*SHOCK* Don't die from a heart attack.....YES I am finally posting!

OK.......OK..........I know I have be negligent in my postings. You see, my brain and body have been hijacked for the last few months when I get near the computer. Jamie and I have found a game that we like to play together on the computer...and so, when I sit down at the computer after Jaiden goes to bed, I don't think to check my email or update my blog or Facebook. All I can think to do is get on our game.....what an addiction! LOL! Anyway...I know you all have been dying to see the pics from Christmas time around here and the video of Jaiden seeing Santa at Christmas so here it goes.........

It all started with Thanksgiving.....Jaiden is very interested in Morgan. Especially the attention he gets from holding him....lol.

In December we got the storm of the ages....it seemed like. These pictures were just from the beginning of the snowfall. Didn't take any from the end part.....hehe.

But inside we stayed toasty warm, preparing for Christmas. Like Heather and Josiah, we too decided to make a tradition of making a gingerbread house at Christmas. Luckily, I read her blog first.....:) So I prepared the house and let it dry. Then put all the frosting on it. THEN had Jaiden come over and decorate it. Worked out beautifully. He got to eat a few pieces when we were all done. A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE that he waited till then. He was very proud of our house and talked about it at daycare for at least a week! Sadly the gingerbread was REALLY tough to eat. He got to eat two of the little trees, but I tasted them and they weren't very good....good thing they had frosting and candy on them.

We did get a tree this year....however, it died within a week and I never took any pictures. Additionally, the story of how we got the tree was just as sad. Of course being new to the area, we don't know where anything is. I looked everywhere (phone book, internet, etc...) to find a tree farm in the area. Nothing! So, we resigned ourselves to going to the local nursery to pick one out. They had the inside decorated beautifully, had a couple reindeers for the kids to look at (Santa's, of course, which Jaiden was not particularly fond of), HOWEVER, their trees were marginal at best. We searched for nearly a half hour (and the lot was small) to find a cut tree that was worth anything. Finally we both agreed on one, got it home, put it directly in water......and the rest of the story is history. IT DIED QUICKLY! Oh well! The REALLY sad part about this story is that the following week after we got the tree, my collegues at work told me that there was a tree farm out in Kennewick! ARGH! Live and learn!

The Friday that Christmas Break started we decided to take Jaiden for his first trip to Chucky Cheese's since he had been such a good boy for us during our stressful time at work. When we told him where we were going, he told us that he wanted to ride Scoop (the name of the bulldozer on Bob the Builder cartoon) when we got there. Of course, he has never been to this Chucky Cheese's, so I said, "Well, if they have one you can definately ride it." Of course thinking "They aren't going to have it and he's going to be upset...." In the car all the way there...."I'm going to ride Scoop....I want to ride Scoop..." Imagine our surprise when we got there and there was a Scoop in the toddler section! We still can't figure out how he knew there was a Scoop at Chucky Cheese's.

Christmas this year was a BLAST! This is the first year Jaiden REALLY got into it. He was excited to take pictures with Santa, open presents, see the Christmas lights on the houses, etc... We had fun decorating the tree and talking about the ornaments as we put them up. Christmas Eve, we went over to Melissa's house as we always do to open presents. Jaiden got a *HUGE* surprise! SANTA (AKA - Uncle Steve) came to visit before he had to go deliver presents to other boys and girls. We were not sure how he would react.....see for yourself.

(Video post)

He flipped....huh! He was soooooooo excited. We were shocked at his response. Then after Santa left he tore through his presents. He couldn't get enough and of course was soooooo distracted by the toys he got he forgot there was more. LOL! Grandma Colleen just had knee surgery so she was enjoying the show from her bed on the couch....and Dad was the designated toy opener, hence all the paper and such around him. Notice no pics of me.....of course....I was behind the camera.

On Christmas Day, we opened presents with Grandma and Grandpa...unfortunately G-Grandma Dora couldn't make it in the house due to all the snow, so we took some presents to her and spent time at her place. She really had fun with Jaiden. She's a really good tickle monster!

After all that, G-Grandma Dora was tuckered out!

No pics from the new year yet.....look for some more around Jaiden's birthday....earlynext month! Stay tuned...and I promise I won't be as delinquent. :)