Lincoln & Sutton

Slow Down!

2012-01-23T12:06:00.002-06:00

Seems like we were just celebrating Sutton's first birthday and that day felt like just a few days since he was born. Wow, it goes by so much quicker the second time around.

New Years Eve

2012-01-23T12:04:00.001-06:00

New Years Eve has changed over the years. Here are the boys partying the night away!

It's a New Year!

2012-01-03T22:09:00.002-06:00

Here is a peak at one of my resolutions. Last year's resolution was to send more hand written cards, and I think I did a great job. I will continue to make a conscious effort to send handwritten notes to the people I care about. Text, smext.

This year is the year of the outdoors! Check out my latest read here. We are 3 for 3. Today we went for a walk/bike ride and checked out some birds!

Oh, and we also plan to eat fish at least once a week.

Cheers to 2012!

Thanksgiving Day

2012-01-03T22:07:00.002-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving Day, a little parade, a little cooking and a lot of eating. We hosted this year and loved breaking in our new dining table and chairs!

Place cards were turkey legs with each person's name. Sutton's ended up being a club, poor Lincoln

Christmas at a Glance

2012-01-03T21:55:00.004-06:00

These aren't in any particular order, but they will give you an idea of what December looked like for the Blake family!

I did so many crafts this year, but this one stands out at my favorite. Made one for each boy, and plan to do them each year moving forward!

Trains at Northpark

My boys!

Sutton's loot

Lincoln's loot...love that his new kindle fire looks on fire:)

His Firetruck, the number one request!

Sutton kept saying beep beep!

Santa came!

Best.Picture.Ever

A little Elf on the Shelf action

Can I just tell you how much I love love love my tree!

What?!?

Santa's village in Richardson

Santa Clause

Dallas Zoo & Friends

2011-11-11T15:51:00.005-06:00

We enjoyed a perfectly perfect fall day at the Dallas Zoo. Sutton and Maddie were real troopers. Sutton skipped his nap, but managed to enjoy the animals. Lincoln and Brenden were the tours guides, leading us around and climbing on every single rock they could fine.

Best Friends!

Sweet Lincoln

My family

Lincoln and Brenden

Two little monkeys

Matching brothers

My boys

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-10T15:09:00.006-05:00

I love going to the Pumpkin Patch as a family. It's one of our favorite parts of the fall season. Here are a few shots from our trip today.

Reading!!!!

2011-09-06T14:30:00.002-05:00

Our 99 days of Summer Reading is over. Lincoln and I read over 99 new books between Memorial Day and Labor Day, not to mention how many books we re-read. He founds several new favorites as well as some new favorite authors and topics.

He has become quite the little reader. He is reading most three letter words by sight and can sound out most words he doesn't know right away. He read the entire first sentence of a new book he got for his birthday including the word beautiful (maybe just a lucky guess). We are really excited to see what he will learn in the coming months.

If you aren't reading to your kids regularly, start! In my opinion, its one of the most important things a parent can do.

Impromtpu Photo Shoot

2011-08-28T16:43:00.001-05:00

We took these before church this morning. I love seeing these sweet boys side by side.

Best.smiles.ever!

2011-08-22T15:32:00.002-05:00

Sutton's personality is really presenting itself these days. He is so funny and really responds to laughter, humor and playing around. He laughs so loudly and smiles so big. Lincoln is always cracking us up, but Sutton might just be the comedian in the family.

Loving on Daddy

Summer Happenings!

2011-08-05T15:45:00.005-05:00

Brothers

Rocking with Lincoln

10 months!

Mckinney's newest snow cone place. Lincoln loves blue vanilla

Oh brother. I have the same pic of Lincoln doing the same thing in the same outfit

4th of July family

Parade time

It was HOT!

Annual trip to the lake

JOY!

5x7 Folded Card

2011-06-10T15:09:00.001-05:00

Alphabet Blocks Father's Day 5x7 folded card

Find unique birthday and Valentine's cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

This and That

2011-05-31T21:54:00.006-05:00

Just a few random pictures to share...a little peak into our everyday lives! It's basically equal parts dirt and smiles.

Loves his daddy
Lincoln and his best friend at school, Ryan

My little boy grew so much this year.

Crawling

Hello, summertime!

Allen worker truck Rodeo

Dream come true...

Check out those chunky thighs!

Lincoln and Truett Bridges, fast friends!

8 months

Preschool Open House Showing off his artwork

Love this one

99 Books on the Shelf

2011-05-30T10:31:00.032-05:00

As the unofficial start of summer, and day 1 of our 99 day countdown to Labor Day, Happy Memorial Day! Lincoln's favorites are in bold italics

Here is our official list of new books. Remember, the goal is 99 new books by Labor Day.

May 30 - Boo Hoo Bird by Jeremy Tankard

May 31 - The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

June 1 - Cars: Rushing! Honking!Zooming! by Patricia Hubbell and Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems

June 2 - David Gets in Trouble by David Shannon

June 3 - ABC USA by Sterling

June 4 - Hello Baby by Mem Fox (we love this author)

June 5 - re-reading old favorites

June 6 - This Tree Counts by Allison Formento

June 7 - Bubble Baby by Margaret Mahy

June 8 - Truck Stuck by Sallie Wolf

June 9 - Slowly, Slowly, Slowly said the Sloth by Eric Carle

June 10 - Whoo! Whoo! Goes the Train by Anne Rockwell

June 11 - Today I will Fly by Mo Willems

June 12 - Round Up: A Texas Number Book by Carol Crane

June 13 - If Animals Kissed Goodnight by Anne Whitford Paul
June 14 - More, More, More by Vera Williams

June 15 - Cars (learn to read book), Fruit (read and learn book)

June 16 - Trashy Town by Andrea Zimmerman

June 17 - Where Did Daddy's Hair Go by Joe O'Connor

June 18 - Roadwork by Sally Sutton

June 19 - Who's Hiding by Satoru Onishi

June 20 - How Do Dinosaurs say I Love You? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague

June 21 - The Goodnight Train by June Sobel

June 22 - No David! by David Shannon

June 23 - L is for Lonestar: A Texas Alphabet by Carol Crane

June 24 - Fire Engine Man by Andrea Zimmerman

June 25 -The Grumpy Dumptruck by Brie Spangler

June 26 - The Wheels on the RaceCar by Alexander Zane

June 27 - The Close Shave, Seeds (both learn to read books)

June 28 - Garbage Trucks by Terri DeGezelle

June 29 - Being a Pig is Nice by Sally Lloyd-Jones

June 30 -The Patterson Puppies and the Rainy Day by Leslie Patricelli

July 1 - Heavy Equipment up Close by Andra Serlin Abramson

July 2 - Naughty Little Monkeys by Jim Aylesworth - The First Pup - The Story of how Bo Got to the White House by Bob Staake

