Christmas 2009

Our Christmas was so much fun this year! Christmas is always fun, but with Julie really starting to get the whole thing, it was even more exciting. First words out of her mouth this morning were, "I wanna see if Santa came!" So, here it is, the story of the Hunters Christmas, mostly in pictures.

Kay, Audrey, Julie and I made cookies! Julie was a huge help.....well, for the most part.
We made 25 plates that looked like this. We are very efficient women! And the only mess up was my burned butterscotch. Did you know burnt butterscotch looks like Chili?

Yesterday, Christmas Eve, we celebrated Grandma's birthday. Julie told everyone that she made the cake and that mommy helped a little bit. She did do the decorating and candle placement.

Here is Anne sporting her new Cowgirl BBQ Apron handmade with love from me!

This picture is on here for the sole reason that he is adorable.After a great brunch and some good naps, we went to Anne and Daves for Christmas festivities. The kids LOVE their new picnic table!

Then we went home and set out a cupcake for Santa (he must get tired of cookies, right?) and food for the reindeer.

And Santa came! YAY!

Andy really likes his new cars!

And his meerkat!

But Julie's gift was the one that had us out on the street in the freezing cold, but only after a couple laps around the living room/kitchen.

He is such a boy!

And Mommy and Daddy got a Cornhole Game! So if anyone wants to play, let me know! It is SOOO fun! Memere got the kids a play kitchen that I know is going to be used and abused. Both kids love it and have played with it all day!

John and Julie also went to Grandma Hazels tonight, Andy's teeth were really bugging him, so we stayed home for some 1 on 1 cuddle time. No pictures were taken, but I hear it was a great time.

We are so lucky to have amazing family and friends. The gifts were so perfect, every one of them. But the best part was being together and enjoying eachother.

Andy Check-up

Amidst all the Christmas fun, Andy had his 15 month check up yesterday. It went great, even though he is not as huge a fan of Dr Patterson as Julie is (she actually told him "I love you Dr Patterson!!" at his apt yesterday!).

Andy is weighing in at 26 lbs 4 0z (74th %) and is 32 inches tall (81st %). He seems to be leveling off on his growth a little, which is a good thing considering he was outgrowing clothes in a matter of days.

Dr Patterson asked us if he could say 3-4 words. When we told him he was up to about 10-15, he was VERY surprised. Apparently we are gonna have 2 talkers in the family! Andy's words are:

Mommy

Dada

please

thank you

celery

Elmo

this

that

yummy

mine

up

bang

bam

car

boot

Such a smart little man.

So Andy is good to go, and hopefully won't have to go back for another 3 months!

Festive Fun

Christmas is in full swing at the Hunter house! It all started with going to pick out a tree. We got there bright and early. Julie was really into picking this year. But, she was looking for trees that already had presents underneath!
After the tree was home and set up, we went to see Santa! Julie waited patiently in line.....kinda. Only a few times did she try to sneak up to the front to catch a glimpse. This is her "I am not doing anything wrong" face.

Andy was not much a fan of the big guy! But Julie sat proudly on his lap and told him she wanted a boy dolly. Proof that she had been thinking about exactly what kind of present she wanted since we last talked about it.Andy may not have liked Santa, but he LOVED the candy cane! Can you say STICKY???

This picture doesn't have a whole lot to do with anything, but seriously, does it get any sweeter than a little brother kissing his big sissy??

The next day we went to see Summer, Emmanuel, Joanne and baby Sophia. Andy was all about Sophia and couldn't stop giving her kisses and patting her hands. We had an awesome visit!
Me and my beautiful cousin. She is such a great Mommy. I am so proud of her!
This past weekend, we went to Justin and Audrey's for Latkes to celebrate the start of Hanukkah. This is the second year Audrey has made them for us and it is an awesome new tradition. This year she taught us about the candle lighting and a little about the dradle game too. It will be fun when the kids get older and we can actually play!

So the stockings are hung, next to our pretty tree.
And the lights are up on the house. This picture really does it no justice. John did a great job with the lights this year, even though there are less than previous years, it looks beautiful and festive!
Julie loves the blow up Santa and reindeer! She keeps asking if she can ride him, but settles for a hug and a "high five" every night.
So that will get everyone up to speed on all of the fun happenings around here! Stay tuned, there is much more merriment to come!

3 New Words...TONIGHT!!

Andy is a talking maniac! He says so many words already, but just in the course of an hour, he said 3 new words!

I was making dinner and it was just about ready, so I put him in his chair. He said "Mommy!!" (not new) and I looked at him. He pointed at his tray and said "Please?" (like, get me my dinner!!) So I gave it to him and he took a few bites and said "Yummy" (he has been saying Mmmmm for a long time when he eats, but never yummy). He is so cute.

Then his milk fell and Julie picked it up for him. He thought she was stealing it (wouldn't be the first time) and he yelled, "MINE!" That one really doesn't surprise me since Julie is going through a case of mine-itis right now. She seems to go in spurts, and right now is a spurt!

