Christmas X's4 (actually 5)

Christmas Eve

Every year we spend Christmas Eve with Chris' dad (Papa)'s family in Chico. After a late start, we arrived in Chico before dinner. After quick hello's and some rearranging we headed to the P'family's house for dinner. (The "P" family are cousin's who have a large enough house to contain our growing clan ;) )


After a lovely dinner, we opened presents with all our extended cousins. A great time was had by all. Junior was quite a charmer. While he did not find that mommy holding little Miss Pollyanna (the infant in the picture) as a good thing. After a few attempts to pull her out of mom's arms, he found others to play with. (He DID give her a few "pets" on the back - hey it was a term he understood!)

Christmas Day





Christmas Morning - Take 1: Junior woke up at 5am - and since none of the rest of the family that was here was ready to get up, he went back to bed with Mom and Dad! Not a creature stirred untill about 630am when we heard Grammie get up. After Grammie, Papa, Dad and Mom where up (and Junior had suffeciently harrassed all four dogs) Junior got to open his stocking. In his stocking he found Santa left him 2 books (with wheels on them), a slinky and 2 wooden cars. We then hot tubbed for a while then got ready for Aunt Leslie, Uncle JJ and the kids to arrive. After a mad house of opening gifts, Papa cooked a wonderful breakfast of hashbrowns, sausage, eggs AND waffles! I was a bad mom this year and didn't take pictures of anyone opening gifts. Afterwards, we got ready to head to my mom's.

Christmas Morning - Take 2: We arrived at my mom's house to a tree filled with presents for everyone. I think even my brothers would admit that Junior made out very well. Juniors favorite gift of the morning (by far) is in the video below. Thank You oh so much from Mommy to a certain Uncle Ian for the drum. I am sure that we will hear alot of music coming from it.

Christmas Night: We enjoyed a wonderful turkey AND ham dinner with all the fixings with almost the entire "A" Clan (Grammie J's side) plus my mom and Uncle Ian. Junior even got to sit at the table in his own chair with out a booster seat. Junior loved the cresent rolls and entertaining everyone at the table. After dinner, my mom (Nona) and Uncle Ian had to leave due to other plans. The rest of the family adjurned to the living room for the next round of present madness. This living room seems to get smaller every year - when i joined the family almost 12 years ago, we all fit in it just fine... kids grow and people have been added. It's amazing how quickly it all changes.

After presents we enjoyed dessert of homemade apple pie, pumpkin pie and left over carrot cake from Chris' party. Junior had a great time playing with everyone. He loves his cousins very much - which is evidenced by the fact he will go to the two older ones and asked to be picked up (and carried everywhere! Justin and Megan really do spoil him.)

Today, Uncle Will, Aunt Connie and cousin Willam (aka W3) arrive from LA. There are plans for Karaoke for the adults and Megan babysitting the two little boys at Aunt Kathy's. (We shall see how that goes!) And another gift exchange with them later this week! (which will be Christmas #5)

All in all, our Christmas was a wonderful one. We where very fortunate to be able to spend this time with family and friends. The Chaos household hopes that you and yours where able to have just as wonderful time (and continue to have) as we have!

Christmas Cookies - Part 2

Today we frosted a few of the cookies we baked yesterday. This was Junior's first experiance with homemade frosting. It was safe to say, he liked it. When he first got a taste of it, we watched his face go from one of being perplexed by this new taste to one of "ooo that's gooood".

Jr finger painted in the frosting I had just put on this cookie.

Getting some of that good homemade frosting!

MMMM!

Finger painting in a 2nd cookie

What was left of the few cookies we decorated...

Can you see the enjoyment here?!?!?

Christmas Cookies - Part 1

It is cold and rainy here today, so for some indoor fun we made sugar cookie dough to roll out and make Christmas cookies with. (They will get decorated either tomorrow or at a later date - pictures will follow I promise!)





Helping with the spatula


















Supervising mom (and stealing dough)













Mmm Dough












Helping Dad put cookies on the cookie sheet













Lunch Break - Mac n Cheese for the 1st time!!! (he was diggin it!)













Someone "helped" himself to the cookie cutters and flour when mom and dad weren't looking. The end result...

Gearing up for Christmas

The Chaotic household has been just that. We, just like the other magnitudes of people out there are gearing up for the holidays. Our Holidays include travel... which always made this time of year interesting.

