White Christmas

We had a white Christmas!  It started snowing during lunch in Grand Prairie.  It kept snowing all afternoon, with accumulation on the grass, roofs, etc.  What a beautiful sight.  Wyatt enjoyed going out in the snow when it first started to take some pictures.  Once he woke up from his nap late in the afternoon it had stopped snowing - so we didn't go back out to play in the snow until the next morning.  Wyatt and I were home alone while Justin was at work, but we got all bundled up and I let him check out the accumulated snow in the back yard.  I took a couple of pictures of him, we ran around a minute, then went back inside to warm up. Below I have listed the various Christmas gatherings we had this year.

McGilvray Christmas - One Saturday before Christmas - I think it was December 15 this year, we had the McGilvray Christmas.  We met at Jan and Billy's house, ate a yummy lunch, and had a Chinese gift exchange. It was good to see the family.  We got to take Pemberly and Cordie with us this year, and they seemed to have a good time as well.

Parker family: The Saturday before Christmas (December 22) we went to Sulphur Springs to see Grandmother and Grandaddy (the "Greats").  Wyatt enjoyed playing with Grandmother and cousin Mandy.  We had a good time and were sad that we were only able to stay for the day.  Staci and Will went Friday night and Mom and Dad stayed Saturday night - but we just went for the day.  Wyatt still asks about Great-Grandmother every so often.  I know he enjoyed playing with her.  For Christmas Wyatt got a fun musical instrument set from Grandmother and Grandaddy (which has been a big hit) and a cowboy hat and stick horse from Aunt Julie and cousin Mandy.  He loves the cowboy gear!  I have tried so many times to get a good picture or video of him riding it around the house, but haven't had much luck.  The only one I could find is below - sorry he is just in his undies.  We didn't get to see Uncle Phil and his family, but they sent Wyatt a "w" book and some bath toys.  He likes his book a lot, and went through one week where we read it multiple times a day every day.

Christmas Eve: We spent Christmas eve with my family.  We opened lots of presents and had a yummy lasagna lunch.  The most exciting part was when Staci and Will announced their pregnancy.  After all the other presents had been opened they handed each of us a gift to open simultaneously.  When I read the note about my shirt (One cool aunt) that had not yet arrived I was thrilled!  It was funny to see everyone realize why they were getting shirts for being Granny, Grandaddy, aunt, and uncles.  We are so excited for Staci and Will, and very much looking forward to August.

Christmas Eve Night:  I saw an idea on pinterest to get everyone new pajamas and a family Christmas movie each year to open and watch on Christmas Eve.  I decided to get Wyatt the pajamas (to wear for pics in the morning) and a Christmas book for his bedtime story.  Then I got Justin a Christmas movie that he really likes that we watched after putting Bubba to bed for the evening.

His Christmas book - The Night Before Christmas

Christmas morning:  Wyatt has been very interested in Santa Clause this year (once he stopped calling him Noah).  He is, however, too scared of him to sit in his lap.  He had two different opportunities, and was very interested, but when we tried to get closer  he just clung to Mama or Daddy.  I explained to him that Santa would come to his house on Christmas Eve to bring presents.  I didn't think he understood at all.  To my surprise on Christmas morning, (a week or two after that explanation) when he woke up and I said, "Merry Christmas" Wyatt said, "He came to my house?!?"  He was so excited to open his Christmas presents.  He had fun pulling all the things out of his stocking, and unwrapping his presents and helping everyone else unwrap their presents too.

New pajamas from our wonderful neighbors Mr. Ron and Mrs. Geri.

His own camera so he would stop wanting to use Mama's (he still wants to use Mama's - but at least I can redirect him to his own)

Stocking presents - I think he is holding little finger puppets.

Daddy and Wyatt coming in to find what Santa brought.

His first "sword" little toys from his stocking.

Christmas day: We spent Christmas day with Justin's family at David and Gena's house.  The whole extended Naylor family came over for lunch (potluck Italian theme) and had the annual man and woman's gift exchanges.  Due to the snow people cleared out earlier than usual, but we stayed over until Wyatt's bedtime.    Justin's friend Carrie and her husband and daughter came over there in the evening to visit (they live in Utah) so it was good to see them.

New Year's Day: We always celebrate Christmas with the Naylor family on New Year's Day due to Josh and Marla traveling to Mexico for Christmas every year.  This year we didn't play a sport like has been tradition, but we had a lovely lunch and visit with everyone.  We did play a game as an alternative to a sporting event.  If you have ever heard of telestrations we played that, but just using pencils and paper.  If you aren't familiar, what you do is everyone writes down a sentence.  Then you pass your paper to the next person, read the sentence you are given, and illustrate it.  Then you cover up the sentence, and pass your illustration.  You then look at the picture you are given and write what you think the sentence was, based only on the picture.  Cover up the picture  pass the sentence, and continue until it has been all the way around the circle.  When you get your paper back it is so funny to see how things changed.  It is like "telephone" but with pictures.  We adults had fun playing that game and the kiddos enjoyed opening their presents.  We did a different kind of gift exchange with the adults this year.  We had the word, NOEL, and each family had one of the letters.  Justin and I had the letter E.  All the presents for everyone had to begin with your letter.  Justin and I made "earth friendly" presents for everyone.  I made homemade cleaning products and bath products and Justin made planter boxes out of old pallets.  We really enjoyed making everything and it was nice to be so "green."  It was pretty funny to see how some people really stretched their letter to try and fit the gifts they bought.  All in all was a great Christmas season.

