Happy New Year!

Our family would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year as we enter 2010! What a difference a decade makes! WOW!!!! Looking forward to this new year...we'll celebrate 10 years of marriage and try to live each day to its fullest with our precious children! Thank God for another year of health and happiness and too many blessings to count.

Christmas 2009 PART 2 at OneTrueMedia.com

What an amazing season this has been! We hope your Christmas was blessed and beautiful!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Christmas 2009 part 1 at OneTrueMedia.com

We celebrated Christmas last weekend with the O'Leary side. Connell had such fun hanging out with Meme, Papa and his uncles. Enjoy the slideshow!

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How hard can it be...

...to get a "good" picture of Connell and Emma in front of the tree in their matching jammies???
Here's two of my TEN attempts!!!

Sweetness!

Since I have managed to finish my shopping and the majority of my baking, cards, etc, I am now focusing on enjoying the sweetness of this season...with my beautiful babies!

This face speaks volumes about Connell's personality! WOW!!!

Hope you are all finding some time to enjoy and remember the true reason for this wonderful season. Connell is very excited that we'll be celebrating Baby Jesus' birthday this week! We are planning to put a candle in Grandma's apple pie!

Connell's Christmas Party

Today was the last day of MDO before Christmas, and since my friend Amber so sweetly offered to watch Emma for me, I was able to go "party" with Connell.

One more visit with Santa...Connell was telling him about his snowman shirt.

Cheese!
Playing Jingle Bells!

Singing songs to the class next door

My best little man!

Santa!

At the beginning of November, one of my favorite shops had their Christmas Openhouse, and they have a GREAT Santa Claus every year...I also LOVE that the pics are taken outside...so I thought we would give it a shot with Connell and Emma...and it worked...like a charm...or a BLOW-POP! Connell got to pick a piece of candy to have after he got his picture made with Santa. Notice it's in his little hand in every picture!

This is the picture we used for our Christmas card this year. The list is getting out-of-control, as-is the cost of postage...so if you didn't get a card from us...didn't want you to miss out on this special picture!

So sweet...
Even sweeter...

Wonder if they will be so cooperative next year???!!!!! :)

Emma's First Christmas Party

Saturday night we went to Aunt Kristy's party. We decided to get a baby-sitter (so glad Alex is home for Christmas break) for Connell and take Emma with us. Well, she was the hit of the party! Mommy and Daddy didn't hold her all night...BIG surprise! Here are some pics from the night.

Me & my hot date :) Chad & TimKristy, Amy & Emma Stephen & EmmaEmma & Wendy (almost 11pm and still awake and happy :) party girl!!!

Driving Thru a Winter Wonderland

Connell had a fun-filled day on Friday. After playing with his buddies Cole and Clayton, he came home and took a much-needed nap. While he and Emma were sleeping, I went to pick Taylor and Reagan up from school. We then met up with the Jacobs and their truckload of kiddos, and headed down Hwy 109 to see the lights at the Winter Wonderland. Tim and I had gone years ago when Taylor and Reagan were younger, but we haven't been since Connell was born. The display is awesome and all the kids had a blast. Santa even comes up to your car and gives out candy canes!

I love this! Taylor has her arm around Connell and Emma's reflection in the mirror.
Ian and Chloe and friends (in their truck in front of us)
Last-minute requests for Santa!
Then off to Painturo's for pizza! What fun!!!!!

Here we go again! (and I couldn't be happier:))

Friday morning, my sweet friend Rebecca was kind enough to have Connell come to play with her two boys so that Tim and I could take Emma for her 3 month portraits. We went back to Jason Tucker at Tucker Photography because everytime I walk thru my house and see the portraits he took of Connell, my heart MELTS! Now it's melting time all over again!

If you would like to see the link to the beautiful photographs he captured, click on the link above and when the website comes up, click on portrait photography, then customers, and enter oleary as the password.

O Christmas Tree!

December...ready or not?!!!!

Well, December is here. I am keeping busy trying to get things ready for the upcoming holiday. Somehow, between the toddler and the infant, most days, I feel like I don't accomplish much. Then I must remind myself - oh yes I did. I am raising babies. No matter what else did or didn't get done.
Our week in review...
Emma and I did some shopping while Connell was at MDO. I did some Christmas shopping, but I have to admit, I was really focusing on shopping for myself. After Emma's birth, I am realizing my wardrobe was needing some help! So far this season, I haven't really liked many of the clothes I've seen. But I finally found some things this week and some new shoes too, and I was so excited! The hubby was actually happy that I spent some money! :) Love that!

