Another year has come and gone - New Years Eve 2009

I can barely believe that 2009 has come and gone so quickly.

So many wonderful things have happened this year it is hard to know where to begin to reflect! Here are just a few of the many highlights of this year!

January 2009     - PJ turned 30!
April 2009         - Parker arrived!!!
  -  Family joined us in Tennessee to meet the newest addition
July 2009           - I had to return to work after spending a wonderful 10 weeks at home with Parker
August 2009       - Delainey started 4th Grade - she's the "upper classmen" now!
October 2009     - Delainey turns 10!
November 2009  - We celebrated 2 years marriage!
December 2009  - We've been in our house 2 years now

Those are some pretty awesome things! I look forward to many more milestones with my awesome family.

We are spending the New Years holiday with PJs family in Ohio this year! 

Thank you for everthing. I love each and every one of you very much!

Especially YOU!

PJ feeling better - but still down and out

Its been 4 days since the doctors appointment and PJ is still feeling poopy. Doing better, but still poopy!

His boss told him to "STAY AWAY" nobody wants this crud and to get better!

H1N1 has landed

Soooo -- its the day after Christmas and aren't you supposed to just veg out and eat left overs and watch tv all day, while the kids play with the new gifts/toys........

Not the Harrison's. We've got to be different.

Just kidding...... PJ went to bed last night not feeling real well, but thought a good nights sleep would kick it. NOT! He woke up Saturday morning sick. He had to work, so he headed out. He got home and went straight to bed.

He woke up Sunday morning SICKER THAN HE COULD IMAGINE.  We loaded up the car to take him to a doctor..... keep in mind, it is not only 2 days after Christmas, but it is Sunday morning before 8am.  We didn't want to go to the ER because we knew the looming hours of waiting would do none of us any good.

We finally got in to see the doctor and got the dreaded news! POSITIVE --- PJ officially has the H1N1 flu. Lucky for us the rest of the residents in our household have been vaccinated! We are all safe.

PJ has felt like crap all day, and has been told he can not work for at a minimum the next 3 days..... nothing like getting sick during the busiest time of the year with his work.

We will keep everyone updated!

I guess having more than one Christmas tree pays off.... ask Delainey

Delainey mentioned to us (Mom and Dad) that she was very happy with how great Christmas was this year, but that she was a little disappointed. She didn't get her number 1 item on her list....

A Nintendo DS

* According to Santa, this was the MOST requested gift by the kids visiting him!

Anyhow - after we had all enjoyed a busy morning downstairs we decided to go upstairs and relax, watch a little bit of the parade (what was left) and then tune into some football.

Delainey noticed that there were still wrapped presents under the tree in the bonus room. We tried convincing her that these were just fake boxes that had been there all season long.... she said "No Momma, these have tags on them"....

We told her to open up the gifts since she was the lucky recipient of the remaining gifts.

I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Delainey got her Nintendo DSi and a bunch of games!!

She was SOOOO excited!


Parker got a really cool inflatable car with plastic balls in it. He was only somewhat interested in sitting in it.

After a long day, Parker and Delainey laying on the bed together! This is a rare shot of them both laying down, so i've got to document it! ha ha

Christmas 2009

Christmas at the Harrison house was wonderful!

Filled with family, good food, and good times!

The morning started off early with Delainey reminding us that it was time to go see if Santa had come to visit! (Which he had!)

Delainey got some jewelry and great doll clothes and accessories for her "Our Generation" doll and horses. She is set with lip gloss and bathroom supplies too :-).

Parker's attention span for an 8 month old was what one could expect. He was more intersted in the noisy wrapping paper until we got the wonderfully noisy toys put together!!

Parker and Delainey opening gifts!!!

Santa has arrived at The Harrison household

By all accounts, it appears that Santa has arrived!

After many last minute hours (see previous post about getting things done in a timely fashion at home), all the packages are wrapped and placed under the tree. The stockings are all hung, and the cookie and milk have been left out for Santa......

It appears that Santa has already arrived by press time of this post!

