Naomi Faith Kuehl

My cousin, Teresa, just had a baby last night!!!!!!!!!! Here she is - Naomi Faith. Check out those chubby cheeks! What a precious gift she is to us. Kameron, Teresa, & Maddie we love you and are so excited to have another cousin. You guys are so special to us!

Pretty presents

Thought I would take a moment to share a photo of our Christmas tree. Parker looks at it and says "hot, hot" and is fascinated by the ornaments that hang from the branches. We are blessed to celebrate Christmas, and are thankful for:

The story of Jesus
Family
Money to buy gifts
Time off from work
Eating our favorite christmas treats
A warm place to live
BELIEVING!

Here's a sneak peek at the presents too - I've really been into silk florals lately, and adorned our packages with them this year :) I feel like I'm ready for Christmas now - the cards are mailed, my shopping is finished, and there are 8 days until Santa comes! I just have to remember the milk & cookies and stocking presents!

Letter to Santa

This is a post from Rachel's blog (hope you don't mind I copied it!)...I thought it was SO CUTE and wanted to share it...

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children - on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor, sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years. Here are my Christmas wishes: I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone. On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog. If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container. If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family. Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry off so you don't catch cold. Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always, MOM

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa.

Holiday hustle and bustle

I finally got my Christmas cards in the mail on Monday from Shutterfly! I had to give on my address and return labels and send them to Office Depot...so I'll stop after work and pick them up today. I'm finalizing the letter too, and it's been a challenge for me to limit myself to only ONE page of things that were fun about our 2006.

Parker and I are off to the grocery store tonight. He's always such a good boy, until we go by the floral department and he sees the balloons. He loves them! If I had a penny for every time someone smiled at him or said he was cute, I'd be well on my way to becoming rich!

Crayola Colors

Parker discovered Crayola Color Wonder paints and markers this weekend. He LOVED putting his fingers in the paint, I think he really liked how it felt. He would have sat for hours if I would have let him. I really like seeing him discover things on his own. I think Santa may have some more Crayola things in his bag this year for Parker :)

We also wrapped some christmas presents at our house. Parker got into the ribbon and was running around the house with it. It was so funny! While I was wrapping, he helpe by putting the presents under the tree. Interesting how a toddler "stacks" them all in one pile! Parker also placed them AWAY from the tree skirt...I think that is a visual barrier to him. Ever since we put it on he hasn't liked it. But now that there are presents, I think he's OK with the skirt. What a funny boy!

I ordered my Christmas cards last week, I'm getting anxious to get them ready to mail out. I did a different layout this year, I hope they turn out.

Maybe Santa will bring me a video camera this year so I can capture all of Parker's moments...Santa, have I have been a good girl this year!

Naughty or Nice

I found this beautiful picture on the Pottery Barn website...it makes me smile!

I spent 3 hours in my scrapbook room last night working on Christmas things, it was such good down time for me...I'm so into this hobby it almost feels like it is consuming me. Ok, not to that extreme, but I could spend every waking, breathing minute scrapbooking!

Parker and I ventured out to the mall last night. We were at the TMobile kiosk for about an hour, getting a new phone because my old one froze up and was a piece of junk. I'm so fortunate to have a well behaved and well mannered child! Some of the kids that walked by were throwing fits, screaming, and being naught. When Parker sees this his eyes just look sad and he says "ni"...his way of saying NICE. It's amazing what he can put together. I've always been determined to teach him good manners, so far I think my dreams are coming true.

The movie Stewart Little 2 was on the Disney Channel when we got home, I think I was more into it than Parker was! He LOVES movies or watching a cartoon on tv - I've really had to filter them though, which is good becsaue he only gets 1 or 2 a day...I'm so glad he's WAY more into books than the tv :) Sometimes I just need that 20 minute break though.

Perfect

This photo makes my heart glow :) Parker is getting to be such a little person. He has so much spunk, energy, and love. I am truly blessed to call this boy mine!

I am working on a scrapbook journal for the 25 days of Christmas and yesterday's entry was about the perfect Christmas. It makes me think about what "perfect" means. I get wrapped up in this word: always paying close attention to detail, spending extra time on things, and trying to live up to this expectation of doing things PERFECT. What really matters is the love that goes into whatever we're doing! I'm learning and growing as a mom, and discovering that the way I do things and how I do things really does matter...and that I put all of energy that I know how to into whatever I am doing :)

I love this time of year. I am so thankful for family and friends. My eyes sparkle when I think about Christmas. I love watching Parker see things for the first time - presents, lights, bows, ornaments, and Santas.

What a Merry Christmas we all have to look forward to. What does YOUR perfect Christmas look like?

Sleep, my child

Tired, dog tired. I try to be a super mom and soak up every minute of my child. I went in to check on Parker last night, just to see him sleeping, to cover him up and give him a kiss. I tip-toe into his bedroom and he wakes up from the rustling I cause trying to get his blanket untangled so he's not cold. He cries "mama mama, no ni-night". I fight him until 2:30 am...I learned my lesson. From now on I will look at him from the doorway and wisper that I love him. The trials of motherhood :)