Those families that are fortunate enough to all live in the same area don't get to experience the joys of flying with gifts. If you wrap them before you fly, your baggage is GUARANTEED to be searched. (I'm all for extra security, but when they rip the paper on a lovely wrapped gift or multiple gifts it is a tad annoying.) So this year, I am going to be shipping our presents home via our favorite shipping company (and no it's not the big brown truck...gotta stick with family ;) )

In the meantime, I am attempting to get my house into the season. We put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. I refuse to NOT have a tree in my house, despite the fact that we are, when possible, at home with family for the holiday.

If you know anyone serving overseas, the deadline for them to get presents intime for the holiday is fast approaching (if not passed already). Don't worry! Soliders, Sailors, Marines and Airmen LOVE gifts, and if you can stretch the holidays out for them ;) I know they would appreciate it! Don't forget... they wish they where home just as much as we wish they where here with us!

A photoblog is forth coming, I promise! In the next couple of days!

Thankful....All Year Long

First off, the Pleasantly Chaotic household would like to wish you and yours a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving.

This year, we have a lot to be thankful for. Chris made it through a deployment and everyone came home safe and sound. We celebrated with family not only his arrival home, but our son's first birthday, our nephew's 18Th birthday and a cousin's graduation with her Master's degree. All of these things are enough to make a person thankful.

We are also thankful for ALL of the soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and of course coasties near and far who do what they do to ensure our freedom and the ability to celebrate holidays like today. This year, we have family who is stationed overseas, and we would like to make sure he knows he, and his fellow military comrades are in our thoughts and prayers.

This year has found us with two moves, one half way across the country and the other nearly the rest of the way. We are thankful both were safe journeys, and everything arrived in both locations safe and sound.

I, personally am thankful that my family is healthy and happy. All four of us are healthy, happy and alive. I am thankful that my family does not only include our loved ones who are family by birth or marriage but also very dear friends who are scattered across the country. Without this biological family and adopted, life would be quite dull. I am thankful for the laughter, love, ear to bend and understanding (at times) that all of these people bring to our lives!

Who are you thankful for? Don't just say it once a year... let them know, all year long!

Photo Blog - Mother's Day Part 1

My first mother's day was wonderful! I started off the day with my son sleeping most of the night(!!!!) and then my father in law coming in to get him about 7am. Unfortunately due to actually getting a seemingly full night of sleep and Jr having already been awake for an hour, I couldn't go back to sleep. So I laid in bed for a little while and tried, but no such luck.

After a cup of coffee then some time in the hot tub with both my mother in law and father in law (Jr too) Papa Stan took us out to breakfast. (and we managed to not have a horrendous wait!!) After breakfast we stopped by a KFC to get some of their new grilled chicken to take out to the local lake for a picnic. We are supposed to go camping for the weekend this coming weekend, so my inlaws wanted to take the boat out for a "shake down" cruise.

While hooking up the boat trailer, my father in law failed to make sure the hitch was on correctly. Resulting in this:

The truck is another good 100 feet behind me when I took this picture.

We finally managed to get out to the lake. A great time was had by all. Junior loved to watch the wake & what his Papa was doing with the boat motor. Couldn't have cared less about everything else!

Junior also got his first drumstick to himself. To say he throughly enjoyed it does not even cover it!

By far my favorite picture of the day.

Junior - enjoying his grandparents on the lake.

Photoblog - Jr's First Easter Part 2

These where taken at an Easter egg hunt up the road from our house. One of the family's on our road runs a rural daycare and they throw this HUGE egg hunt every year since they moved in. (5 or 6 years now) Junior had a great time. He was amazed at the sky diver they had come in prior to any of the egg hunting, he looked at the guy like he was crazy - his Grammie would agree, you know doing something crazy like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane :)
These pictures where taken by my mother in law, Jr's Grammie (or Grandma J depending on the day lol)

My Boy with his loot ;) He didn't do too badly! He got 14 eggs!

Photo Blog - Jr's First Easter Part 1

I am sure that this will probably be documented over a few photo blogs so bear with me. I took these today since Jr slept through the entire egg dying experiance (pics of that to come later- most likely tomorrow because as I am posting this blog while waiting for my brother to email me some stuff then it's off to bed once I help a brother out. LOL help my brother, help a brother out. I kill me!! Yep not tired or anything!)