The cookie has been munched on, as well as a few pieces of candy! Santa also left Delainey & Parker a little note (as he has done in years past!). Here are some pictures of the full Christmas Tree and the gifts I can find that Santa left..... don't want to snoop too much, I'll leave that part up to Delainey!

Oh my goodness! We look spoiled!

Santa enjoyed the snack that we left, and here is the letter he wrote. He must've used the computer while he was here..... maybe he checked in on the sleeping beauties!

I believe this is what Santa left for Delainey!

And something cute and snuggly for Parker too!

Once we've had a chance to open gifts with family (Gram and Uncle Kenny) I'm sure i'll have exciting pictures and stories to share!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Procrastination at its finest!

For those of you that now me pretty well or for any length of time you will probably get a chuckle out of this.

I've always been a pretty darn organized jperson/employee/co-worker. I've got spreadsheets, and spreadsheets for spreadsheets, and am pretty darn put together. Well, before baby boy arrived anyhow - hubby seems to think Parker gained all those brain cells since i tend to forget simple things these days!

Anyhow - in my personal life, i'm not so organized. I do have spreadsheets to keep some stuff organized, but I can't seem to get things done when they are supposed to be done (ie.... laundry, dishes, birthday cards mailed, holiday cards mailed......santa pictures!).

Soooo, today - Yes, TODAY, Christmas Eve, I decide that I have got to get the kids pictures taken with Santa. I have been meaning to do this for weeks now, but had literally just run out of time. Well, lucky for me, I had the day off, so I decided to brave the mall to meet Santa. I got up and at em, got Delainey showered, hair all done, got Parker up and bathed and headed off to the mall. I originally thought Santa wouldn't be available until noon, so my thought (to avoid some of the crazy crowd) was to get there when the mall doors opened, do some last minute shopping, then arrive at Santa's stand about an hour early prepared to stand in line!

I got to the mall at 9:45am (45 minutes after they opened). Found an up front parking spot - you know the one designated for pregnant women or moms with infants.....SCORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and then went in. Walked by the Santa stand and saw folks standing in line already...yikes! I struck up a casual conversation and found out that Santa would be out in 15 minutes!! Talk about AWESOME! We were the third people in line.

Here are the results of our journey to visit Santa....

This santa was GREAT!

Delainey told him what she wants for Christmas (Nintendo DS) and Parker just smiled and acted like a good boy!!

Christmas 2009

8 down ---- 1 to go !~!~!~

Soooo - Christmas is the hubs' favorite holiday, so by the time Christmas creeps up on us we have MANY trees up in the Harrison household.

We are almost done with tree's for this season - only 1 left to complete.

We have 1 in the bonus room.

1 in Delainey's room......

1 in the formal living room........

Parker is checkin out the tree and pretty lights with daddy~!

and a total of 5 in the kitchen / dining room area. I know this sounds a little nuts, but 3 of them are tiny trees on the over look from the kitchen to the formal living room - they aren't decorated, just add to the ambiance. There is a "half" tree wall hanging that is decorated with all the new baby ornaments we bought for Parker. We have another in the dining room. It is so pretty. Red and White to match the kitchen.

The Good / Bad lists and the Nativity scene!

This picture is the best -

 truly how the kids will feel about each other in a few years i bet!

I absolutely can't believe Christmas is only 2 weeks away.....Exciting yet stressful all in the same breath.

Crawling.... trying to walk.... and 5 Teeth

Every time we turn around Parker is doing something different.

He started crawling about a month ago and now he is SPEEDY! He is gettin' in to lots, and believe it or not trying to walk. He pulls himself up on everything and just wants to go... go... go...

He also has his 5th tooth!

WOW!!!

He is a little over 7 months old and just growing up so fast!

The Good - Bad List 2009

This is an annual tradition that has been ongoing since 1974.  WOW!!! Thats quite a feat grandpa!!

Every year the grandkids put in their picture or "theme" request and Grandpa Jim makes it happen.
For 2009 Delainey asked for a Pug, Madison asked for an elaborate scene with Santa, soccer and Tennis, and since Parker was born in 2009 when the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup and the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Superbowl it was only fitting to have those logos on his Good Bad list. Grandpa also incorporated the Pirate "P" in there in his name!

