Winter Wonderland

Saturday we took Johnny and his cousin Ella to Pennsylvania to Dutch Wonderland to celebrate Winter Wonderland! An amusement park that would usually be closed for the season if covered in lights and with a Christmas theme opens in the evenings for special holiday fun.

Santa was there for the kids to see before we went into the park, he was very sweet and let the kids sit with him for a while just talking. He asked about helping Mommy and decorating trees then he asked for 2 chocolate chip cookies.

Ella was very excited to get started! We went right when the park first opened, so there where not many people and short lines!

Ella is such a good big cousin, always making sure Johnny was buckled in and having fun and asking what she can do to help.

The ride went around slowly and then real fast around the corners. Johnny got the idea and would giggle during the slow areas and the get tense and laugh out loud when it went fast.

Dutch Wonderland has a Princess, Knight and Dragon theme, so the Princess and Knight where walking around together for the kids to talk to and take pictures with. Johnny was very interested in the Knight's shield and sword, since he has some of his own at home.

Ella is a Princess! And has been for as long as I can remember. So she loved meeting this princess too. She also loved that the girls bathrooms had princesses on them and boys bathrooms had knights.

This was everyone's favorite ride. Only one adult could go on, so I did not, but you can pick Shawn our easily with Johnny and Ella on either side. The Froggy ride went up then down quickly then up to another height then down again. They did this one three times!

I was surprised that Johnny didn't want to go see the dragon, as cute as he was, I can still understand, there was no visible person.

Then the kids got to build igloos and towers out of "ice cubes"

Johnny got he hang out of it and stacked them as tall as he could reach, Ella was right there helping him and making sure he didn't stack too high.

Then the super slide, another favorite of the kids, though Shawn and I where too big we still went down with them.

Ella was our map girl, sitting down to make sure we where going to right way and getting to do all the rides we wanted.

Johnny was more interested in the reindeer that brought Santa to Pennsylvanian. They where huge with even bigger antlers. Johnny was concerned about the rest of Santa's reindeer, that they might be lost.

And then we wasted $5 trying to win a gigantic Bumble....grrrr.

Time for a snack and some hot chocolate. A snowman shaped pretzel! Goofy girl pretending to take a bite.

Once is was really dark we took the train ride around the entire park to see all of the lights. It started to get really cold so it was nice to cuddle up and just look at all of the beautiful lights.

This was Ella's favorite! She loves Santa Mouse, which was Aunt Nenni's favorite book too!

To finish our trip the kids decorated gingerbread men at a sprinkle buffet.....


...so basically they both just had piles of sprinkles on cookies that no one ate, they just hand hand fulls of sprinkles.

It was a wonderful trip and I am excited to make it a tradition and to try out the park during the summer to try some of the rides that where not operating becuase of the cold.

We had plans to take Lily with us, but last minute decided she would just be cold. So Lily got to spend a great day with Grams and Pops! Thanks guys!!!

First Snow

Maryland has been teasing us lately, with just a flutter of snow here or there, but yesterday it snowed all morning.

It was a perfect snow fall steady and cold, it started to feel like Christmas!


As soon as Johnny noticed the snow he wanted to go outside, he was so cute jumping up and down with excitement that I couldn't say no.

There was not enough snow to do anything with it, but that didn't stop Johnny from trying to make a snow angel, and really just getting dirty. But he had to close his eyes to avoid getting snow in them.

I couldn't help myself, I had to put Lily in her bear snow suit and let he feel her first snow! Johnny thought it was very very funny that lily "was a bear."

It was a perfect first snow, even though it stopped shorty after we went inside and we never got enough snow to really play in. But my little snow bunnies loved it any way!

Johnny Decorating "Cookies"

Alright so it is December and I LOVE Christmas and taking pictures, so here is yet another Christmas post.
One of my favorite holiday traditions is decorating cookies, but no one needs cookies in our house and it is extra messy, so this year I found this great kit. A foam gingerbread man and stickers! Johnny had a blast.

