Present

It's 2014!  Christmas just happened.  And now we are left in a whirlwind of new toys, boxes, pine needles everywhere and an itching anxiety to single handedly rip down every Christmas decoration as claustrophobia sets in.  It was a jam packed couple weeks from Christmas to New Year.  And although there were plenty of "presents", I would like to focus on being more "present" in 2014.  It's so easy to get caught up in what's next.  Hurry and eat breakfast to get ready to play hard to be down for nap by noon.  Then who can I call for a play date in the afternoon? BRAXTON!!  OK, dinner prep, bath time, bed.  And we're done.  I feel like I'm always planning for what's coming next and not living in what's happening now.  That's my m.o. in life in general I think.  College: focus on how to get a job immediately post graduation.  Get engaged: plan wedding immediately - followed by make baby immediately.  Baby is newborn: when will you sit? roll over? crawl?  How about, "How nice you are sweet and cuddly and small and smell like heaven?"  Here are some Christmas moments where I was trying to be present and not worry about Palmer's next meal, nap or bed time.

Pat, Beth, Claire & James came to visit while in Chicago.  Sweet boys.

Just a couple months apart!  Palmer's resolution is to work on that muffin top;)

All bundled up to go out in the snow.  While it's a hassle, babies sure do look cute suited up.

Christmas Eve with his cousins Lila & May.  The girls look adorable...Palmer looks hot & bothered.

The best Christmas photo we got!  Palmer photogenic-ness faded in Chicago

Uncle time.  Doing what they do best.

Presents, presents and more presents!

Her sweetness is only amplified by her love of hippos.

Christmas morning!

Say Cheeeeeeeese!

All the stockings laid with care.  Pete's at the top and Palmer's at the bottom.

Juuuuust a few gifts at Grammy & Chief's house.

There was a pizza cook off with the Doyle boys.  They picked out each other's costumes.
Matt's was too provocative to make it on the family blog;)

And Tom's pizza hit a rough patch and morphed into more of calzone.  If you can call it that.

Back at the ranch, Palmer's playroom went from baby mode to toddler kingdom.  Organization brings sanity to my life and Palmer get's a refreshing look at all his new toys.

Lambie and the tent were staples and stuck around of course.

Target really came through.

The toy bins themselves are toys . Palmer loves to rip everything out of them.  Takes at least 60 seconds.

His Christmas gift was this table and a train set.  The trains are more projectile items than trains at this point.

How cute are these wall hooks?

Oh by the way, the bathroom is done.  I need to get in there and shoot some formal after's.