I've Been a VERY Good Boy Santa (Part 2)

As I mentioned before, the Holmes Family always celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve but this year Omar had to work so we moved it to the day after Christmas.  Nothing like making Christmas last a bit longer this year!! SO fun.

Dani and Omar, as most of you know, have 3 boys.  Gabe who's 7, Lucas who's 4 and Evan who just turned 1 on the 29th of December.  Talk about a lot of grandson's!!  So for Christmas this year Dani and I decided that Momma and Poppa Holmes needed a new picture for their wall of ALL of their boys.  This actually worked out perfectly because Momma also thought she would like to get a picture of her boys and not only arranged for the photo but also bought their PJ's (LOL).  So a few weeks ago, we showed up with our boys in pj's and Matthew started clicking away.  One of the shots made it on to Momma & Poppa Holmes' Christmas card and our favorite made it on to their wall.  It was a great surprise and wonderful memory!

Evan (1), Lucas (4), Jackson (3 months) & Gabe (7)

Another great moment came from Grammy and Poppa and the giving of chairs to Evan and Jackson.  Grammy and Poppa started a few years ago with giving the boys chairs on their first Christmas.  Both Gabe and Lucas have these wonderful chairs with their names on them.  You know the chairs I'm talking of... the Pottery Barn ones.  So this year with it being both Evan and Jackson's first Christmas the search began.  Unfortunately, Momma couldn't find the chairs she wanted, so instead she decided that the two younger boys would have different chairs.  Talk about cute!!

Just kickin it in their chairs!!

Dani with Jackson and Evan

Gabe opening his book

Lucas opening a Wii Game

As always, it was a wonderful day spent at the Holmes house celebrating Christmas, love and of course the reason for it all, our Lord!  We are SO incredibly blessed this year!!  Last year at this time, Evan had just been born and was still in the hospital (yes he was a premi, hard to believe, LOL) and Matthew and I didn't even know we were pregnant.  So much has changed in just a short 12 months.  We've had amazing things happen in our life and we have so much to be thankful for.

"Everyday may not be great, but there is something great in everyday".... I think that is going to be my motto for 2011!!  Finding the great in EVERYDAY!! Here's to an amazing and wonderful 2011, may we all take the time and enjoy watching the world through the eye's of a child for they see only wonder and delight.

My Delight

My Wonder

My Awe

I've Been a VERY Good Boy Santa!

As I've mentioned before, Christmas is my most favorite holiday!!  I LOVE the fresh smell of the tree, the twinkle of the lights, wrapping packages, finding that perfect gift and of course seeing the delight in a child's eye on Christmas morning.  But nothing prepares you for being the momma of that child's eye!  I know Jackson is only 3 months old, but getting the house ready for him for his first Christmas might have been the highlight of my year!!  And boy did he LOVE the twinkle of the lights on the tree!

Merry Christmas

We normally spend Christmas Eve with Matthew's side, parents, sister and her family and then get up early Christmas Day and head to my parents farm.  But sadly, this year Omar (brother-in-law) had to work, so we moved it to the 26th.  So on Christmas Eve we headed down to my parents house to spend the night.  This was very special for my parents!  It was the first time in 14 years that both of their daughters were under the same roof for Christmas Eve, PLUS this is the first Christmas with their first grandbaby!  Talk about fun!!

First Christmas

Christmas Pooh

On Christmas Morning we woke to presents galore!! My little boy had SO many boxes for his momma to open!  From adorable outfits, to hats and socks to his Winnie the Pooh from Mommy & Daddy and of course the show stopper.... his Around the World Discovery Center!  It seems that Santa believed he had been a VERY good boy.... and Mommy and Daddy would have to agree!!

Auntie Heidi

Ready to go Duck Hunting w/Poppa Bubs

Grammy Lin

Looking Adorable

My favorite holiday has just been blessed with a new reason to LOVE it and hold it dear!  Looking forward to new and amazing traditions with the years to come!  We are BLESSED!!