My crazy little man is up to something!

Christopher Junior's Easter egg that was just for him... see it has his name on it ;)

This looks yummy - shell and all. (yep he did bite into it, darn teeth.)

Just a cute shot of my little guy concentrating VERY hard on the eggs his cousins (and Mommy) colored JUST for him

Home and Gone - all in one!

Going Home

Have you ever gone back to your hometown for a visit (or in my case – moved back temporarily) and found that you cannot go anywhere with out running into someone you think you know, or someone who thinks they know you? It seems to be that the past couple have weeks have been non-stop with this. I have run into the consummate female athlete from my graduating class, people who went to school with my brothers, people who knew my husband but not me, and everything in between it seems. It is weird and a little awkward. Some I wasn’t really good friends with in high school, some have been classmate’s parents and we all know that half the time talking to someone else’s parent in high school was awkward enough, this is well, the same if not more so.
I am not saying any of this is a bad thing it is just weird. I have also found that I am still, after being back here almost three and a half months now, that I still wonder who I am going to recognize or who is going to recognize me. On the other side of the weirdness it is nice to see that some people have changed (for the better) and that somewhere not the people you thought they where.

A Day of Outings
Today we were running all day! We met up with Ms. Jenni to see the Easter Bunny with Miss Krista (pictures later this week) and to have lunch with these two wonderful women! (I think Jr has a girlfriend here already in Krista! She was sure giving him some serious smooches when we left Chick-fil-a!) No need to worry about this little guy being afraid of the Easter Bunny, nope not at all! He was fabulous the whole time! We even used his happiness on the Easter Bunny’s lap to try to coax a couple other little girls (Krista included) onto the Bunny’s lap. No dice for the most part (I knew the Easter Bunny – so that made things a little easier for us ;) ) I cannot wait for next year when Daddy will get to go with us.
After the Easter Bunny and lunch with the girls, Jr and I did a little shopping at Marshals, a return to Best Buy then to Wal-Mart and Sam’s. We left the house at 930ish this morning and did not get home until a little after 3pm! It’s now a quarter after ten, the little man is asleep and I have homemade spinach dip in a half-made state (the spinach is cooling off) and have picked up to try and help get things ready for the party tomorrow. Two more days until I am a year off from “middle age”! (That makes me feel and sound sooo old!!!) One more sleeps until my party! If you are “in the know” on how to get to the Ranch and you are in the area party starts around 2pm. If you would like to drop in – drop me a line, text me or an old-fashioned phone call and I will give you directions!

Valentine's Follow Up.

Sweet Hearts....

This year, Valentine's Day was very different from last years. Chris is over seas and I am staying with his parents. My loving husband however, had the forsight to buy my valentine's present prior to leaving and took it with him. It came a week early in the mail (and could not have arrived on a better day!). My package happened to arrive on the same day that he returned to the base over there and called home. I opened my package the day it came because, lets face it, life with a teething infant is not a walk in the park. I had reached the point where I needed something nice and happy to refocus my attention, so I opened mine. As luck would have it his package had arrived too. So I made him open his to (so I wouldn't feel so guilty about opening mine).

My loving husband not only replaced but upgraded my missing Ipod! :) And in a wonderful Valentine's Day color - Pink! My husband recieved a ton of junk food, and some various assorted things from Jane's Rustic Ranch Soap. How ever the big piece to his gift was Junior's 6 month photos (a few of which are on my current blog header). The 3 that are put together he recieved as a collection with the words "I love my Daddy" above them. I was informed that all of the pictures I sent where by far the best present I could have given/sent him! That made my day! :)

Happy New Year!

Everyone here at our little blog wishes you and yours a wonderful, prosperous, fun-filled (yet safe) 2009!

We where such party animals we didn't stay awake to ring the New Year in - however we made only a couple resolutions this year.

~Strive to capture as many milestones on film (digital alright but you get the picture) so we can include Daddy as much as possible

~Enjoy time spent with friends and family alike, because you never know how much time you'll really get to spend let alone enjoy it!

Christmas Round Out

Christmas is officially over... however the pictures keep on come'n! The "Haul"

Jr waiting to open presents... oh so anxiously

Jr's FIRST present! It was a pull along helicopter- the blades spin when pulled.

