Christmas Day....Jesus and Family is all that Matters.....

Christmas Day was wonderful....except we were missing Zach as he spent the morning until 4 pm with his dad. Chris, Luke, and I woke up early and hung out not doing too much....lounging around and enjoying the snow on the ground from inside our home. We finally got ready and made the rounds to Aunt Joy and Uncle Gordon's and then moved on to Aunt Jan's house....where we met up with Grandma Karan, Great-Grandpa/Grandma Joe and Rose, Aunt Jan and cousin Cheyenne.

We headed home to welcome Zach and greet Grandma and Papa and later Grandma Karan. We opened presents and then ate some dinner that was cooked by Papa.

Here are some pictures of the great day to celebrate Jesus's birth!

Morning hair for Luke as always....

The best gift is my good ole thumb!!

Zach striking a pose in his new Hurley Jacket....

Deuce getting dressed up in his bow!

Chris took it off immediately, giving the excuse that Deuce did not like it,

Does it look like he really cares?

Aunt Joy and Luke....

Christmas Day.....Jesus and Family is all that Matters.... CONTINUE!!

Grandma Karan opening presents.....getting a kick out

of it!!

Papa and Daddy both LOVE Mr. O'Reiley....

Grandma with her boys.....

Great Grandma Rose and Luke....

Great Grandpa Joe and Luke....sharing a giggle!!

Just One Gift......

Christmas Eve was wonderful as we hung out at home....just the three of us! A tradition that has always been done in my family growing up was to open one gift on Christmas Eve. The kids chose Uncle Shaun and Aunt Jennifer's gifts (we let Luke open both of them). We ate Homemade Chili and listened to Josh Groban's Christmas CD....what a glorious evening!

Zach and Luke posing for one of many pictures.....

Luke playing with his new blocks!

Zach opened his new nerf flying disk game.....we set it up and all took

a try at it. I must admit, I hit the first one!!

Decorating the Tree....5 days before Christmas...oops!!

December was quite a busy month for Chris and I.....holiday parties, training Cadets, counseling clients, so on, and so on! Anyway, needless to say, we did not get our Christmas tree until 6 days before Christmas and decorated it 5 days before. The pros...we got the best looking tree for the cheapest amount we have ever paid!!

Posing in front of the tree this year.....

Luke putting an ornament up.....

The final result.....our beautiful tree!!

Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

The past week has been quite unusual for the Tri Cities....likely over a foot or so of accumulated snow with temperatures ranging from -3 (not wind chill either0 to 20 degrees. We are going to have a warm front come over us with temps in the 40's.....wow, we might have to take out the bikinis!!

Zach making extra money.....helping shovel snow....I did it just to burn

a few extra calories!! Stating in my head, 123...baby weight

must go!!

Pausing for a second to strike a pose together.....

Bad Morning Hair.....

Oh, the many wild hair days for Luke! His hair is definitely his trademark and in the morning, it can be quite crazy.

Here....you can see his wing in the back....

Sporting the twist in the front....

And the torpedo look...

It amazes me that even with this out of control hair, he can still be so darn cute. We have had a blast with Luke the past few weeks. He is growing into having his own unique personality!

Growing Up!!

My little Luke is growing up and getting cuter by the day. I put him in an outfit that was Zach's when he was a baby. The hood covered his hair and all you could see were his chubby little cheeks. It was the first time I really felt like he really looked like Zach. People have told me that and I did not think so, but today it showed. It is interesting that they can change in looks so much over time....anyway enjoy the pictures.....

Smiling for the camera! I absolutely love this pj outfit. He looks so grown up and adorable in it.....
Sliding down the slippery leather chair......

Cheese dog smilin'

Just staring....

I have the most adorable pictures of Luke's "bottom" after this bath,

but I will NOT post them because I am afraid of

child predators...sorry, but my line of work does

this to me...

Look, I can stand up against the ottoman now and I love it.....

Ben Stein....

Chris is far right (and proud of it)....I am moderate.....this election was so much about dollars and figures....for our family it was completely about morals and the hope that God's biblical principle are not forgotten!!

PLEASE READ!!

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning.
Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, 'Christmas' trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a preacher, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her, 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Katrina). Anne Graham (Lotz) gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.

