Christmas in Colleyville

Chatty and the Captain enjoyed spending Jack's first Christmas in Colleyville (and Grapevine) with grandparents and great-grandparents, an aunt, uncles, and many friends, new and old. Catherine really started to begin to understand Christmas traditions this year and it was so fun to watch her get excited and learn about what Christmas means.

Jack, of course, just thought it was pretty neat to have a new place to explore. He is finally "really" crawling now, up on his hands and knees. Sometimes I think he is imitating a tripod, or maybe a future football stance because he crawls (often on hard surfaces) with his two hands and up on his right foot, kind of dragging the left knee. I think he feels he can go faster this way. He really likes the treasure chest that Papa made for him. Catherine immediately began filling hers with all of her presents and "treasures."

For the second time in a year, my mother's parents joined us for a celebration in Texas. Earlier this year it was at Easter time for Jack's baptism. It was very special to have Jack celebrate so many milestones in his first year with his GGma and GGpa from California. Catherine and I also went with Mimi and GGma to a special tea party at the Ashton Hotel in downtown Fort Worth. What fun to have four generations of Sayer/Cutter/Boyd ladies together for such a neat experience!

Cold Comes to Texas!

It's been a winter of highs and lows, referring both to family drama and the outdoor temperatures! One day it's 25 degrees, the next it's near 80! Everyone's noses are running, but we're all pretty happy and healthy these days. Jack survived ear tube surgery (with less stress than Mommy), and Catherine is slowly figuring out that 5AM is NOT a good time to get up and get dressed. With Christmas a few days away, we're glad that it's nice and cold outside so we can enjoy our fires in the fireplace!

Aunt Aimee is staying with us while she and Uncle Brett are in the middle of a move back to Austin from Iowa. Christian has been having fun telling his brother, who is living in subzero temperatures most days, of our weather roller coaster. Catherine and Jack love having a live-in playmate, especially since she is way more fun than Mommy and Daddy! And Mommy and Daddy have taken advantage of rare opportunity to sneak away for a date! We may not let her leave!

Is it over yet?

We've been having technical difficulties throughout the month of November, here in the Boyd household. We're getting back online and back to our normal selves, but we're definitely ready for December!

November brought us illness, upon illness, Jack's 1st visit to the ER, layoffs at Freescale (where Allison works-- she still has a job), Mommy and Daddy away on business trips at the same time, our home computer crashing (we lost everything), and the list goes on and on.

We're reminded that life does just keep going and have tried not to get too hung up on these issues that will pass. Chatty and the Captain keep us laughing and it is just amazing how fast they are changing. We're looking forward to a new year... but as you can see here, we've got plenty of blessings right now...

Thanksgiving

Jack's first Thanksgiving was great fun. Grandma Brigid and Grandpa Terry came to celebrate, as did Uncle Steve! Jack thought that turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and green bean casserole were pretty yummy. Pumpkin pie with whipped cream are simply amazing! Catherine was unfortunately not feeling well due to a cold, but she was a good sport. There was plenty of leftover food for her to enjoy a few days later.

Bathtime Together!

Catherine and Jack enjoyed their first bath together last night. It was hilarious! Catherine thought it was so neat that Jack was in "her" bathtub with her. She liked showing him how to dump water over his head, and her head, and everything else. He of course was just thrilled to be doing something with his big sister. Jack had been taking his own bath in the kitchen sink as it was a lot easier on Mommy's and Daddy's knees and back. But now, weighing in at 23 pounds and stretching out to 30 inches tall, he is just too big (and way to active) for the sink. Plus he just reaches out to everything and has been very successful in drenching Mommy, the counter, the floor, etc... So now a mutual splashtime is in order. Mommy and Daddy really like doing all of this at the same time, too. It seems to make Catherine's bedtime routine a little calmer, too, since she goes to bed about an hour after Jack. Jack is snoozing by 6:30 and Catherine gets a little alone time with Mom and Dad until it's her turn to hit the hay.

Jack's 1st Halloween

Well, Jack wasn't into it as much as his sister, obviously. And Mommy decided that honestly Jack didn't really need a costume! But he wore his m&m outfit that Aunt Aimee and Uncle Brett brought him from New York, so that was fun anyway. Catherine liked being a fairy of non-descript origin. Daddy took her trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. She made it through about 5 houses and then decided eating her haul was more interesting! Maybe next year when our crafty Aunt Aimee lives nearby we'll actually carve the pumpkin!

A blog's beginning...

I decided to join the blogging world in order to better keep in touch with family and friends, near and far. Catherine and Jack are so much fun and I will enjoy sharing some of those moments with you. I appreciate your patience and understanding as I navigate this new tool! As some are aware, Chatty is a nickname given early on to our Catherine that she has most certainly grown into without question! Captain Jack appears to worship his big sister, but is proving more and more every day that he will likely assume command without difficulty when his time comes!

Catherine and Jack enjoyed their first hay ride at their school's Fall Festival this past weekend. I know it looks like Jack isn't quite so sure about all this, but he really liked it once we got started. He also discovered that hay is very fun to try and eat.