Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Merry Christmas!


I made the mistake of not posting some pictures before Christmas, so this post is going to be a long one and then I am going to do a separate blog for sweet Ansley Leigh's birthday.  Oh, what a fun Christmas season we had!  We decorated oodles of cookies, ate lots of yummy sweets, played with so many fun friends and family, and even had a visit from Santa--that's right...Sully and Ansley were on the good boy and girl list this year, so Santa came and brought them presents!  What a great Christmas!  

Christmas Eve we went to church and Sully sat in with us.  He was great and really enjoyed all the fun singing and especially loved the candlelight service...he helped Brett hold his candle.  Ansley enjoyed playing with her friends in the nursery.  Maybe she can join in on the fun next year.  :)  We came home and read "The Night Before Christmas" with the kids and then Sully decorated his cookies for Santa!  Santa must have loved them because most of them were gone the next morning!!!!  
 Sully and his cookies for Santa!
Christmas morning...Santa brought Sully a bike with training wheels and a Go Diego Go rescue pack and animal science book (from the TV show Go Diego Go!)  and Ansley got a sweet doll with some other little toys.  Their stockings each had some fun socks, fun toothbrushes, Ansley had some fun cups, and Sully had a shark and a whale in it....just what he needs...more animals!!! 
  Ansley and her toys Wildman and his toysLoves that rescue pack!!!!  And...he is quite good already on his bike...Santa was surprised at how much Sully loves his bike...he says it is his favorite...Santa didn't think it would be...yeah for Santa!!  :)

Later in the day, Zizzie, Grancie, and Pip came over and Carl and Kathy (Mome and Pop) came from Kentucky to celebrate the fun day.  We had a fun day and a yummy dinner.  Sully loves his new cash register...he scans everything!!!!  
   Great picture...rare to get both kids laughing in a picture!  
Auntie Zizzie!

Friday we went to the zoo with Carl and Kathy...Sully, of course thought that was just the best day ever...he can never get enough of the zoo!!!  I, unfortunately, don't have any pictures from the zoo...we go so often I kind of forgot to snap some shots!  

Saturday was Ansley's first birthday and I am going to dedicate an entire entry to my sweet girl...we had the BEST day!  So, these last few pictures are from before Christmas...Sully's program at school and a fun afternoon of decorating cookies with sweet Malley Anna.  :) 
 Sully and Malley were all ready to get to decorating!  Notice the pans I had them decorate in...good thinkin' Mommy...clean-up was a breeze! :)
They were quite serious about what they were doing  :)
Woah....they made A LOT of cookies!!!  And, of course we all ate one when they were finished...they were yummy!  :)
 Two love birds...  :)
Ansley in her kitchen....
Ansley's favorite place in the house is in our laundry room off the kitchen.  She and Sully have a little kitchen set-up and play in there while I cook dinner.  Ansley is just getting tall enough to stand up and pretend that she is cooking...she LOVES it in there and usually prefers to play in that little room rather than to play where all of her toys are in the den.  I am sure as she gets older, she will play many hours of pretend in that room.  
Hey guys, look at me!!!  :)

This year Sully did a very good job singing in his Christmas program at school.  Last year he just stood and played with his belly button the whole time...but, this year he sang and did all the hand motions like he was supposed to.  We were very proud of him.  Grancie, Pip, and Daddy snuck away from the office for a little while to watch our little man...what a fun morning!  We mostly took video, but here are a few shots we got so you can get a little glimpse of the show.  
 Can't really see Sully, but he is in there singing...you weren't allowed to take pictures until the very end and then we really didn't get up and get a great shot straight on...sorry we didn't get better shots.  
  Can you find Sully?  
Ansley had fun too!  

Enjoy the pictures...hope everyone had a GREAT Christmas!  

xxoo  Tracy, Brett, Sullivan, and Ansley  xxoo

Saturday, December 13, 2008

What a fun week!!!