My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein

Chris and Tiffany follow up with:
AMEN.....
I LOVE THIS.....
May God bless my family and yours.....we MUST keep GOD alive in our daily lives!!

Sidebar.....

I have started a section of my blog called Letters to my Boys. I want to write letters to the boys in my life, including my husband and two children; Zach and Luke. I did not want this to be a part of my original blog and will put it instead as a link on my sidebar. Please feel free to write comments to these postings as I will be saving them to a disc and giving them to our children so they will always be able to treasure the memories of their lives.

I am very excited about this and thankful God has instilled this idea within me as I believe it will be a precious gift for our children.

Letter to Zachary.....

Zachary,
I miss you immensely at this time. Chris is at work and I am here with Luke, watching him sleep through his video monitor. I read so many letters tonight of mommy's who have lost their children. I wish so badly that I could have you for just me. I know this is selfish because you have a wonderful father and I must share you because it is the right thing for you....it's still hard as I want you to always be with "our" family. I cannot imagine the pain that I have put you through having to go back and forth among your parent's homes. You are blessed to have great step parents....Chris loves you as his own. He considers having two sons, you and Luke. It still breaks my heart that you are away from me right now.

I pray that God will show you strong marriage through Chris and I. I pray that you will witness the way love should be and you can be the best husband and father to your (future) wife and children.

You are still my little man!! I am saddened by you growing up sometimes but in the next moment I am so proud of you and all that you have overcome. You are such a good, funny, intelligent, kind boy and I am so proud to have you!!

Love, Mommy

Da, da, da, da, da.....

My little boy began saying dada.....and this is the sound I have heard for the past 30 minutes straight. He says it soooo clearly.....still no sign of mama......

It's Crazy Out There.....

So, I did it.....

What you might ask....I went out shopping this morning. I know I am crazy. I hit Craft Warehouse first with the attitude "I am going to wait forever....and I am okay with that". I am supposed to be on a spending freeze these days, but I could not help myself when I saw the items in the add. I am looking to redo our laundry room in burnt red colored items. I have some cool tricks up my sleeve (well at least I think). I will post pictures if I ever get it completed.

I have so many projects I want to complete, but when on a spending freeze, it is tough.

Anyway, second store Kohl's. Oh my goodness, one hour long wait in line. I kept telling myself, it could be worse, I could have Chris, Zach and Luke with me......and that seemed to make it all better.....

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving Turkey.....

thanks to my dad!!

Just Chillin before all arrive....

Well the day is coming to an end and it was a spectacular Thanksgiving.....the only thing that could have made it better would be to have my sister, brother, and their families here to celebrate with us.

We had Thanksgiving dinner at our home this year.....it was only stressful for me right before dinner (which is usual because I want everything to go perfect, be hot, taste good, etc...etc...). Anyway after all that drama for me, we sat down, (I calmed down) and enjoyed being with family. We were able to share the holiday with most of Chris's side of the family as well as my parents. We are so grateful that our children have the opportunity to grow up around their family members.

We started a new trandition this year (thanks to Joy) where we wrote down what we were thankful for, put them in the basket, and went around the table taking turn reading each others. It was really fun and I want to keep it going every year, since this is what Thanksgiving is all about.

Thanks to God today for bringing us together......we miss those who are no longer with us......and those far distances.....

Also, the most memorable times for me this Thanksgiving were three things:
1. Chris's prayer
2. Zach being thankful for family and God.
3. Luke being with us for his first Thanksgiving.

Once again, I am reminded........we are blessed!!!

It's Getting Cold Outside.....

Boy is it getting chilly outside......Luke wore his hat (too big as you can see) and his coat (also too big). He rec'd this coat as a gift and you should see it close up, it is adorable!!

Zach at the Hawks...

So, probably now is not a good time to say we are Hawks fans....but hey, Zach always has a blast going to the game with Chris.....Check out his pictures:

No hotdog is better than at the game....

Posing.....as always!!

For those of you that do not know, this is Zach's pose for:
"I am soooo cool"

Goin' Shopping!!