July 4 - A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry

July 5- Pierre in Love by Sara Pennypacker

July 6 - All Aboard by Mary Lyn Ray

July 7 - Hallowiener by Dav Pilkey

July 8 - Out of the Ballpark by Alex Rodriguez

July 9 - Pajama Day by Lynn Plourde

July 10 - The Old Blue Pickup Truck by Candice Ransom

July 11 - Book Fiesta! by Pat Mora

July 12 - Doodle Day by Ross Collins

July 13 - Boats by Patricia Hubbell (great author for boys)

July 14 - Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Rosenthal

July 15 - The Little Dump Truck by Margery Cuyler

July 16 - Mean Soup by Betsy Everitt

July 17 - Apples and Oranges going bananas with pairs by Sara Pinto

July 18 - This is the Van that Dad Cleaned by Lisa Campbell Ernst

July 19 - Fire Engines up Close by Ambramson

July 20 - Good Dog Carl by Alexandra Day

July 21 - Time to Sleep, Sheep the Sheep by Mo Willems
July 22 - Too Many Toys by David Shannon
July 23 - And to Name but Just a Few: red, yellow, green and blue by Laurie Rosenwald

July 24 - Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson
July 25 - Peg Leg Peke by Brie Spangler
July 26 - Curious George in the Snow by Rey and Giorgio and his Star Crane Train by Jessica Spanyol
July 27 - Machines at Work by Byron Barton and Dump Trucksby Sarah Tieck
July 28 - I'm Big by Kate McMullan and Trains by Patricia Hubbell
July 29 - Never Take a Shark to the Dentist by Judi Barrett
July 30 - Opuestos by Cynthia Weill
July 31 - Hands growing up to be an artist by Lois Ehlert and Big Words for Little People by Jamie Lee Curtis
August 1 -Starry Safari by Linda Ashman
August 2 - The Uglified Ducky by Willie Clafin
August 3 - Tip Tap Pop by Sarah Lynn and Three Nasty Gnarlies by Keith Graves
August 4 - My Car by Byron Barton and The Alphabet from A to Y by Steve Martin
August 5 - Showdown at the Food Pyramid by Rex Barton
August 6 -I'm Bad by Kate McMullan
August 7 - Rattle and Rap by Susan Steggall
August 8 - Fire Safety in Action by Mari Schuh
August 9 - Trains by Patricia Hubbell
August 10 - Duck on a Bike by David Shannon, Let's Save the Animals by Frances Barry
August 11 - Guess Who by Mac Barnett
August 12 - Wheel Loaders by Derek Zobel
August 13 - Down by the Station by Jennifer Riggs Vetter
August 14 - I Broke my Trunk by Mo Willems
August 15 - Dig! by Andrea Zimmerman
August 16 - Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
August 17 - Roger, the Jolly Pirate by Brett Helquist
August 18 - Charlie the Ranch Dog by Ree Drummond and The Owl and the Woodpecker by Brian Wildsmith
August 19 - Soccer Hour - by Carol Nevius
August 20 - Shortcut by Donald Crews
August 21 - Whatch me Throw the Ball by Mo Willems
August 22 - Splitting the Herd by Trudy Harris
August 23 - An Awesome Book of Thanks by Dallas Clayton
August 24 - What We Do by Reg Cartwright and Tweak Tweak by Eve Bunting
August 25 - Dinosaur vs The Potty by Bob Shea
August 26 - Smash! Mash! Crash! by Barbara Odanaka
August 27 - Grandpa's Tractor by Michael Garland
August 28 - I'm a Shark by Bob Shea
August 29 - Truck Driver Tom by Monica Wellington
August 30 - Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin
August 31 - I Knew You Could by Craig Dorfman
September 1 - Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door by Adam Rubin
September 2- Wow! Ocean by Robert Neubecker
September 3 - F is for Firefighter by Dori Butler
September 4 - The Useful Moose by Fiona Robinson and Even Firefighters Hug Their Moms by Christine MacLean
September 5 - Michael Recycle meets Litterbug Doug by Ellie Bethel

A Summer of Reading

2011-05-25T10:00:00.005-05:00

There are 99 days of summer between Memorial Day and Labor Day. My goal this summer is to read 99 NEW books with Lincoln and Sutton. As a boy mama, I know how important it is to foster a love of reading, especially for boys. I'm so glad that despite Lincoln being a ball of energy, he loves to sit and read. I'm going to keep a list on the blog and update it. We'd love you to follow along with us and suggest books your preschoolers love. I've compiled my list from several sources. We are headed to the library today, so stay tuned!

Bunny Boys

2011-04-19T11:01:00.004-05:00

We took Lincoln's picture with the Easter Bunny his first Easter, so to keep things even and for the sake of picture comparisons, here is Sutton with the bunny, too.

Lincoln

Sutton

my boys

Looking less and less like each other

2011-04-18T16:44:00.001-05:00

Lincoln at 5 months Sutton at 5 months

Lincoln's Easter lookback

2011-04-18T16:35:00.004-05:00

7 months

18 months

2 1/2

Love this sweet boy. Even though he loves to play outside, getting dirty and sweaty, he still loves to dress up and "look handsome". Can't wait to see both my boys in their Easter Sunday best

Bluebonnets

2011-04-13T15:22:00.004-05:00

We headed out to take some Bluebonnet pics, but it was sooooo windy and Sutton wasn't really having it. We took a few and headed home. In the car, I was scrolling through the pics and saw some really good ones. Of course, I didn't do a great job shooting b/c I assumed they would turn out poorly with the wind, etc. My friend Jennifer from high school edited a few for me (taking out some shadows and hiding Lincoln's phantom foot over his head). She has a photography business in Florida and is very talented. I can't thank her enough for taking the time to share her talent with me, gratis. Check out her work here.

PS: Could they be any cuter?

St. Patrick's Day Blake Style

2011-03-30T16:15:00.003-05:00

In keeping with my "we don't wear character/screen tees" stance, I opted for creativity this St. Patrick's Day. Suspenders for Lincoln and a green, sequin bow tie for Sutton. They looked great and thanks to the $1 bins at Target, only cost me $2.00!

Dinner is served!

Sleepy time

2011-03-30T15:56:00.002-05:00

I've got some seriously happy kids. Little Sutton was smiling while he slept the other night.

And in other news, Sutton is rolling all over the place. He's been rolling tummy to back for sometime now, but has just started rolling back to tummy and over and over and over. He cleared half the family room the other night. However....STILL NOT SITTING UP:)

Cookies

2011-03-30T15:48:00.002-05:00

Sutton and Daddy taken last night before bed. Sutton is so interested in life right now that he hates to be in his carseat, or out of eyesight. He wants to be smack dab in the middle of everything. Hum...wonder where he gets it?!?!

