It certainly is more work when you take a baby anywhere. All the packing and making sure you have enough of everything and just pushing the stroller and holding Hunter all day is exhausting. But so worth every minute!!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Aquarium of the Pacific
So after the zoo and realizing Hunter just could not see the animals and that he really didn't know what was going on, we decided he might like the Aquarium. Hunter is all about color and movement so we thought he would love to watch sea life, especially when you can pretty much get up close and personal with the marine animals. All that separates you is a sheet of glass. We were very fortunate because I got a 20 dollar gift card from my secret Santa at work and I also got two tickets to the Aquarium from my sister in law Liz. So not only was it a fun day but it was practically free as well :) Cant beat that!! With having a baby now and all the extra expenses we are always trying to find fun, inexpensive things we can do and try out. The only thing we had to pay for was the ridiculously expensive lunch we got there at the Aquarium. All in all it was a fun day and we all enjoyed ourselves. Hunter did really like watching the fishes and kept grabbing at the glass thinking he was going to feel them. He especially liked the brightly colored ones from the Caribbean. He also really liked when Daddy went in the bird menagerie and let two birds fly on him and eat his nectar he had bought. At least he doesn't have my fear of birds yet :) By the end of the day we were all so tired from the fun we had.
It certainly is more work when you take a baby anywhere. All the packing and making sure you have enough of everything and just pushing the stroller and holding Hunter all day is exhausting. But so worth every minute!!
It certainly is more work when you take a baby anywhere. All the packing and making sure you have enough of everything and just pushing the stroller and holding Hunter all day is exhausting. But so worth every minute!!
Scott's Birthday
So Scott and I decided we would take Scott's birthday off and spend a fun day with Hunter. We were going to go to the Aquarium and go to lunch/dinner. What we were not anticipating was Scotts car being in the shop and us having to go and pick it up mid way through the day so we decided to forgo the Aquarium. Scott was a little bummed so we decided to still have a Fun Family Day. We started the day by going to lunch at McDonalds (fast and cheap). We then all went to Downtown Disney and walked around for a bit. Hunter loves the big Disney store they have there with all the different Mickey's. After that Scott had to go pick up his car and then we drove home. That evening we went to Red Robin for dinner (Note: if you sign up for the Red Robin Royalty Program, which is free, you get a free burger on your birthday). We then came home and had birthday cake made by yours truly. It was a simple but fun birthday and we did the best thing which was create some wonderful family memories.
Happy Birthday Scott...Hunter and I would be lost without you. You truly are the best daddy and husband we could have asked for!!
To many more years my love!!
To many more years my love!!
Hunter - 8 months old
I can hardly believe it has been 8 months (well by the time I am writing this post he is actually almost 9, but I am a little behind). He is growing so fast and doing so many new things. He is a lot more verbal and interactive. He can say mama, dada, and nana (That always makes my mom happy). He is constantly jibbering and I have noticed he is going to be loud, just like his mama. All of sudden he will start talking (almost screaming), like he wants all the attention on him. Its quite funny. He is also becoming a little more defiant (Lucky Us). I think he is just testing us to see just how much he can get away with. I didn't even think 8 month olds thought like that. He now eats breakfast (usually cereal and fruit), lunch (veggie and fruit) and dinner (dinner meal and some fruit) as well as his occasional bottle during the day as well. We definitely have a growing boy on our hands. I think he is definitely 18 pounds by now but we will have to wait until February 11th to see for sure. That is when we go in for his 9 month checkup. I am anxiously awaiting to see how big our little boy has gotten.
Other Milestones he has reached:
Mama loves you Hunter!!
Other Milestones he has reached:
- Crawling (sort of) - He can definitely crawl backwards but is still struggling with the coordination to go forwards. We have tried everything to try and make him move forward but he just is content gong backwards. Believe me it doesn't stop him from getting around at all. He gets into everything :)
- Sitting Up By Himself - He is able to get himself up on his butt no matter what position now. Its so nice not to have to keep putting him upright all the time now.
- Eating all by himself - now this does not include meals - mama still does that, but he is able to pick up snacks and stuff and put them in his mouth all by himself. We just have to do quantity control or before you know it he has 5 rice puffs in his mouth...at once!! This is also really nice because then Scott and I are able to enjoy our meal with him eating along with us. Makes it feel like a real family dinner :)
- Keeping himself entertained - He can now be put on the floor with his toys and will keep himself entertained for awhile, which is really nice when I need to get stuff done. Now don't get me wrong, he still prefers to be playing with someone or having the attention on him after awhile but at least you have a little time to get stuff done.
