Ainslee turned 3!

Even though Ainslee's real birthday happened on the weekend that we were in Las Vegas, Mrs. Cara graciously held her official party in Kerrville the following Saturday so we could join them! Cameron is always excited to see her BFF, so she took a great nap with the promise that we would leave to the party right afterwards. Those Gilbreaths sure know how to throw a party on the huge playset in their backyard, and tons of cute polka dot decorations courtesy of Aunt Lauren. See?

The kids had a great time playing outside and taking Ainslee's new pink Jeep for a spin! Joshua was actually a very good driver. I will give him an early endorsement for taking Cameron out on a date someday.

We all got to enjoy some finger foods and our choice of some delicious chocolate cupcakes (which Aben liked very much...)

...or a cute polka dot cake made by "Aunt Yo." She also made these cute tissue paper puffs that were hanging all around the house!


We are always happy to spend time with the Gilbreaths, and love getting to watch Ainslee grow up more and more. I think our gifts were well received, but it is possible that Cara might wear the headband more than Ainslee... Stylish either way!

Happy Birthday Ainslee! You are a wonderful big sister and a terrific friend! We always pray for you and hope you know how special and loved you are.

A Big Girl Bed

Bo and I casually decided last night that after Christmas, we are going to come home and have potty training boot camp. Roll up the rugs and bust out the OxyClean! I have read a few different methods and I think that Cameron is definitely capable of getting it down with some intense concentration and lots of rewards from Daddy. When she can make it through the whole night dry and go right to the potty in the morning, I think it's a sign.

But then I starting thinking that if she is not wearing diapers anymore, she will need be able to get up in the middle of the night to go potty if she needs to. That means no more zip-up footy jammies (that she really loves) and no more crib. We have never had any problem with her trying to climb out, and the thought of her being able to leave her bed at all hours is a little unsettling.

Sweet Ainslee has put her toddler bed on loan to us. I think it might get a fresh coat of white paint to go with all of Cameron's furniture, but I also need to look for some new bedding. I am certainly not planning to repaint or buy new curtains, but I think I like this one:

Not too terribly girly and I can't help but love the birds.

So wish us luck, and maybe buy us some carpet cleaner. Our baby girl is getting a big girl bed!

Viva Las Vegas! (well, not you...)

Sweetie,
Please don't take it personally that Mommy and Daddy planned another trip apart from you so soon after Thanksgiving. Your daddy has always dreamed of going to the National Finals Rodeo which is always held at the same part of December in Las Vegas. Earlier this year, we decided that we were finally going to go and booked our trip for four days. After mentioning it to some friends, we even convinced Levi and Christy to join us! They are expecting Baby #3, so they figured this would be their last chance to get away for a while. We had such a great time (and spent way too much money), it was a perfect Vegas getaway!

Our first night there, we were staying at Treasure Island. When your daddy went to check us in, they told him they were sorry to say there were no rooms left with a King size bed (like we reserved about 5 months ago!) When he asked about a potential upgrade, the desk clerk talked with her manager and eventually told him about the "Executive Suite" that would only be about $80 more. I was standing across the lobby when all this conversation was happening, so I had no idea what a wonderful surprise I was about to get. When we came to our room on the 29th floor, it had it's own entryway! We opened the doors to a long hallway with two tables and big mirrors, and realized that there were two huge bathrooms across the hall from each other. One had a big jacuzzi tub and the other had a walk-in shower. The bedroom had the most amazingly comfortable bed and was separated from the living area by a huge frosted glass panel. There was a comfy couch and a TV by the bed and in the living area. Bo was in heaven! We even had an awesome view of Las Vegas Blvd. and all the runners of the marathon that next morning. It was definitely the nicest hotel room I have ever been in! What a romantic surprise!

The next three nights we stayed at the Mirage, just across the street. Let's just say, we had fun eating and hanging out there, but the gambling tables were not nice to us! At least we got to enjoy the volcano show for free!
If you ask me, the highlight of the entire trip was going to see "La Reve" at the Wynn Casino. It was the most amazing show I have ever seen, and the stage was actually a pool! The theater is round, so everyone's seats felt really close. The performers came down the aisles, up out of the water and even were raised and lowered from the 80 ft ceiling. They all had incredible strength, since the show combined gymnastics, dance, acrobatics and a musical of sorts. Of course, they don't let you take any pictures, so I will have to just remember it forever!

