Christmas 2011

     We had a great Christmas this year, even though we were away from all our family.  Bryan wanted to get a tree, so a few weeks ago he went to this little cheap store and bought a fake one (the only fake tree I will ever have, unless we are abroad for other Christmas') he decorated it all and it looked great.  We got up Christmas morning and went to church.  When we got home, we helped Bryce open up all his presents.  He loved all his new toys and books he got.  During all the fun, he crawled over to me and brought a book with him for me to read.  So we had a little intermission during all the opening of presents for me to read a new book to him.  My sister Jennah flew in Christmas night at around 6pm.  I walked to the bus stop to get her, and we celebrated the rest of our night with her.  She made it just in time for Bryan's dinner he made us.  It turned out great and we had a great night!  It was so much fun to celebrate Bryce's first Christmas and also it was such a treat to have my sister here with us.  She will be visiting us for the next 2 weeks and I'm so excited.

Our little Christmas tree and most of Bryce's presents (we still have not received a few boxes of presents for him in the mail)

At church Christmas morning

Bryan passing out gifts

Opening up his very first Christmas present

Playing with a new toy

Reading a new book to him

Aunt Jennah is here!!!!

Getting ready to eat (and yes Bryan needs a haircut!)

Bryan made an AMAZING dinner!!!!

Helping Aunt Jennah open up her gift from us

Playing with his new toy from his cousin Harley :) (He loves it!!)

Looking good after 14 hours of traveling to Spain :)

Aunt Jennah reading to him

Visiting Santa Claus

   Bryce got to meet Santa Claus (or here in Spain aka Papa Noel) for the very first time tonight.  He didn't cry, and I knew he wouldn't.  He just gave him his stare down (that he gives everyone that comes around him).  They do their Santa Claus very different here..... instead of Santa sitting in a chair and the kids lining up to sit on his lap.... their lame Papa Noel was walking around the mall and the kids would just crowd around him.  I was pretty upset because I really wanted to get that picture (that I had always pictured in my mind) of Bryce sitting on Santa's lap.  Anyways, so we finally knocked down a few kids to get Santa's attention and Bryan handed Bryce to him.  The man DID NOT know how to hold a child (as you will see in the picture) but Bryce just stared at him, and also looked pretty uncomfortable from the way he was being held.  Overall, it went just fine, and I can say that my child did not cry with his first encounter of Santa Claus :)

     Papa Noel was loosing his glasses.  And yes that is a giant reindeer next to him.  I had to take the picture really fast and didn't have time to zoom out and get everybody.

This is a manger scene they have in the mall,  made entirely out of balloons!

Happy to be shopping for HIS Christmas gifts :)

Happy 11 Months!

    11 months already???  I can't believe it!  Where has the time gone?  Our little boy is growing up way to fast.  He is so funny and does so many funny things now.  He claps when he is all done eating (or when he is full and I don't know it, he starts to clap) It's the cutest thing.  Also he is doing very well on his "one nap a day" schedule.  He wakes up around 10:30-11:30 every morning now (and no we are not complaining about that).  I can't believe he has one more month until he turns 1!  This year has just been a blur because it has gone by so fast.

It is very rare that he lays his head down on us, so I had to get a picture of it (he was sick here, but still)

First time having ice cream

He loved it!