He just opened a present from "Grandma" Barbra from Weight Watchers. It makes lots of noise!!

Overall our Christmas was a good one. We got to spend time with family and friends we have not seen in quite a while. Jr got to meet more of his family, cousins and his great grand parents. While we enjoy Christmas and usually can't wait for it to get here, this year we were not wanting it to end. So we tried to savor it for as long as possible!

Over the Hill and Through The Woods...

Today we are off to Great Grandma's house in Chico. It should be a really fun time! Mostly because Jr will get to meet his Great Grandma for the first time!! And a the rest of his Great-Aunts and alot of cousins too!

This involves a 2 hour car ride, getting Grandma J's house organized for Christmas tomorrow and getting all of the things that we are responsible for (food wise) for dinner tonight as well as presants and 5 people into the car and on the road. Usually we aim for getting out of here by noon and to Great Grandma's by 2ish but somehow today I'm not so sure that's going to happen ;). The past couple of days, our nephew Justin has been out at the Ranch helping Chris and Grandpa with various assorted things and just spending "guy" time with his uncle. Unfortunately we don't have a car that will seat 6 while accomadating the car seat. Chris is currently on his way to drop Justin off at his parents house plus make a little stop along the way and get back here and showered quickly so we can load the car while he's doing all of that. My guess is we will end up leaving here about 1. But we will have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, I am in what is known around here as "the cave" (aka my mother in law's office) dutifully watching as the yearly calanders print so that I can reset them and make sure that the other side of the pages print. Then I am off to the shower to try and make it as easy on myself and everyone else so that when my inlaws get back up from the barn (they are feeding those darn cows) we can get everything ready to go and they can get showered.

Jr seems to be loving his time on the ranch. He LOVES the horses. I have a picture of him on my cellphone that I still need to download and post of him and his daddy's horse. We are saving the actual riding of the horses for Aunt Kathy who has already asserted her "dibbs" on that. (She has also claimed getting him dirty from jumping in any and all puddles she can find.) Ahhh life on The Ranch ;)

It's The Holiday Season!

I love this time of year. Christmas is my favorite holiday (up next would be my birthday ;) ). I love the lights, the music (yea I'm weird I know) the getting together with friends & family, the smells and ofcourse the food.

This year I think I'm loving Christmas even more. This is Junior's first Christmas and it's so exciting to get him see things like decorations for the first time. Today Jess, the boys and I all went to the mall to walk a few laps. After Trace's customary ride on the carosel, it was announced we HAD to go see Santa. Trace had seen Santa walking back out to the Santa chair and decided that there was no if, ands, buts about it we where GOING to talk to him, so he promptly ran from the exit of the carosel to the end of the Santa line (which was actually short partially due to the fact it was the middle of a week day - and Santa had just come back from a break).

I wasn't going to get Jr's picture with Santa because this wasn't something planned (so there where no appropriate clothes in the diaper bag), and you know I keep hearing how so-and-so's baby didn't like Santa till they where around the age of 3-5. Well, Trace hopped up in Santa's lap - and proceeded to tell Santa ALL about his brother and "Ju-noor". He even remembered to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas. Colten did pretty well with Santa, a little unsure about him, but he did just fine. When it was Junior's turn... all he could do was smile and laugh...

So I guess in weird way this kind of makes up for me not having MY decorations and lights to put up. (Despite the most generous offer of my Mother in Law -Grandma J - to put her's up when I get there .. it's just not the same) at least I get the fun and excitement of watching my son experiance all of this for the first time, and seeing that he is enjoying it... it's not scary to him in the least. :)

(I just realized how I am going to get out of the dog house for buying the picture CD from the Santa thing... I don't get to put up decorations this year and we spend about the same amount on new stuff every year as I did on this picture!)

Happy Father's Day!

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Happy Father's Day

To all the Dad's that have been there throughout the years for their kids, in every way imaginable I hope you have an AWESOME DAY!

And for the record: I know many Dad's who's kids don't just have 2 legs, but 4 also. These men are no less a Dad, and usually have a couple of "adopted" 2 legged kids too. And we wish them the best day of the year so far!

Our Happy Father's Day wishes go out to (beside everyone, but specifically): Grandpa S, Papa, Chris, JJ, "Laz", Ronnie, Rob, Bob, & Jason.

