Horton Family Christmas 2013

We had such a great time with both our families. I sat down the other day after Christmas and thought about how special it is for both my children to have this time with their Grandparents to make memories with, to embrace them.

I miss seeing my Grandma. I miss her smile and holding her hands. But, the memories I have of her continue to put smiles on my face.  I want that for my children.  I want them to always remember their Grandparents, and they will because we did a lot of memory-making this year!

This Christmas was extra special.  We didn't spend a day without our families and that is just how I wanted it. Perfect.

I have a huge smile on my face. I am fulfilled.

Resting with Grandma

Grandma is so comfy. And she loves me so much. 

Biff is Here!

Biff made his annual appearance! Connor loves when he comes and loves seeing all the nightly mischief he gets into. Can't wait for Whit to experience Biff and all his magic.

We decorated our Christmas tree! Connor didn't remember decorating last year but that's because she "was only three then." I just love this time of year. 

In the Christmas Spirit

And Connor's face as Santa pulled up...

Grandma and Grandpa!

Thanksgiving 2013

My Life is complete. 

What more could I ask for?  We are healthy and sure are happy! Hope you had as wonderful a thanksgiving as we did!

A Thanksgiving Blessing

I am so thankful for my husband and children. I always hoped my life would turn out this way and I couldn't ask for anything more. I have the best husband and two most precious children. I am one happy happy girl! 

Connor did this at school this for her Mommy. I'm a sucker and this is really the first piece I artwork for me. Who knows how I'm going to be down the road when she's making art specifically for Mommy.

Dinner with Grandma

My mom came to the rescue yesterday! Whit had outpatient surgery and since Justin had a meeting and a doctors appt., my mom was begged to come to go with me. Connor was at school when we went but after school she got a treat... Grandma!

Oh! Look at this sweet face...

My Loves

Words do not describe how much love I have for our two children .

Adjustments Adjustments...

I must say that we are ALL adjusting to our new life with a baby. Connor is trucking right along and hasn't skipped a beat. I think it helps her to know she has the power to "soothe" him when he's fussy. She feels needed, and she is. She'll come in even more helpful when he gets older and can entertain him. 

I am loving life with two. It's hard; very hard but we're getting the hang of it. Everyday is easier because we are settling down into our new routine, our "family of four" routine.

Here we are over the past week and a half. Life in the eyes of a Horton:

This was the day before Whit was born with my sweet girl.

Daddy's celebratory SweetWater IPA

Connor was in excellent hands the night we went into the hospital. Having a girls night for the first time without Mommy! I have the greatest friends. It takes a village, right?

Laura (another great friend) took his newborn pictures as a congratulations present. I'm sure they came out great!

Life in Connor's eyes. She loves holding Whit and loves her baby brother.

Sweet Snuggles

This boy is snuggly! Ahh, just what I needed on this awesome Sunday. All I'm missing is my big girl who is out feeding the ducks with her Daddy.

Happy Halloween!

How did I not take more pictures of our awesome kids tonight!?! What is happening to me?

Whit's first Halloween and he did great! One week old today and he's really starting to become more alert. Can't wait til he smiles...

Connor had a blast and was out cold soon after we got home. It was a lot of fun watching her this year. She's such a cool kid. 

And Daddy... He's such a silly Daddy. Connor loved her Daddy's makeup this year. 

Whitaker Thomas Horton

What a beautiful baby! Mommy and Daddy are beyond excited about our new addition. He's perfect in every way and his big sister is his biggest fan!

It's been a little hectic trying to adjust to being a family of four. Whew. It's just a lot busier! Much more going on and much more to concern ourselves with.

Meet Whit!

Welcome precious baby boy! We love you so much!

Disney on Ice Fun

Before Whit comes (which will hopefully be soon) I wanted to take Connor on a Mommy/ Daughter date. It worked out so well.  We didn't tell her where she was going and she could hardly stand it. 

Sunday, we had her choose what princess costume she wanted to wear and she chose Rapunzel, who else? 

We started out at the Varsity, where Grandpa ate as a little boy (we had to call him to make sure). Walked to Centennial Park and then off to the show! 

Connor doesn't like when a lot of people pay her attention. We had a discussion about her being dressed as Rapunzel (wig and all) will probably draw attention to her. I told her I just wanted to prepare her so she didn't act shy. Her response, "I'm prepared, Mommy. Don't worry." 

And off to the show we go!

A successful date! And with Whit coming, I can tell more of these will be in our future!

Rainbows and Sunshine

This picture is pure sunshine. I just love this smile and the little girl that is growing inside this body. She is my joy, my love, and my passion.

Who looks more Like Doodle?

Just an example of how silly we are when we're together. This was about 6:15 am...

Pre-K Picture Day

Goodness, I can't describe or even begin  to explain how I'm feeling about my little girl being in Pre-k. Mixed emotions, I guess. She's so ready to be a big girl and I guess I am having to prepare myself for her to become a big girl. I don't want to rush any moment with her especially with her baby brother coming along. 

I need to slow down, stop and continue to cherish our time together. Make every moment count!

This am:

C: "Mommy, I can't wait to go to college."

Me: "Oh? Why?" (Probably the reason for the sappy post above)

C: "because I can't wait to have kids."

Eeeeeeeeeek. REALLY?!?

Special Reading Time

This little girl adores her Daddy for many reasons. One being that he will stop what he is doing in an instant when she asks him to read to her.

Babyland General Tea

So much fun. Connor loved it, her cousins loved it and the adults loved watching.

Grandma bought Connor a boy cabbage patch doll to give to her once Whit is here. I think she's going to love it. She is really into dolls right now but does not have any boys (go figure). His name is Elliott... let's see if she keeps it Elliott. I like the name.

We've decided to make this an annual trip. Next year we have to invite Meme. She would have loved it!

Georgia Pre-K

The first week of pre-k is over and it was a success! 

Connor loves her new teachers and they seem really nice. Her little best friend is in her class so she couldn't be more excited. 

This summer she has grown so much. Justin and I have been talking about how considerate she has become of others and how caring she is. She's always been caring but it seems as if she now understands why we are caring toward others, why we help and console when someone is sad. It has been an awesome transformation that we couldn't have been more happy to witness.

In order to prepare for getting up early for pre-k, we started going to bed earlier. We're still working on it... this summer was filled with lots of fun late nights and sleeping in so we were prepared for this slow transition. 

We can't wait to see how she does in pre-k. She's excited about it and so are we!