Your daddy will say that his favorite part of the trip was the rodeo of course! It was such an exciting night of competition since everyone is at the top of their game. I think our favorite events were the steer wrestling, team roping, and the saddle bronc riders. Our seats were not close by any means, but we still got a few cool pictures. Especially of Levi. He took that one himself.

Our unexpected part of the trip came on our last day when we were hanging out in the Forum mall next to Caesar's Palace. While I did a little Christmas shopping, your daddy walked through an art gallery and loved the photographs. He teasingly told me that he bought one, which I thought was funny. When we walked farther through the mall, there was another gallery for the same artist, so he insisted that I come take a look around. The artist is Peter Lik, and Australian photographer who is about to have his own TV show. He travels all over the world to capture these completely stunning shots with the most vivid colors you can imagine. Apparently, he uses some sort of silver in his film, so it absorbs the light differently. We both were blown away by his art. After a long discussion, we decided to buy a piece that will eventually be on our dining room wall. It was taken in Zion National Park in Utah, and has a rocky background with bright autumn trees in the foreground and a rushing stream. It actually seems to be moving because he uses a long exposure time. And let me tell you, lighting makes all the difference! The photos seem to change as you dim or brighten the lights on them. I can't wait to redo the dining room to showcase it properly. Too bad we have to wait about another month for it to be delivered! On a sweet note, we got to choose our series number and chose 605 since it is our wedding date. Makes it even more special!

We ate great food, had some amazing desserts, stayed up late and slept past 7:00, learned to play craps, and held hands a lot. After watching Levi eat a squid, we learned that he is pretty much a billy goat that will eat anything. It was a great time for us to remember how much we love each other and enjoy spending time together. Sometimes Mommies and Daddies need a little "minimoon!" We did miss you tons and were so happy to come home to see you. We could not say thank you enough to your Grammy and Savtah for trading off keeping you for us. You had a great time seeing everyone. Thanks for being such a wonderful girl to let us have our little getaway.

Mommy's Trip to Costa Rica

Cameron,
Mommy is finally getting around to sharing all about my trip to Costa Rica over Thanksgiving. I wish that you and Daddy could have gone with me, but now that you are a big two-year old girl, we couldn't afford to buy three tickets! I was very happy to spend some time with Grammy and get to meet your new baby cousin, Naomi. Since she was born the day right before your birthday, Mommy got to see her celebrate turning four weeks old. Isn't she just precious?

But knowing that this was a pretty laid back trip, I think that you and Daddy had a great time here staying busy and visiting everyone. I was a little unsure of what we would be eating for Thanksgiving, but Amy and Mina worked hard to do lots of shopping and find tons of good stuff. We even had a Butterball turkey! Granted, I had no idea how to cook it and I was a little grossed out by the process. You should just ask your Grammy about my spectacular skills in making deviled eggs! Uncle Mina did a great job carving up the turkey that evening after a long day of cooking.

We even had the pleasure of meeting two of Amy's friends from work. They are both Americans that didn't have family to spend the day with, so we all had a great time eating and sharing stories. It was nice to know that Amy has some wonderful ladies to be around at work even though their jobs can be frustrating at times.

It was admittedly a nice change to not be on any sort of schedule, so at least a few hours a day, we would all just be lazy and read a book or watch a movie. I think Miriam has developed a pretty serious addiction to popcorn, so she had to get a fix at least once a day too. You will have to ask her how she can stand to eat it with all that lime salt all over it. I tasted some and it was pretty awful! But we love her anyway...

One of my favorite parts of the trip is visit we made to a botanical garden in San Jose. They have several sections of the really enormous gardens, each with a sort of theme and separate sections. There was a whole greenhouse for orchids with some really unusual ones. I guess I always appreciate things that I know I could never keep alive myself!

We had a great time just walking and talking, and don't forget taking tons of pictures!

(Okay, I just discovered how to create collages online for free and download them, so don't judge me if I get a little carried away...)

