The Celebration Continues....

Somehow we convinced family to make the long haul out to our house to celebrate Christmas. We're glad they made the visit. Braden especially enjoyed a full house and lots of noise!

Braden pretty much counted the minutes until someone arrived...the first guest was Granddad, or Bobby, as Braden often calls him. This bike wasn't a Christmas gift, however, Braden convinced Granddad to follow him up and down the street while he showed off his riding skills.

Boys will be boys...I captured the boys, ahem...men, playing Braden's new fishing game. They looked pretty serious...
Uncle Billy got caught twice playing with toys. At least Braden was involved this time. We'll chock it up as nephew/uncle bonding time!
Two-months-old Miles got a glimpse of his extended family. Next Christmas he'll be running around with Braden and Charley! These boys were very busy all day, and hence, quite difficult to pin down for any photos.

Even Uncle Roderick had a hard time getting these boys to slow down.

Kristen, Maria, and I were a bit outnumbered by all the boys! Miles knew he was better off hanging out with us though!

This fishing game was quite a hit!

Granddad was probably worn out from playing with Charley and Braden. He took a break to snuggle sweet Miles.

When these are the expressions on everyone's faces, it's time to put the camera away.

The boys needed to burn off some energy, or maybe some extra Christmas treat calories. They were quite a team on the elliptical machine.

Braden gave Granddad one of his signature "squeazy" hugs. He was thrilled hang out with his grandfather and to have someone to play with for hours!

Dreaming of a Bright Christmas

It would be a far fetched dream to hope for a white Christmas when living in southern California, so instead, I always hope for a bright, sunny holiday. Not too surprisingly, that is exactly what we got! We actually did make a short visit to Gramma and Papa's and there was some snow on the ground. So we were able to experience a bit of the best of both worlds! We celebrated Jesus' birth with a few gifts, and more importantly, time with loved ones. Having a 3-year-old definitely added a fun component to Christmas!

Braden was cracking up because he shook every present that was under the tree but said he had no idea what was inside any of the packages. Since Daddy apparently knows everything, he figured he'd have him take a shot at guessing. Instead, we just had him open the gifts and of course he was filled with excitement!

Braden hadn't asked for anything in particular for Christmas, so we picked out a few toys we thought he'd like. Then it seemed like he became a Batman fanatic all of a sudden & asked for Batman for Christmas. Fortunately, we tracked down one item at the store on Christmas eve and Braden seemed quite pleased and surprised with the gift.
When this goofy kid didn't find a candy cane in his stocking, he pretended to eat the playdoh candy cane instead.
Braden is past the point of being more interested in the box or wrapping than the gift. However, not surprisingly, one of Braden's favorite gifts was the $5 monkey that makes obnoxious squealing sounds.

Table manners went out the door as soon as Braden thought he looked like a reindeer when he put his forks on his head.

Already on a major sugar overload, Braden got to choose one last treat for the day. He shoveled the cookie in his mouth like he had been deprived of dessert for weeks!

This is the expression of a boy who grabbed an extra cookie when no one was looking...looks so innocent! The cookie in his hand didn't give him away or anything!

Braden wanted absolutely nothing to do with taking a family photo....this is slightly evident by the expression on his face. I just wanted one picture to document that we were all together on Christmas.

The attempts to get a photo with Gramma and Papa seemed to be heading in the right direction until Braden insisted on crawling on the back of the couch like the cat and knocking the picture of the wall. Oh well, Christmas isn't about the pictures anyway!

Twas the Night Before Christmas

Although Braden knows the reason we celebrate Christmas is because of Jesus' birthday, he has become quite aware of the big man in the red suit. Apparently it's quite the topic of conversation on the preschool playground because Braden has come home lately with all kinds of Santa facts. Regardless of the reason, Braden is just excited that he gets presents on someone else's birthday.

As part of Christmas tradition, Braden gets to pick out a special ornament. We waited until the last minute this year...but fortunately we were able to track down a Mater ornament.

Braden wanted to make sure Santa didn't miss our house, so he wore his flashing red nose to bed.
Braden made dozens of cookies and many of them ended up with enough frosting and decorations for a whole cake....

Braden ate way too many cookies and ended up with a tummy ache. He suggested leaving the medicine out for Santa, along with the cookies and milk, just in case Santa ended up with a tummy ache too.

