Brady's First Christmas

I received the best Christmas present ever this year...Brady slept through the night for the first time. I woke up around 7am and realized that not only was Brady still sleeping, but I hadn't woke up once for a feeding or to put a pacifier back in. Heaven! I'm sure that'll be the last time our kids sleep in on Christmas morning. After church we went to the Hansens for presents and dinner. Brady was smothered with presents from his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and of course us. I can't wait till next year when he at least kinda gets what is going on. Christian got me a stair stepper, a subscription to US weekly, and some clothes. I gave Christian work clothes, tools, and a jacket. Chris & Cindy gave me some great work out clothes, boots and much more. They gave Brady some fun toys, a stuffed animal, and a couple adorable outfits. He also received a play table, more toys, and clothes from us. Heather gave him UGG boots, a coupon for a date night, and a custom t-shirt that says "I love my (picture of a helicopter) aunt". Doug and Cassie gave him the cutest book. It is "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and each page is narrated by a different sibling. As you turn the page the voice starts talking. So cute. Christian received tons of sweaters, work clothes, shoes, and more from his parents. We were all very lucky to have grandpa Hale with us all week for all the Christmas festivities. It was so fun to finally spend a Christmas with the Hansens and be surrounded by family on Christmas morning...Sure beats spending it alone and working all day on the ship!
Christian and his dad were able to get this into our house on Christmas Eve without me knowing. Christian wrapped it up, closed the door and I had no idea. Christmas morning he said my present was in the extra bedroom and as you can see on my face I was totally shocked.

Christmas Parties

From ugly sweaters to formal wear we like Christmas parties in any form. So fun finally being around good friends during the holidays.

Eggnog drinking contest. Refereed by Santa Clause.

Christmas Time

Home Sweet Home

Warning…very long post, but much overdue. Christian worked incredibly hard for over four months remodeling our new home. Nearly every night (and all day Saturday) he would finish his “day job” and then head straight to the condo and work till 10pm or often later. He would then come home and almost always watch youtube videos to figure out how he was going to complete the next project. Christian’s scout master growing up, Greg Blotter, helped Christian build walls to extend the kitchen. Greg also redid all the electrical in the entire place. Thanks to tons of additional help from friends and family we are finally all settled in and loving our new home. While unpacking, I found a chocolate fountain (that I totally forgot we had) so I decided to fire it up for a little housewarming party we had on Sunday. I’m so proud of Christian and so grateful for all his hard work. There is no way I can even remember all the projects Christian (and some hired help) completed, but we now have all new…

-Windows
-Entirely new kitchen
-Floors
-Doors & Closet doors
-Washer and dryer (possibly my favorite addition)
-Entirely new bathrooms (tile, vanities, light fixtures, etc.)
-Crown molding and baseboards
-Insulation
-Stair Rail
-Appliances
-Vanities
- Paint, etc., etc.

Just to refresh your memory here are a few pictures of the before...I'm almost done decorating. There is one more room and bathroom that I didn't take pictures of, but I'm sure you can imagine an empty room:) Here is the after ....Guest bedroomUpstairs bathroom
Our bedroomBrady's room

Lasting Impression

Chris & Cindy were having some new cement laid in their driveway and they invited Brady over to make his mark in it! So cute!

Morning Stretches

Brady loves to play with his toes, but he is almost always wearing socks or PJs. There is only a few minutes in the morning and night when he has access to them. A couple days ago Christian decided to let him play for a bit while he grabbed the camera. What the camera didn't capture though was Brady peeing all over himself right after this shot:)

Thanksgiving

After Newport we headed to Manhattan Beach to spend the holiday with my family. My Grandpa & Grandma McNay came out and my grandma cooked her amazing Thanksgiving feast. I was able to help her cook and learned how to make a couple of my favorite dishes. While everything cooked we went for a walk on the beach then headed home for an early dinner. To end the night Christian and I braved the crowds for some midnight Black Friday madness. Although we got some killer deals, it very well may be a once in a lifetime experience.