Mama loves you Hunter!!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Viva Las Vegas
So to celebrate our 3rd anniversary and Scotts 29th birthday, Scott planned an overnight trip to Vegas. I was so nervous to leave the baby, but I am so glad we took this opportunity. We had so much fun and it was so wonderful to reconnect with one another. You don't realize the change in your marriage once you have a child. Our whole world is now wrapped up in Hunter and not each other. So it was nice to be able to spend time with one another and not have to worry about keeping a baby happy.
We didn't do anything big while there. We maybe gambled $60, but ate some awesome food and had so much fun just walking up and down the strip. Although like our life, Heavenly Father likes to throw little challenges our way. When we arrived, we stopped to put a little gas in Scott's car and when we were leaving, Scott could not get his car out of park. The brake light cable had broken so we did not have brake lights. Luckily, we were able to manually put in park and drive the rest of the way.
So when we arrived it was around lunch time and we wanted to eat at this burger place called "StripBurger" that we had read awesome reviews on. We walked (which was way farther than we thought) and the food was amazing!! We both had burgers plus we shared a trio of onion straws, french fries, and fried pickles. So I was a little skeptical of the fried pickles (I love pickles and I just didn't know if I would like them fried), but they turned out to be the best thing I have eaten. I could have had a plate full of fried pickles and would have been perfectly content. If you haven't tried them, GO OUT AND TRY THEM NOW!! AMAZING!! After lunch, we just walked back to our hotel (we stayed at Planet Hollywood) stopping in a few casinos and gambling a bit. By the time we got back to our hotel we were both pretty tired (from our walk and from getting up at 530 am to leave) so we decided to do something we never get to do...TAKE A NAP!! It was so nice and was the thing we needed at that time. We had made reservations at a steak house for that evening, so when we awoke I decided to start getting ready. The hotel had a big tub so I took the most relaxing bath and I didn't have to worry about a baby crying. Although, I must mention we had probably called my mom at least 5 times by this time, telling Hunter how much we missed him. Scott had played this game on Facebook where you earn points and can buy comps in Vegas. We were able to get a $150 steak dinner comp. The food was amazing. We started with a really great Cesar Salad, then had these amazing bacon wrapped shrimp. Next we moved onto the main dish which was Filet Mignon for me, a big Rib Eye for Scott, and a lobster tail and mash potatoes to share. We concluded the meal with a chocolate lava cake and ice cream. The food was Amazing!! The best part, we only had to pay the tip. It was a great treat for the both of us and nice to have a nice evening together.
Although we had such a great time and enjoyed our time together, we could not wait to go home and see Hunter. He truly makes life better :)
I am just so thankful to have a husband that truly loves me and that we are still able to go out and just enjoy each other. He is truly my best friend and don't know what I would do with out him!!
We didn't do anything big while there. We maybe gambled $60, but ate some awesome food and had so much fun just walking up and down the strip. Although like our life, Heavenly Father likes to throw little challenges our way. When we arrived, we stopped to put a little gas in Scott's car and when we were leaving, Scott could not get his car out of park. The brake light cable had broken so we did not have brake lights. Luckily, we were able to manually put in park and drive the rest of the way.
So when we arrived it was around lunch time and we wanted to eat at this burger place called "StripBurger" that we had read awesome reviews on. We walked (which was way farther than we thought) and the food was amazing!! We both had burgers plus we shared a trio of onion straws, french fries, and fried pickles. So I was a little skeptical of the fried pickles (I love pickles and I just didn't know if I would like them fried), but they turned out to be the best thing I have eaten. I could have had a plate full of fried pickles and would have been perfectly content. If you haven't tried them, GO OUT AND TRY THEM NOW!! AMAZING!! After lunch, we just walked back to our hotel (we stayed at Planet Hollywood) stopping in a few casinos and gambling a bit. By the time we got back to our hotel we were both pretty tired (from our walk and from getting up at 530 am to leave) so we decided to do something we never get to do...TAKE A NAP!! It was so nice and was the thing we needed at that time. We had made reservations at a steak house for that evening, so when we awoke I decided to start getting ready. The hotel had a big tub so I took the most relaxing bath and I didn't have to worry about a baby crying. Although, I must mention we had probably called my mom at least 5 times by this time, telling Hunter how much we missed him. Scott had played this game on Facebook where you earn points and can buy comps in Vegas. We were able to get a $150 steak dinner comp. The food was amazing. We started with a really great Cesar Salad, then had these amazing bacon wrapped shrimp. Next we moved onto the main dish which was Filet Mignon for me, a big Rib Eye for Scott, and a lobster tail and mash potatoes to share. We concluded the meal with a chocolate lava cake and ice cream. The food was Amazing!! The best part, we only had to pay the tip. It was a great treat for the both of us and nice to have a nice evening together.
