A Great End to a Great Year

December flew by and I cannot believe we are in 2014! As the old saying goes, "Time sure does fly when you're having fun!". That we are, that we are.

We enjoyed our time with family and friends during December. Between both mine and CW's families, December holds 5 birthdays, our salon's Christmas party, Christmas traditions with sweet friends and for the finale, a trip to Kansas and then to Iowa for Christmas.

Brooks made cinnamon ornaments for our tree and to put on gifts this year. I want to say he had a blast making them, but I think he really enjoyed eating the dough more than anything. ;)

Man, this stuff is kinda' spicy ;)

The Assistant

Our first snow of the year was beautiful. Naturally [growing up in northern Iowa], I love snow. It's fluffy, sparkly and just pure awesomeness. As a child I remember the first snow of the year marking the end of a season and the beginning of a magical one. Still to this day, it gives me the warm fuzzies.

Any great day ends with a tune by The Brooks McCoy


Our travel plans changed because of a winter storm coming into the Midwest. We made the decision we better hightail it up to Iowa to miss the junk. And good thing we did. Roads were fair on our travels and babies did beautifully. Hallelujah!

But before we headed out, we got to spend some time with CW's grandma and mom on the family farm. Since our trip was cut short I didn't get a chance to take any pictures. :(

Christmas Eve Eve this year we celebrated with my dad's side of the family.

5 Generations

Great Great Grandma and ila ann

 Christmas Eve tradition we go to my Gma Lincoln's [the cutest 92 year old I know]. Having Christmas Eve at her house is so special. It's all I've ever known.

Unfortunately the roads got bad that night and we didn't get to celebrate with all of our family. Even though we had a smaller group, we had a couple of friends come that didn't have families to celebrate with. Soup was served, church with candle light service and a moving sermon. Nothing better than sharing your home and celebrating with others.

Poor Brooks cut three molars at the same time during the Christmas week. Little guy did not feel good :(

 Christmas day is always low key. Such an awesome day to spend together. Our only rule is you have to be in your pj's. Lots of snuggling, movie watching and game playing is always on the agenda.

And of course Christmas is not complete without a little snowman building with Papa G. :)

Oooooooooo

Love my family! Sadly our time always must come to an end. 

(I don't know why we didn't think to take these before Maggie headed out.)

Brooks' teeth didn't hurt at all

Not.at.all.

Sugar Pie <3

Grandmama's girl

 

We Love Grandmama!!

2013,
You were so great to us! Looking forward to 2014 being a year of unforgettable memories.

XoXo- Loren

Two Months | Too Fast

I'm still pinching myself. She's been here for two months already and you hardly hear a peep from her. So content and relaxed. I knew for sure when she was in utero she was going to be a crazy baby. She was so active to the point I asked my doctor if that meant 'the baby' was going to be crazy when they were born. She laughed and reassured me that that didn't necessarily mean anything.

2 months: 11.7lbs | 22.5in <3

And I was freaked about nothing. Papa G always teases about how rough she is. That she is.

 Oh my her brother loves her. First person he wants to see in the morning. Always giving smooches. 'Pets' her head. Will grab her hand and hold it for a moment. Loves her toes and her noes. Poor girl is going to have no choice but to be tough. His newest thing is he loves to steal her 'paci' out of her mouth, stick it in his and try to shove it back in hers. And he thinks it's hilarious. Other times, we just take it and run. ;)

We visited Santa and looked at Christmas lights last week and tomorrow are headed to 'The Christmas Train'. We will get to ride an actual train and I can't wait to see Brooks' face. He's all about saying, 'Choooo Chooooo!'. So fun!

Hazel: The Sheep [Irreplaceable] Dog

Hazel came to our family in April of 2010. Full of spunk and a fluffy ball of fur, she instantly stole our hearts and the hearts of all who came to know her. 

In August of 2011, things were not right. She wasn't acting like herself and we knew quickly something was very wrong. After taking her to our vet, they immediately sent us to the emergency vet to get a blood transfusion for Hazel. After running many tests it came back that Hazel had Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, a tickborne illness, and her odds of recovering from it were slim.

But despite her odds, our fluffy fighter fought her way through two blood transfusions, countless rounds of steroids, antibiotics and daily blood tests.       .

little lion

 

Best Buds

She immediately took on the role of protector and watch dog. Even more so after Brooks was born. You could tell she took that role very seriously when it came to her buddy. Always close by, always watching.

Most days during the summer, Brooks and I would head outside in the morning to find Hazel laying on the concrete of the front porch to keep cool. Brooks seized this opportunity and would always come with plenty of smooches, hugs and fur pulling. Hazel never seemed to mind, but given the opportunity to escape, she'd go for it.

Hazel Hugs <3

 

Always wanting to be loved on. Always wanting to play. Always there to greet you. Tug-of-war was her game. Adored her best friend Lady. Protector of her family. Stubborn as all get out. Gentle as could be.

Last night, we lost Hazel. I don't think it's fully set in yet. I can't wrap my brain around the fact that she's gone. Can't believe she's not going to be sitting on the front porch, watching out for us. There are so many things that I miss about her. But she's just a dog. Just a dog that was a part of our family. A dog that loved our babies and us unconditionally. A dog that we will never be able to replace.