After bath with Daddy

Lincoln's cookies

Proud and back in order

Trying them out

The older Lincoln gets the more I'm reminded of just how special this time is. He is such a sponge, picking up on jokes, sarcasm, inside jokes, accents, etc. It's funny to watch. He is also asking more and more questions about Jesus, the Bible, etc. We've been talking about being kind and helping others. We made cookies for some friends who have recently brought home new babies. I want him to serve others and not always look for people to serve him. He has such a sweet little heart that he is anxious to help. He has also been a mama's boy A LOT lately which is just fine with me.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner

2011-03-17T13:43:00.002-05:00

Lincoln spent the night with my parents today, but when he comes home, his dinner will be magically delicious!

JOY!

2011-03-02T15:25:00.003-06:00

I never would have thought in a million years that Sutton could be as cute, sweet or funny as his big brother. This little guy the best smile; it takes over his whole face. He is cuddly, a great eater and falls asleep like a champ...staying asleep is another story. We are soaking up every minute because he will be six months old next week! Love this baby boy!

Finding his toes

Got it!

Love this one, toes and fingers! Guess who taught him this one?

Smily!

Trying out his new swing

No I Will Not Take a Nap

2011-03-02T15:22:00.002-06:00

So........we are up and down with naps around here. Most weeks we can squeeze 3-4 naps in, particularly on Monday and Tuesday, after busy weekends. So, some days he goes down easy and other days we just rest. Sunday, after declaring he wasn't tired and didn't need a rest, Ryan found him here. Ryan panicked at first b/c with the light off, you couldn't see him at all. Love this little boy!

Uncle Nathan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-02-21T12:59:00.003-06:00

Ryan's brother Nathan came for a visit this weekend. Lincoln shared his bed with Nathan, but it was totally worth it to him. Lincoln had the best time and didn't let Nathan out of his sight for a second. They played basketball, the Wii, hot wheels and Nathan helped him drive his power wheels truck. Lincoln didn't want him to go.

Dinner last night at Twisted Root

Bed time stories

Sutton got a little attention too!

Surprise!

2011-02-21T12:56:00.001-06:00

Mike and Jody were visiting their college friends in Frisco this weekend and stopped by to say hi on their way home. They brought Lincoln a puzzle with construction vehicles. Do they know him or what? What a fun President's Day Surprise!

Lincoln

2011-02-14T21:17:00.001-06:00

Lincoln on his first Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T21:03:00.005-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day! We had a fun day playing around and just being together. We read the Valentine's book Auntie Holly sent him. We did a few photo shoots with Sutton, he was such a ham. We made some strawberry rice krispy treats and had a quick dinner at Petra. When we got home, Memer and Gigi had left the boys some loot. Lincoln did his treasure hunt for his Valentine's present. He got some fruit snacks, sugar free Bubblelicious gum, bubble bath and a TruckTown activity book. What a fun day with my boys.

Too many kisses Mama!

Two was plenty!

I could look at this sweet face all day long

Valentine's Day treasure hunt

More clues

Clue

Sutton Button

Snow, Day 4

2011-02-11T16:11:00.003-06:00

Ryan took Lincoln outside on Saturday morning to play in the snow. They were outside for almost two hours. It was sunny and not too cold, so they really had a ball. Ryan is such a good daddy, he is fun and always ready to play with his boys. Here are some of my favorites of the morning!

A little of this, a little of that!

2011-02-11T16:04:00.003-06:00

Dressing up with Uncle Brian

Hiding

Brushing his teeth!

Bored at home on day 4 of snow!

Daddy

Naptime with his lion pillow pet

Smashing our old hard drive

Reading to Brenden

Lincoln knows this book word for word!

Lincoln Things

2011-02-08T18:26:00.002-06:00

Lincoln was telling me about his morning with Memer. "First we went to Dick's and played some golf, then we looked at the tents and last but not least we went to Chick Fil A". I had sprite, but it doesn't have caffeine, don't worry Mom".

When I dropped him off at school today, the director helped him out of our car and said, "Lincoln, everybody wants to be in your class next year". To which he replied, "yeah, I know".

Lincoln "read" his first word yesterday, whoppers. He studied it, sounded it out, and proudly said "Whuppers". Close enough!

"I can't have any water Mom, it's got milk in it". (Since I'm dairy free these days, Lincoln has picked up on my milk free items).

Snow!

2011-01-20T11:22:00.002-06:00

I overheard someone say the first day of Spring 2010 it snowed 10+ inches and the first day of Winter 2010, it was 80 degrees. We have some crazy weather and this year started off the same way. Lincoln loves the snow, he played for hours over the three day period. Ryan and my Dad were his playmates...I couldn't take it!

My vantage point

Picture Perfect

Hot chocolate break

Sutton enjoying the fun with his huge gloves

Happy New Year!

2011-01-20T11:19:00.001-06:00

Ryan and I enjoyed a movie and a very early dinner on New Years Eve. We had to get up super early the next morning to head to Austin for Ryan's sisters wedding. Here's to a great 2011!

Guess Who?

2011-01-18T14:53:00.000-06:00

Christmas Day!

2011-01-09T21:56:00.007-06:00

Sutton with his loot!

Sutton and the Gingerbread Theme

Lincoln with the Gingerbread Theme

Lincoln and his loot

Sucker time

Christmas Morning

Haulin' gifts on his new car transporter

Gran!

Christmas Morning

First thing Christmas morning

Brothers!

One of the season's best!

Christmas wonder!

After the Christmas Eve service

Sweet Boy!

2011-01-09T21:49:00.000-06:00

Twins

2010-12-26T21:54:00.003-06:00

While I don't think they really look alike now, it is almost impossible for people to tell them apart in pictures. Lincoln's baby pictures look JUST.LIKE.SUTTON'S!!

Great Grands, Aggie Basketball and Sutton Button

2010-12-26T21:44:00.003-06:00

Ryan's grandparents came for a visit and for baby dedication.

We took Lincoln to his first A&M basketball game. It was his first Aggie sporting event. It was the Saturday before Christmas at the AAC and he had a ball. We met up with Mark and Brenden and the rest of our local Aggie Friends. And the Aggies won in OT!! WHOOP!

Singing Aggie War Hymn with Daddy and Memer

before the game...

BFF's

Christmas Stuff

2010-12-26T21:36:00.002-06:00

Love his little Elvis Lip action

This boy loves his mama, let me tell ya!

Trains!!!!

2010-12-26T21:31:00.002-06:00

We took Lincoln to see the Northpark train display for the very first time. He was so excited and had a ball. We spent about 45 minutes looking at the trains and examining every single detail.

