Christmas Decorations

The past week we have been decorating our house for Christmas.  We got our tree, Blake met Santa, and hung our stockings.  I ordered new stockings for us this year.  This Christmas is going to be a special one, as Joseph will most likely be deployed for next year's holidays.  It is sad that Joseph will miss a Christmas with Blake, but the good thing is that he won't remember Daddy being gone. 

We still aren't sure what the deployment dates are, or where they will be going.  It seems to change weekly, and we are just trying to ignore it until the official word is passed.  We are enjoying the time that we have together.  Joseph's school is a refreshing break from the busy schedule he has had since he classed up at TBS.  He is able to come home for lunch, and he is home at a decent hour each night.  Blake loves having his Daddy around.     

  

Happy boy!

Look who found his toes!

Santa's sweetest elf!

Our Christmas tree!

Blake was putting up decorations

Daddy helping Blake decorate the tree

Hanging out with Daddy

This is what he thinks of all of these pictures.

I love his eyes

Santa reading Blake's list

Blake and Santa.  Santa isn't quite as excited as Blake was.

Jumper

 Blake has learned to jump in his jumperoo!  He is very excited about it.  Here are some videos of him jumping and looking at the lights.  It is so funny to watch his little face light up as he jumps.  Our little man is such a happy little guy.    

Laughing!

We have been taking a ton of videos of Blake this week! It seems like he learns something new every day.  It is amazing how much he changes.  

Here he is laughing.  He thinks Joseph is just so funny!  

Blake's Baby Dedication

Last Sunday was Blake's baby dedication.  Joseph and I promised to raise Blake in a Godly home in front of the entire church.  He did really well during the ceremony, as did the other three babies.  Kipton (Blake's baby friend) was up there with him, so neither one of them were scared :)   Here are the pictures!

He is right.... His auntie is awesome

Family Picture

Love my little man

Kipton slept the entire time

Hey buddy!

Buddies already

Kipton was super excited once he woke up

Little Joseph and little Daniel...

Their first fist pound

The Aunts!

Mom in the process of saying woooooo

Sigh.... Caught in action.  They did not follow instructions :) You have to look at the camera while Joseph makes Blake smile... if you look at him smiling, you get this picture.

Much better!

Thanksgiving...

 Our Thanksgiving was wonderful! We spent the day with family.  There was a lot of eating, laughing, and football watching.  Blake got to meet his second cousin, Isabela... who is a cutie! It was a good visit, and time went way too fast.  While we were home we had my sister take some family pictures for us.  Blake was not in a mood to smile, but they still turned out OK.  

His face in this one is awesome

Blake was not enjoying the picture taking!

I thought this one was funny....

Not a huge fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles....

Look at this face.....

and look at his pants here.... That's right, he just pooped on Carly, and we had not noticed yet.

Blake and Isabella

Thanksgiving

My baby is growing up.  He has been sleeping in his own room for the last few nights.  I think we are all sleeping a little bit better, but I still miss him at night.  We make up for it by snuggling in the mornings.  I love that he loves to snuggle so much.  I am his snuggle person, and daddy is his comedian.  He thinks Joseph is so funny.  Joseph gets much better laughs out of him than I do.

As Thanksgiving approaches, I think more and more about my Ethan and Jacob.  This time last year was hard on Joseph and I.  I will never forget driving from Quantico to Franklinton for Thanksgiving.  We were planning on stopping to see their headstone, which had been delivered since we had been home last.  I held back tears the entire ride home, only to lose them all when I saw that headstone with my babies names on it.  No mother should ever have to spend her Thanksgiving in a graveyard.  Sadly, I do.  

I miss our boys.  It is amazing how many people think that Blake "fixes" everything.  Blake doesn't replace our loss, and I would never expect him to.  I often look at Blake and think about how much he lost, without even knowing it.  He lost two big brothers.  He lost playmates, rivals, and possibly best friends.  Watching Blake grow up makes me think so much about what should be, and it also makes me cherish every second.

So, this Thanksgiving will also start with a visit to Ethan and Jacob.  We will put red bows up for them again for the holidays, and we will remember all that we have to be thankful for.  Like I said last year, even in the hardest of times we always have something to be thankful for.  Last year, it was survival (physically and emotionally).... this year it is survival, and our precious Blake.