Christmas time is here!

Every year when December comes around, I get very excited and truly countdown the days til Christmas. This year has been so strange because I am more excited than ever for our first Christmas with Liam, yet when I see how many days til Christmas...I just think, meh...thats 2 weeks away...LOL. I blame the lack of anticipation on the fact that I have experienced some of the most exciting things that will ever happen in my life, this year. Therefore, Christmas is exciting, but I am not anxious for it. I have been VERY anxious for a lot of the last year and a half...now its time to just relax, let life happen and enjoy every single moment that I can.

Enjoying life has its perks and downfalls. Since Thanksgiving, Jonathan and I have been and will continue to be busy every weekend until Christmas. This gives us a lot to be thankful for, celebrate and ways to make memories of a lifetime...but as you know, the busier you are, the fast time seems to fly by. We traveled for Thanksgiving (as posted in my last blog), we then went to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for a weekend away, this past weekend was my work Christmas party, next weekend is a Christmas party with friends and a gift exchange with J's cousins, then the next weekend is Christmas! Wow. Between all of the weekend madness, I helped to decorate the coolest winter Olympic stadium made of gingerbread (work competition), I started running again and our Christmas shopping has to get finished sometime! Needless to say, we have been on the go and I am trying to catch up on rest.
So, on to the agenda. Eureka Springs. :) My winter happy place. J and I go to Eureka every year and this year was the hardest but most needed weekend away we have ever had. I say that because of course it was difficult to leave Liam for 3 nights, but after him being sick for what seems like eternity, we truly needed the getaway. Dean and Krista went with us this year which made it a new/old experience. :) We drove to Eureka Thursday evening and had the best $10 bar pizza (we are positive it was Tony's LOL) you have ever tasted bc we were so hungry. Then we had wine and sat out by the fire pit for the rest of the evening. Friday we woke up and decided to get the majority of our shopping done during the day. After a little lunch and shopping til we dropped, we had a Christmas parade to attend. Every year J and I have missed the parade bc we usually go up on Friday night, so we were sure to make it this year! We heard it was going to start at the Crescent hotel, and since we were going to have dinner at Ermilios, then we had the bright idea to park there and walk to the parade. TERRIBLE idea! LOL The parade did NOT start at the Crescent...the ppl in the parade gathered there and walked down the hill.....a HUGE hill to the start of the parade. We took a little trespassing adventure to make our way down the hill and get there in time for the parade to start. So after the parade was over, we had to get back to Ermilios somehow right? Yup, that's right we had to go back UP that damn hill. Only this time instead of weaving back and forth and going up a gradual incline, we just took one street straight up...it was the longest, steepest hill I have ever and will ever climb in my life! hahaha My butt and legs hurt for 2 days after that...did I mention I was in heels? Well, we ate and headed back to the cabin where J and I crashed super early. Saturday we did some wine tasting and then finished all of our shopping as the cold front moved in. After dinner at Local Flavor we had to go see the Christmas lights and the "Big Jesus." Then it was back to the cabin where the boys thought we HAD to sit by the fire pit again...It was freezing, but they had new cigars, so we agreed to sit out there for a few minutes, then we came in to play some card/drinking games. hahaha I wont go into detail on this so I can spare a few humiliations!! Sunday was bitter sweet. I was sad the weekend was over, but we could NOT get back home fast enough. I missed Liam so much!!

Dean and Krista by the fire pit Thursday night

Me and J at the fire pit (in PJ's)

D and K tasting a little wine

Enjoyed our very first wine tasting experience.

Many thanks to my mother in law, Gail, and my sister, Shon for keeping Liam while we were gone. He hasn't been sleeping well, so they lost a few zzz's on our behalf. We love and appreciate you!

This last weekend was my work Christmas party and my mom came up to watch Liam for us while we were out. It was a great party, but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. :( It was a great turnout though! Every year the company gives out "Moment of Truth" awards and I am a part of a special Team call the Comfort Rounds Team and we WON "Most Team Spirited" this year! Its a huge honor to win ANY award and we all work sooo hard for our patients, its nice to be recognized. Saturday night was a UFCUFC fun. I guess that is what you would call it...I fell asleep! LOL shows just how exhausted I am!

We took Liam to see Santa Clause for the first time yesterday too!!! He loved him...or should I say he LOVED his beard! hahaha He did not cry or even look uncomfortable. Santa just talked to him the whole time and Liam just smiled and looked him straight in the face the whole time and tried to pull off his beard of course. Good thing Santa was sporting his own real locks and it couldn't be pulled off! hahaha I was pretty excited it went so well.

Santa and Liam talking baby talk about Christmas

Smiling for the camera like a big boy!

I think that just about catches you up on our December thus far. Liam is crawling around like a mad man now. He has been pulling up now which brings on a whole new set of terror, but its been so much fun. He listens so well, he knows when you say "no-no" that he shouldn't be doing whatever it is he has gotten himself into. haha He stops and sits on his bottom and looks for something else to do. Here are a few pics to enjoy. :)

Liam cheesin it up at dinner. 

Trying to "getaway" from pictures!

Literally crawling out of his socks. Cant keep him still now!

Our house. Red lights on the house and white lining the drive and bushes. 

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas! I will have soo much to report in a week or two!! woo hoo!