He enjoyed his dinner and I enjoyed his sweet words....ahhh, my big man!

Christmas Cheer

I am crazy busy trying to get some Christmas gifts completed, so this is just a quickly to get you in the spirit.

Julie: Mommy, sing Rudolph!
Me: Rudolph the red nose reindeer.....
Julie: No Mommy! Sing LOUD!
ME: RUDOLPH THE RED....
Julie: Mommy, shhhh, I am eating right now.

Julie of the Day

First thing this morning, too great not to remember for all time!

JB: Today is Friday??
Me: Yup
JB: Yay! Memere Day! Whoohoo!!
Me: Yay!
JB: Tomorrow is Mommy-Daddy-Julie-Andy Day?
Me: Yup
JB:What are we doing?
Me: We are going to see SANTA!!
JB: Where?
Me: In San Luis! And you can tell him what you want for Christmas!! What do you want from Santa???
JB: (Thinking)
JB: (eyes get HUGE)
JB: A PRESENT!!!!

LOVE IT!!

Thanksgiving and Beyond!

We have been having so much fun since Thanksgiving that I have yet to post pictures! Gasp!!

The Hunters Thanksgiving started out with dinner at the Sommervilles. Much fun, and food, was had by all.
Andy got to meet Sarah, Sean's awesome girlfriend. They walked in and Andy walked right past Sean and wanted Sarah to hold him. The rest of the evening was spent in her arms, on her lap and next to her at the dinner table offering her food and showing off. He was smitten!
Julie's favorite part of dinner was the dessert. Chocolate ice cream! Us adults had delicious pie, but the kids stuck to the cold stuff.
Andy making faces at Sarah. I couldn't even get him to look at me for a picture!
The next day (actual Thanksgiving day) the kids and I went to Mel and Colleens for an early dinner where the kids got to play with their cousins.

The big kid table with Julie and Elliot. They had a lot of fun playing together. They are both so well spoken for such little people!
Andy and Andie had fun too. Andy is so much bigger than baby Andie, even though they are only a month apart. Andy was trying to kiss her head when he was standing up, but he couldn't bend over that far, so he settled for sitting next to her. (Are you noticing a theme of him and the ladies??)
After spending some time there, we headed back over the hill to Christina's in-laws house, Phil and Gion. They made us an amazing dinner and were such wonderful hosts to me and my overly tired children. I didn't get any pictures there because no one was able to sit down long enough! The company was great and the food was awesome!

On Sunday we had dinner with my mom, Justin and Audrey after a day of putting up Christmas lights. We contemplated doing a turkey, but thought pizza was a better idea. We also kicked off into the next holiday by watching Christmas Vacation!

Since then (a whole week), we have been working, perfecting the lights and attempting to get a picture for the Christmas Card. Here is the best one so far.....
I think I will keep working on it.

We also had the chance to see the Arnolds....ALL 4 OF THEM!!! Since baby Audrey Opal was born the Friday before Thanksgiving, she was at the her Mommy's birthday party we went to on Sunday. Julie gave Lina lots of advice on being a big sister....and a few hugs.
And in an effort to neglect all housework, chores and obligations, I have taken up another crafty project!
Mom taught me to knit last week and it has been a fun, challenging change of pace to sewing. I think I'm hooked...or needled...

Well, there you have it, Thanksgiving and Beyond! We have lots of fun planned for this weekend, so stay tuned!!

Sweet Heart

Julie is 2. Lately, she has been acting 2. She has always been very opinionated, strong willed, but lately it seems to be escalating at a rapid pace.

John worked a double today and the last few days have been hectic with the holiday and all, a break in the kids normal routine. To say I was tired by this evening would be an understatement. So I did something I NEVER do, I turned on a movie for the kids.

We watched A Muppet's Christmas Carol, one of my all time favorites.

So all 3 of us cuddled up in the big chair watching, and in the very beginning of the movie, there is a little mouse that is homeless looking. He looks at Scrooge and says "Can I have some cheese please?"

Of course, Scrooge ignores him completely.

Julie looked at me with the SADDEST look I have ever seen from her and says "Can he come to Julie's house and get some cheese? Mommy, he needs some cheese, can we give him some??"

With that one little scene and that one little question, she understood the entire movie, the entire point, the entire meaning of Love.

My 2 year old may be 2, but she gets it, and reminds me (and all of us) of love and patience, giving and compassion.

Happy Thanksgiving

There is much to be thankful for in the Hunter Home this year. Here is a shortlist:

• Little girls who take a bite of their pumpkin pancakes and say "Mmm Mommy, this is good, thank you!"
• Little boys who want to kiss and hug on every woman in sight
• Daddy's who read the "Kitty Book" over and over even though he strongly dislikes that book
• Grandparents who watch sick kids even though they know they are still contagious
• Friends who watch kids so movies can be seen
• Morning runs without pushing a 60 pound stroller
• New babies for dear friends and family
• Clear snot...or better yet, no snot
• Pecan pie with a T-rex cut out
• Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Friends
• A job where co-workers miss you when you are gone, and you miss them
• A house that will never be clean and you will never be able to find anything but everyone is cozy and happy
• A little family who loves having family hugs in the kitchen

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. What is on your shortlist?