Although we had such a great time and enjoyed our time together, we could not wait to go home and see Hunter. He truly makes life better :)
I am just so thankful to have a husband that truly loves me and that we are still able to go out and just enjoy each other. He is truly my best friend and don't know what I would do with out him!!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
2012 - A Year in Review
2012, you were so good to us. So much happened in 2012 and so many blessings were brought into our lives.
In January we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. I cannot believe how time flies. Since I was pregnant we didn't do anything big or exciting but we did have a nice dinner at our special spot, OC Mining Co. We are making it a tradition to go there every year.
In March, I celebrated my 30th birthday. Still don't like to admit I am 30 but I have so many great things going on right now, my age does not seem to bother me anymore. Also, people still think I look 25 so that's all that matters :) We faced our first challenge of the year when Charlie ended up getting super sick and having to be taken to the pet ER. He is doing fine now but it was a very scary time. Also for my birthday we did our last mini vacay before our little man came. We had a quick getaway to San Diego and it was the rejuvenation we needed.
May was a big month for the Hosmer family. We moved into a new, bigger apartment on May 5th and on May 6th, Hunter James Hosmer entered the world. He is literally the best thing Scott and I have ever done. The love we have for him can not even be described. He is such a wonderful baby and has brought not just happiness into our lives but into the lives of our whole families.
During the summer I was on maternity leave so I was able to spend alot of time with my family and Hunter. It was such a great bonding time for us and I miss that time in my life so much. August came too fast and back to work for me it was. It was a hard transition, but I think I have coped very well. It helps to know that Hunter is with someone he really loves when he is not with me. It also helps that everyday I walk in the house to pick him up and he is beaming ear to ear and is super excited to see me.
The Fall brought two big first Holidays for Hunter. Halloween and Thanksgiving were filled with fun times and family. Hunter looked super cute as a Raccoon for Halloween and loved going door to door trick or treating. Thanksgiving was a lot of fun with a lot of family and good food. We also learned at this time that Hunter loves mashed potatoes, he certainly is his mama's son.
December was the end of a great year but it definitely was our busiest month. We crammed so many fun Christmas festivities in it. Looking at Christmas lights, Christmas baking and the list goes on and on.
It has been such a great year and I am just so thankful for all the many blessings Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us. I can hardly wait to see what he has in store for 2013 :)
In January we celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. I cannot believe how time flies. Since I was pregnant we didn't do anything big or exciting but we did have a nice dinner at our special spot, OC Mining Co. We are making it a tradition to go there every year.
In March, I celebrated my 30th birthday. Still don't like to admit I am 30 but I have so many great things going on right now, my age does not seem to bother me anymore. Also, people still think I look 25 so that's all that matters :) We faced our first challenge of the year when Charlie ended up getting super sick and having to be taken to the pet ER. He is doing fine now but it was a very scary time. Also for my birthday we did our last mini vacay before our little man came. We had a quick getaway to San Diego and it was the rejuvenation we needed.
May was a big month for the Hosmer family. We moved into a new, bigger apartment on May 5th and on May 6th, Hunter James Hosmer entered the world. He is literally the best thing Scott and I have ever done. The love we have for him can not even be described. He is such a wonderful baby and has brought not just happiness into our lives but into the lives of our whole families.
During the summer I was on maternity leave so I was able to spend alot of time with my family and Hunter. It was such a great bonding time for us and I miss that time in my life so much. August came too fast and back to work for me it was. It was a hard transition, but I think I have coped very well. It helps to know that Hunter is with someone he really loves when he is not with me. It also helps that everyday I walk in the house to pick him up and he is beaming ear to ear and is super excited to see me.
The Fall brought two big first Holidays for Hunter. Halloween and Thanksgiving were filled with fun times and family. Hunter looked super cute as a Raccoon for Halloween and loved going door to door trick or treating. Thanksgiving was a lot of fun with a lot of family and good food. We also learned at this time that Hunter loves mashed potatoes, he certainly is his mama's son.
