Another busy year…filled with fun, family, and frenzy 🙂  We started the holiday with my company party on the 14th.  The next few days we helped Granny and Bumpa move into their new house in Eden Prairie.

The Friday before Christmas, Aaron, Berit and Boden came to stay with us for a few days.  It was so awesome just chilling and hanging out with them!  Usually when they come into town it is for a quick stay, or around an event, so there is not much time to chat.  We were really happy to be able to hang out with Boden more, and watch the kiddos play together.

That Saturday we had Boden’s 1st birthday party at our house.  Man did he love that ice cream cake from DQ!  Great Grandma and Grandpa were there, Randy, Jodi and Jeff, Granny and Bumpa, and us “kids” and our kids:-)  It was so fun!  Love that kid, and so happy that we were able to help him celebrate!

Sunday we met up at Granny and Bumpa’s new house to help them decorate their first tree in the new place.  We were all hoping to go to a tree farm and cut down a good one, but there just never seems to be enough time.  We decided we would rather spend time hanging out indoors decorating, instead of freezing our butts off trying to find a tree.  So, they went and got one, and dragged out all of the Christmas ornaments.  Once that was up, we had a few mean games of air hockey.  And no Aaron, I didn’t pull my hammy this time.  Cooper was super excited about the new room for the boys!  There is tons of space for Cooper to get in trouble in that house…he was checking it out.

For Christmas Eve we started at Gamma and Papa’s house at noon with Sheesha and Nana.  We were then joined by Kelly, Brandon, Tristan and Gabby at around 2:30, and then around 4:15 Nancy and Scott arrived.  We had appetizers, hung out, and then did a gift card exchange and then the white elephant game.  I was the big winner and got “Cowboy Bob” back (my wrought iron 4 ft tall cowboy candle holder that Alycia was the big winner with last year).  Cory was so happy!

At around 6 we headed over to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Allar’s house for dinner.  It was the traditional crew, with a few new additions.  Great Grandma Joanne was doing pretty well, and was up socializing the whole night – loving all over the little ones.  Man does she love babies!  Wendy and Jodi did an awesome job putting everything together as usual.  I brought meatballs, that finally cooked…ugh.  We sang songs, some better than others.  The cousin crew was there, Lynn, Al, Hannah and Max…Lori and Kirk….Bryan and Sonya and all of the super cute girls they have thankfully added to our family.  Then we had Gustavo, Jessica, Jodi, Jeff, Wendy, Mark, Rachel, Randy, Aaron, Berit, Boden, Granny and Bumpa, and Us.  After dinner, we did the dice game and then Joanne and Dale got a new laptop and router, so they could skype with the grand kids and great grand kids.  Joanne is not getting around very well anymore, so her going downstairs to the computer is not working.  The laptop was an awesome gift idea!  I can’t wait to skype with them and the boys!  Cooper was SO excited about his tool set from GG Dale and GG Joanne.  He HAD to open it when we got home and “fix” things.  Awesome present!

Christmas morning Cooper was up at 6:30 am.  He wanted to look for Trix (our Elf on the Shelf), he didn’t quite get the whole Christmas morning thing.  I stalled him for about an hour with a baba milk, vitamins and Sesame Street, until Crosby woke up.  Then we went to get daddy up.  We took a quick picture on the steps downstairs, and then went to go check out the tree.  Santa had eaten all of the cookies and drank the milk that we left out for him.  (George helped with the cookies)  He even wrote a note back to Cooper telling him that Trix had reported back that he was a good boy.  But that he did hear that Cooper doesn’t always eat his food very well, and sometimes doesn’t listen to his parents.   So Cooper better work on that for next year.  It was so cute….

Crosby crawled around and played with a few toys while Coop opened his.  He got a scooter, a higher step stool for the bathroom, tons of super hero stuff, books, and toys.  Crosby got some chew toys for his new up and coming teeth, and toys.  Cooper got an Owl ornament (instead of “Who, Who, Who” his favorite right now is “Why, Why, Why”) and Crosby got a turtle ornament since he just started crawling.  It was an awesome morning!  So cool to see Cooper get so excited, and to all be hanging out in our pj’s having fun.  A good day!

