Happy New Year and Birthday to ME!

Source: crafts.kaboose.com via Meghan on Pinterest

Hoping you all have a New Year full of joy and happiness!!  This past year has been nothing short of amazing, and we cannot wait to see what 2012 has in store for us!!

Recap. Christmas 2011

What a Merry Christmas it was!

We were so blessed to have my parents here to share the holiday with us.

(They are still here visiting, hence my neglect to the good ol blog!)

More than anything we are so blessed to have a beautiful baby boy to celebrate the Christmas holiday with.

This was Parker's 2nd Christmas and having a child to share the holidays with makes each moment more amazing.

Here is a quick recap of our Christmas this year!

Christmas Eve we opted for the Contemporary Service over the Candlelight due to Parkers bedtime.

I usually prefer a more traditional service, but it was very nice and Parker was so well behaved!

We got home and all got into our pj's and ate our traditional Christmas Eve appetizer dinner!

After Parker went to sleep, I went into the formal living and guess what...

Santa had come!!

Parker got the new slide from Santa and his new pickup truck from Nana and Grandpa

the pickup

the slide

After gifts we ate our traditional Christmas morning breakfast casserole and fruit salad

We spent the rest of the day playing with toys, relaxing and enjoying our time together!!

I really was unsure what to expect from Parker this year as he is still really young.  But he LOVED it.  He was so excited and kept us all entertained.

I have always loved Christmas time, but never as much as I do now that I have a child to share it with.

Christmas nightI decided to do a beef tenderloin, my first ever.

It came out amazing, so I have to share our Christmas dinner too!  I was so proud.

I have decided that beef tenderloin on Christmas with be a new tradition.

beef tenderloin, asparagus, twice baked potatoe casserole and bok choy salad...deslish

Now I am just looking forward to all of our future Christmas'.  So excited to start new traditions with my family, enjoy in the old traditions and share the true meaning of Christmas with Parker as he grows older and can understand more!

Hope all of you had a blessed holiday!

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours!

(sorry it's blurry...maybe I should have asked Santa for a new scanner!)

cameo.

Happy Early Birthday to me!

(my actual birthday is on the 31st!!)

Look what I received yesterday!



I am BEYOND excited!

I have my Etsy shop named, all set up with policies and payment info, created a banner(header), etc. 

All I need now is to start making sample products to get my shop going!!

I will post more on the shop when it is offically up and running!

I LOVE custom orders...so let me know if you need anything!!!

photo overload...enjoy!

Thank you so much Christy for capturing these photos!!



jolly ol st. nick

...he was not.

Parker was not too jolly either!

Maybe next year!

(sorry for the bad pic quality...its a photo of a photo!)

Baptism

On Sunday, December 4, 2011

we had our sweet baby boy baptised.

It was such a wonderful day shared with our amazing families.

The day of his baptism was also the childrens Christmas concert at church,

so he was definately entertained during the service.  

He was also doing a great job of entertaing those around us.  Walking back and forth between family members from pew to pew.

Parker did not want to go to the Pastor so I held him during the baptismal service.  Such a momma's boy...which I SO okay with!!

At the end of the service the Pastor asked for us to stand at the doors to meet the congregation.  Everyone was so friendly.  My parents just recently joined this church as the church we were married in split and my parents decided to find a new home church. 

We were so thankful they welcomed us for this special day.

(too hard to get all the family to PA to our church)!

After the baptism Wayne and I hosted a little lunch at my parents house for everyone.

Such a wonderful day!

I cannot forget to tell you about the special cake knife and server pictured above!  My amazing sister got these for Parker for his birthday.  They are engraved, the server with his monogram and the knife with his full name and birthday.  They came with a sweet little letter that basically states to use these at all of his special occasions in life (baptism, birthdays, etc.)  It also states that the knife be engraved on the blank side with he and his future wifes name and their wedding date and used to cut their wedding cake.  How special, right??  LOVE!

Sock Monkey 1st Birthday!

I am so excited to say that Parker's 1st Birthday party was AMAZING! 

After all of the planning everything went off without a hitch and a great time was had by all! 

I was so excited for the day to finally be here and to share it with all of our family!

Parker had a great time too!  He tried to keep up with all of his cousins and second cousins and my best friends  boys and it was so fun to watch him play thinking he was a big kid!! 

He was not happy about the cake and being sung Happy Birthday too! 

But we figured this would be the case...as he did not care for the cake on two previous occasions (pics and real birthday!)  Maybe next year!!

The one part he did seem to enjoy was opening presents.  At first he was in my lap just assisting and by the end he was putting his head down in the bags to help pull things out!!

I am actually a little sad the day is over...guess I will give myself a few months and

then start thinking about next year!!

Well here is an overflow of pictures from Parks Big Day!!

Hope you enjoy!

Our little family

Pics of the party and decor:

 

entryway



drink station



birthday banner



yummies



desserts and party favors



highchair, birthday photos made to posters and hung with ribbon, door sign



Proof he dislikes cake and being sung to...

he was ready to jump out!



Grandpa and Park & us!

opening gifts

Thank you to everyone who helped make this day so amazing!

I do not know if I could have made it happen without my mom!

Park and I are so lucky to have her!

-Happy Birthday Banner & High Chair Banner/Cupcake Toppers/ Door Sign/Food Labels/Party Invite - OhMy Gluestick on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/ohmygluestick

-Birthday Photo Banner - Beth's Banners on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/bethsbanners

-Sock Monkey Party Hat - Fashion for Kids on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/FashionsforKids

- Sock Monkey 1st Birthday Shirt- Braylabee's http://www.facebook.com/pages/Braylabees/182121695167719?sk=info#!/pages/Braylabees/182121695167719?sk=wall