11 months

I say it EVERY month, but how in the WORLD is Hunter 11 months already?  Time has flown and it seems to keep getting faster.

Hunter is precious.  He has had some more ear trouble and we have become regulars at the dr.'s office.  I mean like once a week regulars.  However, his ears really don't seem to affect his mood too much, thank goodness for that.  Sleep is still an issue and that is just annoying at this point.  He is a happy-go-lucky boy and is really content most of the time.  He still loves getting out and about and will go to most anyone.  He is eating lots of finger foods now and that is FABULOUS!  It takes in forever to eat anything, so he sits in his high chair and eats a lot during the day!  Some will read this and say "no wonder your kids is so big", BUT I cut up a strawberry and it takes him 10 min to eat that.  He is just slow.

He is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything.  Especially my LEG at 5:00 when it's time to get dinner started.  So....mommy puts him back in his high chair and he eats.  Again!

Hunter, we love you so much and so happy that we got to celebrate your first Christmas with our family.  You are a blessing to us and we can't believe we will be celebrating your FIRST birthday SOON!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

These two are quite a pair

These two melt my heart

Pappy and Abby

The Bain Family of 4

Abby finding her bounce house

A gift from my father to Bo

Everyone had fun jumping

On Christmas Eve, we headed to church.  My mom stayed home with the two youngest because there wasn't a nursery.  It was a sweet time with Abby.  She loved it and was just worshipping away....hands in the air and all.  So funny.  We came home, ate, put the kids to bed and got ready for the night.  It didn't take us too long to get things set up and ready to go!

Christmas Day was a fun one!  Before we went downstairs to see what Santa had left, we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.  Abby was excited to find some things she had asked for and we spent the day enjoying new things and family.

We had a great December!  We were super busy and made it to Houston the first weekend and then to LR for almost a full week.  The kids did great traveling and I tried to make the most of all of the Christmas activities here at home.  I think we all had a blast and Hunter got to celebrate his first Christmas.  Even though we LOVE us some Santa, we tried to keep the focus on the birth of Jesus.  After all, that IS the whole reason for this season.  Merry Christmas 2011!  

an Arkansas Christmas - part 1

Mary and Hunter "watching" a movie

Allie making H laugh

Sweet Colson

Pappy and H

the kids playing in the backyard with the dog

Zach and Abs.  They are a pair.

Me, Katie, Meredith and my mom

Happy Birthday Jesus party

the 2 littles

crazy family fun

Abby loves Riley

We are back from a week in Arkansas and we are tired!  It was a BLAST and so fun to see all of the cousins together.  I know my parents are exhausted and happy to have their quiet house back!  The kids did GREAT playing together.  

We arrived on Tuesday and my brother and his crew were already there.  On Wed. my sister arrived and my mom threw a party for all of her friends so that they could all come by and see us and the kids.  It was so much fun.  Each one of those ladies holds a special place in my heart and I was so thrilled to see them all at once!  We did a lot of hanging out, running around, eating and playing.  There are WAY too many pictures for one post, so I will post Christmas Eve and Christmas Day pictures tomorrow.  A FUN week at HOME and a great time with my crazy family!

Merry Christmas 2011

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!!!  MANY pictures and stories to come.  Just got in today from a week in Little Rock.  It was a FUN, busy time with my sweet family.  Hope you all had  a great Christmas as well!

this past weekend

snowmen smores

Abby and her friend Reid at the neighborhood Christmas party

Prestonwood's family event - live nativity

Abby making an ornament

H did not like this Santa.  

Abby warmed up to him.

H listening to a story and 

Abby getting her face painted

The Dallas Baylor gang at III Forks

Hollywood made an appearance

white elephant - we got the shaker workout

We had another fun, busy weekend!  Friday was our neighborhood Christmas party for the kids.  We joined this play group when Abby was 6 months old.  These kids are some of her best buds and their moms are pretty special to me as well.  Didn't take too many pictures at this one!  Loved the snowmen smores idea, however!

Saturday we went to a birthday party and then to Prestonwood's family event that they have every year.  There are 6 stations set up.  They have face painting, cookie decorating, a live nativity, pictures with Santa, a craft and a story is told by Mrs. Claus.  After you complete each station, they mark your card and at the end you are given a free gift.  The gift is a whole nativity set.  What a blessing that church is!

That night, the Dallas Baylor gang met at III Forks for a nice dinner together.  We had our own room and we had a ball.  It was nice to get away from the kids for a bit and enjoy some adult time.  We have a Christmas party every year with kids, but now that we all have at least two kids it gets a bit crazy.  This was way more fun for this year and it wouldn't surprise me if we made it a tradition.   It is so neat that we are so far out of college and still remain so close.  Love each of these friends and love that our kids are growing up together as well!

We did a few other fun things as well...more pics to come!  Hope you guys are enjoying this month as much as I am!

White family Christmas card 2011

Ok.  So this is my parent's Christmas card they are sending out this year.  It cracks me up for MANY reasons.

1 - Most of us look like rag-a-muffins. We had been to the Arkansas/Texas A & M football game earlier that day and most of us had changed clothes already.  Also,  no one was there to take the picture.  It was sitting on the counter on a timer.  Cheese!

2 - You get a great shot of the BACK of Hunter and Colson's heads.  I guess no one needs to see their face anyway or maybe Mom and Dad think they are ugly?

3 - Abby has a silly grin on her face as she is staring at Allie and not the camera.  Again, cheese!

4 - Mom and Dad aren't even in the picture!

5 - Bo looks short and he is FAR from being short.  He usually is towering over everyone in our pictures together so I think he looks funny.  Sorry dear.


HOWEVER,

As I look at this card I also see a dove.  A dove that represents Reese and I love that.  I love that my dad has a precious, sensitive heart and last year also put the dove on the White family Christmas card.  I love that the dove is there.  I love that Reese is in heaven watching over us every day like the dove is above Katie and Jason's head.  Reese is very much a part of our family and always will be.  We all love her and miss her.  Not a day goes by that she doesn't cross my mind.  I know it never will.

I love my family.  All of them.  I am blessed and will never take for granted how much each one of them mean to me.  We are the Griswolds.  I love it.  Merry Christmas from the WHITE family!

happy birthday Jesus party

Today was Abby's happy birthday Jesus party.  The kids came into the room and recited the Lord's Prayer.  It was precious.  Then we made an ornament and a snowman treat to eat!  The children had made a few things for the parents and each of them I will treasure.  I love having Abby's sweet hands and feet on things and it's fun to see how much they grow from year to year!  Another fun MDO party this year!