Happy 36th!

Happy Bday to my very best friend in the whole World!  You are an amazing father and husband and I am so lucky to be your wife!  So... we may not have rung in your bday with an expensive dinner out at some trendy restaurant like we used to back in our early years, but Chinese take-out and a Kroger cake with the kids was just as memorable (not to mention much cheaper!:).

Wishing you a year full of health, happiness and love!  We love you!

Birthday Boy!

I cannot believe Caleb turned 2 this past week!  Where does the time go?  I still remember the day we found out we were having a boy!

*don't forget to pause the music on my playlist to the right :)

I remember the first time I laid eyes on your adorable little face!

And the day I held you in my arms for the very first time!

 And of course the day we introduced our son to the family! 

....and to your big sister who had no idea how much she would actually love having a brother (instead of a sister named Maddie)!

The first time you smiled at your Daddy and completely melted his heart!

                                                 ...and your first real best friend

                     I remember your very first steps caught on video!

Sadly, my baby boy is slowly disappearing.  In the past year, he has mastered walking, talking in short sentences, feeding himself, sleeping in a big boy bed, counting to 20 (with assistance), singing the ABC's and lots of other nursery rhymes, putting on his own shoes, and is learning to identify different colors. 

Here are some of his favorite things:

food:  yogurt drinks, apple juice, watermelon, pineapple, grapes, goldfish crackers, hot dogs, mac 'n chesse, cereal with milk, oatmeal, donut holes, and any type of sweet!

activities:  puzzles, building with blocks, running, jumping on the trampoline, coloring, painting, looking at books

shows:  Dora, Sesame Street, Frosty the Snowman, The Elf on the Shelf Movie

comfort items:  paci's and blankie

cutest phrases:  I love you,  all done _________ (night night, car ride), Good Morning, Nice to Meet You, Uh-Oh Skeddy Oh's!

favorite recent pictures of my 2 year old:

All About YOU at 2:
Since day one, you have had the sweetest personality.  You continue to be very laid back and love to be around people.  You LOVE your family and especially love your Grandma and Grandpa and Nana and Grandpa.  You are great with names and even though you are the youngest and newest in your preschool class, you learned everyone's name in just a few weeks.  Your teachers would quiz you over all the kids names and you would get a big grin, point to them and say "right there!"  They are amazed at how quickly you learn and have told us that although they try not to have favorites that YOU are theirs.  Here is a video of you singing Jingle Bells at your Preschool this past Winter.

You are very social and love to be around people.  You have a very warm and cuddly personality.  You will gladly give out big teddy bear hugs and kisses.  You love to make people laugh and love to perform.  You will say "Look Mommy, Daddy, Kenzie" and will then show off something that you are proud of or that you think will make us laugh.  You are very tender hearted and I invision you being a people pleaser in the years ahead.  If I give you a disapproving look when you are being mischevious, you will put out your bottom lip and begin to cry.  It makes disciplining you pretty easy, although I'm sure it won't always be!  :)  You are one active little boy.  You love to climb, jump, run, roll....anything that involves any type of movement!  You are curious about everything and love to put things together and take them apart.  We have learned that babyproofing does not really work for you, you have figured out how to squeeze your little hands through the locks to open them and enjoy taking out the outlet covers and pulling out the vaccum and trying to plug it into them.  The fact that you have not been electricuted, broken any bones or harmed yourself in any way is AMAZING to us!  I guess boys will be boys!  I love this video of you and your sweet Sister enjoying your Christmas toys in the basement.

....and here you are checking out your "big boy boy!" 

To celebrate your big day, we went out to eat for your favorite meal: chicken fingers and french fries.  We finished dinner with your favorite dessert....icecream!  This coming weekend we will celebrate with the family!

We love you more than you will ever know and are so proud of you!  Happy birthday, sweet boy!

Happy New Year!

2011 was a year of change for our family!  Here's to all that 2012 holds in store for us!  Wishing you a happy & healthy 2012!  Looking forward to a new year, new memories and new adventures!

