My 1st Buck!!!!!!

After Christmas we left Colton with Grand Dude & Nana and we headed to the Deer lease!!! I was so excited to be out there, it has been 2 years since I've been there!! 

Cody really wanted me to get my first buck and so we were going to go and try. I was only out there for one night and Cody stayed a few more with the guys. I wasn't ready to leave Colton that long. We had a great time out there! At the lease it was, Lanny, Holly, Reese, Riley, Toby, Brooks, Cody & I!! 

We had sat and looked but nothing great came out, lots of does and no great bucks. I knew as my first buck I wasn't going to shoot something amazing because I wasn't a paid hunter on the lease. I was just excited to get something! I also realized that my first buck shouldn't be something incredible because I was going to compare all other bucks to my first. 

The morning I was leaving a nice buck came out. Cody game me no time to think and said, "Are you ready?" Well ok, it's go time! I put my gun up, cross hairs on him and Cody said whenever I was ready. I knew exactly how he should be standing and BAM seconds later I shot and he was down!!! I was so excited! I can't believe I just shot my first buck!!! It was a wonderful experience and even better that Cody and I shared that together!! I was there for many of Cody's special hunts and I love sharing those experiences together!! 

Nice 8 point!!

Thanks babe for a wonderful and memorable hunt!! You are my favorite hunting partner!!! 

The same morning Reese got her first buck as well!! She had been trying all season. I love that we shared this memory together! Way to go Reese!!!

Riley, me, Reese, Brooks

December

Some pictures throughout December...

Last day of school before Christmas break. We are both in our Santa shirts!!

Always hugs for Dakota!

He loved ringing the bell on the tree. He did so well this year and knew that he could gently shake it to ring. We had no problems with him messing with any of the Christmas ornaments. We made sure there were no glass ornaments low but we didn't leave the bottom empty. We have not re-arranged everything so he wont mess with it, we believe we need to teach him what he can and cannot play with. He does very well and is a very great learner. We do have times where he tests us but what kid doesn't do that. 

Handsome boy all dressed up for school!!

Wearing his camo baseball hat. He really loves wearing hats!! 

Checking out the tree and the train. He wanted to make the train go around but he had to wait until Daddy got home. 

In the pantry looking for some snacks!

Ringing the bell! Love that Wrangler bum!!!

Coloring. Stopped to stack his colors on top of each other!! Smart boy!!

Riding Dakota like a horse. She is so patient and just lets him crawl all over her. She really doesn't care too much at the moment because her and Leland are chewing on a bone!

Loving on Dakota again.

Yummy, pizza!!!! He LOVES pizza!!! He's Italian!!!

Always turns it upside down. He calls pizza, "plop, plop"

Upside down or he eats the middle!!

16 months!

Looking for a toy in his toy basket. He got stuck, his feet were dangling. I had to take a picture real fast!!

Sitting in my Mom's rocking chair that she rocked me in as a baby. Very special!

Christmas!

We spent Christmas this year in San Antonio with our families. We stayed with Grand Dude & Nana! We decided to have Santa visit and open up our presents at home the day we left for San Antonio. We didn't want to bring everything in so we had our own Christmas before we left. I'm sure when he gets older we aren't going to be able to do this, but we will see!

Santa came!!!!

Santa presents!!

Dog pillow pet, wooden train, books, Toy Story 3, Shrek the Final Chapter, a few little goodies in his stocking

Checking out his new train.

Giving his new puppy pillow pet a hug!

Opening presents, every piece he tore off he handed to us!

Looking in his stocking.

Play keys with a remote, just like Mommy & Daddy's.

Handy Manny phone!!

When we made it to San Antonio we went and visited Grandma/Nonna. Nonna is Italian for Grandma, that is what Colton calls her! We couldn't wait to see her and we really wanted her to open her presents. It was Christmas Eve so it was just a day earlier. We enjoyed hanging out with her at her new place.

Colton helping Grandma open her present!

Colton & Nonna

Christmas Morning!!!

We came down the stairs Christmas morning to be greeted by Grand Dude & Nana. Waiting for Colton at the end of the stairs on the pool table was this Marine Bear. When you pressed his paw he sang a song, the bear's head and mouth moved! Colton was pretty freaked out at first, but now Loves it!!! He makes it sing All the time!!! 

Christmas morning mimosas! 

Nana giving Colton the Grinch

Happy boy clapping!! Love his footed Santa pj's! 

Opening presents. Another pillow pet, a bumble bee!!

A fishing pole for the bathtub!!!

Fishing pole in one hand and bacon in the other! The boy is happy!!

Opening a present with Daddy while eating bacon.

Merry Christmas Nonna!!!

3 generations!

Colton, Nonna & Mama

Our family Christmas morning in pj's!!

Grand Dude, Nonna & Nana

Christmas get together at Lanny & Holly's, another family tradition. I Love how both of our sides of the family are altogether, it makes holiday's so much easier!

Merry Christmas little man!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!

Having a snack.

Grand Dude & Nana

Colton with his buddy Riley!

Sibling Christmas Eve

Tradition for Christmas Eve all the siblings get together on Cody's side. I love how close his family is especially since I am an only child. It's also wonderful that we don't have to worry about switching holidays for families, our families come together and it works out well! 

Christmas Eve we go to church and then head over to Toby & Stacy's house. This year it was at their new house! We eat dinner, have a sibling gift exchange and a cousin gift exchange. It is always so much fun to have all 5 of his brothers and sisters there and all of the cousins! We don't make it a late night but we have a great afternoon into evening together!

Every year we take a cousin picture, sibling picture, all boys and all girl picture. G-Mama likes to have these pictures and well we all enjoy having them too!!!

The little cousins eating dinner.

Going around the table clockwise, starting at the head of the table (bottom left of picture).

Cage, Colton, Riley, Reese, Brooks, Hadley

Cousins!! Love the idea of the stair picture!

Starting from the top in age order.

Aaron, Nick, Reese, Brooks, Riley, Hadley, Cage, Colton

Riley & Colton both in red & white striped button up shirts. It wasn't planned at all, but they look so cute. Colton looks a lot like Riley did when he was a baby!

Cousins opening presents! This year we had the kids all draw a name. In the year's past we bought each cousin a present and it became a bit too much so we are drawing names now. It was a lot of fun and of course the kids Loved it!!!

The boys! 

back: Cody, Toby, Lanny

front: Tim, Nick, Aaron

Sisters!!

Rachel, Holly, Chandra

Stacy

Michelle

Putting out reindeer food!!! This was a tradition that I had started doing for all the nieces & nephews when I was in college. It has been such a big hit I make the kids bags every year. This was Colton's first year to put it out! He had a lot of fun! It makes for some pretty fun photo ops!

Reindeer Food:

Mix dried oatmeal, sugar and LOTS of glitter!

The glitter makes for a fun photo op!

Hanging out with my little guy before bed!