Playtime with Mickey

Its so amazing to me how much Jackson has grown in his 3 months!  Everyday Matthew and I notice something different about him.  From the way he holds his head up, to a new giggle, to the way he looks at his hands and of course how he uses his voice!  He just loves to make sounds and his laugher... it just makes me smile! We have one very happy baby boy!!

My Mickey

The other day during our floor time, Jackson fell in love with his Baby Mickey.  It was SO much fun to see him grab ahold of him, hug him, talk to him and of course watch his face light up!

He really is becoming such a BIG BOY!!!

Talking to Mickey

Doing it Crib Style

Getting SO big!

Last night was a HUGE night in the Holmes house!!  I made the decision almost a month ago that I wanted to have Jackson sleeping in his crib, or close to it, by the New Year.  So for the last few weeks I've been placing him in his crib during the day for his afternoon naps.  At first it wasn't working like I hoped for.  I would lay him down and he would open his eyes.  I would walk out of his nursery and he would only sleep for about 20 minutes.  Ugh!  I would think, it would be SO much easier if I just let him sleep in my arms, but then reality would kick in and I would realize..... who is this really easier for?!  So I kept it up and before I knew it he was taking hour long naps in his crib, two to three times a day!  That was huge for us.

Yesterday during one of his naps I decided that the day had come and we were going to attempt the crib for the night.  I spent the rest of the day getting my mind around it. LOL, yes I admit it, I was a bit emotional about the decision. And to be truthful, I think we mommas sometimes don't realize how much WE don't want to let go (this of course is just my opinion).  But I realized that the time has come that Jackson not only needs to be in the crib, he's almost too long for his bassinet, but that momma and daddy need their room back (daddy is very pleased with this realization).

So, I moved the humidifier, set up the sound machine, got a heater and found a nightlight.  His room was ready!  Then at 930pm we started the process..... changed his diaper, wrapped him in his SwaddleMe (I LOVE those things, sware by them actually) and nursed him for last time.  By 10pm he was out and ready for bed, but was momma?!  I laid him down and he didn't move... so far so good.

My biggest fear... Was I going to hear him from my room?  Matthew assured me I would, I mean the nursery is just down the hall (LOL), but of course it wasn't as close as being right next to me (duh!!).
But in spite of my fears, Jackson and I were successful!!  He slept like a ROCKSTAR!! Momma heard him when he woke for his feeding and there were NO tears or meltdowns (from either of us)!!

My little Jackyboy is growing up and I am SO proud of him!! He is my pride and joy and I feel SO blessed to be his momma!  To think just 3 months ago he was sleeping in my tummy and now he is sleeping in his own bed (tears...).  PROUD MOMMA!!

Smeck Family Christmas

As far back as I can remember, my dad's side of the family has always celebrated Christmas Eve together.  It was always at my Grandparents house and no one ever missed it.  There were WAY too many presents, Prime Rib was ALWAYS the main dish and Santa NEVER missed swinging by to bring us a few presents early!

Even at 31, I look forward to those traditions!!  As our family has grown, we can no longer do this celebration on actual Christmas Eve, so now its the Saturday before Christmas.  But nothing else has really changed.... too many presents, check.... yummy Prime Rib, check..... and of course the main event, Santa!

Its a bit more overwhelming now that I'm the proud momma of 2.5 month old, but the feelings were still there!  This year was Jackson's first year joining in the honored Smeck Family Tradition and I think he did pretty well.

My Cousin, Monica. My Grandmother Nancy, Jackson and I

Jackson Getting his 1st Gift from Santa

Momma and Jackson w/ Santa.

No tears!!

Poppa Bubs w/Jackson and Santa

Giving Thanks(giving)

Our Beautiful Family

This year I have SO much to be Thankful for!! In March I married my best friend and in September we had our beautiful baby boy, Jackson David.  Last year, was a very sad and difficult time for me.  But I think the most amazing thing I learned was to pick myself up and be grateful for the many wonderful things in my life.