Northpark Santa

2010-12-26T21:17:00.002-06:00

I'll say it again, I love Christmas. It's a big deal around our house. What I love most about Christmas are all the traditions. I love doing the same thing year after year and looking forward to the traditions all season long. When Lincoln was 3 months old, we took him to see the Northpark Santa. Mark, Shannon and Brenden came too. We met for breakfast and then headed to the mall. It's been a tradition ever since. So much so, that Ryan takes the day off and we make it an all day event! This Santa is so worth the wait and the steps it takes to get a seat on his lap, but he is the best Santa around. Don't get me started on the creepy Santa's who wear PJ tops, ICK! Click here to see the post from last year's visit.

Waiting in line with best friend Brenden

Talking to Santa

I want a garbage truck and a telephone line repair truck Santa!

My two babies

Sweet boys!

Sutton's turn!

2010-12-26T20:56:00.005-06:00

Santa's Village was such a big hit last year, we came back again this year.

With Mrs. Claus in 2009

2010

Making Reindeer Food

In the sleigh with Sutton 2010

2009

He has a thing for gingerbread girls!

2010

This year with a gingerbread boy

Sutton stayed toasty warm in the carseat!

Frosty and Lincoln

Another Model is Born!

2010-12-26T20:52:00.002-06:00

I got an email from Lincoln's agent looking for newborns/babies for an upcoming shoot. I quickly took and sent her these two shots and the rest is history. Ha ha ha! Sutton went on his first shoot a few weeks ago and did great. Unfortunately he was a bit too small for the outfit, so his picture won't be used, but the boy still got paid:) The best part is we didn't have to do all the paperwork, interview, etc that we did with Lincoln. Sutton is officially Kim Dawson's newest model. We think Lincoln's Black Friday ad got pushed back, so we are still looking in the JC Penney ad each week!

Christmasy Stuff

2010-12-26T20:37:00.002-06:00

Here is some of the Christmasy stuff we've been able to do this season. I love Christmas because my parents love Christmas and hopefully Lincoln and Sutton will love Christmas because Ryan and I love Christmas! Notice Lincoln's large collection of Christmas shirts and sweaters! The only time he gets to wear cheesy clothes!

Tree at the Galleria

Lunch and Shopping at the Galleria

Helping Mama wrap gifts!

At our SS Party

Sweet Sutton

The Boys

Lincoln loves Frosty!

Chilly Evening Carriage Ride

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

Sutton is 1 Month Old

2010-10-18T18:44:00.001-05:00

1 Month Picture

11 lbs 8 oz, gained 4 lbs since birth

Brothers!

Sweet Baby Faces

2010-10-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

Brothers: Side by Side

2010-09-29T15:14:00.004-05:00

Everyone has commented on much Sutton and Lincoln look alike. Here are two hospital pictures to compare. Each day that goes by, I see more and more similarities. They have similar temperaments and facial expressions.

Sutton Reece Blake

Lincoln Gage Blake

1 Week Photo Shoot

2010-09-28T12:23:00.004-05:00

Our newest addition

A family of four

My handsome boys

A favorite of mine

Lincoln needed a break

I love my family and love how they love on my boys

Ahhh, baby feet!

First Few Days...

2010-09-20T19:09:00.002-05:00

Ryan's parents came on Monday and got to help us leave the hospital

Ahhh, heaven!

Family!!!

Uncle Dillon and Tia Maria came to visit!

Happy Birthday Sutton

2010-09-20T15:36:00.005-05:00

Here is a quick synopsis of Sutton's arrival. It started off almost identical to Lincoln's. Saturday night, 9/11 we ate pizza for dinner (I had pizza the night before Lincoln was born too). My water broke around 1:15am (my water broke with Lincoln around midnight). We called my parents and Dad came over to stay with Lincoln while we headed to the hospital. We got there around 2:20am and they put me in triage. I was having a few contractions, but nothing painful or consistent. After confirming I was in labor, they started the IV and monitors and moved me into a room. The triage nurse was my birthing class teacher three years ago with Lincoln. She remembered us and was so nice to let Ryan walk around and choose what room we wanted. The big birthing suite, room 12 was open, so he picked it. I was 2cm (and had been for about a week) at 4am when they moved me to the room.

With Lincoln's delivery, I progressed so fast, the epidural didn't have time to catch up to the pain and I ended up with a lot of painful back labor until they could regulate the meds. Luckily, my doctor had advised me to get the epidural early and before they started Pitocin. So, around 7, we got the ball rolling and by 730 the nurse anesthetist was working on me. At 815 I had bumped to a 4cm and less than an hour later the nurse came in and I was 10cm and 100%! I asked if I could sit more up right and she said "not unless you want that baby falling out before the doctor arrives". My doctor's practice is on call all week and 6 out of every 8 weekends. Just my luck this was the one weekend they weren't on call. So I ended up with a brand new dr I had never met! Dr. Chan was really nice. She was young and female like my doctor. I wasn't' nervous, but surprised how quickly I progressed. She almost didn't make it. I pushed for about 20 minutes and out he came. The labor was much easier this time around, but the pushing was much harder. Sutton was wedged way over in my left side. But, he found his way out. His umbilical cord was in a knot. The nurse said that because his cord was so thick (it was HUGE), that it kept it from pulling too tight and cutting off his lifeline to me. We thank God for protecting him those 9 months.

I ended up having some postpartum bleeding and was kept on Pitocin for another 12 hours and took some medicine to keep it under control. But again, God was in control and protected me during those hours following the birth. Definitely more drama than I expected. I really love the suspense of not knowing when the baby is coming and am so grateful I got to avoid inducing. After the labor and delivery, the doctor and nurse told me my little body was made to have babies. Don't tell Ryan:)

Sutton Reece Blake was born 9-12-10 weighing in at 7lbs, 13 oz and 20.5 in Lincoln was also 20.5 inches and weighed 7lbs 15.5 oz.

Waiting

Mr. Sutton Reece Blake

just minutes old

7lbs, 13 oz

Memer and Gigi

Grandma Fast

Grandpa Fast

Cousin Cason and Sutton

We think he looks exactly like Lincoln

First Bath

I love a cuddly, sleeping baby!

Big Brother Lincoln and Baby Sutton meet at last

Brothers!!!!!!!

Daddy and Sutton

Mommy and her boys

Blake, party of four

JC Penney Poster

2010-09-05T16:20:00.002-05:00

June 8th Lincoln and I went to the JC Penney headquarters in Plano to shoot a poster for their fall campaign. Here he is modeling 3T toddler boys PJ's for Carters. It took about an hour and we were home playing again. It's my understanding they will be displayed during the month of September, but we've also gotten reports that it might be up even longer.

Oh My! Another Flashback!