At 10 we were at Gamma and Papa’s to have Belgium waffles, an awesome Egg bake that Sheesha made, and a bunch of other goodies.  We then exchanged gifts with them….WAY TOO MUCH as usual!  Coop is the luckiest dude in the world!  He has enough super hero stuff to last all year long!  We all got some super cool ornaments for the tree, and a new set of stockings  from Sheesha.  I can finally get rid of all of the Goodwill stuff that I bought when I just graduated college…it’s about time!  Goodwill can have it back 🙂

After nap time for Cory, Cooper and Crosby, we headed to GG Phyllis and GG Willy’s house.  Cooper loved the train set that GG Willy has under the tree.   It is so old and fragile, I was afraid he would hurt it, but he did great.  Even though he wanted to touch, he listened really well.  We had hotdish, better than sex dessert, and some great laughs.  As we were leaving Cooper said “Bye Willy”, I thought it was adorable!!

When we got home we headed next door to the Johnson’s, our second family.  They are so awesome!  We exchanged a few gifts, and then Cooper played dress up with Addison’s new dress up kit.  He looked so pretty in a purple dress, heels and a pink pearl necklace…too cute!  I think it is great that he has girls to play with.  I really believe it will benefit him later, having a little bit of a softer side.  There is plenty of “Hulk Smash” in this kid, a softer side will help!

On Saturday the 29th we were able to do our Dunstone family Christmas celebration at my parents new house.  What an awesome place for parties!  There was Granny and Bumpa, GG Phyllis and GG Willy, Aaron, Berit and Boden, Kent, Abbey and Grant, Hayley (Cory couldn’t make it this year due to his new job at Toro), Barb and Craig, Deb and us.  Quite the crew!  We had so much fun watching the boys play together this year.  Man, the next few years are going to be crazy!  It is so weird to see how much things have changed over the last few years.  We went from Aaron, myself, Hayley and Kent at the kids table…not anymore!  It is so awesome watching the grandparents and GG’s with the kids, this has been a long time coming for them.  With Boden and Grant being so far away, it is sad how much they change between visits.  Awesome too, but tough to miss so much!  We had a ridiculous amount of toys and food and topped it off with ice cream:-)  It was awesome.  Can’t wait to spend many more years celebrating family fun at my parents new place . . . . It is beautiful!

A long few days for the boys, and us, but awesome!  It was the first year that Cooper really could participate.  I can’t wait until next year!

A Very Merry Christmas 2012!

We are so lucky to have such an awesome photographer that we love!  She is the sweetest!  www.imagesbybrooke.com, Brooke Jakubov makes taking pictures so comfortable and fun.  I knew we would love her when I went there for Cooper’s 2 week photos, he peed all over her couch.  She threw a blanket on it and made me not worry about it.  She laughs, dances, cheers and jumps around to get the shot.  Great workout!

Cory and I brought the kiddos over to Brooke and Ryan’s house the Saturday night my parents moved into their house.  We had some dinner, and then Brooke and I had a great girl chat in her basement studio while Cory, Ryan, Ava, Cooper and Ryder played upstairs.  Then at about 8 I realized we hadn’t taken any photos, so within about 20 minutes we had 5 outfit changes and I was sweating from jumping up and down to get him to smile.  That was the most I have worked out in quite awhile:-)   It was well worth it!  The pictures turned out amazing as usual….

Our little dude is so handsome, and has the greatest toothless grin!  You can see one little tooth poking through on a few though.

A week before Crosby turned 6 months, he started to sit.  He even does the cutest little side sit.  It almost looks like some sort of yoga pose.  I am hoping to get a picture some time, but so far he has been too wiggly.   We did however get some awesome shots at Images by Brooke, with our good friends Brooke and Ryan.  They turned out amazing!!

We had his 6 month doctors appointment and she said he looks great!  She even said he is “tall and skinny”…probably the last time we will ever hear that with the genes the poor kid has inherited.  He has consistently been in the 90th percentile for almost everything.  He is 90% for height, 75-90% for weight (not sure how they get the wide spread like that), and 90% for his head size…huge brain I am sure!

A few weeks after he turned 6 months our little dude had his first tooth poke through, and started to crawl.  He is a much happier kid now that the tooth is through and he can get where he wants to go.  He is still a little fumbly, and cracks me up that he will crawl only as far as he needs to to get what he wants.  He will stop a foot short, flop to the ground, and reach as far as he possibly can to grab something.  Cory says it reminds him of me.  Like putting 12 grocery bags on my arms and struggling the whole way in the house, instead of taking 4 trips.  Some might say that is lazy…I think it is harder:-)  Not really.