We also had an interesting time at the downtown market. Amy said it was definitely not a touristy area and that I was seeing the "real San Jose." It sure smelled real. :) Mom decided to relax at home with Naomi that afternoon, so it was just Mina, Miriam, Amy and I. I bought some beautiful woodwork that had all the exotic woods from Costa Rica, including one called purple heart that is my favorite. I came home with a small cutting board and a small round serving tray with a mosaic pattern and a hummingbird in the middle. I also bought you a traditional Costa Rican dress with tons of beautiful embroidery and a cute purple soccer jersey from the Costa Rican team. You can grow into them for next summer!

It was such a wonderful trip, even though it seemed short. I was jealous that mom got to stay with them a whole extra week! But I hope that someday, I will be able to take you and Daddy to whatever exotic place Amy and Mina are living at! No trip is too far for family.

The Miracle of Christmas (Cards)

I love getting Christmas cards. Not just because it is nice to actually get something other than bills and junk in the mail, but because it makes you feel special and loved that someone cared to send it to you! This year, I already have glittery garland strung across our entry way, just waiting for me to hang all the fun pictures and cards from it. For most families, it is a chance to share an update on how the kids are growing and how blessed they are to be together and happy. For many people, it is the only time that they will send something out to faraway relatives with love and thoughtfulness. It seems sometimes like snail mail is dying out....

But I think the real miracle of Christmas cards is actually getting everyone together and smiling. With a two-year old, it is a huge feat to have all three of us in coordinating clothing (without food or dirt all over it), smiling together and looking at the camera. I still have yet to accomplish this, but I haven't given up hope yet!

And thanks to Shutterfly, I am going to proudly send out our family Christmas cards this year. For just mentioning them on my blog, I am going to score 50 free Christmas cards! And this one is my favorite:


To check out all of their fabulous Christmas cards, head over to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

I am also a big fan of their photo thank you cards, since Cameron has not yet gotten the hang of writing her own...
http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/thank-you-cards/3x5-folded-note-cards

And of course, I love having a calendar full of cute pictures of Cameron to look at all year round! http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars

Merry Christmas to your family, and hopefully you will be seeing the smiling shiny version of ours very soon!

Better late than never...

Since I am so far behind in blogging, I feel the need to just get it over with and post all the stuff that is clogging up my brain. (No blogging means clogging!) So here are the last two special posts that were part of the series...

#9 - Two words that describe your life right now: FULFILLING and HAPPY

and #10 - A confession: I just bought myself a really fabulous pair of shoes that I originally had no intention of telling Bo about. Until he sees me wearing them. Like this weekend. Because I paid for two day shipping (which I NEVER do). I think after Christmas I might need to put the credit card back in the safe. It is way too easy to go overboard with online shopping. But look how cute I am going to be!



Okay fine, I bought the tights too. But I plan to wear them the other way around, so the peacock design is on the back of your legs. I can't wait!

Two Much to Say

Hello Princess,
I am really late in writing this post because you have been keeping me so busy! And maybe because I don't want to admit that you are a little girl now and not even remotely still my baby... You have had a few health issues of late, including a whole four days of fever while Daddy went out of town. You were such a sweet girl, only a little crabby and tired. We watched way too much TV and lounged around at home as much as we could. Thankfully, you rebounded just in time for Daddy and have been all smiles since.

Your birthday has literally been a month long celebration. First we had your early party in Abilene at the zoo, which was so much fun and easy to enjoy. We ordered cupcakes and just relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful weather. You are starting to learn so much about the animals. It is always nice to be out somewhere and remember that you are getting old enough now to have a bit of independence from Mommy and Daddy. It is great to have older, sweet cousins that will hold your hand and take you off to do big kid things.

Then we had your party on your actual birthday at the house, when our new home was overflowing with friends and family that love you. You were so adorable, just going on and on about how excited you were to have your friends come over. I look forward to watching you all grow up together and spend time with each other's family. I know how much I loved having Christian friends to hang out with outside of school, and I can already attest to the difference it makes to have that support network of your extended family.

And to top everything off, you were surprised with another party over Thanksgiving weekend by your Grandpa and Gigi! They invited lots of family and friends to come on a special hayride and have a cookout. You even got some belated birthday presents (tons of baby dolls, some books, and several cute new outfits!) and had your own cake. I guess waiting a whole month to spoil you on your birthday meant that they were even more excited to see you!

