Quiet

It's been quiet around here! Christmas was lovely and the entire weekend was quiet and relaxing. I had four days off of work, and it was like I had hit the lottery.

Mark took the week in between Christmas and New Year's off, so he's had lots of time at home with the boys. I've had quite a bit of time off myself, so we've mostly been just hanging out as a family.

The busy things we've been doing have been playing with our Christmas toys. Yes, even I got Christmas toys! I got a Flip video camera that is awesome! It's compact and takes gorgeous videos. I also got a Netbook (tiny laptop), but that wasn't part of my Christmas present. I need something that I will be able to tote around campus when I return to school in June, and at three pounds the Netbook is the best option!

Anthony got a lot of Legos for Christmas. He and Mark spent hours each day putting them all together and playing with them. He also got a Monty Rex (T-Rex) robot. It's pretty funny! You rub under his chin and he turns his head into your hand and does this little T-Rex purr thing. He walks, roars, sneezes, snuggles...it's clearly Anthony's little dream come true.

Benjamin got Duplos (big Legos) and books. He loves to put his Duplos together while "Nee Nee" (Anthony) plays with his Legos. He also got a toy cell phone and set of keys. Those are his two obsessions when he roots through my purse.

Mark got gadgets. That is all. :) I am enjoying playing with some of them (especially this one).

I want to do a blog with a "2009 in Pictures" kind of review. I have Monday and Friday off from work this week, so hopefully I'll be able to get to it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful, remembering where we were six years ago, that Anthony is healthy and not in the hospital.

I'm thankful for Benjamin, my rough-and-tumble little man.

I'm thankful for a husband who puts up with my crazies and continues to love me.

I'm thankful for the rest of my family.

I'm thankful that I have a job, and one that I actually enjoy.

I'm thankful that I am getting the opportunity to further my education (starting in January!).

I'm thankful.

Christmas Pictures!

Christmas was, in Anthony's words, "the most perfect day ever".

We celebrated my mom's birthday on Christmas Eve and then went to Church with them in the afternoon. We opened presents after Church and then again at our house that evening.

I had to work Christmas Day, so we opened presents with Mark's family when I got off of work at 2:30.

The pictures say it all; no more words are necessary!


Christmas Eve Pictures

Ben enjoyed his first Zwieback cracker!








Santa brought Anthony a Diego game set at Maw Maw's!


He also got a Wall-E Leapster game from Santa at our house. (Plus more, of course)


Animals!


Christmas Day pictures




Grinding gizzards and livers for the rice dressing.

Balentime's Day

Mark and I usually don't celebrate Valentine's Day. We both feel like there's no reason Hallmark should tell us, "You must shower each other with love today!" Shouldn't we, instead, just show each other each day that we are important to each other?

Of course, I usually will buy either some really goofy card or some really sappy card, just to get a reaction out of him. It's fun to watch him turn a little red and say, "GACK!" And, I always get Anthony a card, too. His "Balentime" was a pirate's card with stickers inside. I'm a pretty cool mom!

But this year, Mark had a surprise for me. He had it planned for my birthday, but since it came in just before Valentine's Day, he decided to give it to me yesterday. It's a photo album he made through Blurb. You upload your pictures, arrange them in the "pages" and tell a story. This book was to mark the first four years of Anthony's life. On the inside jacket cover was a picture of Anthony's ultrasound, and a brief synopsis of his life so far. Next were two pictures of the great-grandfathers he was named after.

It was pretty hard not to cry while looking at the book. Of course I got teary when we got to the transplant pictures, but the whole book made me pretty emotional.

I'm going to bring it with me everywhere, so if you want to see it, just wait until I see YOU...and you'll get to take a peek!

In other news, we bought a Nintendo Wii last weekend, and Mark has been playing it almost non-stop when he's home. I, on the other hand, have been too tired to play it at night. This sweet child is still sapping a good bit of my energy! The nausea is getting better, but hasn't abated. Anthony has moved up to the four-year-old class at his school, and is having a blast.

Pictures coming soon!

Carved Pumpkins

Guess which one is mine, which one is Anthony's and which one is Mimi's.