Christmas 2011

Last year, we began a tradition with my family of exchanging gifts at our house on the night before Chrismas, followed by  Christmas Eve dinner.  This allows us to not rush around Christmas morning trying to be 3 places in 1 day. We get quality time with both sides of the family, along with special time Christmas morning just the 4 of us.

Nana, Grandpa, Great Grandma Monty, Aunt Emily and Uncle Cody came over around 4 for our gift exchange. Caleb loved helping pass out gifts this year (along with his big sis of course) and it was a great practice round for Christmas morning.  I was very surprised at how patient Caleb was this year waiting for his turn to pass out and open presents.  As usual, the kids were spoiled rotten by my family!  :)  Following presents, we enjoyed our traditional steak, shrimp cocktail and baked potato dinner.  It was a great night together as a family, and we feel so blessed to be able to make these memories together each year.

                                                   Exchanging Gifts Christmas Eve

Great-Grandma Monty and Caleb and Mackenzie

Nana and Grandpa playing Santa

Caleb with Uncle Cody and Aunt Emily

Mackenzie and Aunt Emily

              Big Sis isn't the only one in love with the new Princess Pop up Tent!

Aunt Em and sweet Caleb hangin' out!

                                              

Enjoying some appetizers before dinner

Dad and 2/3 of his girls (missed you Melissa!)

4 Generations

                                                               Best Buddies

Me and one of my favorite gifts....my amazing Dad!

Cody being "one of the girls!"

                                                               Preparing for Dinner!

                                                        Enjoying Christmas Dinner together!

 ...and then it was time to put on p.j's, lay out treats for Santa and his reindeer, and listen to "Twas the Night Before Christmas" read by Grandma Buzzard on a recordable book!

...and after storytime, it was time to get all nestled and snug in our beds....well the kids at least....Mommy started making breakfast casserole around 10:30 p.m., while Daddy finished wrapping last minute gifts....and after what felt like a few quick hours of sleep...some VERY excited children arose from their beds for some Christmas magic!

Christmas Morning!

Opening stockings with Daddy

Rippin' through the paper to see what  Santa left!

Kenz showing off her new Princess Yahtzee game and Caleb loving tearing off the wrapping paper!

I love this picture below.  Totally sums up what the morning looked like!

                                                       Daddy teaching Caleb all about tools

My sweet girl loving all her arts and crafts stuff

Caleb LOVING his new farm set.  His teachers at school said it is his favorite toy and to add it to his Wish List!  :)  They were right!

Mommy and her favorite 2 gifts...and I'm not referring to the best friend's dolls!

I adore this picture!  Big sis looking lovingly at Caleb hugging his favorite Christmas toy, an Elmo doll!

...and after unwrapping it was time for a quick tea party....

...and then Breakfast casserole, Grandma Buzzard's recipe.  Yummy!

After showering and loading up, we hit the road for Christmas with the Buzzards!  :)

                                     Best Buddies, ready to pile into the car....can you tell they're excited?

Ready to unwrap with the Buzzard clan!

Ella, Kaylee and Kenz opening their stockings from Santa!

I love the next few pics.  Such sweet memories from our day with the family!

The girls with their Figit Friends!  A HUGE hit!  We may have heard the phrase "Dance with me!" close to hundred times!!  :)

The boys bonding over a little train time!

BFF's!

....and there's not much I can say other than "boys will be boys".  I mean, who doesn't want to throw all the wrapping paper in the downstairs bathroom and turning it into a paper pit....do you know, Uncle Buzz?  :)

the mischevious Buzzard boys....we may be in trouble in the future with these 2!

...and THE BEST gift this Christmas, was the addition of sweet Ava, Chad and Kendra's  baby to the Buzzard family!  We had to squeeze in a visit of course to meet our new neice!  It is amazing how much I already love this little girl! 

...and Uncle Buzz is pretty smitten as well!

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year!