Yesterday, it was finally warm enough for Lucas to go outside and play. His walker is super cute. It's designed to look just like a car, with headlights and a steering wheel. At first, he wasn't sure about playing outside. He kept looking over at me with a look at said "so now what?" However, the shyness of being outside wore off and he was quickly cruising around at top speeds.  

My baby boy is growing up so fast. 

events of the week

On Friday, Denny went to visit the vet. It was a sad day for our sweet  puppy. But, as responsible pet owners, we all knew that this day would come. Once Denny got home, my husband put the cone-of-shame on. At first, Denny refused to move while wearing the cone-of-shame. He backed into a corner and just stood there with the saddest expression on his little face. His poor head hung low. All you could see was his little black nose peaking out. In Denny's mind, his life was over and he was doomed to walk this earth with limited visibility and in discomfort. It only took about a day for Denny to adjusted to his new attire. Four more days until the cone-of-shame can officially retire, until then, we all get to listen as Denny bumps around scrapping the plastic cone around the backyard running into stationary objects.

On Sunday I decided to take Lucas outside for a quick seventh month photo shoot. After about twenty-something shots, he finally smiled. The picture on the left was taken in his room just before bath time. He wasn't in the mood for smiling then either. Sigh. I'll try again on another day.  

Here is our mantle all decorated for Christmas. Hubby built a fire and everything looked cozy. Hot coco anyone? With just two more weeks until Christmas, I still have lots to do. I have a few last minute Christmas shopping items that I need to pick up, gifts to wrap and baking to do. 

Tis' the season..

Our family kicked off the holiday season with two yummy thanksgiving dinners, several family photo shoots and a trip to the San Diego Zoo. This year I have so much to be thankful for. We have a house, my husband is about to graduate from Law School, our son is healthy, and we have our family and friends. Growing up my Mom had a thanksgiving tradition of writing what we are thankful for on a special table cloth. This table cloth only came out during the holiday season. It is neat looking back and reading all the different things I have been thankful for in the past twenty-something years. One of my favorite entries written on the table cloth was when I was seven years old. I wrote that I was thankful "that my barbies did not burn up in the fire." Yup, I had my priorities. I've decided to keep this tradition in my own home. I feel that it is a way for our family to keep record of all the things we have been and are still thankful for.

While my Thanksgiving dinner was digesting, I decided that it was time to finish my Christmas stockings. I'm really happy with how the stockings turned out. I found the pattern here on Diary of a Quilter. I still want to add our names to the stockings, along with some decorations. At first my husband wasn't interested in my project. That was until he realized that JoAnn's had Star Wars fabric. :) And as you can see, although I had originally envisioned cute Christmas stockings...my boys ended up with their Star Wars stockings. 

baby gates and scrap booking

Rainy days are perfect for staying in, baking, drinking hot tea and for scrap booking. I finished my first book, and I am quite proud of it. The book documents my first year as a married women, ending with the birth of my son. Scrap booking is therapeutic. I enjoy putting on some music or a movie and simply allowing myself to become lost in the creative process of documenting memories. I will use just about anything to enhance a scrapbook page: ticket stubs, ribbons, maps, stickers and pretty paper (just to name a few). I can spend many hours (and many dollars) on scrap booking. Below I have posted a few of my favorite scrap book pages from my first book.

Honeymoon Time :)

Newborn Page

One Month

Notice the main character in the pictures? Lucas has dominated my book. I didn't realize how many pictures I have taken of him until it was time to sort through and make prints of the best ones.

Baby gates are life savers! Lucas is crawling everywhere, standing of everything and enjoys going places where it is not safe. Prior to buying baby gates, I made walls with the ottoman furniture, diaper boxes and giant over stuffed pillows. This lasted for a day before Lucas realized that pillows can be climbed, and the ottoman could be chewed. With the baby gates I am actually able to get stuff done again.

Happy baby = happy Mommy  

procrastination

This morning I made myself a to-do list.

-walk Denny
-Prep house for painting
-clean house
-bake cookies
-finish test
-pick up box @ Promenade Elem.


 I've walked the dog. Check.

 Instead of ploughing through my to-do list, I created this....I call it a...

Lucas cage!

However, Lucas is one smart cookie and...

...he decided to attempt an escape. Thankfully, he tired himself out and finally went to sleep and I was able to complete my list.

Psalms 100

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name. 

For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; 

his faithfulness continues through all generations." 

What am I thankful for? 

1. My husband

He is my best friend, my teammate and the one whom I love. I have known my husband for ten years. In those ten years I have had the opportunity to get to know an amazing man. When I look up at him, I see a godly man, a strong leader and a wonderful father. He has supported me through the thick and thin and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with him. 

2. My son

Last Sabbath Lucas started crawling. I love watching him explore our living room, testing his new skills. He tries so hard to follow me around the house. Last night I placed him on his play mat in the living room. I had gone into the kitchen to start preparing dinner. All of a sudden I heard his adorable babble behind me. I turned around and my heart melted. Lucas was trying his hardest to crawl towards me. He had the biggest smile on his face. I knelt down, opened my arms wide and encouraged him to come to his Mamma. It took him a little while, but he got there and was rewarded with the biggest hug I could give him.   

3. My home

Words can not express how grateful I am for our home. I love being able to design, decorate, clean (yes clean) and spend time in our home. We are forever in debt to those who have helped us purchase our home. 

I leave you with a question. What are you thankful for? 

Lucas @ Five Months

Lucas is now five months old. 

Where has the time gone?  

Denny wanted his picture taken too. 

Too cute for words. :)