Whew, where does the time go?!?! I can't believe that December has come and gone and we are now in 2011! The last two months sure seem like a whirlwind. With that said I thought I'd take some time to finally catch up on where we've been and what we've been doing.
In early December Brent's parents flew out to help out while Brent had his tonsils removed. This may seem like a simple procedure with an excuse for some ice cream and video games for a few weeks, however as an adult having your tonsils removed is no easy task and Brent was not able to just hang out for a few weeks like a vacation. Thankfully the surgery went well and Brent's recovery went smoothly (meaning no infections and now tonsil free)!
During this time Nana and Pop had some wonderful quality time with Keely and Brayden. They spent the days baking, a trip visiting Santa, doing arts and crafts, and just hanging out playing. We made a trip to the River of Lights at the Botanic Gardens where this year Keely really enjoyed seeing the lights and of course both kids L.O.V.I.N.G. the trains.
Christmas Eve we took some time taking a walk around our neighborhood looking at the lights on all the homes. Keely was in a singing mood so we started to knock on doors and did our edition of "We wish you a Merry Christmas" which brought a few smiles to neighbors and friends. After our walk we set out our cookies (Brayden wasn't thrilled that the cookies weren't for him) and made our way to bed waiting for the big guy!
Christmas morning was such an adventure! The looks of the kids faces were truly priceless. The innocence and pure joy they have is what makes all the chaos that the holidays can bring all worth it. We were able to take our time and relax after presents and watched the parade. The kids played while Nana and I were busy in the kitchen getting ready for Christmas dinner. This year my parents and one sister joined us which made for a fun day with the family!
Of course a trip with Brent's Dad always includes a project on Brent's agenda which this time was a swing set for the kids. After two weeks in bed Brent was ready to get to work. He grabbed his Dad and made a thousand trips trip to Lowe's to build the swing set. There are still some touches to add, but as you will see the set is a hit!
We were sad to have to say goodbye to Nana and Pop Pop after the New Year, but of course they had to make their way back home to Virginia. We thank them for all their help and for the wonderful memories we created while they were here.
Well, I believe that pretty much covers it. It really is so hard to believe that it is now January. Ready for a new year of adventures and memories!
With this long and slow transition process that we have been in since July, I have to say that I haven't quite been in the Christmas spirit. We finally moved into our home at the end of November. The kids are still with Brent's parents and we're just getting 
We had a great weekend with the kids taking them to Fall Festivals in DC and in our new community. They loved playing games, dancing, and of course the perk of getting candy!!! Brayden stole the show when he won first place for best costume (we didn't even know there was a contest) which was a nice Target gift card perk for Mom! Mostly we enjoyed getting them dressed up and seeing the excitement on their faces! Happy Halloween everyone!
We had a great day with family eating great food. (Every year I want to take pictures of the food but among all the chaos I seem to forget). I am always thankful for my family and what they mean to me. It's never easy gathering all of us together but makes those times so much more special. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Happy Veteran's Day to our favorite Vet! Today we recognize all the service men and women who have served or are serving. Keely, Brayden and I couldn't be more proud of Daddy! This is a little something that Keely made today at "pre-school" for her Daddy. Today we say thank you for the sacrifices you make for our family and our country. We also want to say thank you to all the other Veteran's out there who have served or are serving! Including Paw-Paw, Nana, and Pop Pop. We love you and thank you all!
It was VERY cold and the wind did not help, but I had Brayden bundled as much as possible. He got a chance to see Mr. & Mrs. Clause too.
Auntie Shonda got to show Keely her helicopter. Keely really wasn't sure what to make of everything. She held on to Shonda for deer life, but she was a good sport and took all the pictures that the 'momariazzi' wanted to take.
She even tried her hands out at driving the fire truck. This girl is ready to go out for a drive.
They even had a fire truck from 1920 out. Keely got to ring the little bell and were her own fire hat.
Even though it was so COLD (have I mentioned that it was cold) we had so much fun checking everything out and supporting Auntie Shonda. We were so glad that Keely got to see what Auntie Shonda does and was able to see Santa this year. Unfortunately Daddy couldn't be there since he had to work again. But he was eager to hear all about the day!
