Christmas Recap

We are really enjoying our time here in Ohio celebrating Christmas with Travis' family.  It is absolutely beautiful here and it is so fun to really have a winter experience.  The ground is covered in snow and it is really cold.  We have spent most of our time just relaxing and hanging out.  It is quite refreshing after a very busy Christmas season. Between our new photography business and life in ministry, our lives have been crazy to say the least.  Below are a few pictures from the last month of our lives.

This is a picture of Hudson in a high chair at a restaurant for the first time.  He is finally big enough to use them =)

We went to Wrightwood for a few days to celebrate Christmas with my dad.  Below is a picture of us getting lunch at one of our favorite spots.

Hudson loves drinking water out of a straw:

One of his many faces:

One of the nights we were there we went out to dinner at a really good Mexican restaurant and we took Hudson in his Santa costume.  We have a friend who owns a really cute boutique downtown San Clemente.  She gave us a really cute Santa costume for Hudson... so we figured we would take him out in it.

Hudson and I were Mary and baby Jesus at the Christmas Eve service. 

Then we went to my mom's house for a little Christmas cheer.  We played games and we loved having the addition of our Rwandan brothers and sister.

soooo close to crawling forward...

I have said it before, but I love seeing life through Hudson's eyes. 

The girls and our traditional Christmas pjs...

The boys and their pjs... (I have to say I feel so blessed to have brother-in-laws who are so awesome and they love the Lord.  It is always so much fun getting together with family because we just enjoy each other so much.  I know that is a rare blessing and I am very thankful for this.)

Travis and Hudson on Christmas morning.  Santa...aka...Hudson helped pass out a few gifts.

My favorite thing about 2009....

 Hudson's first time in the snow.

The man I love, respect and share life with...

Christmas in Riverside...

After we got home from time with my family, we gave Hudson his gift from us.  We got him a set of 2 Tonka trucks.  Someday he will be able to push the big one and the back lifts off so he can ride it too.  For now he just loves the blocks that he can clank together and dig out of the back of the small one.

This pictures looks like we just said "Hudson look at the camera and smile"

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas season celebrating with family the most precious gift we have ever received... the birth of our Savior and Lord.

Christmas Ornament Exchange

My sisters, my mom and I have a new tradition that we started this year.  We each made 5 of the same home made Christmas ornament and exchanged them with each other.  We had so much fun making them and surprising the other girls that we decided it needs to be a tradition.

Brittany made this one and there is a really sweet sentimental story behind it, so this one will be in my house all year round...

Here is the back of Britt's:

Summer made this one:

I made this one:

Brooke made this one:

And my mom broke the rules and made us each a small makeup bag with an antique broche.

We all love our little bags =)

And of course, Summer even made the decorations to wrap her gifts:

Hudson and Santa

We were at the mall doing some shopping and we stopped by to get Hudson's picture taken with Santa.  We were really hoping he would cry because we think later those are the funniest pictures.  Instead Hudson just stuck out his tongue and starred at Santa for a long time.  We had to work really hard to get him to look at the camera.

El Campeon

Travis and I love Mexican food and since we have lived here in San Clemente we are always on the search for the best Mexican food around.  We have found a few favorites, but nothing compares to the taco stands on the other side of the border.  A few years ago we went to visit Travis' cousin who is a missionary and lives right along the border.  She and her husband treated us to tacos at a real taco stand and now we are scarred for life.

Well, we think we found a place that comes really close to the taco stands... El Campeon.  As soon as we arrived and walked inside, it was as if we had been transported to Mexico.  If you walk in a Mexican restaurant and there really isn't much English spoken, then you can most likely expect the food to be amazing.  Although, El Campeon left me smelling like a taco, it was delicious food!

This picture is for Michelle and Natalie... Hudson finally fits into the adidas sweat suit! And we love it!

Recent Happenings...

Hudson reading the book Corduroy to Gunner (sorry for those English majors... there is no option to underline on our format of blogspot).  Our sweet friend Gaby gave him this book before he was born and it is one of our favorites. =)

We went to a women's Christmas party... Yes, I said "women's" and both Hudson and Travis were there....haha.  Travis was helping with the sound and Hudson... well Hudson goes with me everywhere.

Hudson really does smile and laugh all the time.  This is one of the things we prayed for when I was pregnant.  We prayed that our son would be a joyful little boy and it seems God has answered our prayers.

We went with the Craft family to see the train come through town and watch a little play they put on.  The play was not very entertaining, but the festive atmosphere was fun.

Trav and Hudson... Hud was more into watching the other little kids around him playing versus actually watching the train with Santa and all the lights come into the station.

 Hudson and his friends...

We also spent some time with the Moss family recently.  They have a son named Kingston and both our boys got along so well.

Hudson and I went to Riverside for a play date with Brianna, Kingston, Amy and Logan!

Kingston was watching out for baby Logan... while he and Hudson weren't too sure they wanted their picture taken.

 Chicco KeyFit 30 we love you!