December was the end of a great year but it definitely was our busiest month. We crammed so many fun Christmas festivities in it. Looking at Christmas lights, Christmas baking and the list goes on and on.
It has been such a great year and I am just so thankful for all the many blessings Heavenly Father has bestowed upon us. I can hardly wait to see what he has in store for 2013 :)
Happy New Years - Love, The Hosmers
Hello All!! Can you believe it another year has come and gone. So many wonderful things happened to us this year that I can't wait to see what the future holds. There is also so much to look forward to in 2013. Kelly's wedding, Hunter's 1st Birthday, a possible trip to Colorado to see our dear friends the Harris's, and much more!!
This New Years was spent a little more relaxed than years past. Since we have a new little one our priorities have changed and we both prefer to stay home and spend time together as a family then go out. Also, it didn't help that Scott had to work late :( Maybe we will do something fun next year. We just got in our jammies, had a yummy carne asada dinner, and snuggled on the couch and watched Avengers (ok maybe Scott watched Avengers), yes I fell asleep, but that is only because I worked that morning, haha. I still woke up before 1130 and Scott and I were able to ring in the New Years with yummy BlueBerry Cidar. Shortly after that we both went to bed because we knew our little guy would probably wake up early. Although it wasn't fancy, it was fun and nice to just be with the ones you truly love.
Happy New Years from the Hosmer's!!
This New Years was spent a little more relaxed than years past. Since we have a new little one our priorities have changed and we both prefer to stay home and spend time together as a family then go out. Also, it didn't help that Scott had to work late :( Maybe we will do something fun next year. We just got in our jammies, had a yummy carne asada dinner, and snuggled on the couch and watched Avengers (ok maybe Scott watched Avengers), yes I fell asleep, but that is only because I worked that morning, haha. I still woke up before 1130 and Scott and I were able to ring in the New Years with yummy BlueBerry Cidar. Shortly after that we both went to bed because we knew our little guy would probably wake up early. Although it wasn't fancy, it was fun and nice to just be with the ones you truly love.
Happy New Years from the Hosmer's!!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
December - Christmas Activities and More
There was so many things that happened in December that I decided to just break down by activities that we did. December was so much fun and we did many many great things.
Decorating Nana and Grampy's Christmas Tree
On the first Sunday of the month we were all able to get together (Its hard with us all having different schedules), so my mom decided it would be a great time to decorate the tree. My mom and dad's Christmas tree is made up of mostly sentimental, personal ornaments so she likes it when we still decorate the tree together. It is a lot of fun and it was so great that Hunter got to be a part of the festivities this year. This was a great way to start off the holiday season :)
Hunter Turns 7 Months
Can you believe it he is 7 months old. It is amazing how fast time is flying. He is getting so big and changing all the time. Some of the things he is now doing is sitting up all by himself, getting up on his hands and knees (i think crawling is in our near future), and babbling a lot more. He also has started saying sounds like "DaDa"...Still waiting for that "Mama" sound. I will probaly cry, haha. He is so much more active now and we have to watch whats around him, because if he wants it, he finds a way to get it. I think we are in trouble when he is once mobile. He is still the light in our lives and makes us happier than ever. He is truly one of the happiest babies I know and just brightens the worse of days.
When we went to the doctor for his 6 month checkup, he was 15 lbs and 11 ounces and 27 inches long. The doctor was really please with his weight gain, which was awesome. We did get a little bad news though. He was feeling his head and thought his soft spot was smaller than it should be. He had us go and get skull xrays done, because if it closes too early surgery may be required. I of course was freaking out but knew the Lord would never give us more than we can handle. Scott gave Hunter a blessing before we had the xrays done and I truly felt that it worked. The doctor said that after looking at the xrays everything was fine and we had nothing to worry about. So thankful the Lord was watching over us and made everything ok. Below are some of the 7 month pictures we took of Hunter. It is amazing how big and grown up he is getting!!
Church Nativity
Every year our church puts on a live Nativity in the parking lot and inside the building they have refreshments and about 100 different nativity displays. We took my little cousins last year and they loved it. They also allow the kids to come and pet the animals used. This year we decided to take Hunter and what an experience. It is such a beautiful reminder of what the Christmas season is really about...Remembering our Savior Jesus Christ. I think becoming a mother has helped me especially understand the true meaning of love and the love our Savior has for us.