In every way, you are so much more than I could have dreamed of. You are off-the-charts brilliant, and are so kind and loving (when you want to be...) You love to read books, play with your baby dolls, pat on Joe Dog, and especially be silly with Daddy. You like to sing songs in the car, and are amazingly good at matching colors, shapes, and letters.

But enough sugar coating. I have to be honest and say that you are at times a bit frustrating. You are really starting to exert your independence and you want to do everything by yourself. No matter how slowly. Or how much Mommy says she needs you to hurry. You have made the last few mornings a bit of a battle because you don't want me to help with putting on your diaper, putting on socks or shoes (even if you have no idea how to tie them) and especially with brushing teeth. It is suddenly necessary to declare an official state emergency in the bathroom if I take the cap off and put the toothpaste on for you, and Lord help us if I flush the toilet for you instead of you doing it. (Usually, you have to flush it again just to prove a point.)

No definite progress on the potty training thing, but you are getting better about going potty first thing when you wake up. I think I am going to really start using stickers as rewards since you get pretty pumped about them. Your teachers are requesting that we send you more Pull-Ups ("Big Girl Diapers" as you call them) instead of your regular diapers. Maybe they will do all the work for us!

But we love you so much. Every day, all the time. Especially when we cuddle in bed and watch cartoons. Especially when you give big hugs and kisses. Especially when you smile and laugh at silly jokes. Especially when you run over, excited to be picked up at the end of the day. Okay, all the time.

You are my best girl,
Mama

How you doin'?

Post #8, and I will make it fast: Three turn-ons...

Hmmm, is it weird for your Mommy to tell you this? Let's keep it rated PG and just stick with three things that make me so happy to be married to your daddy:

1. Cooking. I love that your daddy is a wonderful cook and there is nothing that makes my tummy happier than seeing him in an apron, master of the grill. You will someday become a snob like your mommy when it comes to steak, brisket, and especially cobbler. Your daddy's is the best!

2. Musky cologne. Your daddy is a fabulous smelling guy. I think the cologne's that I have bought for him range from Burberry to Polo to the men's Victoria's Secret cologne. I love it when he is all cleaned up and lets me snuggle against his shoulder. The smell is so comforting and warm and yummy.

3. A nice butt. (I apologize for the trauma this may cause you later.) I can't help it! I once saw a sign in Fredericksburg that said "Cowboy Butts Drive Me Nuts!"

Icky Yucky Gross

Post #7: This post will be brief, because who wants to talk about this stuff? Four turnoffs:

1. Smoking - bad for your entire body. Lungs, teeth, hair, skin and more.

2. Bad grammar/spelling - I blame having a teacher for a mother, but it totally drives me crazy. And now everyone thinks they can write like they are texting, with their stupid acronyms and missing vowels. (Is this TMI? LOL!)

3. Traffic - Like I haven't complained enough about it on here... Yesterday I had to take that infamous highway 281 and I was reminded of the torture. Said another prayer of thanks for the new house.

4. Saggy pants. I do not want to see a man's butt hanging out no matter how cool he thinks his undergarments are.

Cameron's Carnival

Happy Birthday to our beautiful Minnie Mouse!

Your carnival turned out so cute in the backyard. Both your Grammy and your Savtah came to help out with the party. You just kept saying, "My friends come over!" You were super excited to have Kara and Morgan there to celebrate the big two!


We had fun popcorn boxes and cute cotton candy toppers for your cupcakes.

Your friends looked so cute in their costumes too! Makayla had on an adorable tutu that her mommy had made, and Jack and Emma were dressed up as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story.

We were so excited that the Gilbreaths came all the way from Kerrville to celebrate you turning two!

And the kids had a great time playing games and painting their pumpkins.
You really liked it when everyone sang you Happy Birthday, and you and all our guests ate every bit of the chocolate cake that mommy made.

We still haven't even opened up all your presents. But taking it slow (like one or two a day) means that you are really enjoying each one and really playing with it. I guess now it is time to pack away the things that you have outgrown and be thankful for all your kind friends!