Santa 2012

We heard that Santa would be making an appearance at my cousin's photo studio in downtown Kansas City the weekend before Thanksgiving.  So, we decided to take the boys to see him and get a few professional photos. 

I really like visiting Santa at this location because the photographers at this studio have snacks and toys available to keep the little ones entertained while waiting.  And it doesn't so much feel like a line because you get a number when you walk in and then just hang out until your number is called.  Yeah, this is way better than a mall Santa!

Anyhow, I try to keep an open mind about getting "the perfect" Santa picture...you never know how kids are going to react to a big stanger dressed all in red and a huge while beard...understandably so!  Garytt was a bit timid at first but we had talked about Santa and Garytt cautiously warmed up to him.  Westyn looked like he was on the verge of crying most of the time but didn't actually cry, so I call that a success!

At first, they were both in awe of Santa!

  Then they finally looked at the photographer.

  Then it was Westyn's turn to visit with Santa by himself.

  Garytt had a chance to visit with Santa by himself next. It took a little convincing to get him back up there with Santa but I reminded him that he needed to tell Santa his wish list.

  We had a great time visiting Santa and as a bonus we got to see our cousins and my mom!

Thankful

On this eve of Thanksgiving, I am busy baking pies, packing bags, and getting ready to go to my parents house tomorrow morning.  Here starts the hustle and bustle of this busy season...

But before things get really hectic, I am taking the time to be thankful for the little moments that make this life so special.  Of course, I love to have big adventures with the boys and post blogs about Sea World and trips to the pumpkin patch.  But my day to day life is pretty special, too...we often take pictures that just don't fit into a blog but they capture our daily life.



I have to say that I have never been a big fan of the whole holiday season, some may even have called me a Grinch.  I feel totally different this year...and I think it is mostly due to my precious boys.

Garytt is especially expressive this year about the holidays...he is so excited about the Christmas lights that our neighbors put up just this past week.  He was also excited to help me mix the ingredients together for the pumpkin pie.  Seeing the holiday season through the eyes of a child makes the wonder and magic of the season so real.

Today I am thankful for all of my many blessings, especially my two wonderful, healthy, and sometimes challenging boys!

Westyn at Nine Months

Westyn turned nine months old on October 27. We were able to take him in for his well check just before our trip to Texas.


Nine Month Stats:

Height: 28 inches (25th percentile)
Weight: 17 pounds 9 ounces (25th percentile)

Westyn did well during his check-up and he is advanced in his gross motor skills compared to other babies his age. He is good a bear crawling and he can walk a couple of steps with a walk behind walker.

We were told to work more on getting him to make deliberate sounds rather that just babbling. And I am happy to report that since his check-up, he is doing a great job with his "mamama" and "dadada" sounds. 

Westyn is really a baby on the move. He is in to everything he can get his hands on! He keeps me busy and I love it!

Santa's Ranch

During all of our driving around, my mom and I noticed a Christmas light display just off the highway near San Marcos. We decided to go check it out one evening when we had my dad and the boys with us.

The light display is called Santa's Ranch but I didn't get a picture of the sign. It's a drive through Christmas light display but we really weren't sure how nice it would be.

At the beginning there were some fun lights like a space ship and an old truck wrapped in lights (we thought Uncle Kyle might enjoy at light display like this one!).

Garytt was super excited about the space ship, but I didn't get a picture of that one.

Then we turned the corner and I was amazed! They had almost half of the drive through light display dedicated to Biblical stories...and I don't just mean the birth of Christ! They had everything from Adam and Eve to Noah's Ark to Jonah and the whale...the list goes on.

Since we were pretty much the only car going through the light display (too early in the season probably), we were able to pause and discuss the stories with Garytt as we went through. Some of the displays were a bit of a guessing game, too, since they weren't as obvious.  It was a bit of Bible trivia for the adults as well!  I really appreciated this section of the light display, especially since we sometimes find it hard to keep the focus on Christ during this season.

Anyhow, after that section, there were the traditional Santa and the Elves scene...like playing football (it is Texas after all). We enjoyed those displays as well!

Garytt really loved the light display and still talks about all the Christmas lights!

Play Date with Jenn and Isaiah

Any time we make it to the Austin area, I really try to get together with one my college besties, Jenn, and her son Isaiah.  I was very excited that we were able to schedule a play date at a park during our visit to Texas, especially since it had been over a year since we visited last time. (Click the link to see how much the boys have changed!)

The boys played mostly separately while we were on the playground. Then we took a break at one of the shelter areas where they had a good time chasing each other around.

There was a little elevated area, kind of like a small stage, with a ramp that Garytt decided was super fun to run down and crash at the end. I don't think Isaiah was too sold on that idea.

Then they found a picnic table to sit at for a bit.

Jenn and I decided that we would let the boys go out on the baseball fields to run off some energy in a fenced area.

That was a great idea until the boys realized that the baseball infield was made of sand...all they were interested in after that was digging in the dirt.

They did take a break from the dirt digging to say hi to Westyn and play peek-a-boo through the fence to the dugout.

Then the boys figured out that the metal benches could be used like drums and Westyn was no longer that interesting.

Jenn did play with Westyn while the boys were playing in the dirt...so he wasn't left out of our play date.

I just have to point out that Jenn and Isaiah are in pants and long sleeves...my boys are in shorts and t-shirts...that's the difference between Texans and well, whatever we are...Kansans, Wisconsonites, now Missourians...let's just say northerners.

