Ho! Ho! Ho!

I don't know about you, but this Christmas season finds me busy, busy, busy. So much to do, so little time...not enough time for blogging!

1st Christmas Present

Madison received her 1st Christmas present in the mail! It was from her Great Me Mommie and Big Daddy from Texas. (my dad's parents) Madison has not yet met them, but hopefully will get to soon. We will not be traveling to TX this year for Christmas so it may be summer before we get to make it down to visit. As with every baby, Madison enjoyed playing with the box and wrapping probably more than her presents.

Once the clothes were out, she kept picking them up and throwing them down...again and again. Madison got a cute black corduroy dress and pink pantsuit.

I dressed Madison up in her new dress for church this morning and we just had to take some pics. They turned out pretty good. She's smiling and she hardly ever smiles in pictures! She must really like her new dress. ;)

Thank you Me Mommie and Big Daddy for the sweet outfits. Wish we could spend this Christmas season with you! We love you!

Christmas Card

We took SEVERAL pics for our Christmas card today. I think we ended up with some pretty good ones. It was pretty hard taking a family pic with Madison. I can't even imagine what it will be like to take a family pic with several little ones. ;)

Of course, Madison is not smiling in any of them. It is like pulling teeth to get her to look at the camera, let alone smile! But, she's still too cute to boot anyway!

Gabe and I went to our Sunday School Christmas party tonight. We had a soup potluck and it was yummy!

I've been up late working on our Christmas Card, so I'm about to clean up the kitchen and head to bed. Tomorrow is my long run day. Not looking forward to it!

Hola from Mexico!

Yes, we missed her...

We just got back from our anniversary trip to Mexico this evening. We had a great time, but were so ready to see our baby girl. We played with her on the floor and then put her to bed once she got fussy. She looks so different to me. It's crazy how much she seems to have changed in just one week!

Gabe and I went on an excursion one day during the week. We visited the Mayan Ruins, rapelled, zip lines through the jungle, snorkeled in a dark cave, and enjoyed an authentic Mexican meal. It was a fun day!


This gorgeous beach was to the side of the Mayan Ruins. Gorgeous water!

One evening we enjoyed a fondue dinner...my favorite meal during our trip. The restaurant was located on the second floor of an open hut. We sat by the ledge. The atmosphere was great and the food was great.

We enjoyed our last dinner at an Italian restaurant. For dessert, they celebrated our 2 year anniversary. They had a hard time with our last name!

Beautiful beach at our resort

One night we visited Playa de Carmen. We strolled/shopped 5th Avenue-similar to Bourbon Street, but with a family atmosphere. The streets were lined with restaurants and markets.

We enjoyed reading in sun, fruity drinks, shopping, and gourmet food. We even ran while we were there. It's a good thing too, since we ate so much! We had a great time. Happy 2 year anniversary, babe!

Show Us Your Life- Christmas Trees

I posted my Christmas Tree a couple of days ago, but I'm posting it again for Show Us Your Life from Kelly's Korner.

EDIT: I quickly posted my tree pic last night, but didn't have time to post any pics of my ornaments. Here are a few pics of some of my favorite ornaments. Notice the baby gate. Madison is 9 months old and getting into everything. We figured this would be our best bet.

Glittery branches used for tree topper- I love big & elaborate decor!

Gabe's mom carried out a neat tradition. Each year she gave him and his siblings ornaments and saved them for their 1st tree one day. Gabe loves the razorbacks and has really nice razorback ornaments from each year. Many of his ornaments represent his childhood. That's why I love them so much! I was thrilled to have a FULL christmas tree our first year of marriage. Thanks, Margaret! I definately want to carry out her tradition with my children.

I absolutely LOVE these glittery balls...any color!

Wedding ornaments...sweet & symbolic!

I really just mix and mingle all types of ornaments, but pull them together with red and lime mesh, glittery branches, and glittery balls. One day I hope to have a pink tree for Madison and razorback tree for my boys...someday. ;)

Love, Love

Madison is in the love, love stage. She has always loved to be held, but she wants to be held for a long while after she first wakes up. She is rather cranky when she first wakes up (just like her mother), and just needs some quiet holding time. She hates when Gabe or I walk out of the room that she is in. She wants to be able to constantly see us and be around us. Wherever I'm at in the house, she comes up to me and wants to touch me and be touched by me. She loves to love, love. The most precious moment is when she rests her head on our shoulder or chest. She loves to be rocked at night. I'm beginning to think she just likes the intimacy of it. We sure do love this love, love stage. Such a sweet baby.

We're sure gonna miss our loving baby, but will enjoy every moment with each other.

"I'm Leaving...On a Jet Plane..."

In a few days, Gabe and I will be hopping on a plane heading to the El Dorado Royale in the Riviera Maya in Mexico. We will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary, which was November 17. This will be our first trip without Madison. We'll be gone a week. Madison will be in very good hands though. She'll be staying with my parents a few days and Gabe's parents a few days. I'm sure she'll be spoiled rotten when we return...as if she's not already! I'm a little anxious to see how this goes. I figure I will start missing her pretty bad around day 3, but we'll see. I'm very much looking forward to spending time with Gabe. Every since Madison was born, things have been pretty busy. It's amazing how that happens when you have a child. ;) I'm definitely looking forward to good food, the beach, the sun, and relaxation...oh, and sleeping in!