Christmas Tree Farm

I'll start this post off with picture of my Ella Bear a couple 

weeks ago at a 1 year old birthday party for Grayson 

(Chris' teaching partner's son).  

It was a mickey mouse/fantasia themed 1st b-day party

hence the mouse ears on Ella's nogin.  We left Parker at home

with Granny in case you were wondering where he was...

 

Love this picture below of Chris and Ella watching the birthday

boy eat his cake.  There's just something about Chris with 

Ella & Parker that gets my emotions all goofy and out of whack.

  

Granny reading to Ella...

This one gets me all teary eyed too!  I LOVE this picture...
they look so much alike. 

Just had to see it again...but in color this time.
I couldn't decide which one looked better so I just went ahead and
posted both. :-)

Ella & Granny again...

That same day we went to the Old Time Christmas Tree
Farm out on Spring Cypress (the same place we took Ella
to the pumpkin patch).  We got to pick out and cut down our
very own Christmas tree!  This was a first for us and would
like to make it a tradition for the weekend after Thanksgiving.
It was a chilly day which seemed perfect for Christmas tree
hunting.  First, you pick up a saw and a measuring stick 
which Ella & Chris took care of while Parker and I watched.

Chris said, "Hey, I'm pretty close to 6 ft. huh!"  I said, "Not really honey."

Then you catch a trail ride out to where the trees are.  
We totally forgot the double stroller which would have been perfect
for this outing so I carried Parker in the car seat and Ella walked 
with Chris.  I also forgot the sling which would have been perfect too!

Here's one of my sweet little Parker snoozin.  He pretty much stayed
asleep the whole time.  His cheeks have definitely filled out...I just
love them and want to kiss them all the time!  And I do!  :-)

And just in case you didn't get enough of him in the last picture...
here's another!

Love these two!

Finally a picture of me and my Ella Bear!

The Christmas Tree Farm at sunset...

 

Ella likes to play chase right now and I've had to run after her
a couple times like in a parking lot...yikes!  I have to keep a tight
hold on the child or she'll dart off!

So, this is the tree that Ella personally picked. Chris asked
her several times if that was the tree she wanted and she kept 
saying yes so that was that.  It wasn't the prettiest tree out 
there but it was the one she wanted so we got it and it's
all dressed up at home in our living room now.

 

She even gave it a hug and a kiss.  She still goes up to it
and kissed it at home now.  hmmm...maybe a tree hugger 
in the future...LOL

Chris cut down our tree within a couple seconds...

Our hero!

Ella actually helped Daddy pick it up so he could carry it to the trailer.

So proud!

We had a really good time and hope to be able to do the same

next year!

Now on to a couple pics from my last days at home with 

my babies while I was on maternity leave...  :-(

Ella & Parker playing on the magic carpet...

Parker looking at his big sister...he loves to watch her
and is usually very calm with her.

I can't believe he is already 2 months old! Time flies by
way too fast!  He is rolling over, talking (cooing) and smiling
and I just can't get enough of him!  He is definitely his own
child though and very different from Ella.  Ella was a little more
independent and could be held by anyone and everyone and be
just fine for hours.  Parker does good for a couple minutes but 
then notices that he's not with me and gets a little anxious unless 
he is sleeping.  He takes little cat naps...ella took long naps.  
Parker wakes up 1 time in the middle of the night and Ella started 
sleeping through the night at 6 weeks.  He's definitely more of
a momma's boy right now.  He seems stronger earlier than Ella was.
He was already holding his head up in the hospital when he was born!  
He is a wiggle worm...ella wasn't. 
He spits up way more often than Ella.  I really don't remember 
her spitting up ever.  All in all he is a really good baby...Ella was
just exceptionally easy. We think he is pretty darn amazing though!
Think I feel a little more protective over him for some reason.
Maybe because he is a boy and everyone thinks they can be more 
rough with a boy like his daddy...LOL
Anyways, he is doing great and growing like a weed.  
He has no shortage of love, hugs and kisses!  Ella kisses him 
at least 100 times a day!  :-)

This little booger pretty much blows our minds daily with her
knowledge and vocabulary.  Her Grandma calls her our little
parrot because she can repeat anything and everything we say.  
She is very "as a matter of fact" right now.  When you ask her 
something she answers in a "as a matter of fact" way.  
Last night I asked her to go get me some diapers to put in her 
diaper bag and she brought me 1 diaper so I asked her to bring 
me "two" more and she did.  So, she knows her numbers really well!
As wonderful as she is, she comes with a bit of an attitude now...LOL
I thought since she was so easy as a baby that maybe we could bypass
the terrible twos but I was sadly mistaken.  She has her moments
of defiant behavior but she has many more moments of pure
unconditional love.  She has a big heart and loves to give hugs
and kisses.  She will walk up to us and hug our leg for no reason.
She is very in to her babies right now...probably because I hold 
and nurse Parker often.  Friday night while I was burping Parker, she
climbed up on the couch with me and started burping her baby the 
same way I was burping Parker.  She usually "nurses" or at least
acts like she is nursing her baby each and every time I nurse Parker.
We are going to tackle potty training right after Christmas so 
wish us luck and patience.  :-)

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and stays warm.

God Bless!