We let him decide where to put the items and he knew right where to put the eyes and mouth and everything else. He just kept wanting to move the stickers around once they where on.

He even got to use real glue and was such a big boy!

Lily snacked on some puffs and fussed (I think she is getting a tooth, yeah) until the camera came out and then so did the smiles!

Another tradition I love is decorating gingerbread houses, but no one wants to eat those houses and they always end up as a waist of food, so I found yet another foam kit! Complete with stickers for easy toddler use.

He got very serious about making sure things where on straight and right where he wanted them.

Look how straight and pretty! He knew exactly how he wanted it to look and would have moved the stickers around for hours if I let him.

What a happy Christmas boy. Another tradition my family always had was a "Christmas outfit" something new and special to wear to make Christmas even more special and make sure we all looked nice. This year I got Johnny and Lily matching shirts with their initial on it looking like a reindeer (since Johnny loves reindeer.) Here is Johnny in his "J" showing off his crafts. We also will be getting special new Christmas jammies, just like Mommy got when she was a kid.

SO EXCITED to hang his gingerbread boy on the front door for all of our friends to see!

Look at that house, I really love the way it came out, what a perfect holiday activity.

And because we all can use a picture of a happy baby clinging to her Daddy's head, here ya go.

A Soldiers Christmas Poem

Shawn has spent 2 Christmas in Iraq, so you can imagine how exciting it is to have him here this year, and every year. He has yet to miss a Christmas with the kids (first away was after we got engaged and the second was while I was pregnant with Johnny) However we are lucky then most! There are many soldiers who are not home to see the snow and the trees and Christmas morning, men and women who are fighting and dying for us, that is the ultimate Christmas gift and they receive far to little in return.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
"SANTA DON'T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,
IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like....

CHRISTMAS!
We are a full week into December and Christmas is in full force around our house!

I really wish we had some bushes or at least some more yard! But we work with what we have and I love it. The little reindeer we got our first Christmas died this year, Papa was sweet enough to get us two new little reindeer and named them "Jack and Lily."

Mommy's Princess village is a constant source of amusement for Johnny, but when Ella came to visit today she had to organize the princesses so that each one was in front of the correct castle. This organization came with a lecture for Johnny from Ella about being careful and what not to play with.

My mother got this for me when we moved away, (though we never stayed away.) It has always been significant for our family since before I can remember.

I love the way our dinning room turned out! See the light up garland draped over the curtains and the candles in the window. And the Christmas tree candle holders on the wall!

The Ornament table runner and star candle holder, I keep forgetting to get candles for it.

Here is the rail that goes up the steps where I wrapped a second light up garland. Johnny and Lily each have a wall where we keep their current pictures and also where I will hang their special first Christmas stocking when the season comes around.

The kids are also really getting into the spirit! Johnny LOVES reindeer. When I asked him if he wanted to write a letter to Santa he said "and the reindeer too." I picked up this inflatable reindeer at the dollar store and it has become his new best friend. (I also point out the Rudolf head band and Bumble shirt, so cute!)

Johnny played hide and seek with his reindeer all afternoon! He would put it someone, (under the table or swing) then he would run and climb under something else then yell "Momma we hiding."

Lily has so much Christmas cloths from her cousins making it easier for Momma to get some special items just for her. Like his ultimate Christmas bow, complete with white fur! and her shirt is a gingerbread girl holding a cupcake and says "Too Sweet."


I also got her some candy cane leggings and made up this onze with an iron on transfer and some puff paint.

We have been watching Christmas movies and Christmas specials of Sesame Street, Wonderpets and Dinosaur Train. We listen to nothing but Christmas music, you can't over do it since you only get a month to really enjoy it.

I just love this season!

Lily is a 6 Month Well Baby

It is official, Lily Jean Branson is PERFECT! We headed in to the pediatrician this morning to have Lily's 6 month well baby exam.

