We had Loren’s shower a few weekends ago.  It was also Nolan’s first time meeting all the women in our extended family!  It was the first beautiful day we have had in a long time, and Emily was the perfect hostess

We had a onesie decorating contest…I don’t remember who made this one, but they were clearly sucking up to Loren

The one that clearly should have won

Great Aunt Lynn

The loot

The beautiful scenery – most likely from Bridget’s beautiful garden

After the shower, Loren and I went out on the town for a night to finish shopping, and Kathy helped her set up the nursery this past weekend.  So everything seems to be set for Cletus to arrive!  We are so excited to meet our first niece/nephew!

Easter was so much fun with Brayden this year.  I felt like this was the first year that he really understood what was going on.  We got out of bed, searched for his Easter basket, found Nolan’s Easter basket as well, then went on an egg hunt in his toy room.  Poor B, he had 3 easter egg hunts all by himself yesterday.  He looked at me at one point and said, “Mom, next year Nolan and Cletus (his nickname for Loren’s baby) will do this with me“.

B’s basket was hidden in HIS favorite hiding spot

The loot

All day long, everytime he found an egg, he had to shake it.  It was so flippin’ cute

This child is addicted to puzzles.  He has mastered the 24 and 48 piece puzzles – I guess we need to start on the 100 pieces!!!  He put this puzzle together in 5 minutes.

His new favorite game just happens to be my favorite when I was little.  Thanks Aunt Erin!

Egg hunt pictures!

And finally, Nolan and his mama

More pictures here

Of COURSE it snowed on Sunday, I paid good money to have my van washed on Saturday for the first time in ages!

And of COURSE it is going to snow tonight…Nate has been promised poor B for WEEKS that on the first day of a good snow he will take off work and stay home with him to make snow angels and throw snowballs – and Nate is out of town this week

Luckily, BB did get to shovel the driveway with Daddy on Sunday.  Nate wanted to sneak out and do it quickly, and then I heard B screaming for him out the window “Daddy, stop!  Wait for me!  Come back, I can help!”  I made Nate come to the door to see B standing there with sad eyes and one hand grasping his snow shovel.  A quick swap of shoes and some piling snow gear later, B was having the time of his life – just look at his face!

So….if you want a good laugh tomorrow, come on down to our neck of the woods to see this 9 month preggo mama plop her large arse on the really cold and wet ground to make a dreaded snow angel.  And for future reference - I am sorry BB,  for not being as fun as Daddy would have been

Christmas Pictures!

Sorry they aren’t great, I didn’t feel well AT ALL Christmas morning, which became very apparent when I started praying to the porcelain gods around 11am   I must have eaten something that didn’t agree with me the night before, because Thank God no one else was sick to their stomach.  All three of us, however, have been battling a sinus infection for our entire vacation – I have never seen so much green snot in my life   I need a vacation from my vacation!

Besides the sickness, we had a wonderful Christmas, and it was so nice to spend it with EVERYONE in our family this year!

Spoiled much?

The manger that Nate built for his Mom

One of B’s favorite presents – his banjo from Mike and Cathleen

Next Year’s exchange theme? Retro.  Nick already has his present ready

See – I told you we didn’t feel well!  My diet on Christmas day consisted of half a bowl of chicken noodle soup at lunch, and some pasta with parmesan around dinner.  No Christmas goodies for me

The Wolff grandkids

We have a pretty strict Christmas Eve routine around here:  We get up, eat breakfast, get ready, eat lunch, take our pictures, head to the Kennedy’s, go to my Mom’s family Christmas, head to Nate’s Mom’s family Christmas, then midnight mass.  It is always a hectic day.  This year, our routine just didn’t go as planned, and the Kennedy family was slighted   Probably the first time in 8 years we haven’t made it over to John’s on Christmas Eve.

BUT, we did get to see my cousin Jason, his wife Erika, and their daughter Kendall this year!  Kendall is 6 months older than B, and they played so well together.  The last time they were together, he was only 3 months old!

B taking a picture of Mommy.  Little did he know that Santa was bringing him his own camera!  More on that later

Kendall and her Grandpa. 

Kendall is a Hannah Montana fanatic!  She dances and sings the entire opening number!

A few more here

Despite my dislike for the Newport Aquarium, I bought family passes for us because I knew we would use them.  B loves to go.  He talks about the scuba divers all the time.  He wants to be a scuba diver for Halloween next year.  So I thought he would be pumped about seeing Scuba Santa.  Wrong.  I wouldn’t use the word terrified, but he definitely wasn’t happy to pose next to the weird looking Santa sitting in the shark tank.  This is the best picture I could get!

The funniest part of the whole thing (besides ”scuba” sounding like “stupid” when B pronounces it) was the “elf” guarding Santa with a stick.  I wish I would have gotten a shot of him.  Probably the only Santa in the US that needs a bodyguard, complete with an exposed weapon.

What Scuba Santa was being protected from: