Christmas Spirit

Yesterday, we drove up to Oakhurst to spend the beginning of the holiday season with Andrew's side of the family. I was so excited to see snow when we came over the hill because it always starts snowing after we leave for my parent's house on Christmas day. Blake and I enjoyed sticking our bare feet in the snow (we had to really experience it). It is raining now so the snow will probably be gone by morning, but I am hoping and wishing for more.



Mia had a holiday choir concert this evening. Blake loved watching the choir sing and sat through an hour and half without a peep to watch his cousin sing. Mia impressed me with her singing and theatrics (aka fun, silly faces while singing).

Here they are before the concert began:


Using those pipes:


We left before the production was over (it was an hour after nap time) and a little boy ran up to us and handed this to me. It reads, " This is you, you are the cutest baby ever, God blesses you, Love Justin." That melted my heart!

Back In The Quilting Saddle Again

In November, I met up with an old friend of mine so our sons could have a play date. I found out that she is an avid quilter and oogled the quilt she made for her baby. She gave me some simple tips and ideas that inspired me to attempt more basic quilts (thanks Katie!).

I attended Skyla's baby shower today and presented her with this quilt. I hope her baby enjoys the funky birds. Of course, the quilt didn't turn out the way I really envisioned it (http://applecyder.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/three-little-birds-quilt/), but I reminded myself that I am a novice quilter and need to keep it simple.


My attempt at embroidery:


Up close bird:


The back of the quilt:


It is nice to be crafting again. Andrew has been a great sport because I decided to turn our breakfast nook into a sewing/crafting corner. Now onto my new found LOVE, knitting. Ew, I am addicted now. I love, love, love knitting and wish I had all the free time in the world.

Moments I Live For

These are the moments I live for.

Christmas In The Park

Last night we piled in the car and experienced San Jose's Christmas In The Park located in the middle of downtown. It was cold, but we sipped on hot chocolate and ate a churro to stay warm. Blake enjoyed seeing the dioramas and meeting Santa for the first time.


Crazy diorama. I showed Blake the one with the swinging penguins, but they looked like they were being hanged so we quickly walked by that one.


Listening to the choir sing silent night.


Busy workers.


Hey Santa! It looks like Santa is telling Blake what he wants for Christmas.


What a pair.


Our family loves Santa.


So this trip was originally planned as our "get the Christmas tree" excursion, but Andrew found the Christmas In The Park website before we left. So by the end of downtown San Jose it was already 8:30pm and way past Blake's bedtime. We forged on to find a Christmas tree lot, but the two we drove by were already closed. We were driving down a main drag and I told Andrew we should just stop by Home Depot since it was about a mile up. Poor Blake had to be woken up only to find himself in front of Home Depot amongst a million trees still bound and piled next to each other. I laughed and told Andrew we should buy a bound tree (without seeing it in its full glory) so we could just plop it on top of the Prius and enjoy the surprise of what the tree may look like. Andrew is such a good sport and agreed so we threw the thing up on the car and zoomed home. We were pleasantly surprised when the tree opened up to a normal tree shape. Pictures will follow once the thing is dressed! So much for a natural tree experience.


Fa La La La La, La La, La, La

Who's The Turkey?

Well, Thanksgiving came and went and like usual, reminding me what great friends and family I have. The food was delicious and Blake entertained me the whole way through. Here is Blake a couple of days before we started our travels. He chews on the foam discs, which then become slobbery, and then stick perfectly to his head. I only have a limited time when I can torture my child without him knowing.



The Burtons:
From the left (Amy my sister, her boyfriend Chris, Grandpa, Mom, Nana, Dad, Paula, Paul, Uncle Larry, Aunt Sandra, Me, Blake, Uncle Richard, Auntie Constance, Andrew)


Blake's Thanksgiving crocheted vest and shiny new shoes:

Time To Get Out The Kid Leash

I was so excited for Blake to start crawling so he would gain independence and explore the world. I didn't mean for him to push the limits! He crawled for about a week and then decided it was time to pull up on things. Then came the small steps sideways while holding on to dangerous things like the bathtub or the sliding glass door. Today, he tried to pull himself up on a shelf in his closet by grabbing the edges of his clothes and tugging as hard as he could. All of this is done without any balance mind you. We have had so many backwards free falls that I now can't get anything done around the house until Blake takes a nap.

I put Blake down for a nap and heard the weirdest sound. I thought for sure he was choking and I walked in to find him like this. So much for that nap.


When Andrew was in Ireland I stopped by Erin and Cliff's house in Stockton. Here is Blake hanging out with his surrogate father, Great Cousin Cliff.


Tonight, we started Blake on Kefir and he loved the stuff. He definitely didn't make this face.