First things first: Christmas Happenings

I have a couple updates to make on here, but I'll start with all the Christmas cheer. I know it's hard to believe I'm still here and blogging after my extended vacay from the aforementioned, but I haven't given up on my renewed enthusiasm for keeping this thing updated. Yet.

We headed up to Kansas City to visit my family in mid-December. We missed the last of the Texas warmth while we were there, but it was well worth it. 

It was good to hang out with the sibs and the mom (and for Peyton, the dog). Even though they had school and work (other than Brady, but given his wisdom teethlessness, he was unnaturally subdued), we still had a lot of fun! Peyton enjoyed his first snow experience while my love for Texas was simultaneously renewed. I'm much more content to TRAVEL to the snow. I don't like when it travels to ME. Yes, I have taken to Texas quite nicely. 

Brad meets Great Grandpa Felshaw.

Usually Brady had the blanket OVER his head. Perhaps he did so to prevent photographs such as this? 

It's Shadow!!

Brad did NOT appreciate Peyton's snow-frozen hands on his face. At all. 

Sweet little content Brad. 

Santa Grandpa! 

Santa Baby and Santa Old Man. ;-)

Bridging the generational gap. 

The flights there and back were easy for me (I had Brad, who slept the whole time), and hard for Dan (he had Peyton, who missed naps and definitely didn't sleep on the plane). 

We got back in time for me to sing in the ward Christmas program. Dan's parents and Seth arrived the same day as we did. On Christmas Eve, we headed up to Nicole and David's house and had a very enjoyable time there, too. Peyton was in present heaven and was so overwhelmed with the awesomeness of all his gifts, that he felt the need to spread it out over a week. He literally opened 2-3 presents a day for about 4 days (his grandparents were very accommodating in the present department). Brad was his awesome chill self the whole time. Peyton his rambunctious, never-sitting-still-self. It was nice to be able to spread out through a nice big house instead of cooped up in a tiny apartment. 

While we were at Nicole and David's we enjoyed some football (to Peyton and Dan's delight), played lots of games, ate waaaaay too much food, and saw Les Miserables. Dan, Seth and their dad went to a Mavs game. I went shopping. And really, we did a lot of relaxing ... which was ... relaxing. And awesome. 

Merry Christmas! 

Seth stayed in that pink blanket the whole week. 

I sure do love my boys. 

Grandma and Grandpa. 

Grandma and her grandsons! 

So ... maybe I had a little more fun with Peyton's train set than he did. And so what if I waited until he was napping to play with them? 

Peyton: "I share with Bradley!"
Such a good big brother. 

Who'da thunk we'd have a white Christmas in Texas? Not me! 

That about sums up the festivities. 

Oh yeah, New Year's Eve. Didn't make.it. Dan was in bed by 10 p.m., me by 11. I did drink some  Martinelli's (the REAL amber elixir, no matter what my family says about Dr. Pepper). And I won at Crazy Rook. 

Now back to real life! The end. 

Picture update!

***Just a reminder before we begin: I'm deactivating my facebook and privatizing the blog come SATURDAY night. If you want to be added to the blog list and have NOT given me your email address, message/comment/facebook it to me! 

Peyton got a toothbrush from the dentist for his 9-month checkup. He LOVES brushing his teeth and watching us brush ours! Future dentist, maybe? He is a Young.   

We took family pictures at the Arboretum with the Tomaka family. It was beautiful AND a lot of fun! 

Peyton playing in the grassy field at the Arboretum. 

Family picture on the bench. Peyton is such a ham!

After church one Sunday. I think Peyton's face here is priceless. 

Grandma and Grandpa Condie and Uncle Seddi came to visit the weekend before Thanksgiving! 

Note to self: don't play airplane with Peyton after he's just consumed large quantities of food. You might get puked on. Nasty. 

After Peyton's bath time during Thanksgiving break. Peyton LOVES his bath time! 

Clockwise: Peyton, Unkie Collin ('s butt), Munkie Brady, Aunt Clare and Daniel
Thanksgiving break. I forgot to take pictures of all the awesome food we made. I suck.

For some reason, Peyton likes to lounge at the table like this. Though I wouldn't really call it "lounging," since he's folded in half. Frankly, it doesn't look comfortable at all! Nevertheless, he sat like this for his entire breakfast. 

Gross, right? Wanna know what's grosser? This was pulled out of Peyton's mouth. Still grosser: we couldn't find the legs.
I don't know how this creature made it into our apartment and into Peyton's mouth ... and let's be honest, I don't want to know any more of the story than what I've written here. 

Such a happy boy! 

Rat tail? I loved Peyton's long, curly hair. Dan kept asking me to cut it, but I refused. When it stopped curling at the back and started to look "girly," I finally caved. Now he looks like such a big boy!

Peyton with Great Grandpa Santa! 

At Great Grandpa Santa's apartment complex. 

Daniel's sugar cookie "masterpiece."

Peyton LOVES dogs. He even says "dog" more than he does "mama." He had so much fun with Shadow in Kansas! 

Grandma Nene opening presents. 

Daniel striking a Christmas pose. 

This is Brady's "man pose" since now he can "smell like a man. man." 

Daniel got me beautiful pearl earrings! I love pearls! 

Clare got lots of boots and tights for Christmas. 

Collin got every sort of toy gun you can imagine. 

Brady got a gag gift -- a clown. He's terribly afraid of clowns. 

Peyton liked to run off with the wrapping paper more than the gifts ... But by the time we got to El Paso, he had the hang of it. More or less. 

Family photo op on Christmas morning.

Peyton had his first candy bar while we were in Kansas. Milky Way. He went NUTS!

Grandpa's usual occupation. 

Mmm. Here's a doozy of a story. So we land in El Paso at 11:40 p.m. on the 26th. No bags come out the baggage claim. Neither does our car seat. So we go to find help from United. Huh. No United reps ANYWHERE. For two hours. That's right, we sat there with no way of getting our kiddo home and none of our checked baggage for TWO HOURS before a United rep showed up. Guess what they told us? Go buy a car seat and we'll reimburse you. At 1:30 a.m. So Dan's dad heads out to Walmart and picks one up. Good thing we got it, too, because some idiot left a giant pile of branches in THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. Oh, and United? No refund for our checked baggage. Nope, just a voucher for the WORST AIRLINE IN THE WORLD. I seriously hate United SO. MUCH. And the voucher wasn't even very much. 

After holding Peyton for nearly 5 hours straight (including the layover, flight and United debacle), I had to lay the poor baby down on the airport floor. 

This one's for Ross -- Peyton's wearing his Blink 182 onesie! 

Playing outside in El Paso.

Such a cutie pie. 

The cupboard Peyton ended up pinching his fingers in. I have no idea why he was so obsessed with this cupboard! He is also holding his favorite toy. It plays classical music and he walks around with it everywhere, all day. 

Love his little bath robe. 

Heading out for a walk! 

Playing in the grass on a nice, sunny, warm winter's day! 

Handsome little man. 

Well, there's our last few months in pictures!