We LOVE Christmas time in our family...this week was a super fun week!  We drive through the neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, Sully and I made a gingerbread house while Ansley took a nap, we went to the aquarium with some friends, and I took Sully to have breakfast with Malley, Catey, and SANTA!!!!  It was SO much fun...we have had a really fun week---Christmas is SO fun this year with Sully understanding and getting excited about EVERYTHING!  He has a very specific list--short, but very specific---he wants a Diego Rescue Pack and a Diego Animal Science Book--if you don't know Diego, he is a cartoon character on TV who rescues animals and if you know Dora the Explorer--Diego is Dora's cousin--of course Sully would love a show about animals!  Sully told Santa what he wanted today and I think he will bring it because he is on the "good boy" list this year...he might even bring Sully a bike with training wheels to go with his Diego stuff...I heard him mention it this morning....wink wink!  :)

Sully has been a little apprehensive about Santa...not totally scared like last year, but very cautious, so I was not sure if he would want to sit with him today at breakfast...well....HE DID!  I was really excited, because I really want him to be excited and not scared about Santa.  He and Malley did really well...they are getting so grown up!  We will go see Santa again this week with Ansley...I am sure she won't mind him, but we will see.  :)

Here are some fun pictures from our fun week...enjoy!  

Gingerbread House Project
  Sully was very good at placing the candy on the house
  
Ansley was playing sweetly while we finished up...she woke up from her nap when we were halfway done.
Hey guys, I want to get up there and help!
Ansley playing in her and Sully's "kitchen" in the laundry room.
 Hey...if you guys are going to make a mess...I am too!  :)
Sully was proud of his work!

Day at the Aquarium!  Ansley loved it!  Sully, of course, loved it...he saw animals!  :)
 Jellyfish!
Ansley would crawl up to the glass and put her little hands up and just squeal at the fish...she really loved it!  Maybe she will be a lover of animals like big brother!
 Sully and his buddies...check out Ansley in this picture...her face is hilarious!  
checking things out
 So fun!  
There was a moving sidewalk and the kids thought it was a train...Sully is yelling Choo! Choo! in this picture.  

Breakfast with Santa!
Santa came and sat with Sully for a little bit.  Sully was VERY brave and managed to tell him what he wanted for Christmas.  :)
Malley and Sully eating breakfast!
 A little scared, but he did it! 
Looking a lit more relaxed with Malley sitting with him.  What a cute couple!  :)
Decorating gingerbread cookies!
A big hug for Santa on the way out...what an adorable picture!  

Ansley stayed home with Daddy and took a nap...she was a very good girl...we snapped a picture of her being sweet as can be when we got home.  She is getting sweeter by the day...love this age!  :)
 Hello!  

Enjoy the pictures and the fun Christmas season!  

xxoo  Tracy, Brett, Sullivan, and Ansley  xxoo

Tuesday, December 09, 2008

Warm day at the park!

We have had a very cold November and December, which has been hard for us because we LOVE being outside!  Today was much warmer, so we made sure we spent a good portion of the day outside.  Ansley is starting to really enjoy trips to the park.  She swings and goes down the slide.  It is SO fun to see her get excited.  I can't believe how fast she is growing.  She is almost one and is really starting to babble and play with Sully.  The two of them crawl around the house just giggling and playing.  They play in their kitchen area together and Ansley loves to knock down towers that Sully builds for her.  It is actually starting to make life a bit easier for me because they can entertain each other for a little while.  Sully is VERY excited for Christmas and Santa, but is still a little cautious about the whole Santa thing...we have seen Santa a few times, but have not sat in his lap yet.  We have given a few high fives, but Sully is still not interested in sitting on his lap.  We have a few more weeks to get him on his lap.  Christmas morning is going to be super fun this year!  I can't wait!  :)

Here are the pictures from the park...enjoy!
 Sully on the slide! 
Swingin' Ansley!
 She LOVES to swing!  She just squeals and kicks her feet!

Now off to the slide...
We have just started sending her down the slide...she is all smiles at the top, but her eyes bug out a bit as she is going down and then she is all smiles again at the bottom...it is pretty funny!  
Ansley squealing! 

We had a fun day at the park and Brett met us there for a picnic lunch!

I think I have mentioned before that our camera is on its way out.  We have had a lot of problems, which is why I have not been as good with the blog and new pictures.  Grancie sent me some fun pictures from Thanksgiving and the fun visit with Aunt Chrissie and Uncle Bob.  We spent the Thanksgiving holiday visiting with them and had a GREAT time.  Sully really enjoyed "Bobby" and Ansley always loves the extra hugs and kisses.  Here are some new Thanksgiving pictures.
Sully and Ansley with Patches! 
 

Aunt Chrissie and Ansley  Sweet Ansley
 Silly Ansley!
 Whole crew on Turkey Day!  

Enjoy the pictures!  

xxoo  Tracy, Brett, Sullivan, and Ansley  xxoo