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Thursday, December 29, 2016

Life with Lucas {week 32}


We are slowly but surely recovering from Christmas over here! 

Last Thursday, Ella went to Nutcracker camp at the Y (which sounded like the cutest thing ever, based on what she's told me!), so Lucas and I ran a few errands. Can I just tell you how easy everything is with just one child?! I used to think people were crazy when they said that...no, it is FOR REAL a million times easier to get everything done with just 1 kid! Anyway, here he is at Party City picking out plastic plates for Christmas dinner, so his mom doesn't have another panic attack about dirty dishes. #OCD


Last Friday we went to Gingerbread Lane at the Ballantyne Resort. We've never gone this close to Christmas and whoa, was it crowded! Note to self: go earlier in December next year! 


You can see how many people were packed in this little hallway in the picture above. Good thing Lulu and his friend Cooper were not phased. 

Ella wanted to touch every. single. gingerbread house. Here she is, probably telling Mackenzie not to touch it, while she is about to touch it herself!


My favorite gingerbread house was a Starbucks one...Gingerbucks! So cute and creative!




After telling these girls "Don't touch!!!" about 800 times, we went to Panera for lunch with my parents. Lucas decided he would rather eat hands. 


Christmas Eve was quite a doozy. Ella woke up screaming that her ear hurt, and then threw up all over her room a few hours later. So she spent most of the day either in the bathtub or in her pajamas. I did manage to get everyone dressed before we went to church. Ella was still feeling kind of yucky so she stayed home with Trav.


Lucas loved snuggling with my dad during the service!


After church, we did our Christmas Eve presents (jammies and books).



Lucas was really just interested in eating the wrapping paper. 


We also left out cookies for Santa!


I've already written about our Christmas, which you can find here. Christmas was also the last day of #lucasandellas12daysofchristmas on Instagram! Here is what you missed if you're not on IG!


Taking a picture of 2 kids every day for 12 days is no joke. I am worn out. 

Monday, we played with our new toys...


...and finally got around to making our foam gingerbread house (in Frozen pjs, no less)! We were going to do this Christmas Eve, but Ella was sick. 


Also on Monday, I ruined Lulu's Christmas shirt. 😩😡😢 The red dye bled all over his cream colored polo! I have tried everything to fix it...color catcher sheets, soaking in vinegar, soaking in Oxyclean, soaking in dishwasher soap...nothing seems to be working. If you have any tips I haven't tried, please send them my way!


Tuesday, Ella had a hot date at the park with her boyfriend Rhys!




Lucas also got his play time in with Rhys' little brother Harry when they came over later that night! 


Yesterday, whatever Ella was sick with decided to return. Poor girl fell asleep in the car, which never happens. 


After a few doses of amoxicillin and watching Frozen (again) twice, she seems to be doing much better today!


While Ella watched Frozen, over and over and over, Lucas helped me take down Christmas decorations! Let me tell you how much I am loving this little table he got for Christmas. It keeps him SO entertained!!!


Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!!! See you all in 2017! :)
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Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Lucas's First Christmas {and Baptism!}

Well, Lucas's 1st Christmas (and Ella's THIRD...what?!) is in the books! Our day was anything but dull...here's a peek at our December 25 this year!


Santa had quite the time lugging all of the presents from the attic down to the living room. Double BOB, weight bench, slide, PBK chair, plus several big (and heavy!) boxes. Whew, I definitely got my work out in. Note to Santa/me next year: buy smaller/lighter presents. 

Also: our Christmas tree is totally dead already. This tree has given me a time this year! So just ignore the super droopy branches. 

Anyway, we were up bright and early at 7:30 AM to open presents!



Lucas was really just interested in the wrapping paper (and anything else he could put in his mouth).



So about that random present Ella is handing Trav above: we were visiting April when she was selling her bows at Swoozies a few weeks ago, and Ella happened to find this football game thingy. She saw it and said, "Oh! Daddy NEEDS this! Please Mommy, we gotta buy dis for him!!!" It was so cute that she saw a football and thought of her dad; how could I say no?! Trav thought it was hilarious and loves his little game from Ella!! :) 


After we quickly finished opening presents and did stockings (PS-Santa hit up the Dollar Tree hard this year for stocking stuffers! SO much Paw Patrol and Frozen stuff there...who knew?!), we went to church, because this little guy was getting baptized!


Just like with Ella's baptism, our minister let my dad step in and baptize Lucas. It was a very special time!





After church, both sets of grandparents and Auntie Caitlin came over to our house and we opened more presents! 



Some of us also tried to eat our presents...


Lucas especially loved Auntie Caitlin's fun necklace!






Then it was time to eat! After my Thanksgiving panic attack over too many dirty dishes, I decided to make my life easier and got plastic plates, silverware and cups from Party City! Best decision ever.



Trav and his sister made a delicious meal for us! We had beef tenderloin, veggie medley, mashed potatoes and salad. I like that they kept it super simple and we didn't have TONS of leftover food!


We also left one potato out of the mashed potatoes and gave it to Lucas!!! He was a big fan!


After dinner, the guys worked to assemble Lucas's car! We bought Ella's off Craigslist, so I had no idea you even had to assemble these things! 


Their hard work paid off when Lucas got in his car...this boy is OBSESSED. We pushed him around and around our downstairs for the remainder of the night. He did not want to stop. He even puts his little hands on the steering wheel like he is actually driving! So cute.


Even though we were all still stuffed from dinner, I forced everyone to have some of Lucas's baptism cake! It was delicious! 


Our little joy boy had such a memorable first Christmas!!! 
Last year on Christmas Day, we found out he was a boy...this year he gets baptized...what will he do next Christmas?! 

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