Laying Low

All the Hunters are sick. Julie and Andy have colds and coughs, ours have not quite progressed into a cough, but I have a feeling it is coming.

This morning I made the kids a bed on the floor and we have been vegging out on Elmo. Other than that, we have been attempting to come up with a way to entertain our wild, but sick and unable to go to the park, children. Last night, we had horse races in the living room.

It is very serious business. Julie won, but not by much!
So, it has been pretty quiet on the Hunter Homestead. John found out he is going to day shift next year (hooray!) which will be a huge adjustment for the better! Julie is still doing great in school and has gotten tall all of a sudden. Andy has more words every day! He says "car" "peakaboo" "ball" "horse" and of course "Momma" and "Julie". He is still a little love bug. I can not believe it is almost Thanksgiving!

So Excited!

I have always used this blog to keep track of how amazingly cute my children are. I was excited to have a way to remember these little moments that I knew would get lost in our crazy busy lives.

Then, my talented, amazing friend Jenny told me about this website where you can turn your own blog into a book! So, that is what I did.


My book goes from my first post until Andy's first birthday. I am going to make a book for them every year, kind of like a modern day scrap book.
When I got these in the mail today, I was so happy with the quality too! They were very easy to make and so fun! I can't wait for Julie and Andy to read them to their kids (sigh)!

Thanks again Jenny, you are a wonderful friend and I miss you terribly!

Welcome Sophia Emilia!

Today I went over to Visalia to see my beautiful cousin Summer and her amazing new baby! Sophia Emilia was born Sunday evening, a healthy 7 lbs 6 ozs and 19 inches long.

She is Summer and Emmanuel's first baby, but I have to say, they are naturals! They brought Sophia home yesterday and they already seemed to have a routine down. Summer could tell when she was hungry, wet, etc. This is one happy baby! And beautiful too!

Since it was a holiday, I go to see Sophia's Grammie too (aka, my Aunt Joanne) so that was a real treat!
Congratulations, dear Cousin, and thank you for letting me come over to see the new addition! I can't wait to see you all again!

Quick Andy Story

This morning I was sitting on the edge of our bed putting my shoes on, about to go to work and Andy crawled over to me and grabbed my side with both hands and said "tickle, tickle!" He had a huge grin on his face, it was so funny!

He hadn't walked much since the night he took his first steps, but now he is walking all over the place! He is still wobbly, and you can tell one leg is stronger, because he usually goes a little cricked, but he is getting pretty good!

How did he grow up so fast!

Actual Halloween

On Halloween, the kids and I did a little trick or treating, went to visit Grandma Hazel and ended up at the carnival at the Community Center with Heather and Lina! At farmers market a few nights before, Julie saw cheerleaders in action and has been very excited about them ever since. So, she switched her costume mid celebration, and was a cheerleader.

This was with her cupcake from the cupcake walk. She never actually won, but Andy did. So she got a cupcake. I told Julie to give her brother a hug for sharing his cupcake. She did.

Then she enjoyed a few games while I chased Andy around the hall. Luckily, between Heather and I, we were able to keep the kids under control....or at least within eye sight...most of the time.

And here is the sweet farmer man who was just happy to be wherever the action is.

We had a great Halloween and the first words out of Julie's mouth this morning were "Can I have some candy???"

Walkin'

Tonight at Sarah's birthday party, Andy took his official first steps! And not only did he step, he walked 12 steps across the room! He went from Mommy to Memere. Just like with crawling, he needed some motivation, and Memere had it! Broccoli! Who knew?
Way to go Big Man! Watch out world, here comes Andy Jus!!!!

Halloween Festivities....So Far

I say so far, because Halloween is still 2 days away!

Tuesday night we had the 6th Annual Cut-n-Gut. Here is the outcome.

First up are Julie and Andy with their pumpkins.

Then our pumpkins, from left to right, John, Rachel, Kayla and Chris. Chris is always super creative, and this years turtle is no exception!

Today Julie had a parade and party at school. Here is Julie and her friend Jackson getting ready to go to the parade. It was a pretty long walk, so they decided to stroller it! It was very cute and all the people on the route were very generous with the candy! She came home with a huge bag!

Both kids were excited to see Auntie Arlene along the parade route! Andy even got some M&M's!

This is in her class room, she barely stopped talking enough to eat her lunch!

Tonight, the kids and I met my friend Heather, her sister in law April, brother in law Tom and of course, Lina, for the SLO Farmers Market. The girls were so cute walking all over holding hands. They have grown up so much from last year! After Heather and her family went home, we watched the cheerleaders show. Julie wanted so badly to go join them! She cheered, jumped and was mimicking their every move. We met up with Justin and Audrey (happy birthday Auntie Audrey!!) and they were also amazed at how excited Julie was to watch the cheerleaders!

We had a great day! Stay tuned!!