New Years Eve

Today is MY BIRTHDAY! I'm always asked how I feel about having my birthday so close to Christmas, and especially on New Years Eve. Honestly, my parents made sure everything was kept seperate so I always had plenty to go around! ;) They would even take all the ornaments off the Christmas tree and decorate it with balloons and streamers! That's probably one of my fondest memories of growing up, actually. I knew my parents wanted to make my day special and they always did! They never went out on New Years Eve either, even though I told them it didn't matter to me, haha! My husband also makes sure I'm treated extra special on my birthday too, thanks babe! I always say that everyone celebrates my birthday too...you didn't know it, but really you are! Cause I'm a cool kid, and you're all celebrating that I'm here!So this year I decided that since its been well over 10 years that I've had a "birthday tree" I would do one for myself! ;) Here it is! This one is for you Mom and Dad! :D

Christmas Re-cap

Well the kids got spoiled again this year (as always) and loved every minute of it. I just wish it all didn't pass by so fast!

Christmas Eve the kids got their traditional jammies and of course loved them. Because I'm a good mom and totally know my kids! ;) Gwynie loves penguins (we called her 'Pen-gwyn' when she was little haha) so her jammies were penguins with a little seal friend! Brady got some skull and cross bones fleece jammie pants so he was diggin them! And of course a blue thermal shirt to go with em!

The kids also got a movie and the new Super Mario Brothers game for the Wii. All four of us played their new game before bed and it was a blast! Holy crap we laughed soooooo hard and had so much fun just playing and hanging out together! ;) Man I just LOVE these kids to pieces!!

Cookies and chocolate milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Brady made it a point that Santa HAD TO HAVE chocolate milk this year. Thanks B! ;)

Christmas morning was a blur we just had a blast and I loved seeing the kids faces light up as they got everything they asked for and more. *sigh* I love these guys!

Gwynie with her vanity from Santa! She got little make-ups (from Claires), more jewelery and perfumes in her stocking. I found a hot pink blow dryer and straightner so she was in heaven with all her girly stuff Christmas morning!

Brady with his new tv and dvd player from Santa!

I just love this picture! My Mom and Dad got Jake and Brady some remote control Monster Trucks. Like the REAL ones that are super heavy duty! They were high fiving! :)

Christmas morning we went to Dustin and Erica's and did Christmas with his parents there, too. After that we packed up and headed up to Idaho to visit my grandparents and my Aunts family that made the trip from Colorado Springs. Coming home Sunday afternoon...everyone was worn out and exhausted!

A Puppy Surprise!

Jake had been wanting another dog to be a "friend/brother" to our lab/retriever mix Brecken for the last few months. We'd tried it with another dog last summer (who was almost a year old), but they did not get along at all so we had to give the new dog away. We knew we'd have to get a puppy that would know Brecken was the Alpha Dog, in charge and the boss. I of course didn't want another dog, but I could see Jake's point in Brecken having a friend to run around the backyard with when we were at work and the kids were at school.

This is Brecken (this pic was actually taken in December!) - or Breck, Breckie, Brecko-Recko, or Brekker Brekker One-Nine (you know braker braker one nine), or any of the other nicknames we call him.

So Christmas Eve...Both Jake and I were working a half a day and I get a text from him saying to check my email and look at a link he sent me. It was for a puppy who was also a lab/retriever mix and was 7 weeks old. After talking me into it (and promising that I'd never have to clean up after it) I relented and agreed to get this puppy for the kids for a Christmas Eve present. So Jake left work to get the puppy and after an hour or so I left work and went home to clean up and get ready to surprise the kids. Jake brought the puppy home before he picked the kids up from daycare.

So when they came home we had the kids sit on the couch with their eyes covered and I very quitely placed the puppy between them. Needless to say the kids love him and Brecken and he are really good friends!

Meet Bridger! or Bridge, Bridgie, and Bridger-Ridger (see I have this name rhyming complex I think!)

The cat is not quite sure about him, but now that I'm writing this a month later they play like crazy!

Is this sweet or what?! Brady put his blankie on him after he just crashed after playing with us. One minute he was awake and the next he plopped on the floor and took a nap. Too cute!! ;)

Just to show that the dogs really do get along, here they are "playing"! Brecken let Bridger "play" at first, but now he tackles him and they rough house a lot!

Family Christmas Party

I wasn't feeling very well so I didn't take that many pictures, but here are two pics of all the great grandkids at the annual Phillips Family Christmas Party at Grandma Lee's.

L-R: Gwynie, Sydney, Hannah, Bailey, Brady, Trinity, Abby, Ashlynn

Syd, Han, Bay and Abs are our neices, Dustin and Erica's girls. Trin and Ashlynn are Jake's cousins girls. Yep, Brady is the ONLY boy! Also, can you believe Bailey, Brady and Trinity are the same age??!! Brady was born in January, Bailey in March and Trinity in May...and Trin is the tallest (as tall as Gwynie is actually)! Stevie is a big guy so its totally understandable, but man Brady is so small, haha!

Decorating the Christmas Tree

Our tree went up really late this year! Normally it gets done the weekend of Thanksgiving or the weekend after, but with Wrestling season and everything else it was crazy busy! Luckily its done and now we can just enjoy it!

Gingerbread house!

Brady really wanted to make a gingerbread house this year so I bought a premade one that they could decorate. We had such a fun time I think it will be a tradition from now on!

The First Loose Tooth!

Brady had his first loose tooth! He tried wiggling it and wiggling it, and finally one day at school it was loose enough that he just pulled it out! Here are some pictures of us trying to get it out one night! ;) His new tooth was already coming in behind it so we knew it was only a matter of time before it came out. The other bottom one was just a teensy bit loose and the other tooth was coming in as well. Looks like the Tooth Fairy will be visiting very soon!

( See my grubby face Mom?! ) But look there's a loose tooth in there!

I'll just see if I can pull it out myself! (Seriously not staged, he did this and I snapped the pic...priceless!)

Jake tried some string and then dental floss, but it wasn't quite ready yet.

Sister hold my hand, it hurts.

Aww its ok little brother. :(

(They do this all this time its soooo sweet!)