Going shopping with Luke is sometimes a task in itself, but it is just about time for a new car seat, so he had to come!! The first car seat we put him in had gigantic side head bars and he began freaking out. It is a company from Germany that prides itself in safety, making seats for race car drivers. I really liked the seat, however Luke is the decision maker. We put him in the Britax, which is still veeery safe, and as you can tell by his face, he likes this one. We will order it in the onyx color, however because I like it better than the brown.

Buy this one mom, not the one you picked out!!

Dad was bored after a little bit with the car seats.....he found me a new toy that I want for Christmas!!

Sooooo Cute!!

I know everyone thinks there own baby is cute.....but come on, check this boy out. I was also going through Zach's old toddler pictures yesterday and he was the cutest little toddler around....wow I have good lookin' boys, (my husband too)....

Look at those dimples.....you could bury somethin in there!!

Just a Saturday afternoon outing....

How you doin'?

Shirt says: I know I'm cute...please stop staring!

So appropriate...

What's with all the pictures....

What a trooper big brother Zach is.....always being there for his little brother and willing to put up with the camera 50 times a day....

Come on, are you kidding me?

Okay, still doing the same thing as 5 minutes ago....

I can smile if with my brother....

Our Boy is Gaining Weight....Can you tell???

Most of you know that Luke has had some challenges gaining weight. He appears to be going through a growth spurt these days and I think you can tell on his little body....

Look at those cheeks!!

Flexin' my legs!!

Yeah, finally rolls on my legs....I cannot keep up with my cousin Julianne, but I am sure tryin'....

The Many Bad Hair Days of Luke.....

So most know Luke has some wild long locks since birth. He was born with a head of hair like no other. Every comment we got when he was a baby was.....oh my gosh, look at that hair!! Well it is now wavy and has a mind of it's own, so we thought we would share these photos for proof of Luke's hair gone wild!!!

Oh, mornings are rough....

Oh my, what crazy hair you have....

Check out the cowlick in the back!!

Daddy is Coming Home!!

Yeah...daddy is going to be home soon.....I did not write how much we missed him because I did not want anyone that is not close to us that Chris was out of town (you know...safety reasons). This is the first time Chris has had to leave Luke for any length of time and I think it was super hard for him......and us too!!

I have worked for the pst 5 days, I know boo hoo for the most that work full time 8-5 or more, but I have got to tell you I missed my little man soooo much. This mornin was not rush, rush...we just sat in bed together for an hour or so, sending daddy pictures and video on my phone.

Going to get my hair done this morning....tried to cancel, but they could not get me back in for another month, so forget that, mommy's got to look good!!

Anyway, have a blessed day.....I know we will!

Can't Wait until Wednesday!!

I know most people say, can't wait until Friday, but my Wednesday is my Friday at work! I worked this past weekend at the hospital and therefore I am really looking forward to having some time with my boys!!

Just a side note......I am listenin to my little boy make the cutest baby noises.....with the occassional grunt and loud poop. This will be the third diaper change this morning.....guess I should have just let him get it all out before messing with it!!

Have a great day!!

Chruch Time!!

Hey guys.....don't forget to say hello to Jesus today!!

Wine, Cheese, and Chocolate = Great Time!!

Something about Chris and I that you may not know is.....We love to Entertain!! Our home is perfect for it as well because the floor plan is very open. Anyway, Chris and I went wine tasting together a month or so ago and decided to have our own wine tasting party.

So.....last night we had friends over for our wine, cheese, and chocolate party. We had a variety of wines, cheeses, and a chocolate fountain (thank you Mandy) with different desserts for dipping....Anyway, each guest brought one bottle of wine and we displayed them for everyone to taste. We had our own tasting party in our kitchen. Anyway, it was a blast of a time.....

We stayed up until 3 am talking with our old friends!! I have not done that in ages, so anyway, needless to say, we are going to bed around 8 pm tonight.

I think this will become our annual fall party....wine, cheese, and chocolate....cannot wait until next year! Oh, the new patio with a fire was a hit as well!!

Donna, Jennifer, Kelly, and Miguel......too much fun these guys are!!

Donna and Jennifer...

Our favorite neighbors, Bill and Nancy....they are the best neighbors to have!!

Dan and Sarah.....our new wine buddies! Sarah and I work together and she has a baby one month younger than Luke! Her name is Viv and she slept peacefully in Zach's room the entire party!!

Not a good picture of me, but it speaks fun with Jodi!!