For all of December we get to keep track of all the "goods" and "bads" for Santa!!

I'll take some pictures of Delainey's good bad lists of years past to showcase them, they are SOOOO neat!

Family Fun

Before Grandma & Grandpa left back to Ohio we managed to make a few batches of Friendship Tea and Christmas cookies as well as take a few pictures of everyone hangin' out!

Delainey and Grandpa Jim

PJ and his dad

The first Christmas Tree up in our house -

We painted Delainey's toy box to match her furniture and her and Grandma Pat put up her tree!

Delainey and Grandma Pat making cookies

The finished product!

Fall weather in November

While PJs parents were in town - we couldn't believe how nice the weather was!

The sun was shining and we were standing outside on the upstairs deck waiting for furniture to be delivered --- WITHOUT JACKETS --

Flowers in our front yard -

yes I know, they are overgrown and need trimming!

The view from the upstairs deck!

Happy Baby!!

Lucy lovin' the sunshine!

Christmas Lights - Opryland Hotel style

Since family was in town we headed out to brave the crowds and view the lights at Opryland Hotel here in Nashville.

Delainey and Parker

Delainey 'posin'

Parkers first experience of a Christmas Tree - this one is HUGE!

Outdoor Nativity Scene at Gaylord Opryland

Tree made up of all lights

Inside the hotel - all lit up!

The Harrison's -

we didn't get all dressed up for the occasion! Oops!

Delainey's Room Makeover - The Finished Product

Its finally done!!!

We got the furniture delivered, put in place, and the room all cleaned for Delainey's grand entrance!!!

I was honestly probably more excited than she was, but oh well!

Here is the bed, nightstand and a little bit of the dresser - she's also got a chair to lounge in, and her horses all around her!

This is the dresser/mirror and media stand for when she gets a tv in her room again!

The pictures truly don't do it justice! Its very pretty!

We told her this would be her set until she graduated!

The reaction was shock i think!

She hugged us and told us thank you and that she really liked it.

Delainey's Room Makeover - Part 3

Sooo - we got her new furniture from Rooms to Go Kids. We LOVE the furniture, but are a little disappointed in the whole arrival/delivery process.

I was told that it would be here between 9a-1pm. That was fantastic. Still gave us time to hang out with the visiting grandparents and do the Opryland thing!

PJ saw a RTGK truck drive through our neighborhood at 8:15 and I was SOOO excited thinkin' "right on" they are going to be early and make our day!

Its now...... 1:30pm and I'm calling them.... "they are running behind and should be at your house by 2pm ma'am"

Now its 2:15pm and they are "still running behind, as soon as we talk to the driver we'll call you"..... NO PHONE CALL......

Its now oh 3:30pm and they FINALLY arrive..... 2 little "gentleman" hop out of the truck and I immediately think "oh my goodness; how in the heck are they going to get this furniture up my 3 flights of stairs (including the front steps)".......

Well - they rolled the boxes end-over-end up all three sets of stairs, and slid the boxes across our hardwood floors.... LOVELY!  I haven't done it yet, but they will hear from me! I'm very good at complaining! :-)

Delainey's Room Makeover - Part 2

Sooo - its Saturday morning and the painting is ALL DONE! It looks BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now we are just waiting for the surprise to be complete - The new furniture to be delivered!! Delainey knows that she is getting a new bed, but nothing about the even bigger suprise yet to come!

Here are some pictures of the painting tranformation in process!

Grandpa wasn't happy about me taking all these pictures!

Smile Grandpa!!

See the difference in the paint colors!!!We LOVE it!

The room looks just beautiful! -

Thanks Grandpa & Daddy for spending so many hours making sure it was perfect!

Sooo, this is the room completely painted,

and the old bed moved back where it was!

Here is her AMAZING new bed!!!

It has a trundle, but we haven't gotten a mattress for that part yet!

More pictures to come once the new furniture is delivered!!!