 Anyhow, we had a great time hanging out! Unfortunately, it was soon time to say good-bye. I hope we can get together again soon...Missouri is a nice place to visit...hint, hint.

Sea World San Antonio

After the family reunion, we headed to New Braunfels, TX to check-in at the condo. The boys were quick to check it out, especially Garytt. He was a big fan of the second story hallway, which overlooked the living room.

  The boys spent some playing just playing in the living room.

  Westyn kept trying to climb up the stairs all by himself. So, Justin decided to move the chair in front of the stairs to prevent him from climbing up there. This was a good idea in theory but then he got his head stuck...

  Mimi met us at the condo that evening and had dinner with us. Then we all just relaxed for the night.

The next morning we had to take Justin back to the airport so he could fly back to Missouri. Before we left the condo, I took a picture of Mimi, Justin, and the boys.

  Then it was off to the airport to drop Justin off. Then, just about an hour later, my parents were scheduled to arrive at the airport. They agreed to come to Texas to help me with the boys, especially in the airport on our way home, since Justin couldn't stay for the whole trip.

Once we had Grandma and Grandpa, all of us headed to Sea World!

Now, some of you might be thinking, Sea World in November?!? Um, yeah, it was over 90 degrees the day we went. So, definitely shorts weather and Sea World weather.

The nice part was that it wasn't a very busy day at Sea World, so we were able to park pretty close. And here's the gang walking towards the entrance.

We stopped for a photo opportunity just outside the main gates.
  Once we got inside, the first order of business was to see Shamu!! As luck would have it the Shamu show was starting in just a few minutes.

On the way to the show, we saw a area with ducks. So, Garytt wanted to check those out.

  Then we found some seats for the Shamu show. We chose to sit close, but hopefully not too close to get really splashed. I do know that is the attraction for many viewers of the Shamu show but killer whale water is really not good for cameras. And I wasn't too sure how Garytt would take it if he got really splashed. So, we chose a fairly "safe" zone. And the show began.

  The Shamu show really kept both boys interested the whole time. You can see Garytt is pretty much in awe...and Westyn just seemed excited.

  When the whales did splash, the water reached over halfway up the bleachers on the sides. We were situated in one of the corner sections and were safe...until one of the trainers got out a hose and decided to "splash" some of the crowd that didnt get splashed by the actual whales. Fortunately, it was just a little bit of water, and the camera stayed mostly dry...but I have to say, I was a bit annoyed that we chose a "safe" zone because I didn't want the camera to get wet...oh well, Garytt thought it was kind of funny...he got a bit of water on his legs.

After the Shamu show, we found the flamingos, which were near the ducks. Mimi and Garytt went to check it out.

  In the center of the Sea World park, they have an area called Sesame Street Bay of Play. It is all centered around Sesame Street characters and has rides geared towards the younger kids. Can you see a face peaking out of the sign?

  We wandered through there....and met Bert and Ernie! Garytt was a little nervous, but Grandpa convinced him to give Ernie a fist bump.

  Then Garytt and I decided to take a ride on one of the toddler rides.


Then, we headed over to the carousel...who doesn't love the carousel?

  Westyn chilled in the shade with Grandma, Grandpa, and Mimi while Garytt and I rode the rides.

  Next, we went to the the beluga whale show...which turned out to be more about the divers and swimmers than the actual whale...in fact, we only saw the whale a few times. It wasn't nearly as entertaining as the Shamu show, but parts of it were good.

  This show also had birds and a performer on the silks acting bird-like. Honestly, it was a bit artsy for the Sea World crowd, in my opinion...and was a bit boring at times. (Although the thought crossed my mind while watching this part of the show that if I were going to be a high flying performer, what better place to do it than above a huge tank of water...random, I know...but that's how exciting this portion of the show was.)

  After that show, we debated about heading out since we had been there several hours and the boys were definitely getting tired, or letting Garytt go play a bit in the Bay of Play water area. I, being a genius, brought his swim suit and then forgot it in the car...so we decided he could go through the water park area for a bit and then I would change him and we could head out.

So, Mimi and I took Garytt over to the water park while Grandma and Grandpa stayed back with Westyn. Garytt was a little timid.

  And then an older kid ran him over...which I happened to snap a photo just as it was happening.

  He was knocked over but got right back up. He explored some of the other areas of the water park but really didn't want to get soaking.

  The Bay of Play has a huge ship in the center that has all sorts of climbing ropes and tunnels attached to it.

  Garytt really wanted to "climb that." Obviously, I didn't feel comfortable with that, especially with the bigger kids around. But he found a few tunnels that stayed on ground level and was happy to climb in those.

  Although these tubes were better than the ones up high, it was still hard to follow him along the tubes and make sure he didn't get lost. So, I was able to distract him by showing him the Bay of Play sign where he could play "Peek-A-Boo."

  I did think he was going to have a breakdown when I told him we had to leave that sign. Then we saw Zoe from Sesame Street! So, off we went to get a picture with Zoe!

  Thankfully, that distracted him enough to lead him out of the water park area. We changed his clothes and headed to the front. Westyn was totally out at that point.

  But Garytt still hanging in there...but took a rest with Mimi while we waited for everyone to get ready to go back to the car.

  I thought we had a great afternoon at Sea World minus a bee sting on my mom's hand and the weather being much hotter than we expected. We missed some of the other animal exhibits but I don't think the boys had the energy to go see them anyway.
 
  I guess we'll just have to come back another time!