Christmas Morning!

We got to be at our house on Christmas morning this year!  I was the only one that woke up with much anticipation for the day.  Still semi-sick Haven (no more fever! yay!) slept until 9am so I woke Russell at that time too for us to start the day!  Poppy and Grandma were so kind to play Santa for us this year and get Haven this awesome play kitchen!  I knew she was going to love it!

She put her baby in the sink and would not let me move it.  Ha!  She immediately started searching through the cabinets and pulling out all the pots, pans, food, etc.  She loves to push the buttons and play with the silverware.  She put some lemons and tomatoes in the oven (we'll get a little more accurate with age, ha!) and this morning washed some dishes in the sink.  I love to watch her play!  Then she saw another gift... I think this one is her favorite!  But I'll let you be the judge...

I seriously have 6 more similar videos.  Haha!  She loves that thing!  Also loves to put other toys beside the car in it and gets a huge kick out of that too.  Silly girl!

She opened the rest of her gifts (wore one of them while watching another), Daddy cooked us a big breakfast, and we played all day until we went back over to Grandma and Poppy's house for dinner.  It was a wonderful day!!

Merry Christmas Haven Jane!  You are the perfect gift!  We love you!

Friske Christmas 2012

This year we did Christmas with Russell's immediate family on Christmas Eve.  Haven already did Christmas with my family back in November, but we will be getting together in Memphis this coming weekend.  Family schedules are definitely a big puzzle so unfortunately this year we missed my sister as she has already been with my family in New Orleans, and we'll be missing the big celebration with Russell's extended family while we're in Memphis.  But that's just how the pieces fell this year!  :(  I am thankful for all the family that we do get to see and wish we could see so many more!  

Back to the Friske Christmas... Haven woke up from her nap on the 22nd with a fever.  Seriously?!  We've been so blessed with such a healthy girl, but I was so bummed that she would be sick right before all the fun festivities.  We spent the 23rd at the Friskes' to celebrate Poppy's 60th birthday!  Boy, it was a day full of tylenol doses, meltdowns, and tears for Haven.  I felt so bad for her!  And she only wanted me which made me one exhausted Mommy by the end of the day.  But that's life!  Here's Poppy and his favorite - carrot cake!

Haven got a good night sleep and was feeling a little better the morning of Christmas Eve.  However, she was still fighting a a fever and congestion, so she was still pretty irritable.  She only made it through about half of her presents before refusing to open anymore.  I think she just wanted to play with what she had already opened!  Her loot from Santa...

We opened a few things but she had to get back to the books...

The cousins were tearing through their gifts like pros!  Even stopping to pose for pictures!  They got this!

Grayson was especially proud of this hat he got and was totally rocking the model pose all on his own...

Haven opened a few more gifts and then had to retreat and play with her new baby stroller.

We got the girls down for nap and now it was time for the adults to open gifts!  We were spoiled as usual!  Thank you Poppy and Grandma!!!  My favorite gift of the day was this baker-themed nutcracker for Tim!  Ben and Valerie are awesome gift-givers! :) 

It was such a fun day, even with a sick baby.  We went to the Christmas Eve service at Poppy and Grandma's church (where Russell and I got married) and Haven was being so sweet and cuddly with Grandma and I.  I am so thankful for my sweet little girl, even when she's sick!  Thank you Lord for all your blessings and most importantly that sweet little baby born in a manger so many years ago!  Merry Christmas everyone!

Lights, Lights, and More Lights!

We took Haven to see the Christmas lights at Rhema Bible Church.  Russell and I have done the drive-thru part before, but I had never gotten out and walked around.  We all loved it!  They have one section that the lights dance to music and other areas where there just couldn't be one more light.  It is so well done and absolutely gorgeous!  We had a blast!

LOVE this one. They were so cuddly with each other!

Lights everywhere, but she saw the ducks!

So excited about the Jesus choo-choo train!

Apparently holding on for dear life... check out that grip!

I love this pretty girl so much!

Right of Passage

Well, it's that time of year again for a Santa visit!  Last year, 6 month old Haven was just chillin' with Santa... no big deal.

This year we knew it would be bad.  As we stood in line, Haven started this nervous whining.  We thought maybe if Russell handed her over it would go over better than me doing it... she's just a little Mommy-attached.  Ok, more like A LOT Mommy-attached.  Unfortunately our plan probably didn't matter one bit b/c it was going to be bad either way.  Haven squeezed her legs around Russell, clenched his shirt with every finger, and he had to literally peel her off of him to give her to Santa.  So as you can imagine, the picture turned out like this...

Is it awful that I was laughing the whole time?  I just can't help but think this picture is hilarious.  After all, it's a right of passage to scream with Santa right?!  Hopefully next year she'll understand what's happening and be happy about it.  Time will tell.

She was all smiles again once I took her back and opened the candy cane Santa gave her.  

Thanks to Grandma she was loving her sparkle dress and dancing through the aisles of Bass Pro!  Memories of my mom saying, "Brittany - there's a time and place" ran through my head!  Haha!  I'll let her keep dancing for now, but I'm sure those words will leave my mouth one of these days.

I dare say she might like Bass Pro as much as her Daddy!  Ok, that's an overstatement.  That man loves Bass Pro more than anyone ever.  He crazy.  I, on the other hand, am hoping the next time I go is next Christmas to see Santa again. :)

Love those two!  Merry Christmas!

UJVP: State Champions!

I have been coaching JV Pom at Union (my alma mater - Go Skins!) for almost a year now.  I can honestly say it has been one of the best years ever.  Sure it can be stressful and frustrating at times, but most of the time it is just pure joy for me.  Pom was absolutely the highlight of my high school years, and now to be coaching in the same program that meant so much to me is simply incredible!

This team of freshman-juniors has been working so hard on this routine in preparation for competition season.  They got 1st place at two local competitions - TSF and Frontier Valley - and have now gone on to take STATE!  I am so proud of them!

The anticipation is killing them...

Champs!

Celebrating with their hilarious chant they made up.

#1!

It's all about the U!

Amber and I with our sweet officers. :)

We make a great team!

Gotta get some trophy love!

Ok girls, let's get our game faces on for Regionals!  Can't wait!  Love you all!!

Shout-out to Grandma and Poppy for keeping Haven overnight (1st time ever!) and Bailey, Shelley, and my sister for coming to visit me at the competition in OKC!  I love my friends!  It was the best day! :)

The Reality of Posed Pictures

So how cute were the kids on the tractor?!  Key to the cuteness in those posed pictures:  it was 10:00am.  We literally got out of the car and started taking pictures.  Gotta catch them when they're happy.  Then we played outside and inside, had lunch, looked at catfish, played in the truck bed, went back to the hotel for a short nap, and ventured out to see more family... aka already a long day for a group of kids 4 and under.  Fast-forward to post-nap time when we went to see Papa and then post-dinner time when we went to see Nanny.  Posed pictures were not exactly what these tired kiddos wanted to do.  Rather than trying to pick the best of the bunch, I thought I'd show you all of them in an effort to unveil the reality of posed pictures.  Enjoy.

     
Ok so you're thinking that wasn't that bad.  Just wait.

At least we tried, right?  We love you Nanny and Papa!