A great year!

2012 has been such a great year!  It has been so fun and amazing to watch Stephen grow.  I feel like I say this all the time, but he is such a joy!  We are grateful to be his parents and can't wait to watch him grow more in 2013!

Photos by Wendi Schoffstall Photography

Christmas Break

My office closes from Christmas Eve through New Years, so I was off all week with Stephen.  I had so many fun things planned like after Christmas sales shopping, the Childrens museum, meeting my friend Ki for lunch, etc.  but Stephen and I both were so sick all week.  Noses stopped up, congestion, and just feeling yucky all over!  I felt so weak and was barely hanging on everyday until Stephen came home from work.  One morning, I thought I was going to have to call him at work and ask him to come home I felt so bad, but I stuck it out because I knew he wouldn't be able to leave work.

While I was disappointed that we were both feeling so terrible, I am actually really grateful for this week.  Stephen and I bonded so much this week and just played and cuddled together.  It was such a great week and I really wish I had felt better and documented things more, but sometimes it is ok just to be in the moment.

Wednesday, the day after Christmas, we were still feeling ok, so we got out of the house and ran a few errands.  It was COLD, so I put Stephen in his new Texans warm up suit from Annette and Jim.  Isn't it cute!!

Stephen was cuddly all week and it was so nice!



After a while he put his head down on the arm rest.  This is how you know he doesn't feel good!










Not in the mood for pictures, Mom!





















And that was pretty much our week!  Not very exciting, but I definitely enjoyed my time with my boy! I don't want to go back to work!!!

Christmas Decor

I didn't put up a lot of decor this year for Christmas, but did want to document the few things I did.

I love this Santa.  I put him on the entry table.



This is Stephen's new favorite spot to hang out.  He hung out here while I took pictures.



These trees were on the buffet in the dining room.



This is the chalkboard in the dining room.



I put these apothecary jars filled with fake snow and ornaments on the dining room table.





Here is the chalkboard in the kitchen.



In years past, I always put our Christmas cards in a basket or something, but then you don't get to see them.  I love getting Christmas cards and though this would be a great way to display them.  This wasn't all of our cards, but I forgot to take a picture with all of them up there.



Our mantle.  I just kept it simple this year, I usually add garland and all that.



I got Stephen's stocking at Pottery Barn Kids.



Now moving upstairs!

I was worried about putting up our tree and how Stephen would do with it.  We got out the tree and also a box with these stuffed Santa's my mom gave me.  Stephen could have cared less about the tree and was so fixated on Santa.  He really wanted to touch him, but was too scared.  He would forget about him and then all the sudden see him and run in the other direction.  Eventually, he warmed up to Santa and would hug and kiss him.  Everytime we came upstairs, he would run over to the couch and hug and kiss Santa.







We also got some great ornaments this year!

My dad's friend Steve made this for Stephen.  He widdled it from wood and then painted it!  So amazing!



When Stephen stayed with my parents recently, my mom made these snowman ornaments.  She dipped his hand in white paint and then put it on the ball and then she painted the snowmen!  I love it!





Aaron and Jessica gave us this ornament.  It is for Stephen's second Christmas.   It is so cute, I love it!  That isn't him in the picture, it's the one it came with.  I need to print a picture from this Christmas for it.



While I was taking pictures of the ornaments, Stephen thought the tree needed a little more decorations, so he added a few of his own.









When we were taking the tree down, we also found a few kitchen accessories stuck in there!  So funny!

If you watched our Christmas video, then you saw these.  My mom also made these with Stephen while he was staying with them.  I LOVE them so much!!!