12.31.2011

Happy New Year!!!

We have been trying to enjoy the remainder of our Winter Break because it's unfortunately coming to an end soon. This past weekend we were surprised with beautiful, warm weather...welcome to Texas! So we took advantage and headed out to the Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. Dylan LOVES running around in the open spaces and they have a really fun playground as well. We're so happy it's only 5 minutes away from home. Plus Jackie was in town visiting for the holidays so we figured we'd show her our little slice of Heaven.



 They are a lot of airplanes that fly by...


We found a teepee!


"Daddy, me too!!!"







That night we had dinner at Buca's (yum!) and Dylan certainly worked up an appetite doing all of that walking!

YUM!

Wait, what?

CHEESE!!!

Today we met the Hyde's at the nature preserve to get some family pictures taken for them. Dylan had fun exploring with Jackson in the "wilderness" and we enjoyed visiting with Richard and Jala. When we were all on our way out we told Dylan and Jackson to say "bye" to each other and to give a hug...then Dylan took Jackson down.

"Hey buddy!"

"Let's hug!"

"Just kidding, BODY SLAM!"

We are spending tonight at home, looking forward to bedtime. We've had such an amazing year! Dylan has grown and learned so much in 12 months and we can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for the Marshall Family! Happy New Year to everyone...make it a memorable one! :-)

A crazy night full of Big Bang Theory, college football, and snuggles.

12.29.2011

New Toddler Bed!

Dylan has reached a new milestone...tonight is his first night in his "big boy" bed!


He was pretty excited to see it this afternoon after Keith converted the crib to a toddler bed, especially when he realized he could climb in and out of it on his own (before we put the rail up).

"Hurry daddy, I want to try it out!!!"

Let's hope he doesn't try to get out of bed tonight :)

12.26.2011

Merry Christmas!!! And other fun festivities...

We have definitely been enjoying our week off together...and doing a lot of nothing :) Thursday night we took a last-minute trip up to Denton to take Dylan to his 1st UNT basketball game. He really didn't know what was going on, but he loved watching the basketball band play and even danced along to the fight song.


He makes daddy so proud!

Friday night our wonderful friends, The Adamo's and The Meredith's, came over for some dinner and Christmas music...and by Christmas music I mean Anna & I and the kiddos sitting on the couch while the others played some festive tunes for us. It was the first time we've had another toddler over to play with Dylan, and he didn't handle it so well. Poor sweet Bridget just wanted to play with his toys and Dylan was not having it. When she first got here he went right up to her and started blowing her kisses, it was so sweet! But once he realized someone else was playing with HIS stuff, he wasn't such a gentleman. I think we need to start having more playmates for Dylan so he can learn how to share his toys. But it was still a fun night with great friends!

Dylan and Bridget fighting for a toy...I'm sure it will evolve into love one day.

"Daddy, I want to play it too!"

Yea, finally playing nicely!

Making Daddy proud again!

Saturday was Christmas Eve, which consisted of our usual "nothing all day" before heading off to church then dinner at Outback Steakhouse in Lewisville. Not the most exciting tradition, but it's ours and we like it!




When we got home Keith started working on his homemade meatballs and Dylan & I started on our cookies for Santa.

Dylan helping by putting spices in the toaster oven...

2 pound meatball....yum!

Checking the oven to see if the cookies are ready!

Christmas morning was a success! Dylan was actually interested in all the new toys that Santa brought him. After Dylan's nap we enjoyed a lovely meal of Keith's homemade meatballs and sausage with pasta...yum! Around 6:30pm Dylan started going a little stir-crazy from being in the house all day (seriously, it drives him crazy to not go out at least once) so we decided to drive around and look at some Christmas lights...by 7:15 he was knocked out. All the Christmas joy was just too much for him I guess. And I very much enjoyed my 24-hours of "A Christmas Story" on TBS :)

"My own computer!"

He wasn't too sure about Cookie Monster at first...

He loves books...


And Santa also brought him a piano for Christmas! He was SO excited :)

His first performance...

Trying to use his computer AND his piano at the same time...such a tech/music nerd!

And some puzzles too!

Hooch dressed up for Christmas...and not loving it.

Today Dylan had his 3rd Christmas when Keith's parents and Stacey came up. He has now become the master of opening presents! We are so thankful for all of the great gifts we received this year (like my new digital camera and wireless printer!). It was another successful Christmas with family :)

"Yea, bath toys!!!"

"what else is in here...?"

Kitty in a box!

"Oh, a pirate ship!"

"What's in here?"

A brand new car!!! (in best Bob Barker impersonation)


Whee!!! He loves his new car! Too bad nobody loves Dylan ;-)

12.21.2011

Christmas at the Gaylord

I love going to the Gaylord Texan during the Christmas season...it's always so festive! And especially for a photog like myself, a great opportunity to snap some adorable holiday pics :) So this past weekend we took my parents while they were in town!
On Santa's sleigh!


My parents and little brother...I love how unenthusiastic Joey looks!




Poor Dylan, looking so sick :(








Nothing's cuter than a little boy in his argyle sweater vest!

Unfortunately Dylan didn't feel much better afterward and turns out he has more ear infections. He's on another antibiotic and is doing better but still has a pretty bad cold. And my poor MacBook is also sick! He needs some more memory to make him work a little faster...apparently Photoshop softwares like to hog up all of your computer's memory, which I use, a lot. So I ordered some more and it'll hopefully be here soon...so excited for my Mac to be back to normal! Seriously, my laptop means everything to me! I know it sounds dramatic...