2010-09-01T21:21:00.006-05:00

September 1, 2007

August 29, 2010

The top picture was taken a few days before Lincoln was born; the bottom picture was taken Sunday. The biggest difference is in my face and stomach. I'm about 10 lighter than I was with Lincoln at the same point. Wonder if that means the baby will be smaller than Lincoln...he was a whopping 8 lbs and 20.5 inches.

Diapers!!!!!

2010-09-01T21:13:00.004-05:00

The sweet ladies in my SS class hosted a diaper shower for me on Sunday. We got so many diapers and wipes as well as a few fun little things like bibs, sleepers, lotions and burpcloths. Our class has been such a blessing over the last 4 years!

3rd Birthday, a little early!

2010-08-29T21:02:00.006-05:00

Even though Lincoln's birthday is over a week away, we decided to celebrate early just in case little brother decides to arrive early. We enjoyed time with family and a few friends who are like family to us. We decided on a football theme since we are getting so close to football season and Lincoln loves football.

A few of the decorations...red velvet cupcakes for dessert.

Memer and Gigi got Lincoln a new golf club, balls and tees. He hasn't put it down yet!

Cupcakes with Brenden

Tailate party!

Meet the Teacher

2010-08-26T22:07:00.002-05:00

Mrs. Otelia and Lincoln

We are excited for school to start on Tuesday! Lincoln will go Tues/Thurs 930-2 and will be in Mrs. Otelia's class with his friend Anna and 7 other kids. We LOVE that Lincoln is a September baby and the oldest kid in his class for so many reasons. One of the best reasons is that I had him home with me for three full years before starting the 2 year old preschool class.

Lincoln calls Mrs. Otelia Miss Oteo. Shouldn't take him long to figure it out.

August 3rd Flashback

2010-08-04T14:53:00.004-05:00

August 3, 2007 33 1/2 weeks

August 3, 2010 33 1/2 weeks

The further into the pregnancy I get, the more noticeable it is that I'm carrying this one much lower! Won't be long now.

4th of July

2010-07-18T21:11:00.003-05:00

Better late than never...here are a few pictures of our July 4th adventures!

McKinney parade

Waiting for the parade to start

Bounce house at Red, White and Boom

Lincoln and Brenden

Stripes and Polo

Waiting for fireworks

Still waiting

Lincoln really liked his glow in the dark accessories:)

After waiting an hour for the fireworks, Lincoln spent the majority of his time hiding behind his blanket. He didn't cry or act scared, he acted annoyed and a little disappointed that we liked the fireworks and he didn't.

As we walked back to the car, Ryan asked Lincoln if he liked the fireworks. His response? I wanna go see the horse poop on the street again.

Puddle Jumper

2010-07-18T21:01:00.002-05:00

Lincoln has L-O-V-E-D his new lifejacket. Puddle jumpers are fantastic and have made taking Lincoln to the pool such fun. Here are a few shots from the pool!

Lakehouse

2010-07-18T20:57:00.001-05:00

We made a quick trip to lake Texoma Saturday and Sunday. Lincoln enjoyed swimming in the lake, making smores and playing outside.

New Room

2010-07-06T13:17:00.002-05:00

Who would have thought switching rooms would take so long. Lincoln's new room was our old office. We decided to leave the nursery in the same spot since we don't need to repaint. Plus, the nursery furniture fits so nicely in that room. Everything in this room is new! Lincoln has a new twin bed that he's been sleeping in for a few months now. It also has a trundle for an extra guest! Ryan built the shelf above his bed and the bookshelf was transplanted from his nursery. My Dad built this one for him from scratch. It's easily my favorite piece.

The bed and dresser are from Weirs. I stained the head board and foot board to make it a tad darker. The night stand is a FABULOUS Craig's list find....this item doesn't have a nick or scratch and is such a unique piece. We love it and the fact that we snagged it for $30!

I made the french memory board out of some scrap wood, fabric and jute. Lincoln keeps his cards, artwork, etc on the board.

The pictures above his closet are old A&M programs, one dating back to 1939.

I'm still on the hunt for an A&M football helmet and something to hang over his headboard. Hopefully this room will further feed his love for all things A&M!

Flashback - 29 weeks

2010-07-03T15:56:00.003-05:00

July 4, 2007

July 3, 2010

So this is the long stretch towards the end...I'm enjoying a lovely mixture of pregnancy symptoms: heartburn, leg cramps, backache, fatigue, swollen hands and feet. I'm now seeing my doctor every two weeks and assume I passed my glucose test since I didn't hear back. The nurse said, no news is good news at this point! Come on September!

A Visit with PawPaw and Nana

2010-06-29T14:46:00.003-05:00

Sunday morning we headed to Zilker Park in Austin for some outdoor fun. We canoed in the river and turtle-watched. Lincoln didn't move the whole hour. This is something we want to do again.

Aunt Morgan, Pawpaw, Nana, and Uncle Nathan

After the canoes, we road the train around Zilker park and polished off a few snowcones.

A Popsicle on the Porch

Spelunking

2010-06-29T14:40:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning we headed to Kyle, south of Austin, to visit Ryan's parents, his brother Nathan and his sister Morgan. We met Nana and Morgan at the Inner Space Caverns in Georgetown for a quick tour. Lincoln enjoyed riding the cable car down and was really good during the hour tour.

Cheesin' for the camera

I think Ryan had more fun than anyone

Nana Deanna and Lincoln

Cousin Cason

2010-06-29T14:29:00.001-05:00

My grandparents came into town last week and we took them to The Purple Cow for lunch and let Lincoln and Cason play in the fountains. Here they are mid-splashing!

A brief beverage break

Father's Day

2010-06-20T15:00:00.002-05:00

Here are Ryan and Lincoln before church on Father's Day. Lincoln and I went and got Ryan breakfast from McDonalds and let him sleep in a bit. Lincoln made him a card and I made him a small Shutterfly book of just Lincoln and Daddy pictures. Of course the main hit was Ryan's new driver:)

Lincoln's new pose

Pool Time

2010-06-20T14:56:00.002-05:00

Friday, Megan and I took the boys swimming to my parents neighborhood pool. It's much bigger and less crowded than our community's pool. These two had the run of the pool for a good part of the morning. They played H-A-R-D for 2 solid hours. One thing that always cracks me up about these two is their obsession with the other boy's stuff. Here they are wearing each other's sunglasses and Lincoln was running around in Conner's crocs. Usually when Conner comes over to the house, he comes out wearing a pair of Lincoln's shoes.

Sharing a goldfish snack

Car Wash

2010-06-20T14:54:00.002-05:00

Lincoln helped Ryan wash the Tahoe last weekend. He decided to wear his new Aggie Basketball jersey and shorts for the chore. He was a pro!

