Just wanted to make sure everyone who was curious knew that NO, I am NOT pregnant! Apparently, my last post including the pregnancy pillow gave a few people the idea that I had that pillow out for a specific reason. Nope. My sis-in-law, Julie, just returned it to me, along with a ton of maternity clothes (some were mine I had loaned her for her last pregnancy) since she will not be needing them anymore. So let's review...am I pregnant? NOOOOOOOO!!!! Thank you.:)
I already know my mom will not be thrilled with this picture. Sorry Mom! It's so great to have a picture of my parents with Haylee (and Buster)! This was taken this morning (Christmas) before any stockings were unloaded or presents open.
Haylee has totally bonded with my dad. It's so cute! And once again, when he pulled out his guitar today and started playing, she just stared and smiled at him! Maybe she'll get his music gene! After all the presents had been opened and put away, my brother and his family came over for a big lunch of ham, potatoes, green bean casserole, fruit salad and the best part: a cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory (yeah, we do it up right around here!). It was so fun to have everyone here today.:)
And this is Haylee after all the chaos had ended. Cameron took this picture when I was napping and said that she climbed all over my big pregnancy pillow and loved it! I told him that maybe she remembered it from when I used to lay my big 'ol belly on it with her inside! She was a nonstop kicker when I was pregnant and loved to kick that pillow all night long! Haylee is still too young to understand Christmas, so we sorta milked that for another year by not going crazy with gifts for her. Next year will be more fun I think! I sure miss being a kid at Christmas and having it all done for me--decorating, gifts, Santa, great food, etc. I even miss the snow at Christmas (no Sean and Penny, that does not mean we will be moving up there so we can have white Christmases-sorry!). Overall though, this was a wonderful Christmas and I was just happy to have my parents here to celebrate it with us! Hope you all had a great Christmas, too! Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!!!Unfortunately, this post will not have a picture. But I just wanted everyone to know that my folks got home safely last night around 11:20pm. We picked them up at the airport (thank you soooo much, Cammie, for staying here with sleeping Haylee!) and it was so great to see them again! This morning they got to meet Haylee, who went right to Grandpa! She is very fond of him.:) After my mom played peek a boo with her and chased her around the kitchen, she had a new friend! When my dad pulled his guitar out and started playing, she was in awe! We spent the day at my brother and sister-in-law's house where they got to meet little Addison, my adorable new niece and see Celeste, Clayton and Jonathon again. Then we all went to the Chandler mall so my brother's kids could see Santa. We ordered take-out chinese food and ate dinner at my brother's house and just enjoyed each other. Tonight they took my niece Celeste to see Twilight (they heard all the hype even in the Philippines about Twilight!). I hafta say, it feels so good to have them here to bond with Haylee now. And it feels good to have them see me being a mom--something I thought they may never see. I can't express how happy I am to have them here for Christmas! It's gonna be a great one!
So, anyone who knows Haylee and the happy little baby girl she is, will probably consider this act of sitting on Santa's lap some sort of horrible child abuse and you probably have your phone in your hand just ready to call CPS on me. Haylee really has no "stranger anxiety"...until Santa, that is. Can ya blame her? Big freaky guy with a huge beard??? All I have to say is like mother, like daughter. My mom asked if she'll hate clowns like her mom too. Most likely...
Pretty sure Santa is saying, "Get this kid off my lap right now!" Hey Santa, five words: it comes with the job! Get used to it! Haylee was so freaked out that after I took her back and she calmed down, if I stepped anywhere near Santa, she started climbing right over my shoulder to get away from him! I'm sorry Haylee, that we subjected you to this type of cruelty. Unfortunately, we'll probably do it every year till you're 10 or so!:)
This here is Scott Russo. He is the lead singer of a band called Unwritten Law, who Cameron and I LOVE! And who we got to see tonight (yes, it's 12:30am and I should be in bed!) with our friends Eric and Kami!
Unwritten Law is special to Cam and I cuz they are the first band we saw together after Cam got home from his mission. They ALWAYS put on a great show and we've seen them 6 times now! So worth it every time! And what made tonight special??? At the risk of sounding like a 13 year old...I GOT SCOTT'S GUITAR PICK!!!! Woo hoo!!! It really was a great time and we got introduced to another good band who played before them called This Daily Summer (I hope that's right!). Check them out! I am so happy that Cameron and I still go to these concerts--it keeps us young and is something we love doing together (unlike golf...--sorry honey, never gonna happen!).
I just had to let everyone know how excited I am that one month from yesterday, on December 22nd, this wonderful couple (on the right--although I'm sure the other couple is wonderful, too!) will be home!!! Woo hoo! That's right, my folks will be home just in time for Christmas! How perfect is that??? I just want them to know how proud I am of them for serving. They left at a really hard time, for many reasons, one of them being that I was about 7 months pregnant with Haylee. Of course, every girl wants her mom there when she has her first baby, but I knew that going on their mission was way more important than staying home for me and those other reasons. I have learned over the past few years that TIMING IS EVERYTHING. And not OUR timing, but the Lord's timing. Things have to happen in a particular order and we need to be at the right place at the right time for those things to happen. I am so happy that I was able to let them be where Heavenly Father needed them most. I can't even explain how excited I am to see them and for them to meet Haylee! I am sooooo grateful that Haylee is such a social butterfly and will not hafta warm up to them at all--she goes to complete strangers! I probably shouldn't be totally happy about that fact, but in this case, it's a good thing.:) I am grateful for parents who taught me the importance of the gospel and sacrifice. They are the best examples to me. I love you Mom and Dad and can't wait to see you!!!:) And yes, Mom, a bubble bath will be waiting for you!:)