This year we went to San Jose to spend Thanksgiving with my mom's side of the family.  Unfortunately, not everyone was able to join us and they were truly missed.

This Thanksgiving marked a few extremely important milestones in our family.  It was my Great Grandmother's (aka Grammy) 99th Thanksgiving and it was Jackson's 1st Thanksgiving.  How many families get to have that kind of time? Sadly, my Grammy passed away on December 8th, just 2 weeks after these pictures were taken.  However, we will always have memories and pictures to remember her and I am SO thankful for that!!  She will continue to live on within our hearts.  We love you Grammy and we thank you for the gifts you have blessed us with!

5 Generations!
Grammy, Grandma Dee, Linda, Lindsey & Jackson

Jackson Meeting Grammy

Jackson was her 1st Great, Great Grandchild

Taking it ALL in

LOVE my little man!!

Jackson and HIS Grammy Lin

Our Trip to Disneyland had

Welcome to Disneyland

Another thing we shared as a family last month, was a wonderful trip to Disneyland.  Matthew's parents decided to do things a bit differently for Christmas this year.  So instead of Christmas presents they took us (and by us I mean.... Matthew, Jackson and I.  Matthew's sister's family... Dani, Omar, Gabe, Lucas and Evan) to Disneyland for a few days.  Talk about FUN!!!!

The Whole Gang

Let's see, we had 6 adults, 4 boys, a wheelchair, 2 strollers, 2 of these boys in diapers and of course bags galore!!  We were a force to be reckoned with!!  We had such a GREAT time.

Matthew's family LOVES Disneyland and they try to go every few years.  So they know all of the rides and their way around the park.  Heck, I think even Lucas had a list of which rides he wanted to go on.  As for me, it might as well have been my first trip.  I was completely lost and totally in Mickey Heaven.  The last time I went to Disneyland I was 18, but I was sick the whole time and the time before that I was 11.  So really this was my first trip in 20 years!  And it was so worth the wait!!

My Sleeping Little Man

Jackson did great all the way through.  He actually slept most of the trip, which was amazing.  Every weekend night the park let's off fireworks, which is beautiful as long as your not standing in the middle of Main Street with every other visitor.  We actually found this to be a prime time to hit the rides and go on as many as we possibly could.  While I was waiting for Matthew and his parents to finish a ride, the fireworks were booming overhead and Jackson just slept through them all.  CRAZY!!

There was SO much to see from Disneyland, to Downtown Disney to California Adventures, but I would have to say my favorite part was our last night there.  Matthew's parents decided to take all 4 boys  for a few hours and allow us BIG kids to go to the park.  Talk about FUN!!  Dani, Omar, Matthew and I went on all of the rides we wanted without hesitation.  And I must admit, they even talked me into a few rides I wasn't looking forward to going on.  But the best moment of the night..... We were on Pirates of the Carribean and I decided I wanted to go on Soaring over California.  We had 30 minutes to get off the ride, get through the park, get to the other park and get in line.  But the really important piece of this story is that the fireworks had just ended so Disneyland is FULL of people and strollers!!  So we go taking off out of Pirates and start running (and for those of you that know Matthew, know he CANT run).  Dani takes off in the lead and we are all following her, she then hits a wall of people, so Matthew takes off in the lead, then he hits a wall of people.  So I take off in the lead.  Before you know it Dani and I are racing each other, we've lost our husbands and we are jumping over strollers, peoples feet and running down the center of Main Street.  By the time we get to the front gate (Dani beat me there. To be honest, she had on running shoes and I hadn't feed Jackson in a few hours so I'm very full, LOL.) we are laughing SO hard and we can't find the guys.  They call us from in front of California Adventures and needless to say, we make it to Soaring over California in time and are still laughing about it to this day!!

Here are some pics of our fantastic trip!!  What an amazing Christmas Present!!

Momma & Poppa Holmes

Jackson Taking it all In

Dani, Omar, Evan & Lucas

Dani and her boys

Omar & Lucas 

Evan's teething

Matthew & I

Momma & her girls