Also got to go to lunch with one of my favorite people at one of my favorite restaurants. Amber and Maggianos! Great fun and yummy food! And Emma was a sweet lunch buddy - all smiles!

Thursday night was our annual MOPS Christmas Party. It was a blast! I am so glad I was able to make it. We always do a dirty santa ornament swap...It was great fun! I made it out with a really cute ceramic ornament with 4 little snowmen on it : Perfect for the 4 O'Learys! Someone thought it would be fun to take a group pic!

Friday - (did I mention how much we are enjoying that Tim is off every Friday?!) we had a family shopping day! And Tim was actually fine with it! I needed to go to the Green Hills Mall in Nashville for several things, so we made a day of it. The kiddos were cooperative! I am a lucky wife/mommy!

And finally, some pictures of our "not-so-little anymore" baby girl!

Look who's finally decided to hold her head up during tummy time!

Sunday night, we capped off our weekend with a drive around to look at Christmas lights! We went to Starbucks, and the sweet girl working the drive-thru made Connell a special treat! He was so excited! We are planning to do this each week during the month of December.

Three Months...already!

Really, Emma, stop growing up so fast!!!! Everyday, you are growing and changing, and developing more and more personality! And it's a really sweet, pleasant personality! You are a very happy little baby girl and I think Mommy and Daddy can't even remember what it was like before you arrived to bless our lives!
Highlights of Emma:

• I should definitely say that you smile alot. All the time, almost. I think it's fairly evident since I post your smiley pics all over this blog. Your smile really makes my day. It's contagious.
• You love your brother. You follow him with your head and your eyes. Even when he is a little "crazy" around you, it doesn't seem to phase you.
• You are a great eater and a great sleeper.
• The past few weeks, you have really found your voice. You even started giggling at us! It's so stinkin cute! You really giggle when Mommy pretends to sneeze. The other night, you and Daddy "talked" to eachother for almost an hour. You like to mimic sounds with your sweet little voice.
• Okay, so you are not such a big fan of tummy time. What baby is? You are pretty lazy when it comes to lifting your head, but you are starting to work on it.
• You are a spitter! Burpcloths were a cute accessory when your brother was a baby. But with you, I can't be without a burpbloth for any length of time. You generate a lot of laundry.
• You are just a content baby...you don't really seem to mind entertaining yourself while I have to deal with your brother. He might be a little more high-maintenance at the moment. It will be your turn soon enough!
• You are fitting well in 3-6 month clothes and are still in size 1 diapers.
• It seems like you are really trying to be a thumbsucker like your brother. You just can't quite figure it out just yet. You have really discovered your hands the past week or so. You are batting at your toys and bringing your hands together to try to figure things out.
• You are beautiful.
  

And what's with the serious face, Connell!?!?!?!?!

Being Thankful

It seems as though the older (yikes) I get, the more I truly appreciate the meaning and true spirit of Thanksgiving. And now being the mother of two beautiful children, I am finding myself with more of a spirit of Thanksgiving all throughout the year. Some days, of course, it's easier than others to keep a thankful spirit and attitude. But looking at the faces of my sweet babies, I can't help but be full of thanks for so many blessings.
We traveled to Memphis/Olive Branch to be with our family and friends to celebrate this wonderful holiday. This was Emma's first trip and so for many of our family and friends, this was their first time to meet her. She was a great traveler, and was sweet and smiley for everyone! We had delicious meals and fun family time. We are looking forward to doing it again in a few weeks for Christmas!

Meme & Emma
Papa & Connell

Emma smiling at Grandma & Grandpa

While we were in town, our friend Barb (who works at the BNSF Railroad) offered to take Connell to see the trains! He was so excited!

Grandpa, Connell & Daddy with the 'BIG CHOO CHOO'

My sweet boy!

I am sooooo thankful for our little family!

Tim & our Godson, Gus!

Connell & Gus
Emma looks a little bored with all of this!

Kisses!

love the hat!!!!
Emma & Mommy's self-portrait

Thank you, Lord, for this sweet, healthy baby girl you gave us this year.