Luke Sits (and Screams) with Santa

Fifth Anniversary Trip to Jamaica

Nothing says "Happy Anniversary" like an ocean-side, candlelight dinner. :)

Friday was our fifth wedding anniversary, so, to celebrate (and to get some much-needed R&R), we went to Jamaica for a five-day, four-night trip. It was wonderful! We did... well, nothing! It was so great. I particularly enjoyed four nights of sleep without distraction of the baby monitor*. Long story short, Jeremy and I had a great time just relaxing and enjoying each other's company without all of the mundane aspects of life to bother us. It was amazing. Now that said, we were DYING to see Luke, and we started looking into an earlier flight home more than 24 hours before we were supposed to fly out. : ) Luke's GIGANTIC smile at us last night when we picked him up was the sweetest sight we could imagine, and we are happy to be home, rejuvenated for the upcoming holiday season.

*I've decided that the baby monitor is simultaneously the best and worst invention. Over 14 months into this motherhood gig and I still jump up at any little cough or coo. It's a wonder I haven't become a full-fledged coffee drinker...

A few pictures:

This sign greeted us as we returned to our room on anniversary day.

Another picture of us at our lovely anniversary dinner by the ocean. Even the dessert was festive!

Views like this one were amazing, and we had an incredible time. So much to be thankful for this time of year: the opportunity to take such a trip, my amazing parents who so generously cared for Luke while we were gone, our health, our happy marriage, our beautiful boy, our family and friends... I could go on and on. I'm thankful for all of you who care enough about our little family to read this blog and share our joys, and I wish each of you a blessed Thanksgiving!

The Latest of Luke...

Just a few around-the-house pictures of Luke from the past few weeks. While Jeremy and I had a wonderful four days in Jamaica (more on that trip in a bit), we couldn't wait to get home to this little stinker and his big ole belly. Seriously, doesn't he look like he's expecting? So, without further ado, here's Luke doing what he does best: play and eat.

I'll post some pictures from Jamaica later on - probably when Luke takes a nap... if he does anyway! He's still asleep at 8:56. Must be happy to be back in his bed!

Oh Hannah...

I'm going to make several posts today instead of one gigantic one since I've basically been blogless in November. I'll begin by paying some attention to Hannah, who, since roughly 15 months ago, has lacked it. So, a few hilarious Hannah pictures:

1. Hannah Claus! We've had Hannah for almost four years, and while I know she doesn't care for being dressed up, I do it anyway. Well, thanks to this $9.99 number from Target, Hannah got into the Christmas spirit... albeit unwillingly.

To those who think animals can't feel emotions like shame, I offer you this picture as substantial proof:

2. Hannah the Comforter. We had family over on the 14th to celebrate Mom's birthday and watch the Aggies play OU. You may recall it was an ass whooping of epic proportions, and my dad wasn't too happy. Hannah sensed this, and, much to Dad's chagrin, snuggled up to help him feel better.

Right now, Hannah is snuggled in the same position behind me on the office couch. She's spent five nights being boarded while we were in Jamaica, so she's a little pitiful and snuggly. Her respite is about to be interrupted, because I hear Baby Brother starting to wake up. More on him in a little bit...

Family Pictures

How sweet is this little face?

About two months ago, we had some great family pictures taken at the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. Here are a few of the pictures - they turned out great! The photographer's name is Audra, and she clearly does awesome work!

I hope everyone had really good week. Ours was hectic. I think as Thanksgiving nears, everyone needs a break. We're getting really excited for our trip to Jamaica in under two weeks! Jeremy and I are celebrating our fifth anniversary - can you believe it? How time flies...

Happy Weekend!

Halloween, Round Two

We rounded out our Halloween celebration with some trick-or-treat visits to our Humphrey cousins' house and to see Granny - and, as a bonus, we got to see the Meriwether cousins, William (the racecar driver; he'll be 5 in December) and Wynn (on the left - he's just over 17 months old)! They looked so darling! (You'll note a theme of Luke's non-cooperation in the group shots that follow...)

Look at these cute little monkeys! I'm sure they're plotting the first of many of their schemes...

Here's Samantha (who will be 10 this month... I cannot believe it) wrangling up her crazy cousins.

And here's Luke enjoying a rare ride on Dad's shoulders. Luke loooooves these. Me? Not so much. Makes me nervous. : )

It's hard to believe that this is the same little boy who, this time a year ago, just looked like a little loaf in his crib. Time flies... but he's just a blast. We couldn't be more thankful.

Hope all of you had a great Halloween. By the way, check out the new pictures on the right - these are the professional pictures we had taken over a month ago at the Fort Worth Botanical Garden. They turned out great!

Have a great week!