It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Saturday, Aiden was horribly cranky. Travis was only supposed to work until noon, so I kept telling myself, 'Travis will be home soon.' Unfortunately, he had to work late. Meaning I didn't get to have my break. I was planning to get my hair cut and go grocery shopping while Travis stayed home with Aiden.  Since we had plans for the Yeager's to come over for dinner I knew I wouldn't have time to do that when Travis said he'd be late.  Instead, he stopped at the grocery store for the two items I needed for dinner that night. 

Travis got a ham from work as his "Thanksgiving bonus".  We cooked it for Thanksgiving and then used the leftovers to make ham and bean soup.  It's a recipe my dad usually does with the Christmas ham.  Every time he makes it, the giant pot is gone in one day.  We all have a bowl or two and then Travis and Alex finish it off.  It's amazing what those guys can put back. 

It takes a minimum of four hours to make the soup because you use dried beans and you make your own ham stock using the ham bone.  Travis picked up a loaf of french bread and I have to say it turned out pretty amazing.  For dessert we had leftover pecan pie and the Yeager's brought a peanut butter-chocolate pie.  I don't know how I don't weigh 200 pounds right now.

Luke and Aiden ran around the house like mad men.  Aiden likes to jump on his bed whenever friends come over and Luke likes to shut doors.  Problem is neither of them can open the door to his bedroom.  So we spent a lot of time opening doors.  Kenley is getting so big.  She can sit up well on her own and started crawling the day after their visit.  In the past, she was afraid of strangers.  The only way I could hold her is if she faced away from me the whole time.  At some point she would figure out that a stranger was holding her and she would cry.  I am SO ECSTATIC that she has either gotten over the stranger fear, or I am no longer a stranger.  She left Travis and I hold her for long periods of time AND we got to interact with her.  When she was sitting on Linsey's lap, she kept laughing at Travis.  I think he's funny looking too, so it makes sense.

Sunday, Travis pulled the Christmas decorations out of the garage.  Aiden and I put everything up around the house.  I have a list of a few things I'd like to buy from the store, if I can find it.  I know this is cheesy, but my dad bought us a string of multi-color, musical lights.  They put me in the Christmas mood every time I go pee.  Aiden really likes them too.  Sadly, last year half the string went out and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with them.  I threw them away assuming I could buy more this year.  But now I can't find them anywhere!  I need to search harder on the Internet.  None of the stores near me carry them.  My dad said he got it from a local store.  I may have him mail me some!

Now all we need is a Christmas tree!  We are planning to get one this weekend.  I can't wait to decorate it with Aiden this year.  He is really into the Christmas spirit this year.  In the past it was fun because we were doing something different.  This year, he actually understands and recognizes more.  He does seem more smitten by Christmas trees than Santa.  Which means putting up the tree this weekend should be a blast. 

Last year my dad bought a frame and an ornament for me to place a silhouette portrait of Aiden and a lock of his first hair cut.  I never got around to doing it so it's been sitting on our desk for a year.  I walked by it the other day and though, "I should really take care of that before this Christmas."  Part of the problem was that I didn't have a good profile shot of Aiden from the time he got his first hair cut.  Instead, I used a current photo.  I plan to put both a current lock and the hair from his first haircut in the photo frame.  I still haven't put that all together, as I need to trim his hair first.  But here's the ornament: