December 16th

The month of December reminds me of so many things- Christmas decorations, dark rainy nights, homemade butter toffee, holiday shopping, the smell of a fresh cut tree, crazy Christmas eve parties at my parents house, being with family, my Mom's birthday (December 16th). I miss my mom. More than anything I just miss hanging out with my mom. She'd come up and help me with the kids if Brad was away for the weekend. We'd hang out and play with the kids, make dinner, laugh. Just totally normal everyday stuff. She would do anything for the kids and I. She'd go all day until she was exhausted to make our lives easier, buy us way more stuff than we need, pamper us, love us. We had our moments but 99% of time was just normal everyday picture perfect stuff. I miss that. I realized the other day Abi has almost lived longer without her silly grandma than she did with her. Ben doesn't even remember her since he was only one. Almost three whole years have passed and so much has changed, the kids were just babies and Cate wasn't even close to being on the radar. If only she could see them now, if only she could meet Cate and hold her. Not as her disabled, blind, post-stroke self, but in her pre-surgery state. That would be amazing. She's missing out on chubby baby thighs and melt your heart gummy smiles, Abi's sweet hugs, and Ben's kisses. That's what's so sad for me, everything she's missing and all the love the kids are missing and I'm missing not having us all together. Your mom is Christmas is morning, and it's true. Your mom is comfort, and I miss that comfort so much. Happy birthday in heaven mom, hope you have a fabulous day with Gram and Kathy. Love and miss you so much.

    

To my sweet Grandma

Today would have been my Grandma Connie's 99th birthday (I believe). I miss her so. I miss her little wrinkly face, her kind words, her sweetness. She was always there, like a second mother. I hope I can carry a little bit of her with me always and pass that little something to my babies. I miss all these ladies, and love you sis! :)

A very Christmas weekend

Got the tree decorated, house decorated, lights up outside, did some Christmas shopping, Christmas cards ordered, so you can say we had a very Christmas weekend.

Cate's stocking that Grandma made, sooooo cute!

Spoiler alert, there may or may not be some Christmas card pictures here.

The cutest feet I know.

Sweet baby feet

Our Elf, Rudy, has been busy causing trouble. He toilet papered our tree, put underwear in our stockings, drew on the chalk board, got into the cereal, and built himself a fort out of blocks. What will he do next? (good thing Pinterest has a billion ideas)

Ended the weekend with homemade french onion soup the husband made, I told you he's pretty awesome :)

Family and football

Fun with Papa!

Love Cate's yawn face

Two Papa's! Lucky kids

Love this one

Good looking turkey

Sparkling apple cider out of fancy glasses 

Snowy, freezing cold Apple Cup. It would of been worth it if we won. It got down to 1 degree Saturday night. It was so cold the gas in our generator froze and Brad was up all night worried the cold would kill the battery in the trailer and we'd lose heat. We survived but I'd rather not be in cold like that again.

Lots of hanging out in the trailer watching movies and playing games.

Papa and Cate napping together

We wanted to go to a tree farm this year but none of us wanted to go out in the cold again after being freezing all weekend so we grabbed a tree from a tree stand, baby Cate was warm at home with Papa.