Also, Hunter really liked the camel, haha!!
Scotts Christmas Party
This year Scotts Christmas Party was at a hotel in Anaheim. It was so nice to have a night out by ourselves (plus free food and we got to get dressed up). Since the baby has been born we have only gone our by ourselves a few times so it was so nice to get out for a few hours and enjoy each other. We had so much fun with Scott's work friends. Can't wait until next year!!
A Day at the Zoo
So earlier this year, Scott got some free Wild Animal Park tickets when he bought new tires. The expired at the end of 2012 so we thought we would take advantage of the opportunity. We didn't know how Hunter would do, but we read a Zoo book to him all the time and he loves it, so we thought he might recognize some of the animals. He did pretty good. He liked looking at some of the animals when they were up close, but unfortunately at the zoo some of the animals are far away and he didn't even notice them. On the tram ride, Hunter was more interested in a different mammal, HUMANS. He was such a people watcher and was more interested in the people behind us than the animals in front of us, haha. He is such a funny kid, and sometimes I am amazed at how he cracks me up. It was such a fun family day for us and cant wait to go back next year when he might be a little more interested in the animals :)
Decorating our Christmas Tree
So this year we got a full size tree again. Last year due to being in a smaller apartment and me being tired from being pregnant with our little guy, we forgo a full size tree and got a mini potted tree. I never liked it and it truly never felt like Christmas, so I was so excited when we got our tree this year. Also, Hunter got to help us as well. He redecorated the bottom of the tree many times. We put him by the tree just to see what he would do and it didn't even take him two seconds to get an ornament off the tree...How do they do that?? It was a fun evening for our little family and our tree turned out beautiful :)
Christmas Lights - Saturday Funday
Every year we go and see the Christmas lights here in Brea. There is a whole neighborhood that gets all decked out for the holiday season. This year we decided to go with my whole family as part of our Funday tradition. Everyone came over to our house for dinner (which was really yummy) and then my mom cooked up some very delicious hot chocolate and we were off. Hunter was a bit tired when we went so he didn't enjoy as much as I thought he would. it was also very cold so that could have put a damper on the situation too. All in all we all had fun just being with one another...Cant wait for next year!!
Decorating Christmas Cookies
One of the best things about the season, is the many opportunities we find to spend with our families. My moms family has the long tradition of doing an annual cookie exchange. All the girls make 1 dozen cookies for everyone else and then we exchange. Since we have so many women in our family (8 to be exact) we get dozens of goodies to bring home. Also, at the exchange we make cut out sugar cookies and the kids get to decorate and we get a dozen of those as well to take home. The event has also evolved over time and now we include a craft to do as well. It is just a fun time for everyone to get together and enjoy each others company. It makes me so thankful for the family I have in my life. They are all so supportive and loving and it is wonderful that we are still able to get together like this, even after so many years. May the tradition continue :)
Seeing Santa
So Scott and I decided it was very important for Hunter to see Santa...Although we didnt know how he would react. He is in this phase where he really recognizes strangers and lets you know if he does not want to be around you. Unfortunately with all the busy times we wait until the weekend right before Christmas. We took him to the Brea mall and the santa was awesome. So sweet and gentle and really took his time with each child. Hunter did amazing and smiled the whole time. There was a moment when Hunter just looked at Santa in amazement and it was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Cant wait to go back in the future :)
Hunter's First Christmas
So Christmas is a big deal to us anyways but having Hunter this year made it even more special. Christmas Eve is always spent with my mom's side of the family. We had so much fun. We had yummy food, entertainment, caroling, and of course presents. Hunter got so much stuff. I can't wait for him to play with all the toys. So far he loves his Dream Light and Soothing Singing Monkey :) For the adults we did a real White Elephant Exchange, and it was so much fun. I was skeptical of it at first because who wants junk, but it ended up being such a good time. Everyone was laughing and I think for the most part enjoyed their gifts. THis is what Christmas is supposed to be about, not the presents but the family.
On Christmas morning, my parents came over and watched us open all our gifts and then had breakfast with one another. I have to say my breakfast casserole was awesome. Gotta love Pinterest!! Santa brought Hunter so many fun toys. He especially loves his barnyard activity center, his doggy car from Nana and Grampy, and his Disney train from Auntie Kelly. We were all very blessed by all the gifts we received.
