Playing Catch Up - Happy New Year!

We're finally starting to emerge from the holiday fog around our house.  A crazy ice-storm before Christmas that had Collin home from school for several days and then an ear infection causing him to miss his Christmas party at school, followed by two weeks off for Christmas break, and I never thought Monday would come!  But alas, he's back in school and I'm back at work.  All will be right with the world once we climb out from beneath the piles of laundry and new toys we brought back with us from our trip to Texas.

We had Christmas at our house for the first time...EVER.  Jarrod and I agreed that it was pretty refreshing to wake up in our own home and do Christmas morning stuff with just the three of us.  Plus, it meant Jarrod didn't have to stay up til midnight assembling a tricycle in someone else's home (a tricycle that we would have covertly hauled nonetheless).

Because our family members always go a little crazy for Collin, we tend to only buy him one "big" present and a few small items.  I felt a little self-conscious seeing everyone's pictures on Facebook with their barely visible Christmas trees and a literal toy store in their living room.  Here is what Collin woke up to on Christmas morning...

(I know our tree looks small, but it's not really! We don't have a lot of floor space in our living room, and when Collin was younger we didn't want him to mess with the ornaments so we put it on a small, side table and it works for us.)

Despite one exclamation that Santa painted his bike red and NOT blue, I think he loves it :)

I'm over my Facebook induced Christmas insecurities now though, since we almost had to rent a U-Haul to get back from Texas with all of the presents we received.

We left a few days after Christmas to head to Texas to see my family.  We opened presents and had amazing food together.  Collin enjoyed playing with his cousins, and I enjoyed seeing my grandpa who flew down from Illinois to be with us all.  Jarrod and I also enjoyed some time spent in the middle of nowhere.  My dad is building a tree-house for everyone to enjoy, so Jarrod and I marveled at the beginning stages of it.  Sadly, I don't think anything will come of my demands that a hot-tub be included in the plans.

My favorite munchkins!  Tinsley & Collin

All the cousins.  Aren't they adorable in their matching jammies?!

After a couple of days, we loaded up and left for Jarrod's parents' house about an hour away from my parents.  We spent time meeting my sister-in-law's boyfriend, enjoying a fancy New Year's Eve in Fort Worth and taking advantage of some big city amenities.  Shopping, eating, seeing ICE at the Gaylord Texan as a family and visiting an aquarium with Collin.  It was a lot of activity packed into a week, but we loved it all.

Aunt KiKi and her boyfriend, Audley @ ICE

Nonne & Collin at ICE

Fancy Schmancy New Year's Eve 2013 @ The Bass Hall in Ft. Worth

Those crazy kids these days, taking selfies in The Bass Hall

The cutest blonde girl you ever did see!  Landry Paige enjoyed lots of attention.

We capped it off with a wedding.  Jarrod was a groomsman for a fraternity brother and former roommate of his, William T. Cherry.  Will was the best man at our wedding, and it was such a sweet sight to see him marry the girl of his dreams.

Brothers - Sigma Delta Sigma

Our cute family!

It was also a sweet time to introduce Collin to several of our college friends who had never met him, and to catch up with everyone and their families.

Fun with new friends

And now we're back in Arkansas.  Jarrod starts class next Tuesday.  Collin has discovered Ninja Turtles, and I've already been bitten by the Spring cleaning bug.  (It's because I'm in denial that it is -2 degrees outside.)