Lily Bean is
16 pounds 9 ounces which is 53 percentile
25.75 inches which is 39 percentile
and her head is 17.13 inches which is 73 percentile

Her height percentile had bounced around, but the Dr said that is common, it is hard to accurately measure a baby so they use the weight for most everything. I have having a hard time adjusting to having a normal sized baby. Johnny was always at the top of all the charts and always so big that when we went in this morning I was very concerned that Lily had not grown enough, she feels very small in my arms.

Lily also got 4 shots
Pediarix which is for Polio, Tetanus, Pertussis, and Hep B
HIB which is Hemophilus inflenza
Prevnar which is Pneumococcal vaccine
and her first Fluzone, she has to get a second flu shot next month

He handled the shots great, but has been fussy and tired this afternoon.

I talked to the Dr about car seats and she said that Lily can contiune to be in her carrier carseat until she is 22 pounds, however she can go into the convertible carseat any time we would like. Grandma Sharon got her a perfect pink Graco carseat that is good rear facing from 5 to 30 pounds and for forward facing up to 40 pounds. Lily is not a big fan of the carrier and always fights us when he put her in it. Once Lily is more stable sitting unsupported we will move her to the new carseat.

Lily's daily schedule is still pretty solid, she still wakes up once in the middle of the night to eat, her pediatrician says we have to start weaning her off of that. I am so happy! :) I miss sleeping from night till morning.

Lily also needs to start feeding herself more, she does well with baby puffs and Mumm Mumm rice crackers, but it is time to start giving her more. The insides of baked potatoes, really soft green beans and cut up bananas. The next 6 months should be about moving her from the liquid formula diet to eating only solids. Lily is growing up! We can try the sweet potatoes again, the Dr was certain that that the diarrhea was because of the high fiber in sweet potatoes not because of any allergy reaction.

Everything is so wonderful, all in all Lily is amazing and perfect and we are again so lucky!

This is kind of fitting as my 500th blog post! REALLY

Christmas Parade

Today we headed into Main Street Bel Air to meet up with Grams, Pops, Uncle Tommy, Aunt Natalie, Ella and Sammi to watch the Christmas Parade and tree lighting.

Johnny wasn't sure why we where there, all he wanted was to see his "friends" so when he started to see reindeer and bands come walking down the street he got very excited.

It was very very cold and windy!

Ella had been clinging to a candy cane that one of the floats had thrown so she could give it to Johnny. The look on Daddy's face was because Johnny was bouncing up and down on his shoulders, Johnny was just so happy.

Lily is always happy and probably the warmest of us all! Three layers of cloths and the blanket, she stayed toasty in her carrier the entire time.

Johnny showing Grams his candy cane.

It was a small parade but frosty still made his appearance and that was enough. I wish I had taken a video, Johnny was jumping up and down the entire time!

After the parade we took the short walk to where the tree lighting would be, there was a large bonfire (which made me more nervous then was necessary) and free cookies and hot coco.

It was Johnny's first hot coco!

Ella enjoying her cookie.

Samantha enjoyed hers too.

I love these little family pictures!

We didn't stick around because it was very cold and very windy and the tree lighting wasn't going to happen until it went dark and got colder. But on our way out we ran into Santa and Miss Clauses who where stopping by to say hi.

The entire family went over to Uncle Tommy's house to have pizza and watch a Christmas movie, as soon as we waled in Johnny pulled out the toys and stated playing music for us all.

But Lily decided once she was freed from her warm cloths and the carrier that she needed to taste her toes and make sure they where still yummy.

Ella joined in on the music as well.

While everyone had pizza, Lily enjoyed her Mumm Mumm. Look at those cheeks! She can devour one of those all on her own!

Rudolf was the movie of choice. Ella loves to cuddle and Uncle Shawn was the one laying on the couch.

She just can't keep her toes out of her mouth!

It was a wonderful start to our Christmas season!