So many activities!

Because I have no time, this post and it's counter parts are not going to receive the glory they deserve, but I'll share just a few things.

A few friends and I put our heads together this year and decided to do a 12 Days of Christmas theme for our fellas.
My friend Jessi had originally read about this on a blog and shared the process with us girls - which we all loved and jumped right into.  The idea is to give your husband 12 Christmas's, each day with a theme.  So, for 12 - try a dozen of something.  11, maybe a cd with 11 songs - and so on.  While I didn't follow the number theme very well (my imagination can only go so far) I did have a blast sharing gifts with Jody each day.
We've been so stressed (it's like we're turning into adults or something - gross!) that it was nice to have just a tiny something to cheer each other up with every morning over coffee, or after dinner and under our 'tree'.

Moving on. 

At 19 weeks (pregnant, I mean) I decided to treat myself to a fresh haircut and a day to myself.  After feeling frumpy for the last four months or so, it felt great to have someone cut, curl and spoil me.  On my way home, Jody called me and told me to grab myself a coffee, that he was running errands and I should just relax and enjoy myself.  Wha?! 
So I did.  I explored Target, Michaels and indulged in some Starbucks.  It. Was. Fantastic.  When I came home, I found this:

 

 Ah, my glider!  Jody and I are not planning on getting much for the baby, sorry little one.  We just don't have the space and will be moving shortly after she's born, so it makes no sense to accumulate more furniture.  But, one thing I had asked Jody to bend our rules on was a rocking chair.  I really, really wanted a rocking chair. 

When I mentioned this, he kindly said no and to drop it - it made no sense, and we could get one when we made it back to Montana.  I whined for a bit, then figured that's the way it would be.  But - no!  What a sweet fella.  Here it is nestled in our little living room (there's no room upstairs just yet, we'll have to do some rearranging) and I've been spending every evening rocking away, sometimes knitting, sometimes reading - always growing in excitement for the arrival of our daughter.  I feel overwhelmed with blessings.

Jody and I went to Christmas Town on Wednesday night before leaving for Montana the next morning.  We. Love. Christmas Town.  Almost to the extent of... weird-ness.  We had gone to our 20 week ultrasound that day, had the tech hide the photo in several sealed envelopes, and then opened our 'gift' here, in private.  Before opening, we wrote down our final guesses for the baby's sex - Jody's guess was a girl, I guessed a boy.
 
Guess who was right?  As usual.

 

We had chosen both a boy and a girl name, so after opening the envelope, we tried to get used to switching 'Cluster' to her real name, Cedar.  It's hard.  That's still my little Cluster in there, and I've even caught myself calling her 'him' once or twice since finding out.  Oops.  It's becoming much more real now, as she now has a name and a little personality, too.  I've felt kicks and bumps and body slams and it's one heck of a feeling.  I think I get it now.  Pregnancy is pretty dang cool.

Since arriving in Billings, Jody and I have enjoyed a total of...five (I think) Christmas's.  We had dinners, brunches, movie dates, etc all packed and planned for us the moment we arrived - and we've had a great time.  We even got to see the Schuyler's for a Christmas brunch this year, which is always a blessing.  I don't know how Reese does it, because I was stinking exhausted after hour two with my nephews.  At one point, I fell asleep on the couch but was quickly awakened by Smith saying 'Uh, Kayla?  It is NOT bedtime.'


From left to right, Sawyer, Mason (I think), Gunner, Smith and teeny, tiny little Hamilton.  What handsome fellas!

 

And last, but not least, our wish came true - we had a white Christmas!  It started sprinkling little snowflakes on our way to church on Christmas Eve, and by the time we left the church, there was over an inch on the ground.  It was just beautiful, and so perfect.  It snowed more over night, and Jody was able to happily shovel-shovel-shovel walk after walk early Christmas morning.  What a goof.

Here are some highlights from our week.

Baby Hamilton.  Have I mentioned how much I love him? 

Mom and dad - Mom looking super foxy this year! 

The new family.

Christmas morning.

Beautiful J enjoying some gifts from Santa.  Santa always knows.

That's all!  The Merriest of Christmas's - we've had such a great time being home for the Holidays.