Better Late Than Never

It's a good thing Braden reminded us we hadn't decorated our Christmas tree yet, because otherwise we may have had a naked tree for the big holiday. It's difficult to believe Christmas is just a few days away! Of course Braden is counting down the minutes until Jesus' birthday....and yes, he wants me to bake a cake to celebrate.

Braden managed to splash in mud puddles and pause for a picture on a reindeer in between picking out the perfectly, over-priced Christmas tree.

Braden said he couldn't look at the camera because he was busy decorating the tree. All the decorations ended up on one side of the tree.

Putting the star on the tree was the highlight of the decorating experience.
With a bit of help from Daddy, the tree was complete!
Every year we talk about buying new ornaments, but we never do. So, instead, we decorated the tree with a random variety of ornaments, including many that Matt made when he was Braden's age.

Braden was so proud of his efforts. He gave his work a thumbs-up!

Little Shepherd Boys

Apparently, it must run in the Johnson family...both Matt and Braden make cute shepherds! 30 years ago, Matt was in the Hemet Christmas parade. This year, Braden played a shepherd in the Christmas program at his preschool.

Apparently, it was a sunny day based on Matt's squinting eyes. Braden looks a lot like Matt did as a little boy....

well, minus the 70's look! Gramma Suzie pulled off the 70's look pretty well too!
Now we know where Braden gets his goofy smile!
Kind of looks like Braden's trying to pull off the whole "Stayin' Alive" 70's dance actually!

Thought shepherds were supposed to be a bit more stoic. Doubt most shepherds have nearly as many bumps, bruises, and scratches on their faces as Braden does....he gets a new "boy badge" daily.

Braden wouldn't practice his performance at home because he said it was a surprise.

There are few things as cute as a bunch of preschoolers performing the Christmas story.

Braden was applauding at the end of the song....he was confident he had done a good job!

Party for a Princess

Braden has been eagerly anticipating Addison's 3rd birthday party. With all the excitement of the big day, he didn't exactly slow down for many photos. Braden was a bit concerned that it would be a princess-themed party, but he forgot all about that once we arrived and Addison welcomed him with open arms!

Since Addison was going to be 3-years-old, Braden was insistent on creating 3 birthday cards for her...1 for her cubby at preschool and 2 to take to her party. Does he look super excited or what?!

Braden quickly shared the princess gummies he snatched from the pinata with Addison. He couldn't fathom eating "girlie treats."Between the treats and all the party festivities, these cuties were a bit too distracted for photos! They had a blast celebrating Addison's big day!

Looks like Braden was bound and determined to be the hero who broke the pinata. He didn't quite accomplish the task, but he certainly put forth a strong effort!

Sweet Treats

Advent calendars are always a reminder of my Nana. She bought one for us every year and we eagerly anticipated opening a flap everyday during the advent season. The chocolate never tasted very good, but there was excitement in the anticipation of getting a sweet treat every night before bedtime.

Braden very quickly became a fan of this tradition, as demonstrated by his surprised expression.

Braden suggested changing the rules because he couldn't understand why he couldn't open every flap at once. Since he seems to be adding more injuries, scars, & bruises to his body, he thinks the chocolate will "make him feel all better."

Bumps, Bruises, and Boy Badges

Thanksgiving is a good reminder of how incredibly blessed we are. Our holiday tradition is to celebrate in Glamis.

Decked out in new riding gear, Braden was ready to go. He resembles a bobble head bouncing around on his quad with this giant helmet.

Hope what his shirt says has some truth to it because it's likely Braden will have lots of scars. He burned his finger on his quad...just the first of a few owies, or "boy badges," this weekend.
Fortunately, there were no injuries involved when Braden pretended to drive Stella around on the Rhino.

Look Ma, no hands! This kid is full of tricks!

Braden loved the front row spot at the drag races. Loud, dusty, fast vehicles of all shapes and sizes....what boy wouldn't love this?!

It's really no wonder why Braden ended up puncturing a hole through his lower lip with his teeth....

Braden was a bit delirious hanging out at the campfire with a cup of hot cider....with a bandaid across his chin.

Braden was bummed to leave the dunes. He threatened to stay there instead of coing home with us. Fortunately, a train distracted Braden and Pepper as we headed home.