Then it was off the Scotts parents and then to his cousin Annie's to spend Christmas Day. Again had some very yummy food (I need that macaroni recipe ASAP) and fun times were had by all. Again we were so blessed by the time we spent together and the abundance of gifts we received. He loved his Disney bath toys from his grandma and grandpa, and we cant wait to use the Aquarium tickets we got from Auntie Liz.
It was a wonderful holiday and I cant wait until Hunter is a little older and truly understands the meaning of the season.
Decorating Nana and Grampy's Christmas Tree
On the first Sunday of the month we were all able to get together (Its hard with us all having different schedules), so my mom decided it would be a great time to decorate the tree. My mom and dad's Christmas tree is made up of mostly sentimental, personal ornaments so she likes it when we still decorate the tree together. It is a lot of fun and it was so great that Hunter got to be a part of the festivities this year. This was a great way to start off the holiday season :)
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| Getting help from Daddy...I love this picture |
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| Playing while we decorate...Lucky Baby |
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| Kisses from Mama. |
Can you believe it he is 7 months old. It is amazing how fast time is flying. He is getting so big and changing all the time. Some of the things he is now doing is sitting up all by himself, getting up on his hands and knees (i think crawling is in our near future), and babbling a lot more. He also has started saying sounds like "DaDa"...Still waiting for that "Mama" sound. I will probaly cry, haha. He is so much more active now and we have to watch whats around him, because if he wants it, he finds a way to get it. I think we are in trouble when he is once mobile. He is still the light in our lives and makes us happier than ever. He is truly one of the happiest babies I know and just brightens the worse of days.
When we went to the doctor for his 6 month checkup, he was 15 lbs and 11 ounces and 27 inches long. The doctor was really please with his weight gain, which was awesome. We did get a little bad news though. He was feeling his head and thought his soft spot was smaller than it should be. He had us go and get skull xrays done, because if it closes too early surgery may be required. I of course was freaking out but knew the Lord would never give us more than we can handle. Scott gave Hunter a blessing before we had the xrays done and I truly felt that it worked. The doctor said that after looking at the xrays everything was fine and we had nothing to worry about. So thankful the Lord was watching over us and made everything ok. Below are some of the 7 month pictures we took of Hunter. It is amazing how big and grown up he is getting!!
Church Nativity
Every year our church puts on a live Nativity in the parking lot and inside the building they have refreshments and about 100 different nativity displays. We took my little cousins last year and they loved it. They also allow the kids to come and pet the animals used. This year we decided to take Hunter and what an experience. It is such a beautiful reminder of what the Christmas season is really about...Remembering our Savior Jesus Christ. I think becoming a mother has helped me especially understand the true meaning of love and the love our Savior has for us.
Also, Hunter really liked the camel, haha!!
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| It was really cold so we all bundled up!! |
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| Nana and Hunter |
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| Us at the Nativity |
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| What a beautiful site |
This year Scotts Christmas Party was at a hotel in Anaheim. It was so nice to have a night out by ourselves (plus free food and we got to get dressed up). Since the baby has been born we have only gone our by ourselves a few times so it was so nice to get out for a few hours and enjoy each other. We had so much fun with Scott's work friends. Can't wait until next year!!
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A Day at the Zoo
So earlier this year, Scott got some free Wild Animal Park tickets when he bought new tires. The expired at the end of 2012 so we thought we would take advantage of the opportunity. We didn't know how Hunter would do, but we read a Zoo book to him all the time and he loves it, so we thought he might recognize some of the animals. He did pretty good. He liked looking at some of the animals when they were up close, but unfortunately at the zoo some of the animals are far away and he didn't even notice them. On the tram ride, Hunter was more interested in a different mammal, HUMANS. He was such a people watcher and was more interested in the people behind us than the animals in front of us, haha. He is such a funny kid, and sometimes I am amazed at how he cracks me up. It was such a fun family day for us and cant wait to go back next year when he might be a little more interested in the animals :)
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| Ready for the Zoo |
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| We have arrived!! |
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| Daddy showing him Flamingos |
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| Elephant habitat |
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| Add caption |
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| Hunter Loved the Giraffes |
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| Sleepy Baby...He woke up as we were getting on the tram |
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| Fun times on the tram |
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| Fun Family Day |
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| They had some beautiful scenic spots...I think this picture looks photoshopped, haha |
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| Silly Baby |
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| Daddy making Hunter laugh...Love this picture by the way :) |
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| Silly Mama |
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| Ready to go home...Long Day for Hunter |
So this year we got a full size tree again. Last year due to being in a smaller apartment and me being tired from being pregnant with our little guy, we forgo a full size tree and got a mini potted tree. I never liked it and it truly never felt like Christmas, so I was so excited when we got our tree this year. Also, Hunter got to help us as well. He redecorated the bottom of the tree many times. We put him by the tree just to see what he would do and it didn't even take him two seconds to get an ornament off the tree...How do they do that?? It was a fun evening for our little family and our tree turned out beautiful :)
Every year we go and see the Christmas lights here in Brea. There is a whole neighborhood that gets all decked out for the holiday season. This year we decided to go with my whole family as part of our Funday tradition. Everyone came over to our house for dinner (which was really yummy) and then my mom cooked up some very delicious hot chocolate and we were off. Hunter was a bit tired when we went so he didn't enjoy as much as I thought he would. it was also very cold so that could have put a damper on the situation too. All in all we all had fun just being with one another...Cant wait for next year!!
