Christmas Cheer and a great start to a Happy New Year!

I realize that we are 22 days into 2012, but it's never too late to do a post about Christmas and all the memories we've made between then and now:) It doesn't really bother me that I'm not a consistent blogger. I've come to accept that I'm just not that "daily/weekly posting type of girl", and I'm perfectly happy with all of my monster posts! If you make it through this post...Congratulations and bless your sweet heart (as my NaNa would say)!:)

My mom and I started Christmas day at 7:00 in the FREEZING morning! We went out to the cemetery to put down flowers for Erika, MiMi & PaPa. Of course with our luck, the gates were still closed, but we were all for walking down to their markers in the 30 degree wind and cold. You just can't put a temperature on love:)

Then we came home and opened Santa gifts with Madden, Mike, and MiMi. Madden got a lot of stuff that he doesn't even need, but he loves it all. He's at that age where spoiling him won't do any harm:) Plus, this will be his last Christmas as an only child. He was so cute, he had to read every book he opened before moving onto the next gift.

He's going to be an avid reader like his daddy and MiMi.

Mike and I hosted our big family Christmas that afternoon and well into the evening. I think I got just about everyone's picture, but MiMi, Clyde, Antonio, and Bryan. We love our family and friends and are already looking forward to next Christmas!

Especially since we'll have a sweet new addition....Mason Reid!

Enjoy all the pictures!

Madden and Landry on their Charlie Horses

Madden opening his Calliou DVD from Aunt Jayme

Did I mention that this little gift won the best gift award? Madden LOVES it and can't get enough of it. Thanks, Aunt J!

My all-time GREATEST friend, Pam! We have been friends since Kindergarten:)

Jayme & Daniel

Amy & Kaitlyn

Mom & Charlie- I heart this picture!So happy for her, too!

Emmy & John

Aaron, Mom, Me

Laura & Fred...soon to be Mr. and Mrs.

My sweet friend Kelli and I...We've adopted her into our family....LOVE her!

Aunt Judy & Pam

Jude & Judy

Cousins

Mike loving on my Mason Belly

Party in the tub! I think this was one of my favorite parts of the night.

Madden and Landry had a ball in the bath!

Two Silly Monkeys

Splish! Splash! All the water was flying out of the bath!

The three Christmas Cousins in their matching Jammies

Madden thinks this Christmas was a perfect 10!

This might be one of the sweetest pictures of Camden and Landry EVER!

Madden was all smiles the next morning at breakfast...

of course he was eating a very popular powdered donut:)

Ready to play with all his new goodies

Being a dare-devil on his new tricycle

Look how happy I am? Madden loves his zoo. Thanks, Grammy!

Calliou is a must have in Madden's life right now. There's just something about this ball-headed baby that he absolutely adores!

He's also a huge fan of Super Why!

Mommy and Daddy can't even get sweet kisses like that anymore:(

Mike being a good sport:)

All in all, Christmas 2011 was a success!

Thanks to all of our family and friends for making it a special day!

So, we were hoping that Madden would be ready to start potty training after the holidays were over....we thought WRONG! It started out great!

We put him in his big boy undies and set the timer to go off every 20 minutes.

Every time he heard that ding-ding, he would take off running full-force to the potty.

He knew his potty treats were waiting for him. It was so cute! We made a really big deal about it, because we wanted him to be excited... and he was....for the first 3 days!

Running to the potty like such a big boy!

Happy that he got more potty treats!

Feeling very comfortable in his big boy undies:)

Then there was day 4...Whomp, whomp:( The excitement wore off and turned into tears. We realized our timing was off. We wanted this more than Madden, and that was NOT good. Our little sweet-pea just wasn't ready. So, for now....we are no longer potty training. We might try again over Spring Break. Ideally, it would be nice to have him out of diapers before Mason arrives, but it's totally ok if he's not.

