Arbolito de Navidad...O Christmas Tree!!

We were so excited to take our little JJ along with us this year for a very special Christmas tradition-- picking out our Christmas tree! Of course it was very very cold, so we didn't spend too much time outside, but JJ picked out a pretty tree... with mama and daddy's help! :)

Nos dio tanto gozo llevarle a nuestro pequenio JJ con nosotros este anio para una tradicion Navidenia muy especial-- escoger nuestro arbolito de Navidad! Claro que estaba tan, pero tan frio, asi que no pasamos mucho tiempo afuera, pero JJ pudo escojer un lindo arbolito...con la ayuda de mama y daddy! :)


Here he is trying to decide which one...

Aqui esta tratando de decidir cual escojer para la casita...
...he really only wanted to touch them all!

...realmente solo queria toparles a toditos!

Back home, we put the lights up on our tree while JJ slept, but when he woke up, he was quick to want to help mama with the decorations...especially the round shiny ornaments! (probably because he likes anything that resembles a ball:)

Devuelta en la casa, pusimos las luces en el arbolito mientras JJ dormia, pero cuando se desperto, rapidamente quiso ayudarle a mama con las decoraciones...especialmente los bombillos brillantes! (probablemente porque le gusta cualesquier cosa que se parece a una pelota:)

We put the ornament up, and then he quickly changed his mind, wanting it back in his hand!

Colocamos el bombillo en el arbol, e inmediatamente JJ cambio de parecer, queriendo el bombillo devuelta en su manito!

The final product-- JJ's first Christmas tree! It makes the house smell oh so good, and JJ loves to watch the lights come on every day! We can't wait for abuelitos and tio Andres and tia Natalia to get here to celebrate Christmas with us and to show them our Christmas tree!

El producto final-- el primer arbolito de Navidad de JJ! Le da un rico olor a la casa, y a JJ le encanta ver como se prenden las luces cada dia! No podemos esperar que vengan los abuelitos y tios para celebrar la Navidad y para enseniarles nuestro arbolito!

F E L I Z N A V I D A D ! !

North Carolinaaaaaaaa!!!

We recently had the blessing to be able to take our little JJ to North Carolina to visit with his abuelitos, grandparents, aunts, uncle and cousins. Unfortunately, we will not be able to be in NC during the actual holidays, so we were glad to be able to make this quick, last-minute trip. These times always fly by, seem so short, and are filled with so much joy and so many smiles...

JJ laughed so hard with his abuelita, who sang to him, chased him around and simply gave him much amor! :)Having a fun conversation with Tia Natalia...Showing off his walking skills with Abuelito...Waiting for his Cheerios from Abuelita..."Mira Abuelita, no hands!!!" :)JJ was sad to say goodbye, but enjoyed a last lunch with Abuelito at his workplace...A huge blessing is having both of our families so close that we are able to visit with both on one trip. JJ loves Valenzuela-time and Greene-time...double the fun...double the love! :)

Reading a book with Grandpa Chick, who also gave him his first Skittle!Sleeping sweetly with GramsUncle Josh waking with two sweet babies..."Learning"...or eating...numbers with aunt GingerAunt Val with sweet, 3-month-old, Lily...One of the highlights of our trip...playing basketball with PatrickDaddy loving the fall outdoors with little JJJ loves his cousin Lily (just a reminder of how big our little boy is getting!)Trying to get a nice Christmas portrait of the cousins. I think they were all overly stimulated by everyone trying to make them smile...I think they forgot how to smile altogether at the end...but they were still cute together! :) Hopefully we'll be back soon! Family time is sooo precious to us.

So much joy from such a little man!

We cannot help but continue to marvel at the goodness of God in giving us a little boy to love and bring up in His ways. JJ brings us so much joy and we find ourselves feeling soooo blessed every day. Here are a few recent pictures....share in our joy in the life of this little man! :)

No podemos dejar de maravillarnos en la bondad de Dios al darnos un ninito para amar y criar en Sus caminos. JJ nos trae tanto gozo y cada dia nos encontramos sintiendonos tan bendecidos. Aqui estan unas pocas foto recientes...compartan nuestro gozo en la vida de este "hombrecito!" :)

Un poco serio, pero sintiendose orgulloso con la camiseta del equipo del tio Ramon y campeon de America- LIGA!

A bit serious, but feeling proud to wear the soccer jersey from "tio Ramon's" team- LIGA!

Hanging out with daddy....relajandose con daddy.

We took JJ to walmart and had such a fun time in the toy section. This was a first for us, but undoubtedly something we will be doing more of now. Above he is riding on a skateboard and below he is dressed up as a sheriff. :)

Le llevamos a JJ a Walmart y nos divertimos tanto en la seccion de los juguetes. Fue primera vez para nosotros, pero sin dud algo que haremos mas de ahora en adelante. Arriba esta montado en un monopatin y abajo esta vestido de alguacil. :)

Gazing up at the huge Christmas tree at Walmart.

Mirando con asombro al arbol grandote en Walmart.

We'll close this post with a little video of JJ riding the cart with daddy. He loves to always stand, so this is his favorite way to ride. :) JJ has been "talking" so much lately, but of course, we didn't get it on video. He has been learning to say "bye bye" which is more like "ba ba" and he waves his little hand...but again there was too much distraction to do this on video.

Terminaremos con un video de JJ montando el cochesito en walmart con daddy. Le encanta estar parado, asi que esta es su manera preferida de pasearse ahora. :) JJ ha estado "hablando" bastante ultimamente, pero no logramos captarlo en video. El ha estado aprendiendo a decir "bye bye" que suena mas como "ba ba" y mueve su manito despidiendose...pero otra vez hubo demasiada distraccion para hacer esto en el video.

So much FALL Fun!!!

We have been having a wonderful time so far during this fall season. It is absolutely beautiful outside and we continue to marvel at the beauty of our Creator, as we teach our little JJ, who loves the outdoors, that it is God who made all the gorgeous fall colors we see. These first 3 pictures are from our Homecoming service at our church. With Jeremiah now in college, Wednesdays and Sundays are happy days for us when we can all be together for a bit.Just a couple weekends ago, we joined a group of brothers and sisters from our church on a trip to Hubers Farm. It was such a fun...though very chilly day! JJ loved the petting zoo. The goats were especially friendly and were not afraid to get up close and personal. Daddy helped JJ pet and feed the animals, while mama took the pictures.JJ loves to stand now. He has not let go yet, but as long as he is holding on to something, he is happy as can be and walks around...or "cruises," as they call it...fast and with a huge smile on his face!Daddy is always wanting to let JJ try something new, while teaching him to be a brave little boy. Everyone was going down some tube-slides, when all of a sudden, Josh said he was going to let JJ go by himself. Woody was there to catch our little boy, and he zoomed down with a smile on his face as he was picked up...probably not knowing what just happened, but glad someone was there to catch him! :)Of course, we couldn't leave the pumpkin patch without picking out a special "first pumpkin" for JJ, which we took home to carve.Later on that week, we had a group of JJ's friends stop by to help carve and paint his pumpkins.Daddy showed JJ how to carve a jack-o-lantern...And then sat on the porch, waiting for trick or treaters.Here is JJ with his friends, Wilds and Levi, our pastors' children. The pumpkin painting didn't go all that well (JJ lost interest really quickly), but here is a video for you to see our little JJ getting paint all over himself...he even wanted to taste it! Hope you enjoy seeing our little boy, who is growing daily. God is so good and we thank Him for our little 10-month-old.