Freckles

2010-06-17T16:04:00.003-05:00

Love his new little freckles

Lincoln went to play with Conner and Megan (May May to Lincoln) last Thursday while I went to work. Lincoln adores Megan and she is so good to him. Conner and Lincoln play really well together and always seem to have fun. We've done so much together with the boys over the last 2 years and I look forward to future play dates!

A Visit to the Dentist

2010-06-14T13:28:00.004-05:00

Today I took Lincoln for his very first dental appointment. I decided to take him to our dentist's office in Allen. They call the first visit a "Happy Visit" with the goal of getting them acquainted to the sounds, instruments, people, etc. Lincoln did fantastic, much better than I anticipated, and I thought he'd do pretty good. The hygienist counted his teeth with the little mirror and scraper, she cleaned and polished them with the real tool, not a toothbrush and then she flossed his teeth. Finally, the dentist came in for a look too. He said his teeth look great, with nice spacing and shape. He was quick to notice a slight overbite thanks to Lincoln's finger sucking, but said overall, his teeth look great!

Some of Lincoln's favorite parts....

1. Bubble gum flavored tooth polish

2. The water sprayer and Mr. Thirsty (the spit sucker)

3. Riding up and down in the chair

Cleaning his pearly whites

Sucking spit with Mr. Thirsty

He looks so grown up in the chair

Counting his teeth---20 to be exact

We don't have to go back for another year, hopefully visit number 2 will be just as easy!

Debuting in August...

2010-06-09T16:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday, Lincoln had a photo shoot for JC Penney. Though I'm not 100% sure, I believe these posters will be used nationally, in-store for 4 weeks as part of their August Back-to-School campaign. Lincoln was wearing a pair of long-sleeved pj's and was sitting next to another little girl . Luckily for us, JC Penney is headquartered in Plano (Legacy & 121) and the whole thing took about an hour.

Hopefully we'll be able to see them at Penney's in August. I have a friend who is a buyer in the little boys department and graciously gives me a heads up when the prints come out. She did it with his last ad in December. I'm always a bit nervous b/c I don't see the actual result and the pictures they choose.

We did a test-shoot last week for the Picture People, who are also headquartered in Plano...who knew. This one might net me a few free pictures. While we were there, I overheard a Mom tell her 4 year old daughter (who was fussing about taking a picture), right before she went for her test shoot "Honey, this is your chance to be special for Jesus". It took every ounce of restraint for me to not bust out laughing. Are you kidding me right now? I predict that little girl will be in therapy before high school!

Hopefully they will turn out cute...just think how much fun it will be to show his first girlfriend all the pictures of his early days as a model:) I can just picture him rolling his eyes at me...after all, that's what mother's are for, right?

June 3rd Flashback - 25 weeks

2010-06-04T13:00:00.005-05:00

My, my, my how much can change in one short month. No denying I'm pregnant and no turning back:) I had no issues with being pregnant in the summer the first go around. We had lots of rain and it was a relatively nice summer. I worked indoors Monday - Thursday and enjoyed doing yard work up to the very weekend before Lincoln was born. However, I have a feeling things will be much different this time. I'm already panting just walking in the parking lot, my back is much more tender from toting Lincoln around and my feet are looking more and more like little sausages each day...but alas, it's totally worth it to have a September baby!!! I can't believe I'm already in my 7th month. 104 days to go.

June 3, 2007 (25 weeks)

June 3, 2010 (25 weeks)

Go See

2010-05-26T09:36:00.003-05:00

Lincoln has an open casting call audition this morning in Plano for The Picture People's ad campaign. We haven't done anything since October when he did his JC Penney photo shoot. I was told they use 9mo babies to model for 0-24 month sizes since they can't crawl and 3 year olds for 2T-5T, since 2 year olds tend to be less cooperative. Now that Lincoln is a 3T, we might get a few more opportunities. Since this one is in Plano, we decided to try it out. Cross your fingers for him today!

Hopefully they don't ask us if we like The Picture People...we are not fans, but some free pictures might be just the thing to change our minds.

May 3rd Flashback---20 1/2 weeks

2010-05-05T09:10:00.006-05:00

Since Lincoln's due date was September 18th, and this baby's due date is September 18th, the date to date comparisons are exact! Here I am on May 3rd in 2007 and May 3rd this year. I'm was 20 1/2 weeks when these photos were taken.

May 3, 2007

May 3, 2010

This One is for you Tinkerbell!

2010-05-05T09:04:00.003-05:00

Here are a few random pictures of Lincoln since the last post...

We were finally able to keep Lincoln in his new room long enough to actually get his beauty sleep. However, some nights and naps, he finds himself asleep right by the door. This is a picture of his head. Ryan tried to open the door, but it would only open a few inches because of this 37lb sandbag.

Spending the night with Gigi and Memer while Ryan and I celebrated our 6th anniversary. This was his first sleepover since he's been out of his crib. He fell asleep sometime around 10pm and woke up at 11pm and 1am. Both times, my Mom found him in the kitchen with a spoon and some Bluebell ice cream. I guess he was hungry:)

Sporting Mom's house shoes. Someone should tell him stripes don't go with Navajo prints!

18 weeks

2010-04-21T08:28:00.005-05:00

16 weeks with Lincoln

18 weeks with Baby Blake

Even though these babies share the same due date, I took a pic every four weeks with Lincoln, 8, 12, 16 weeks, etc. This time, I went to the dr for the first time at 10 weeks, so I'm a little off. For next month, I will get in sync with the first pregnancy. Not much has changed, although the jeans I'm wearing in the top picture are not maternity, and when I tried them on last week, I couldn't button them, so I guess my hips are a little wider this go around!

Now This Will Be Embarrassing

2010-04-21T08:25:00.001-05:00

It's Easter!

2010-04-20T15:07:00.008-05:00

Easter was eventful and busy this year. Here are a few pictures.

Opening his Easter basket

(Yes, Lincoln is wearing cartoon pj's. The only time you get to see him in screen tees/cartoons is when he is sleeping and tee teeing. He gets to pick his pj's and underwear).

Putting a flower on the cross at church.

After church, we headed over to my parents house for lunch and an egg hunt. Uncle John and Cason came and so did our favorite friends, the Wedemeyers. Since my Dad was a music minister when I was growing up, we never traveled over Easter weekend, so we usually celebrated Easter with friends. It was fun to continue that tradition with Lincoln and his friends Ella and Audrey.

Ready for the egg hunt!

These confetti eggs were a huge hit. Cracking one on Cason's head!

The girls

The boys

I couldn't get one good picture of all of them, so I cropped it!

After we got home and after nap, we took some more pictures of our boy in front of our house.

Happy Easter 2010

SS Egg Hunt

2010-04-20T14:56:00.006-05:00

We enjoyed an Easter egg hunt and brunch at a local park with our SS class the Saturday before Easter. Lincoln scored some loot and practice before the hunt the next day.