For this to be right, it's going to have to be accomplished on Madden time:)

I took Madden to his FIRST movie, Chipwrecked! I wasn't sure how he would do, but he did so much better than I could have ever imagined. In my mind, I pictured him running up and down the isle and getting in and out of his seat, but it was the total opposite. We got there after they had already turned down the lights. I think Madden was a little overwhelmed when we first walked in. He was clinging onto me for dear life! Eventually, he stopped burying his head and turned around and enjoyed the movie. He was sitting like a sweet boy in my lap the whole rest of the movie. I was so happy that we ended up having a good experience.

We met Katy, Whitney, Jamie, and Sophie for the movie! Madden was on a little double-date. His real girlfriend is definitely Whitney, though:)

Aren't they so cute together?

I love how Whitney looks all bashful in this picture:)

Of course Madden had to take Blue and Brown!

We can't leave home without these two monkeys!

The Sweeties

Checking to see which movie they are going to go see next

Notice Madden's famous lip...he thought that was his popcorn:(

Mr. Handsome

Three Cuties!

I like how Madden is trying to look around Sophie to get a peek at Whitney and she's trying to act like she doesn't want to look at him:)

I really think that this is young love at it's finest!

This picture will have to go in their wedding album one day:)

Moving onto some boy time...

This is Becky's little guy, Logan. He was so nice to invite Madden over for a play date.

These two couldn't be more different from one another, but it was still a hoot watching them play. Logan and Madden better get used to sharing soon...

they are both going to be big brothers in April!

Becky and Logan- Great pic!

I love that her and I are pregnant again together....so neat!

I think Logan liked Madden's hair:)

Too bad Madden doesn't like anyone touching his precious locks!

There's blue and brown again:) I was not kidding!

Madden and Parker had a little play date a few weeks ago. We are sad, because Parker and his family are moving at the end of this month. Not like around the corner, but like several hours away. We will still keep in touch and see each other when we can, though:)

I'm happy for their sweet family and all the new things 2012 is going to bring them!

Aunt Amy and Uncle Aaron gave Madden his first T-Ball set for Christmas! We are hoping he will be a fan of baseball. Considering, Mike DID just create him an awesome baseball themed Big Boy room! I can't wait to take him to his first Ranger game this year. I think he will love it!

Keeping his eye on the ball!

Totally a homerun!

He was having a blast!

Getting a little coaching from Daddy!

Daddy's # 1 Slugger!

This little guy makes us SO happy!

He's at that age where he really is pretty easy! More importantly, we just love hanging out and playing with him. His personality is shining more and more each day. He's so much fun to watch. We love to laugh at all the funny things he does. Oh, we love our sweet little Madden!

Only in Texas...It's Winter and 75 degrees!

We were able to enjoy a nice night of playing in the backyard.

Just a swing'n with Daddy

He loves his playground that Mike and Grand-Bob built!

Enjoying a ride through the house on a not so warm day:)

Madden is a picky eater...so whatever he's willing to eat, we're happy with!

I had one of those pregnancy moments where I just had to have ice cream, so off to Brusters Mike took us:) It was SO good!

Mike thought it would be a great idea to take Madden to see the neighborhood ducks, since they drive by them everyday. As soon as Madden threw the bread out there, the duckies swam away:( We learned that these aren't the kind of ducks that welcome company.

Calling the duckies, but no luck:(

Mike and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary on January 4. Of course we had to work that day, but we planned little things throughout the day. I love that Mike sent me these pretty roses up to school...he's sweet like that:) We were able to sneak away for a lunch date, too. Madden spent the night with Grammy that evening, so that we could go to a movie and enjoy a night to ourselves. Of course we had to stop by and tell Madden good night after the movie and bring dinner over:) We know that he's the absolute BEST thing that has happened to us in these 9 years! Thanks, Grammy for helping us out:)

I love Mike Morris! These were waiting for me one night when I got home from school. I heart these thin mint cookies with my whole belly! They are sinfully delicious!

I think this is a sweet note to end on:) Wow, you made it!