Surprise!

Surprise!  That is exactly what we felt when we found out about this little blessing:

That's right.  Jason, Addie and I will be adding another member to our family in July!  The pregnancy is flying by this time around, and we are getting so excited about this new baby and the wild ride I'm sure we are about to jump on.  :)

Other South Texas Happenings

It was so nice to get spend time in Harlingen with my family.  We don't make it down south too often, and when we do it is usually for quick trips so it was especially nice that Addie and I were able to stay for 8 days.  It was a great mix of fun and relaxation.   The boys duck hunted a couple days, mom and I cooked in the kitchen, I got to have a girl's game night with my aunts and cousins, Addie enjoyed lots of outdoor playing, I got an afternoon to ride around the ranch kid-free, and we celebrated Macie and Layne's birthdays.  All in all it was a great trip.  Thanks Mom and Dad for letting us take over your house for so long!  Below are a few pics from the rest of our Christmas vacation.

 

Christmas Day

Christmas Day brought more family, food and fun.  We had Christmas morning just our family, and then all the extended family came back to Mom and Dad's for a traditional Christmas dinner, lots of games for the kids and family time.  Unfortunately, my camera battery died so I don't have a ton of pictures, but it was definitely a Christmas to remember.  I feel so blessed that I have such a big family who values time together and makes an effort to be together.  I can truly say that we all love each other and get along and look forward to spending the holidays as one big, happy family.

Santa left Addie a tent with a tunnel to crawl through, and it was filled with balls to play with.  She loved it and played in it all week.

Ridin' around in her new cozy coupe

Playing with her barn and animals

She is mooing to go see the cows....he newest obsession

We went together and gave my dad his very own corn hole boards.  Cody built these, and Cale painted them.  Aren't they amazing?!?  I am always amazed at Cale's artwork.  So talented.

The kids decorating Christmas cookies in the garage.

Addie loved licking the icing and ended up eating half her cookie too.

The girls and boys divided in teams and decorated the designated member like a Christmas tree.  Dad had lots of games planned for the kids which was good bc the weather was a little drizzly on Christmas day.

Aunt Sherry with Presley and Maddie

Christmas Eve

We had a fantastic Christmas Eve full of family and fun.  My parents had about 50 family members to their house where we all dined on our traditional chili and tamales, Santa made an appearance for the kiddos, and the adults had a gift exchange.  My parents also rented a bounce house that the kids loved, and Dad took us on a hay ride.  We had a great time hanging out as a family and enjoying the chaos that now comes with our ever-growing family.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

Mom had her house decorated so cute for Christmas

Mimi and Addie

The girls

Addie loved getting these stuffed bears off the tree to play with.  She was really good about not messing with the breakable ornaments and knew which ones were "hers".

The boys played corn hole

Addie did a lot of swinging

The family that joined for Christmas Eve



My grandparents with most of their grandkids and great-grandkids

Hay ride with Daddy

Addie wasn't super impressed with Santa this night....haha

We also celebrated Charlie and Britt's bdays

In the bounce house with Bailey and loving every second

 

Christmas at the Lake

The weekend before Christmas, we headed up to the lake to celebrate Christmas with Jason's family.  Unfortunately, I didn't take many pictures, but we had a great time.  We played games, ate, opened presents and just hung out as a family.  The weekend became very interesting when a storm blew through on Saturday afternoon which knocked out the electricity for about 12 hours.  We didn't let it wreck our fun though.  We grilled dinner, bundled up in our warm clothes and played games by candlelight.  :)

We set up a mini Christmas tree when we arrived Friday night to make things feel more festive.

Addie got an amazing kitchen from her Nana for Christmas.  I think Jason, Skaife, Jenn and I had just as much fun putting it all together as Addie did playing with it.  She really loved it, and I think she will play with it for years to come.

Jax and Zayden showing off some of their gifts

Jason got an awesome Manziel-framed piece from the Skaifes

Despite Addie's face in this pic, she adored her puppy carrier with 5 baby puppies.....her favorite thing.  Her eyes lit up when she opened it.

Tailgating for Baby Hayes

In the middle of December, Addie and I flew down for a long weekend in Harlingen to celebrate the our soon-to-be nephew/cousin, Hayes.  Cody and Brittany's friends threw them the most adorable tailgate-themed baby shower.  The food was so delicious and the decorations adorable.  We all had the best time celebrating Hayes.  I can't wait to meet him!

While we were in the Valley, we also took Addie to Bass Pro in Harlingen to meet Santa.  I was expecting a major meltdown since she is a little leery of strangers these days, but she actually did really well.  She sat there patiently while I snapped a few pictures and even gave us a few small smirks before reaching her arms out to me indicating she was done.  I was happy she escaped without being traumatized.  All in all, we had a great weekend seeing family and hanging out.

Snoozin with Mimi through dinner at Pepes

She kept looking at the Christmas tree and saying.."WOW!!"

Sitting like a big girl on the plane

Pics from the shower: