Shad & Nicole, Our Story: Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree

After my last post, you may be anxiously awaiting to hear whether my heart's still a tomato splotched with moldy purple spots ... & I'm here to tell you Schizophrenic Nicole's cheery side showed her face today. Yay for Christmas!

This year, we decided to stay home for the holidays rather than travel home to Montana like we normally do. Not only is it super hard to travel during this time of year, it gets really hard to balance time between all of our family members without going crazy from bouncing around to 4+ different homes while in Missoula, we thought it was important that we start our own traditions with little Mister Mister this year.

So, here's a recap since we didn't get to see many of you this year:

Our Christmas tree

Our Christmas Stockings

Our handsome little man before Christmas Eve Service

Look at that sweet tie (courtesy of Miss Jill)

My boys getting ready for church

Handsome Handsome
(FYI - that's Shad in case you didn't recognize him.

He knew he was getting a new razor for Christmas, so he chose not to shave for almost a week.)

Cashe-man & Mama before Christmas Eve Service

Meeeeerrrrry Christmaaaaaas, fellas!

So bright-eyed & bushy-tailed.

This boy wakes up signing, "more, please" from his crib.

Here he is signing, "more, please" for some banana

(& mind you, he had TWO this morning - he's a monkey).

Gift #1 from Auntie Stace - very appropriately titled, "Hey! Wake Up!"

With a little help, Cashe unwrapped his gifts

(which was very confusing since he was told not to touch them for an entire month prior.)

"Uh oh, what's this?! It looks soft, Daddy."

It's a Pillow Pet from Grammie!

(Oh, and check out that mess.)

And now those dumb presents are out of the way so I can play with the ornaments on the tree.

(Speaking of which, he walked into the office the other day holding up an ornament while saying, "ball".

While I commended him on his discovery, he was scolded for touching the ornaments after he was told not to. He quickly signed, "milk" in order to make me smile & clap for him like I normally do.

He knows how to wrap Mom right around that tiny little finger.)

Christmas 2010 Gifts: Toy Shelf & CD Player

While he's still too young to know the difference, we thought we'd get practical gifts this year.

Cashe has so many CDs, but we have no CD player in our home (only in the car), so now he can listen to his CDs while playing in his room.

The toy shelf was probably more of a gift for me than for him; it took everything I had not to set that up a month ago & I sure had a ball organizing all of his toys today!