Kids, Father's Day, Hanging Out

Kids....
So Chris got here with the kids yesterday. My niece (Megan) is 14 going on 15 in a couple weeks and is obviously going to be a BIG help in having around! My nephew (Arthur) is 12, he'll be 13 Aug 1 and is a video game and sugar junky!!! (Hey Julie... if he lived closer I would send him over to help you out ;) ) Either way the kids are adjusting to the time difference between here and CA. Atleast when they go home in a month they aren't starting school the next day like Megan did last year when she came out for spring break.

Father's Day...
Jess, Megan, Colten and I went and shopped for Chris' Father's Day present. He's been joking that he should get something GOOD because he's been spoiling me so far this year. While partly true.. it is still his job to take care of his now VERY pregnant wife!! After looking at what was availible in Best Buy today, I realized I was better off telling him what I had planned, and making sure that he gets what HE wants out of it. From the sounds of it we may be making a trip into Best Buy tonight so Chris can hem & haw about what he wants out of a new home theater system. (I just want one that he can limit the surround on so that he doesnt' wake Jr when playing video games during nap time.)

Hanging Out....
Other than all that fun and exciting stuff, we have just been hanging out. Arthur washed Ronnie's truck this morning and Megan vacumed it out. It was the least they could do since it ferried them here from California!

Memorial Day - Everyday

The reason for Memorial Day is to remember fallen while in Military service to their country, here in the US.

Personally, my opinion is that it is to remember any service member. Fallen or otherwise. The Fallen are in a better place - and the memories of who they where and what they accomplished is not anything that should be forgotten or tossed aside. Who better to remember those that fell then those who are left to tell their stories? The ones Who Remain Behind. How many times do we hear about veterans from ANY conflict that are left with survivors guilt because they did not bring everyone home? Or because they couldn't do something more for those they where trying to help? These men and women should not be remembered on separate days - Veterans Day and Memorial Day. Their stories intertwine. You can not tell one with out the other.

More so this year, but every year since my husband enlisted in the Navy, Memorial Day and Veteran's Day takes on a whole new meaning to me. Sure, I have family who proudly served their country in generations before where I stand. My Uncle was a POW in Korea - he was and is forever changed by his experiences that he had. However - he would not be here with out those that fell around him. I may not know those men but I remember them. And I thank them. My husband's squadron lost 3 sailors this year. At first we mourned them. Now we remember them. I thank them. I thank them for the courage they had to go fearlessly into the great unknown. I thank them for their abilities and the lives they touched where ever they went and those they worked with. My husband was touched in many ways - some good some a little horrifying at the time. But now he stands a better man, a stronger man, a stronger SAILOR because of what he learned from the men who fell around him.

Don't just remember The Fallen - Remember those Who Remain Behind. They all tell parts of the bigger story.

Happy Anniversary

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To my husband of 8 years....

My Mother's Day

Here is what my loving family - and extended family sent me:

From L to R: the yellow card is from Sox and Calvin as well as the Roses, the blue card is from my BFF Sarah , the pink card you can't see very well is from Ms. Jean - in it she included the lovely poem I posted earlier today, and the pool is from my loving husband. I had complained that I wanted a pool for our back yard because it's starting to get hot and yucky here and I am getting to the point where it's getting harder to go down to Jess' house to "borrow" her pool ;). The only issue will be keeping the boys out of it, ok well Calvin anyhow.

So THAT'S What those are!

Yesterday I had my first Braxton Hicks Contractions.

Not knowing what they where kind of scared me. The first one was after I was done cleaning the kitchen, and I was walking from one room to another to answer the phone and probably wouldn't have noticed except I went to rub my stomach and thought "Man, that's like a rock!" So I started feeling the different parts of my stomach and the whole thing was rock hard. Kinda freaky if you ask me.

The second one happened when I was over at my friend Jess' house. Her almost 9 month old son had kinda woken up from a nap (one of those "I'll go back to sleep if you hold me" type wake ups) and since she was trying to look some stuff up on line, I sat on the couch with him. This time I felt my stomach get rock hard agian. Needless to say, I didn't call my mom this time and ask what the heck was going on. Asking Jess is no help because she didn't get any of these with either of her boys. (see previous post here).

I would also like to wish everyone a Happy Easter! We are spending it with our friends here on the base - BBQ'ing. :) Hope everyone has a wonderful day with whom ever you choose to spend it with!