We ventured to the pumpkin patch this weekend with Sean, Lacey and Payden... The boys had a GREAT time:
OK, so we didn't enjoy sitting on the tractor very much, but what a good time playing with pumpkins can be! I'm sending one of these shots into the Regis and Kelly cute baby contest! That is what all this stuff is for at Ev's age, it's all about the photo op!

Gimme Three Steps

I don't know what it is about me but doctors always seem to want to tell me something will happen "early". My OB, God love her (thanks Joe Biden), said I was going to go into labor early. Well three days after my due date I wanted to kill her. Our pediatrician thinks Ev will be an early walker but I'm not counting on it! And what is up with all the people talking about how their kid started walking at 5 weeks old and crap like that!? Like it's a competition and my kid is behind if he's not running the Portland Marathon at 10 months! That is annoying and if I ever do that please someone slap me or at least tell me to shut the hell up.

Anyway Everett is standing independently for longer periods of time and will take the occasional step. To tell you the truth I know how much work it will be when he is walking so I'm not rushing it. He has so much energy I know he will be a little speeding bullet shooting up my sanity.

Doug did a race series in K-Falls, it was mostly cold, but also a lot of fun. Cyclocross is a real spectator sport so we can all participate in the excitement. Doug also totally rocks and won 1st and 2nd and 2nd overall. What a guy!

Here are a few pics of our mellow October so far, it mostly involves bikes or some kind of bike activity.

Dad and Ev, workin on the bike

Klamath Falls - cold weather, weird people (no offense)

Cyclocross, like mountian biking but different

I love standing up like a big kid
(I do not like falling over on the gravel like a baby)

Static Guard, Anyone?

Ahhh, the joys of separation anxiety! Everett is now in full blown "separation anxiety" phase. The kid is clingier than panty hose put in the dryer! Last weekend we had a playdate with our friend Annie and the poor kid cried for an hour because Annie was so excited to see him she kept screaming in his face ( it was pretty funny actually, I wish I would have had our camera). He won't leave me alone, even to hang with Dad for a little while! He's making me a little crazy, any suggestions on how to deal??

On another note, I can't believe Ev is going to be 10 months old next week! He's so stinkin cute, we have more and more fun everyday (besides the whole tripping over him everytime I turn around).

Here are a few pics from the last couple weeks of September:

Sunday Ticket Look

"I can do it myself!!"

Future drummer (or chef)

Mt. Ashland Hill Climb

Top of Mt. Ashland

Fall is in The Air!

I love back to school time... Of course 9 months is probably to soon to start school, and Doug and I both are so busy with work and other "grown-up" business it almost passed us by. I just love the feeling in the air, the chilly mornings, the kids waiting for the school bus, everyone in their new fall school clothes (even though its 90 degrees outside!). It's alway been a special time of year for me. Many of my friends are returning to school to pursue grad degrees, one even returning to Oregon after being in Idaho and North Carolina the past couple years; Lacey, her husband Sean, and 1 year old son Payden are back. I especially am excited to have them back in the area, I've always imagined raising my children with my girlfriends and it is so fun to see Payden and Everett "play". They are either going to be great buds or hate each other, I guess we'll see!

September also brings a slowing in bike race season, although there are a few more races (thank you, whoever invented "cyclo-cross"). Doug had his best season yet winning first place in his first ever Duathalon (biking,running), first in an OBRA champ race, and placed in many others.

I am excited to have a little more time with my hubby and friends as fall slowly rolls in. I'm already making plans for various fall activities that we can now officially do because we have a kid! Everett continues to grow like a weed... he's still tall and skinny, he has so much energy we can barely contain him already, I don't know what will happen when he reaches 2! He's crawling at the speed of light and if he can pull up on something and walk around it he will. He also is getting much better at standing on his own.

Learning to drive already

With dad at Nana's new house in Portland

Payden and Everett (Ev's a little unsure about this weird kid!)

Ev and P in the hammock (holding hands, how cute?!)

2 Buck Chuck is Cristal of Medford

Those of you who attended Doug's brothers wedding this weekend will get the post title, if you are curious just ask me it's a pretty funny story. Moving on!

This weekend was the long awaited for wedding of Doug's brother Jayson and his Beautiful fiance Jessica. They have been together for 8 years and finally decided to take the plunge! It was a beautiful wedding and an insane party complete with Karaoke (who wouldn't wanna sing Wanna Be by the Spice Girls after 3 glasses of red wine?). Needless to say it was a LOT of fun. Evy was in heaven with all the people loving on him, I'm not sure if he touched the ground once!

Here are a few pics from this August, and from the wedding:

Hiking Grizzly Peak

so excited about standing up!

Still a little milk drunk from the night before...

Wedding pics:

Uncle Jay and Uncle Ty


Family Portrait
Beautiful Bride

Brothers
Papa Sarge and all the kiddos