Holidays 2009: Part 3 Christmas Eve & Morning

Christmas Eve morning Bryan went in to work for a few hours, so Brooks and I decided to make a few goodies.  Cookies for Santa and Reindeer Chow were on the agenda.  He chose the slice & bake Christmas tree cookies at the grocery store, which was fine by me.  I made chili to have for dinner after the Christmas Eve service.  We had a great day together as a family!!  One of my favorite things about being a parent is seeing the magic of the holidays through the eyes of a child.

Recipe for Reindeer Chow:

6 C Crispix cereal

1/4 C peanut butter

1/2 pkg milk chocolate chips

powdered sugar

In saucepan, heat chocolate chips until almost melted.

Add peanut butter and finish melting together.  Pour over cereal.  Stir until cereal is coated, then pour in large Ziploc with powdered sugar.  Shake until cereal is coated.  Pour into large bowl to cool.

Enjoy!!

Shaking it up!!

About to indulge

He was so excited

Eating like a reindeer...no hands!!

Dressed &and ready for Christmas Eve service.  I love this pic of them.

My sweet, sweet boy

In our jammies, cookies & milk for Santa, and treats for the reindeer

Reindeer food(hay) that Brooks put together at school 

Goodies from Santa...went for the stocking first!!

Excited little boy, I love his candy cane jammies.

Then, we headed upstairs to the playroom for his big surprise, a train table.

Love the conductor hat

I thought his serious expression was so sweet.  He wanted all of the trains to stay connected to each other!!

Holidays 2009: Part 3 Christmas with Bryan's family

This year, we decided to spend Christmas at our home.  Bryan and I were both fortunate enough to grow up near our grandparents, so we were always home Christmas morning.  Unfortunately, we don't live near our parents and usually switch out spending the holidays with them.  Brooks was about to turn four and it was the first year he really "understood".  So, we celebrated with Bryan's family one weekend in December and then with my family after Christmas. 

Our very first gingerbread house

Wanted to include a picture of our front door...I made the garland & was really pleased with how it turned out!!

Early Christmas Weekend in Abilene:

We always enjoy our visits to West Texas.  Bryan grew up in Abilene and we lived there two years after we got married.  We hit up our fav restaurants: Rosa's, Abuelos, & Joe Allen's BBQ.  Bryan has a big family and we got together with them one night at his grandmother's house(hate I didn't take any pics there).  We also took Corbin and Brooks to have their pic made with Santa.  Fun weekend with family!!

Brooks & MeMe watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Linsey, Corbin, Brooks, & Bryan before opening gifts

Brooks dancing to the Sunday Night Football theme song by Faith Hill, you can see her on the TV.  He did this with Bryan every Sunday and it was hilarious. 

Modeling his new Thomas the Train backpack

Brooks & Corbin have the best time playing together.

MeMe pushing the boys around the kitchen...fun times!!

Holidays 2009 Part 2: Thanksgiving & Brooks' 1st time "hunting"

Fall is such a fun and busy time of year for our family. Each October we go home so Bryan can help my dad get the farm ready for hunting season.  Hunting season is a big deal in our family and I know Bryan looks forward to the day he can take Brooks & Bennett with him.  Brooks decided he wanted to go hunting.  So, we all dressed in camo and headed to the farm.  My family's farm is out in the country and such a peaceful, beautiful place.  I love to spend time there.  It is a tree farm(no horses, cows, etc) about 30 minutes from my parents house.  My parents are putting in a hunting cabin.  So this year the guys will have a place to go,after the morning hunt, to have breakfast, watch football, and hang out.  Mom, the boys, and I will go down a few times I'm sure. 

Brooks in the deer blind

Fun day with my boys

Baba and our little hunter

Brooks and Poppa on the tractor

We spent Thanksgiving 2009 with my family.  It was the last holiday I got to be with my Papa.  He was living at my parents house while taking dialysis.  He was really sick, but I got to spend quality time with him that I will treasure forever.  Each night, after we put Brooks to bed, I would go into his room to watch TV and talk to him.  I thought it was so sweet that Brooks would go into Papa's room throughout the day to check on him.  He loved his Papa so much!!

Brooksie and his Papa

My mom and her parents

A treausered photo, my family praying and giving thanks for our many blessings.

Thanksgiving 2009 family photo

2009 Holidays Part 1:Pumpkin Patches & Halloween

So, I'm almost one year late with this post, guess better late than never..Ha!!

Bryan and I took Brooks to a Pumpkin Patch about an hour north of our house. We heard that it was great with lots of activities for the kids. What we didn't know, was the entire city of Houston would go the same day and time as we did. We waited in line for 1.5 hours and I was one hot, tired, preggo mommy. Totally worth it, Brooks had a blast!!

Picture of our sweet boy waiting in line
They had:
~tractor races

~rope swings

~look at that handsome "Cowboy Brooks"

~a big play area(I didn't get a good picture b/c we were busy chasing Brooks through it)

~Brooks' favorite was the zipline

You could go on a hay ride out to the fields to pick your pumpkin, but our little guy was to busy playing to do that. He protested and we were too hot & tired to fight him.

2nd Pumpkin Patch at one of the churches near our house:

Daddy met us there on his way home from work

I loved this antique wagon filled with mini pumpkins

Brooksie with his loot

Halloween parade at Brooks' preschool...isn't Spiderman a cutie???

Carving pumpkins

He really got into it this year

I love the built-in muscles
Talking to Baba on his way to trick or treat
This house had a few scary decorations and daddy needed to go with him!!

My favorite picture of the night!! After we returned home from trick or treating, they sat in the front yard waiting for kids to come by. Brooks thought this was sooo much fun. Sweet boy.

Upcoming Post: Halloween 2010

Brooks is going to be Batman and Bennett a bat!! Can't wait. :)

Hello again & Miss Evie...

The Boyer Bunch is up and running again. Hopefully, it won't be six months until I do another post, but I'm not promising anything!! :) Wanted to include an updated pic of my sweet babies and to say I've missed you all. Upcoming posts: Brooks turned 4, Bennett's birth & first four months, my 10 year Anniversary, and much more. Stay tuned...

Our precious niece, Evie May, now has her very own blog!!! Please go check it out and welcome my sweet sister to the blogging world with a comment:

http://www.dtmissevie.blogspot.com/

Prego Pics & a Painting

I'm finally adding some new prego pics for November & December. Hard to believe I'm 33 weeks and Bennett's arrival is just around the corner. This has been a great pregnancy, and I am so thankful.

November-Thanksgiving holiday

Christmas Eve, no belly shot in December

Not as much time on my hands with the second pregnancy to remember everything that you do with your first!!

Look at this beauty...a Christmas gift from my parents. Guess who painted it, the most talented gal I know, Jamie Leah!! I am so proud of it. It's hanging in our entry way and I look at it each time I pass through. She can paint anything and I can't wait to see the canvas's for Bennett's nursery. I'm going to do a post sometime with pics of all the paintings J's done for me. I remember telling her a long time ago that I'd love to have her art hanging throughout my home. If you are interested in having some custom artwork done, please let me know and I'll pass along her info.