Friday, December 30, 2011

Things Remembered...

We really had a great Christmas this year. Both kids were old enough to really enjoy it and I wanted to record some of the things said and done so we can remember them for years to come.
Top left: Joash, Christian, Parker
Bottom left: Macey, Caleb, Hailey

~ We got to meet our two new nephews, Christian and Joash. My bro-in-law and sis-in-law had been in the adoption process for what seemed like forever and they finally got to bring their new sons home in October. It was great getting to meet them and getting to know them. Next year is going to be insane. There will be 8 grandkids on the Titus side of the family but we are definitely looking forward to getting them all together again next Christmas.
~We started a new tradition in our house this year. I picked up this nativity set at Family Bookstore that you start the week before Christmas and each day you open a little present that comes with it and inside is one of the people from the Christmas story. The set is called "What God wants for Christmas" and the last day, Christmas day, you open the present and there is a little mirror inside showing that God wants you for Christmas. It has a little booklet in it on how to lead children to Christ. It is such a neat little set. Hailey really enjoyed it. She didn't really get the last day with the mirror but she is only three. I look forward to doing that with our kids for years to come.

~ Both kids got just a ton of new toys. I wish I would have had it on video when Hailey opened her present from her uncle Seth. A few weeks ago he asked her what she wanted and she said she wanted a baby with yellow curly hair that eats and drinks. When she opened her present from him on Christmas Eve her eyes got huge and she exclaimed "It's exactly what I wanted!" He had gotten her a Baby Alive doll and it literally was exactly what she wanted.

~Some friends of ours had gotten a Thomas the Tank Engine table and a whole box of tracks and trains and accessories from a friend of theirs and they gave it to us to give to the kids so we decided to use it as Caleb's Christmas present. When he came downstairs Christmas morning he saw the train table and squirmed his was out of Randy's arms and ran to it and started saying "Too-Too...Too-Too!" So cute!
~Hailey spent most of the month of December walking around the house singing random portions of Christmas carols with her own lyrics. I really wish I would have been writing them down but here are a few that I remember...I may add more as I hear her singing them because I'm sure she will still be singing them still after the tree is down and the ornaments and stockings are put away.
  ..."Shuck the halls..."
  ..."Vashing to the snow, in a one horse soap and sleigh, Oh the fills we know, I don't want to stay..."

~Caleb got  a Cozy Coupe car from my parents for Christmas and that was the "item of choice" (meaning it was what the kids fought over) for three or four days after he got it.
He boxes out like his momma

~Caleb also got a LIttle Tikes basketball goal from my parents and he was so excited about it. Every time he would make a basket he would say "OOOOHHHHH"



~Nena and Poppa (Randy's parents) got a hotel room at the Marriott so all the kids could go swimming on Christmas night. It was so much fun and the kids had a blast! It was fun to be able to take them swimming in the middle of winter and they got to swim out all of their Christmas energy. I think it may be a new tradition our family is starting and I am pretty excited about that. And yes, I did actually get my pregnant self in a swimsuit. It's for the kids...
There were so many fun memories this Christmas. I wish I could remember more of them. I am so thankful for friends and family to spend it with.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Merry Christmas!




He really is a very happy kid...


Another failed attempt of a sibling pic...at least one of them is smiling  :)


Thursday, December 22, 2011

What Happens While My Back Is Turned...


They decided it would be fun to make "popcorn" out of a styrofoam block they found...




It's a good thing they are so darn cute!

Daddy-Daughter "Gymaskits"

Tuesday was Parent Participation Day at Hailey's "gymaskits" (as she calls it.) I would have loved to have been able to participate but I'm kind of getting a belly (it's from the baby) and I had my wild little one-year-old in tow also. I really wish I would have had the video camera because Randy was actually the one to do the participating. And can I just say, for a twenty-six-year-old dude...he was pretty good. He did the trampoline and the uneven bars and did some flips on one of the other bars (not sure what it's called.) He swung from the rope swing into the foam block pit...which Hailey will not do. Oh, and he almost clobbered Hailey trying to bounce from one trampoline to the other...I didn't say he was perfect. Hailey had a blast having her daddy do "gymaskits" with her. 


I would have gotten some good pics of them doing stuff together but they won't let you use flash while they are doing their gymnastics so all the pictures I took were very blurry :(

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Gingerbread House

Hailey has been begging us to do a gingerbread house so I picked one up at Aldi last week and we put it together Saturday night. Really all Caleb wanted to do the entire time was eat the candy...and I can't blame him. Hailey did a nice job decorating and my excellent icing-er (I just made that up) Randy assembled the masterpiece. The kids had a great time and I think Randy was pretty proud of his work :) oh, and I just take the pictures...and pacify the pleading little one with sugary goodness...

Please Mommy!

Seriously, how could you resist those big gorgeous bluish-green eyes!

The handy work

The goods...

Hailey using her mad decorating skills

Finishing up the Masterpiece

Too Small For His Britches...

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Fifteen Weeks

I'm fifteen weeks now. I'm past all of the sickness...at least I hope. I haven't felt bad for a couple of weeks. Actually I have felt really good. Aside from being a little more tired and my daily headache that sometimes I think could qualify as a migraine I've been feeling really good. I had an appointment today and everything checked out great. I still haven't gained any weight but I didn't with Caleb until like almost 20 weeks or so. They say to count it as a blessing. I guess I should. I don't know when I would find time to eat more anyway! I go January 4th to find out what we're having. Randy and I don't really care one way or another. I think he may slightly want a girl a little bit more but either way is great. Hailey, on the other hand, is positive it is a girl. So much so that she has been telling everyone that she has a baby sister in mommy's tummy. I know that in life she will face many disappointments, but I do kind of hope for her sake that it is a girl...because she really...really has her hopes up. But we'll see in January!

Mr. Resourceful...






He knows how to get what he wants...

Day After Thanksgiving Decorating...

So these are a little late but at least they're on here!

I don't know if you've ever tried to decorate for Christmas with a three year old and a one year old but it is very... challenging... fun... but challenging... especially when you have a sneaky little one year old who is at expert level of seek and destroy...







We had one tired pup by the end of the day :)