Our little dude has the most amazing disposition.  He smiles from ear-to-ear with a huge toothless grin.  Things started a little rocky, a tough stomach, spitting up, not much sleep…but man has he become such an awesome kid! I have to admit, he is a bit of a mama’s boy…and I love it.  He loves his thumb more than anything though.  Although I like the fact that he is able to self sooth with it, I am sure it will cause quite the problems when we try to get him to stop.  Oh well, we’ll deal with that when we need to.

He is just starting to get to that incredibly squirmy stage where changing him is like a full contact sport.  Long gone are the days of setting him on a bed or changing table and taking a few steps away.

I LOVE first thing in the morning around our house.  Cooper has his baba milk and vitamins, and watches a little Sesame Street or Sid the Science Kid.  I am tootling around doing who knows what, and then I hear it….the most amazing sound in the world.  The coos, giggles and babbles from a happy, healthy baby.  I walk into the room, he sees me and gives me the hugest smile.  Everyday.  There is no better way to start the day!  I can only hope that there are MANY more days like this.

Today Bumpa and Granny came to our house to watch the boys.  They have sold their home on St Albans Bay, and are in transition housing until they close on their new home in Eden Prairie on the 10th.  Until they get settled in their new place they come to watch the boys at our house every Thursday.

A few weeks ago Bumpa took Cooper to the drugstore to get something, and walked Coop through the process of bringing the items to the counter, giving the money to the person and saying “thank you”.  He couldn’t stop talking about it!  So this week, when Granny needed some cough drops, Bumpa planned to bring Coop again for another fieldtrip.  This time, there was a Salvation Army bell ringer outside of the store.  Bumpa gave Cooper $5 to put into the bucket….and then the wind came.  Coop dropped the bill and the wind took it.  When I came home tonight, he couldn’t stop telling me about how “The money almost went bye-bye, and Bumpa ran into the road and got it”.  “Bumpa’s a REAL Superhero” he said….I almost died, too cute!  Our life with Cooper is all about superheros….Captain America, Iron Man, Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, Spiderman….it really is never ending.  He is constantly getting the bad guys, striking a pose, throwing a shield, or jumping off of something.  But it is all pretend.  To say that Bumpa is a real superhero is just awesome!  I told him that the money he put in the bucket goes to help people that need it, and that by putting money in there, he is a “Real Superhero” too.  He kept running around saying “I’m a Real Superhero”, and he definitely is!  I am hoping that next year we can ring the bell with the kids like I have done in years past with Granny and Bumpa.

When I walked in the door tonight, this is what I saw.

WE OFFICIALLY HAVE A SITTER!!!

All day he has been sitting for 15-20 minutes at a time….slow down kid!  He is so dang fun right now.  Just big toothless grins galore!  He seems to be having less tummy problems, and is getting on a little bit better schedule…other than those late night and early morning feedings still.  Hungry kid!  He has been eating solid foods (if you can call it solid – rice cereal, grains, green beans, peas, carrots, pears, and apple sauce) for a few months now.  He is still breastfeeding too, but not nearly as much.

I think a lot of his improved attitude is because he can scoot around a little bit better.  He doesn’t feel so helpless.  He is maneuvering himself all around the living room now, so he can finally get where he has wanted to go.  No crawling yet, but he is great at getting on all 4’s and rocking up a storm, and then thrusting himself forward and falling on his chest.  Lots of rolling, squirming, and making diaper changing difficult.  He definitely has a strong will, and determination!   Cory put up the gate on the top of the stairs earlier this week, so we won’t have to worry about him taking a tumble.

The other reason he put the gate up is because Shot has a large cut on his leg from messing around with the other dogs at Cory’s cabin.  It is on the inside of his leg, and spans almost a foot.  He has stitches, but because the skin is so thin and so taught in that area, he has ripped a hole in the crux of his leg.  Not good!  He can’t jump, run, walk too much, or go down stairs.  So that means that we have to carry him to go out, and keep him on a leash.  It has not been fun for any of us.  But at least we don’t have to wear a cone.  Poor guy!