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2010-04-05T14:26:00.003-05:00

PREGNANCY! We took this yesterday afternoon, I'm 16 1/2 weeks. We have a sonogram scheduled for 4/26, three weeks from today.

Not wearing maternity clothes quite yet, but boy, it won't be long!!

If you want to venture a guess, boy or girl, leave a comment here and make sure you vote at the sidebar:)

More Snow

2010-03-22T14:30:00.001-05:00

A new shot of us in our most recent snow. I'm ready for Spring and by the look on Lincoln's face, he is too!

Lincoln is Funny

2010-03-18T15:51:00.004-05:00

A few new pictures of my Lucky Little Leprechaun!

I keep a daily journal of all the new and or funny things Lincoln says and does, but here are some real doozies from the last week!

My phone rang and Lincoln said "Mom, it's your husband".

We pulled up to Chick Fil A and Lincoln said "Chick fil A, it's my lucky day".

After checking out his deposit in the potty he said "Oh wow Mom, a big huge brown whale".

After telling me thank you for his milk, he said "Now Mom, you say your welcome".

He told Julie the other day that Chick Fil A was a healthier choice than McDonalds.

He gets cuter and funnier and smarter everyday. He says please and thank you, sometimes too much. We have not hit the terrible twos yet and we are half way through. Timeout continues to be a rarity around our house. I'm waiting for the tides to turn, but enjoying every minute of his sweet, sweet nature!

My little Valentine

2010-02-22T15:09:00.003-06:00

We enjoyed celebrating Valentine's Day after church and nap on Sunday. We sent Lincoln on a Valentine's Day treasure hunt, something my parents did for Holly and I growing up. Here he is with his new Pez dispenser. He also got a new Nalgene water bottle for all our future trips to the park this spring. My parents stopped by with some treats too and Cason hand delivered us our Valentine's Day cards. We had a great day!

Celebrating President's Day

2010-02-22T14:51:00.003-06:00

We had a really fun 4 day weekend. Ryan worked from home on the 12th, due to the snow, so we played outside quite a bit. The 12th is his birthday, so we celebrated with dinner and a movie that night. One of the benefits of working for a bank is the holiday schedule. The bank was closed for President's Day, so Ryan was off. We enjoyed an IHOP breakfast and then took Lincoln bowling for the first time. He really seemed to enjoy himself. One of the things I like about Lincoln is that he is happy and content to play at home with the toys he sees everyday or he's happy trying something new. I never feel like he has to be constantly entertained or that we have to "one up" the day before. I think this generation of kids are used to constant excitement, stimulation, immediate gratification and entertainment. I am making a conscious effort not to go, go, go with Lincoln. That being said, he still had a ball.

Strike!

Good form, Lincoln.

It's Potty Time for Me

2010-02-08T15:54:00.001-06:00

Two weeks ago, we took a weekend and started potty training. We're happy to announce we've been diaper free since January 23rd. It's funny how proud a Mom can be over something so disgusting. He did great right from the start. He just gets it and it has practically been a non-issue ever since.

Now a few more weeks and we'll think about moving out of his crib into his new twin bed. He can easily climb out and has shown us he can, but he is still content to lie in what he lovingly refers to as "my crib".

Cha-cha-cha changes........

Preschool

2010-02-08T15:47:00.003-06:00

I registered Lincoln for preschool! He will start this September and will be going from 9:30 - 2:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I initially planned to send him just one day per week since he is only two. My Mom pointed out that he will turn 3 the week school starts, so even though he will be in the 2 year old class, he will be three. Which means, he's been home with me for three years and that now is a good time for him to spread his little wings. He gets plenty of social interaction at church each week and through a couple of playgroups we are a part of, so I think school will feel like a natural addition.

He will be going to FBC Allen's Discovery Days. I just happen to be a Discovery Days' alumni! That's not the reason we chose this program, it's just a fun coincidence!

On a side note, Lincoln hit his head while playing under his new twin bed and said to me, "Oh Marce, I guess I made a bad choice". Who said kids aren't listening?

I Bonk-ahd on the Coffee Table

2010-01-19T14:54:00.003-06:00

Last week Lincoln slammed head first into our wooden coffee table. After a long debate, we headed to Acute Kids. They glued him up with Dermabond and sent us on our way. Luckily his hair covers it up because I'm pretty sure he's going to have some sort of scar. This is a picture after the accident, but before our trip to acute kids.

If you ask Lincoln what happened, he will proudly tell you "I Bonk-ahd on the Coffee Table".

Boys.............

Not without my blanket

2010-01-19T14:47:00.002-06:00

Lincoln has been struggling with his naps lately. He went from sleeping 830pm to 7ish am and taking a 3 hour nap everyday, usually between 1-4 to wanting no nap at all. I don't like him to go to bed too early, otherwise he would only see Ryan an hour a day. It had been working so well for months. He has been laying in his crib talking to himself. He doesn't cry or misbehave, so we've been using it as a 60-90 min rest time. I'm not ready to give up a nap quite yet, so we're working on it. Today was a good day. He fell asleep holding his night night and baby blue. He didn't even fuss when they fell. I love this picture.

More milestones

2010-01-06T17:41:00.003-06:00

I haven't posted one of these in quite sometime. When Lincoln first started talking, every word was new and a triumph. At this point, I couldn't begin to imagine that he would know some of the words that he knows and some of the things he comes up with blow my mind. Here are just a few of the things we can check off his list. I wish I could take credit for all this, but Lincoln is just a little sponge. He usually shows us he knows something new before we even think to ask.

Knows all his colors, including the crazy ones like silver, peach, and gray.

Knows all his shapes, including crazy ones like oval, octagon, diamond.

He has known all his letters since the summer, but he also knows the sounds letters make. Every time we drive by the QT gas station Lincoln says "Q says quah and T says tuh".

He's been counting to 20 for quite sometime. The other day he counted to 50. If he gets going too fast, he skips a few, but he definitely gets the concept of counting.

We'll continue to work on opposites, which thing doesn't belong, and answering "who, what why when and where" questions while we are reading. He's not a huge fan of singing, I wish he would sing. He is like his Daddy in this respect, he likes listening. So we'll continue to work on singing.

Looking forward to what 2010 will bring.

Christmas Festivities

2010-01-06T16:41:00.004-06:00

We enjoyed celebrating Lincoln's third Christmas, but I'm a bit behind. We have lots of Christmas traditions and a specific way of doing things and this year wasn't any different. We enjoyed a day of finger foods and snacking while watching the snow fall before heading to the 3pm Christmas Eve service. Gran stayed home with Lincoln while he napped. Lincoln spent the night in his own house and even sprinkled some reindeer food for Rudolph. Here are a few pictures highlighting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa.

Lincoln also left a letter for Santa.

While visions of sugarplums....

