Santa Baby

Yesterday I got Henry dressed and all pumped up to see Santa at the mall after we picked Dad up from work. He was so excited and kept telling me "I ask a BIG dino-sore!" and "I see Santa and sit in his wap"He looks ready, right?

Wrong. He saw Santa coming up from the food court after a break and instantly I could feel his little legs tense up around my waist. Santa reached out to touch him and Henry screamed in his face!
After a little coaxing Henry agreed to stand next to him without Rob or myself with him, but there was no way he was getting in his lap. Finally it dawned on me to let Henry play with Rob's phone and show Santa the fishies that he loves on it.

By the end of it they were not friends, but Henry did ask for a big dinosaur, gave a high five, and said thank you so much for the sucker.

Maybe next year we'll get a smile!

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

I LOVE SNOW! People around here can easily tell that I'm a transplant, because we were the only crazy ones out in the yard taking pictures and making tracks. They all have told me "Oh honey, give it time. You won't like it for long." But I can't imagine ever tiring of this beautiful new scene. Even now as I write this I can see big white flakes pouring outside the window and I wish I was outside in it!

I loved this house in the summer when I bought it. I LOVED it in the fall when all the leaves started to change in the trees in the yard and all down the street. And now I love it all covered in snow!

It doesn't get much cuter than this! He just stuck his tongue right out without any prompting. Isn't it crazy what we do without any thought?

The view from the porch.

Henry loved being outside in the snow, but was just as happy to watch it from his big warm couch!

The weather is calling for snow late into the night. I hope they're right!

Funny for the Day

Henry has this red plastic piggy bank that he likes to put his treasures in and carry around. Today he had a GI Joe in it and was walking around the dining room when it slipped, or he dropped it, and he said "Oh Mama! It fell on piggy that went to the market!"
SO funny!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Today Rob got to hang lights on his very first ever house! It was very exciting!

It is already really cold here so this is the only picture of Henry 'helping'. He spent the rest of the time standing on the couch watching us hang lights on the porch through the window.

Our house!

I'm so excited about this house this time of year especially! I have already started unpacking my indoor decorations and taking inventory on what needs replacing. And that includes my two fake trees that have gone MIA! How do you lose 2 trees?

Thanksgiving!

When the weather forecasts all started calling for rain this week we were pretty bummed, because it meant we weren't going to get to go to New York. But, we actually ended up having a great time lounging around the house watching movies and the Cowboys!

My first ever Thanksgiving dinner! Nothing too fancy, but all really good.

I have so much to be thankful for this year! After the way this year started I'm very thankful for the safe return home of Rob and for the many blessings we had in finding our house and getting settled in and everyday that I get to spend hanging out with my favorite kid.

And while we're sad we didn't get to see all of our friends and family in person, we are very thankful for Skype!!

Big Cut

Last week we decided it was time to loose the one super long lock of Henry's hair and add a little trim to the rest!

This is the super long lock. This isn't even a great picture of it, because he's leaning back. It was much longer than this picture leads you to believe!

He did really well sitting in his chair letting me and Dad put water on his head and then snipping away.

The end result. It's taken some time to get used to seeing him without his crazy hair in the back!

Today!

Today and tomorrow look like the last of pretty weather around here for a while so we got out and took advantage of it!

We had a picnic on the front lawn (because I mowed it yesterday!)

Turnin' turnin'!

Henry loves to jump

And if you look at the pictures in the post below you see our back yard was covered with leaves so I spent an hour and a half raking HALF the yard! Henry was not a lot of help, contrary to what he may tell you. As I was building this pile he was trudging through it making a big mess, but we had a great time!

Fun Weekend

This weekend went by too fast, but we had a great time! Saturday we got the house and food ready for a little party with all of our neighbors. It was such a great time! Henry bounced from lap to lap talking to all of his 'friends'. I meant to take pictures, but didn't. It's okay, we're having another one on the 5th and I'll take some then.

Then Sunday we were playing outside crunching all the leaves before the sun went down.

Slide!

I had been wanting to get Henry a slide for a while, because I know he loves them. Toys'r'us was having a 'big sale' (not.) and were advertising this slide as part of it so we decided now was the time. Henry loves it! It is meant to go in the basement, but he's having so much fun getting to play on it throughout the day we've left it on the main floor. He slides every morning and says "Mickey (usually who's on tv)! LOOK! I sliiiiiide!"

Giving GI JOE a turn.

Joe is now a big part of our lives. Rob has been hauling four GIANT totes of all things Joe around with us from state to state for five years and now it has finally paid off! Henry waits for him to come home every single day and meets him on the back steps saying "Come on Daddy! I play GI Joe with you!" We have Joes in all levels of the house, in the car, and in my purse at all times. Rob has even relented 'the good ones' and lets Henry have reign over all the men!

Pancake!

Henry LOVES pancakes. It's his favorite food and he asks for it all the time. He's just like his dad when it comes to breakfast foods! They would eat it three times a day. A few nights ago, I caved and made breakfast for dinner and it was a happy night at the Caruthers' house! Henry ate 4 regular sized pancakes and then was yelling that he wanted 'MORE PANCAKE!' so I thought, 'I'll show him.' and went and made this big pancake! That little monster ate all but a tiny little piece!!

The next morning I used the leftover batter and made him chocolate chip pancakes.

I think they were a hit!

He had all three of those pancakes down before I got back to the table with my waffle!

Halloween!

We took Henry Trick or Treating in the neighborhood on Halloween. He is the only kid in like a 3 street radius of our house so we weren't sure how it was going to go, but our neighbors were very sweet and gave him way too much candy!

He would get out of his stroller and say "I say 'Trick a Treat!' an when they give candy I say 'Tank you!'" at every house, but at every house he would knock and when the door opened he would back up and make Dad do all the talking!

We love Autumn in the East!


Henry having a chat with the pumpkin on our porch.

It's like it just dawned on him that all of this is his (well, some of it is!)

He's a very happy pirate!

ARRRRG Matey!

Today Henry went to his first friend birthday party! Being so close to Halloween, they decided all the kids should come in costume which was great, because I hadn't seen Henry all put together yet!Henry and his treasure box

Practicing for the big night!

Taking a break after a long day of pillaging.

Finally going to the party!

Is it me, or is this the cutest pirate in the world?!

We had to coax him over the last few weeks with 'best cookies in the world' in order to get him to wear his hat! He kept saying "NO! I no like my silly hat!" but in the end, and after about 20 cookies, he's realized it's not so bad. We hope to get out to the pumpkin patch this week, but the weather has yet to cooperate with our schedule!