Decorating Christmas Cookies
One of the best things about the season, is the many opportunities we find to spend with our families. My moms family has the long tradition of doing an annual cookie exchange. All the girls make 1 dozen cookies for everyone else and then we exchange. Since we have so many women in our family (8 to be exact) we get dozens of goodies to bring home. Also, at the exchange we make cut out sugar cookies and the kids get to decorate and we get a dozen of those as well to take home. The event has also evolved over time and now we include a craft to do as well. It is just a fun time for everyone to get together and enjoy each others company. It makes me so thankful for the family I have in my life. They are all so supportive and loving and it is wonderful that we are still able to get together like this, even after so many years. May the tradition continue :)
Seeing Santa
So Scott and I decided it was very important for Hunter to see Santa...Although we didnt know how he would react. He is in this phase where he really recognizes strangers and lets you know if he does not want to be around you. Unfortunately with all the busy times we wait until the weekend right before Christmas. We took him to the Brea mall and the santa was awesome. So sweet and gentle and really took his time with each child. Hunter did amazing and smiled the whole time. There was a moment when Hunter just looked at Santa in amazement and it was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Cant wait to go back in the future :)
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| Ready to see Santa |
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| Waiting in Line |
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| Hunter and Santa |
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| Is this not the best picture...Love my little man!! |
Hunter's First Christmas
So Christmas is a big deal to us anyways but having Hunter this year made it even more special. Christmas Eve is always spent with my mom's side of the family. We had so much fun. We had yummy food, entertainment, caroling, and of course presents. Hunter got so much stuff. I can't wait for him to play with all the toys. So far he loves his Dream Light and Soothing Singing Monkey :) For the adults we did a real White Elephant Exchange, and it was so much fun. I was skeptical of it at first because who wants junk, but it ended up being such a good time. Everyone was laughing and I think for the most part enjoyed their gifts. THis is what Christmas is supposed to be about, not the presents but the family.
On Christmas morning, my parents came over and watched us open all our gifts and then had breakfast with one another. I have to say my breakfast casserole was awesome. Gotta love Pinterest!! Santa brought Hunter so many fun toys. He especially loves his barnyard activity center, his doggy car from Nana and Grampy, and his Disney train from Auntie Kelly. We were all very blessed by all the gifts we received.
Then it was off the Scotts parents and then to his cousin Annie's to spend Christmas Day. Again had some very yummy food (I need that macaroni recipe ASAP) and fun times were had by all. Again we were so blessed by the time we spent together and the abundance of gifts we received. He loved his Disney bath toys from his grandma and grandpa, and we cant wait to use the Aquarium tickets we got from Auntie Liz.
It was a wonderful holiday and I cant wait until Hunter is a little older and truly understands the meaning of the season.
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| All the Great Grandkids on Christmas Eve |
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| All the Grandkids and Great Grandkids on Christmas Eve |
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| My Mom and her siblings with Grandpa |
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| Taking a Dinner Break |
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| He discovered tinsel |
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| Merry Christmas |
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| My Family |
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| Showing Hunter what Santa brought him...You cant really see but he was totally smiling |
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| Hunter in his monkey chair |
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| Reading a book Mama and Daddy made from him |
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| All of Hunters toys |
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| Playing with Aunt Dorothy |
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| Christmas Day |
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| With Auntie Liz |
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| The Hosmer Family |
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