Since I'm Two

Wyatt continues to say and do the funniest things.  Well, at least I find them amusing - and if you bother to read my blog then you probably do too :)

When told he can't have something Wyatt used to say, "But I want it."  Now he says, "But I need it."

The day before Thanksgiving we had our good friends the Farmer's over the celebrate.  When they were getting ready to leave their little 3 year old Cordie asked Wyatt for a kiss.  He proceeded to get up on his tiptoes in order to plant one right on her lips!  It was a first kiss for both of them.  So funny!  Right after he kissed her Wyatt ran to me in shyness when everyone laughed.

Wyatt used to randomly tell me - I'll be right back - when he would leave the room. 

Wyatt has started to enjoy riding his riding toy a lot more.  Here is a picture of him and my cousin riding it on Thanksgiving.

Well, when he rides on his toy he will tell me he is "Going to work" and then will ride off into another room.  The other day he told me he was "going to school." 

Wyatt isn't shy at all - well sometimes he pretends to be shy, but for the most part he is super friendly to everyone.  He talks to the cashiers in stores.  He recently decided to sing his ABCs all the way through for a couple of families.  They obligingly stopped, listened, and cheered for him.  Such a ham!

Awhile back Wyatt enjoyed saying "knock knock" and "who's there?"  I don't know if he heard someone telling knock knock jokes or what - but it was funny to hear him say that (and only that).

Last week Wyatt came up with a new game.  He likes to "ride the train."  We sit on the bench from our table and pretend to ride on a train.  He likes to give his "ticket" to the conductor.  So much fun to see him starting to understand pretend play.  This morning he told me the bus was here and we needed to ride the bus.  I told him we could ride the bus after breakfast - but by the time we finished eating that had been forgotten.

Wyatt likes to talk on the phone.  We sometimes talk to Justin or to Granny on the real phone.  I gave him an old phone to play with in the car the other day.  He sat back there and talked to all kinds of people.  He was telling them he was riding in the car, daddy was driving, mommy was riding, etc.  He would also say "uhhuh," and "ok" and "bye bye."  He even called his friend Parker! 

Wyatt continues to love to sing!  We sing kids songs.  He really likes Big Big Box, my God is so Big, and Roll the Gospel Chariot.  He is particularly fond of a song we sing in our small group (I think someone in the group may have made it up) called the "Hi-yah song"  (I have no idea how to spell it, but "hi-yah" like you say in karate).  He still loves Shout Hallelujah and requests it frequently.  His other favorite grown up praise song he calls "Oh My Soul."  It is the Matt Redman song that goes, "Bless the Lord oh my soul, oh my soul, worship his holy name.  Sing like never before, oh my soul, worship his holy name."  One day it came on the radio and Justin and I both started singing along.  Wyatt joined in on the chorus in the back seat.  Now he often wants me to sing it.  Unfortunately I can't remember the words to the verses very well and I don't have a recording.  I guess I need to get the CD so I can learn the song better and/or play it for him.

We have a lot of fun with this little guy.  Wyatt is just crazy about his daddy and loves spending time with him on the weekends and in the evenings.  They sure have fun playing together.  Other favorite activities include going next door to say hi to Mr. Ron and Mrs. Geri (our elderly neighbors who just adore him), going to the zoo, playing outside, and shooting baskets with his new basketball goal.

Our little monkey in his Halloween costume

He will probably hate me for this one later - but it is so funny to see him go around in his undies and a fleece hat.

Birthday Party!

Wyatt and Granny

Wyatt playing in the sandbox with Brady, Theresa, and Nolan

Sliding down the bounce house slide with Jaxon

Wyatt waiting for another turn to hit the pinata

Autry pulling Wyatt in the wagon

The ride didn't last long

Wyatt loved whacking the pinata

Sitting with Grandaddy opening presents

Wyatt with his pumpkin muffin and candles while we sang Happy Birthday

Kiddos grabbing the loot from the pinata

Wyatt playing with his "golf ball club"

Painting clay pots

Riding the "tractor"

Setting up the photo opp before the party

Cute picture of my cousin Audrea and her two girls

Brady in the bounce house

Gianna

Macy and Max

Max and Emory doing the sticker pages

Sam and Ben

Gianna again - she is so photogenic!

Wyatt's birthday party was a lot of fun.  The theme was tractor/farm.  We had our John Deere "tractor" (riding lawn mower) set up for photo ops.  Wyatt spent much of the party sitting on the tractor pretending to drive it.  We also had parent powered wagon rides, his sandbox, a bounce house (thanks to Ashley and Bernd for letting us borrow theirs), a pinata, farm scene sticker pages, and clay pots for painting.  There were farm animal tattoos, but I don't think anyone applied those during the party.  I had Wyatt's farm toys and books in the living room for the kids to play with , and we had lots of balloons (after all what is a party without balloons).  The party was from 9-11am so instead of birthday cake we had birthday pumpkin bread muffins and miniature pumpkin pies.  There were also other goodies like hummus, crackers, cheese, tomatoes, apples, and carrots.  Yummy!  We had coffee and apple cider to drink - and the weather was perfect.  Great day for a fall themed party.  Thanks to my sister, Staci, for taking all the pictures.  Wyatt sure had fun.  Thanks to all of you who came and helped make it a special day for him!