December Goodness, part two

I'm all teary today just thinking about how drastically our family will change in just a couple of months.  Even through the three year old toddler tantrums or the difficulty of transitioning to a big girl bed, we are just so happy together as a family.  We are overwhelmed with the blessing of each other, and it is going to be bittersweet for this season of life to shift.  Willow will no longer be the only!  (She is also going to preschool twice a week now, so that has prompted some of these feelings, too.)

Even though change will be hard as it always is, the change is going to be so beautiful.  We so desire this!  We also have full faith in God's sovereignty over our family dynamic.  We feel the distance between us and Jonas every single day, praying for an update or a change in paperwork status.  Willow is so very in love with her brother, just as we are.  It's going to be another amazing adventure.  But I'm still scared.  Kyle, Willow, and I will walk by faith and depend wholly on the Lord as we welcome our son.

More on Christmas fun...

12 Days of Christmas at Dallas Arboretum with sweet friends...

This is what happened when we tried to step back and let the kids play ring around the rosy by themselves...

The red tree!

Willow LOVES White Christmas.  She has good taste!  I cried again (like last year) during the last song; I'm so thankful for my little family.

We painted our thanksgiving pumpkin Christmas-y colors for some random fun.

Precious moments...

Christmas lights glasses struck again this year!  Very helpful when Willow was stuck in the carseat this year.

Sandwiches after we purchased her big girl bed!  She plopped herself into nearly every bed at IKEA.  

Main Street Grapevine for our life group Christmas party...

Museum day with Lex!

Watching the shape of her mouth in the mirror as she says, "Ho Ho Ho!" at Kindermusik.

Uncle Kade graduated from Texas A&M!  We are so proud, and we had fun celebrating.  Whoop!  

Here was Willow's view of the celebration.  We had a fun time!

She uses a finger to help her close one eye...

After getting a new step for her bathroom sink, her first comment was...

(We adjusted the mirror of course!)

What a special preschool gift...

Willow was so proud to make this Christmas candy all by herself.

Willow requested to repeat an activity we did last year.  Painting mugs this time for her Gigi & Mimi...

Another shot by Lo...

Wonder Willow!  Thank you, Martinezs!

Look at how much she has grown!  This was before we even met our little love.

We found our beloved social worker at the mall when we went to see the trains.  We always talk about Joy, especially that very important call we received from her when she said, "It is a little girl; she is about 16 months..."

Long time friends are the best.  Time with the Taylors was such a fun experience, as always!

The train area was busy, and Willow kept saying, "Let's get outta here!"

The puppet show and Chick Fila were both big hits though!  As well as Ellison and Emery! ❤️

They loved throwing pennies in & seeing the ducks and turtles!

Christmas cookie time...

"J" is for Jonas!

We went to Bass again to see Santa.  Willow was excited to get her ticket to come back at 4:30.  (I think she was mainly excited to be able to put off sitting with Santa...haha!  She had been dreading it.)

The reindeer merry-go-round was a big hit!

We were surprised when Willow actually enjoyed seeing Santa! Yay!  No tears this time, and she had her daddy tell him what she wanted for Christmas.  (A new cup, a dalmatian dog toy, & rain!)

It reminded me of when she saw Frosty, because after seeing him she got an amazed look on her face, like she was star struck again.