First thing Christmas Morning

Candy Cane Theme!

PJ's, ornaments, wrapping paper, and real candy canes to eat!

Digging in his stocking!

After opening gifts and stockings at home, we headed to my parents house. Holly and Brian were there with Gran and my Mom and Dad. Here is a view of what was waiting for us when we arrived!

A baseball glove from Gran!

Hugging Gran

A tree skirt for Uncle Brian and Auntie Holly

Opening with Memer

Lincoln with all his loot. He got some awesome things. A talking gorilla, the tent and some cutable wooden fruit were among the big hits!

The 8 of us. These posed shots are a family tradition! Glad to have Brian in this one!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year, I love the traditions, the predictability of what each moment brings and experiencing it all from Lincoln's perspective. We are really really blessed!

No Autographs, Please

2009-12-31T08:18:00.002-06:00

If you flip through today's JC Penney ad in the paper, this is what you'll see in the bottom, lefthand corner. We took this picture about 2 months ago and it's finally here. You can also check it out online.

PawPaw and Nana

2009-12-30T14:09:00.004-06:00

We spent a few days before Christmas with Ryan's parents, grandparents, brother and sister. Here are a few of the highlights.

A showdown with Nathan's dog Buster.

A gift from Uncle Dillon and Aunt Maria

In Pawpaw's police car.

Let me out!

Playing the Wii

Cookies with great grandma

Playing the slots

Foosball with Nana

Randomness

2009-12-30T13:59:00.003-06:00

Hiding from me

At the petting zoo, showing the goats what to eat

He liked the donkey a lot

Some Christmas entertainment

Using the vacuum on his stomach.

Giving new meaning to "suck in your gut"

Just Ryan and Marcy This Time!

2009-12-30T13:27:00.006-06:00

Ryan and I decided to have some professional pictures taken since we hadn't had anything done since our Wedding five years ago. We used Holly's wedding photographer Allison Davis. She is young and super creative. We just did a quick, mini session. Here are some of our favorites. You can also check out Allison's blog for more of her favorites from our session. I would highly recommend Allison for you and your family!

Our Favorite

Do we look old? Just lie if you have too:)

10 Years ago....

Five years ago...

On a side note, Allison submitted Holly and Brian's wedding photos to on online blog and it was featured there and they just found out their wedding will be featured in the spring issue of The Knot magazine. So exciting for them.

Christmas Happenings

2009-12-20T14:00:00.006-06:00

We've had a fun December so far. It's fun to see how the calendar fills up quickly. Even though December can be a busy month, we tried to stop and have some fun too!

Sleeping on his Christmas sheet from Great Grandma Fast and his Christmas pillowcase from Megan.

First time finger-painting. Lincoln loved it!

A hand print Christmas tree--idea courtesy of Miss Angi and her girls.

We had some friends over Saturday for a come and go Christmas brunch. We did it last year and had so much fun, we decided to make it an annual event! Here are some of the friends that came.

Mr. Mark, Mrs. Shannon and BFF Brenden

Dave, Nicole, Johnn, Ashley, Kelle and Brian

We also visited the reindeer in Allen, but couldn't get them in the same shot as Lincoln. Here we are in front of the giant Christmas Tree.

Keeping the tree up!

Later in the evening we went to a kids Christmas Party at a Friends. We had a ball. The fantastic hostess had some super fun crafts and games. Lincoln managed to fall down the stairs in the first few minutes, but didn't miss a beat the rest of the night. Their carpet will never be the same, but they had fun nonetheless!

Making reindeer snacks with Daddy.

Eating a yummy dinner with Audrey, Kenzie and Will.

Lincoln loved the cupcake...hence the carpet mess:)

Making a Christmas tree with sequins and Popsicle sticks.

Santa made a surprise visit to the party. What a FANTASTIC thing for him to do for these sweet kids. Lincoln reminded him he wanted an orange basketball for Christmas, not a red one.

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS!

A Visit to Santa's Village

2009-12-11T14:43:00.006-06:00

Last night Lincoln and I met Ryan at Santa's Village put on by the city of Richardson. Even though I've lived in this area all my life, I somehow missed this event. I'm so glad Angi told me about it. It was so fun and I'm really looking forward to taking Lincoln over the next few years. There are about 20 little cottages, everything from a Fire House, Police Station, ornament shop, bakery,etc. Lincoln got to color a picture, try on a firesuit and get some hot chocolate. Here are a few of the pictures we took. It was super chilly last night, but being in the cold made it feel all the more Christmas-y.

Lincoln and Daddy

Cracking up with Mommy

A Family Shot

(thanks Jessica)

Love the look on Lincoln's face. Not quite sure about Frosty.

Writing a letter to Santa

Mailing it

A cookie from Mrs. Claus

At the hospital

Getting a Rudolph nose and some reindeer food

On a reindeer sleigh ride with Mommy

(thanks to the 4 teenage boys who pulled us around)

Getting flirty with a gingerbread girl

Nope, not a really sucker!

Sweet boy

Decking the Halls

2009-12-09T13:56:00.004-06:00

We love getting the house decorated for Christmas. We are the type who likes something Christmasy in every room of the house. Here are a few pictures of our house at Christmas. There will be plenty in the coming weeks of our big tree, so here are the other rooms.

This 7ft tree was our first tree as a married couple. Now is serves as our second tree and it is decorated in all red and white.

Our new side table. This year we have Christmas pictures from the last two years on display. It's fun to see how much Lincoln has changed!

Our mantle. The Santa picture makes me smile every time!

Slow Down

2009-12-08T13:09:00.003-06:00

This weekend as we were driving around, I lovingly called Lincoln "Baby Lincoln" as I do from time to time. This time he stopped and looked at me, and with a very serious look in his eyes said, "No mama, not baby Lincoln. Call Lincoln".

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

A Family Day!

2009-12-06T15:17:00.005-06:00

Friday was our third annual trip to see Santa. This is one of my favorite days of the year. Ryan takes the day off and we meet my best friend Shannon, her husband Mark and their son Brenden for breakfast and then head to the mall. The first year, when the boys were babies, we went to Northpark. Last year we tried Willowbend, but agreed nothing tops the Northpark Santa (don't get me started on the Santa's who wear pajamas). Here are a few pictures of our outing. Lincoln did great, while he appeared a little nervous, he sat with Santa, listened intently to what he was saying. He didn't cry, he barely moved. I was proud of him, especially considering last year's visit was a tearful one.

At the mall. Lincoln in his Christmas sweater.

With Santa. I love this setup.

A closeup with his nervous smile!

With Daddy

Waiting with Brenden

After naptime, we took Lincoln to my parents so we could attend and host our SS class's Christmas Party. This year we did a Tacky Christmas Sweater theme.

Last Year

Lincoln's First Christmas