A Toasty Christmas

This year we spent Christmas in Arizona with my Grandmother. 

It was so odd to have the sun shining and palm trees swaying in the wind when I woke up Christmas day.

My little boy is growing, and it's happening so fast I can see it. 

Freakin' me ouuuuut.

We hope you had a splendid Christmas.

-Challice, Jared and baby Onyx.

I NEED To Get Outside...

...Or I am going to explode.

Here is my little problem:

Cabin fever

+

Car problems

+

Cold weather

+

1 infant

-

Friends who live close by

=

Me, going bonkers!

Okay, okay, I'll calm down- but let me tell you how excited I am to be going to Arizona in less than a week!

I love my comfy little house, but I need a breath of fresh air every now and again.

Oh to be outside...

I can hardly wait for the warm weather AZ walks!

Another thing I "NEED"  is to get back in the habit of being there for Jared.

It is incredibly hard to balance being a wife and a mother, I mean I've heard that a lot but I've never lived it.

This last month has been 98%  filled with Onyx and that leaves almost nothing for my sweet husband.

I could not do this without him and I am taking more initiative to be with him when I can.

After all, he is the easiest person ever for me to talk with, laugh with and just be with.

 Now all I need is to practice balancing

  time. 

Handsome huh? :)

A Little Late Is Better Than Never Right?

Onyx has been one month old for a couple weeks now and I just don't understand how the time passed!
The last month of pregnancy is comparable to the adventure in Lord Of The Rings. 

Except you play gollum and walking from one part of the house to the other is like the epic walk to Mordor.
Everything is exhausting, normal things become obstacles and shoot! You're waaaay heavier than usual so it's hard to be cheery. But the first month after they are born?  It feels like 5 days- a week at most... and also an eternity. 

It's hard to imagine you're life without them.

Somebody is wearing cloth diapers during the day now.
And somebody hasn't yet noticed they are second hand... FROM A GIRL! :P

This kid loves his dad, lemme tell ya. There are times when he is flustered that I can't get him to calm down, Grandma can't calm him down, Grandpa can't calm him down. Just Jared and only Jared. It's also possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, to see them snuggling fast asleep.

... and this is his thinking face. He's got this one down pretty well along with *dead serious* face and then random (and increasing!) bursts of smiles. I love it. Being a mom is way better than I expected. Is that crazy to say?

Just Hanging Out!

My two sisters came over last night with my littlest brother. It was a blast! We ordered pizza and all of us just hung out. It was really nice. Jared showed my little brother (age 5) how to play Minecraft. Amazingly he picked it up in about 10 minutes, built himself a house and kept hatching "the human and witch" eggs.

"I just LOVE that game!!!!!!"

... he said on the way home. He wants to come over and play again today. Too bad he lives almost 2 hours away! 

I love those guys. Being a family is the best. 

It's Tough Being A Dinosaur...

It's Tough Being A Dinosaur... and Onyx takes his job very seriously. 

 Roaring and everything...

 ...But he is a pretty good dinosaur...

...When he is not busy being a bear.

Missing Summer

I know it just ended, but I guess I wasn't ready.
I miss our garden. The peas, carrots, tomatoes and squash...
I miss Jared bringing in kale from outside to put in my smoothies I was so obsessed with during pregnancy.
I miss the walks, the sunglasses and the parks...

I can't even explain how good food tastes that YOU, yourself grew.
Carrots, squash and peas...
How I miss you.

...and then there were the flowers.
Long gone now.

 

Our neighbors adopted two new kittens named Dixie and Dorothy.
They are almost full cat size now, but still stuck in that gangly teenage phase. 

I hate to say it, but I also miss my belly in a way.
BUT it's so much better to be able to hold Onyx and snuggle him face to face.
I wouldn't give that up for anything. 

I even miss the summer bugs!
I can't wait to go to Arizona for Christmas. We are going to be staying with Golden Gram and neither

 Jared or Onyx has ever been to Arizona, and I've never been during the winter! Oh to see the sun again...

My Sweet One Month Old

1/12th of a year has gone by?

Oh my stars!

We love you SO MUCH Onyx!!!!!!

This Month At Our House...

Onyx is growing insanely fast. I am soaking up every moment. He is just lovely.

 

A mushroom Jared carved, now sitting on our entertainment center.

Talent man. Talent.

Below are some shells and what nots from our window sill that I picked up during our summer walks,
along with some paper owls I made for Halloween and two tickets to the fair from right before 

Jared and I finally started courting. Haha courting, who says that anyway?

 

I love looking down at that fluffy little white haired kid.
Being a family is amazing.