Merry (early) Christmas!

The Geraghty family had a Christmas extravaganza weekend, including gifts, Santa, and a weekend trip.

After some negotiations with Santa, we decided it would be easier to do our gift opening here before we flew to Iowa for many more festivities.



Brian and I were plenty excited, and so was Caden...to an extent. He was grumpy and hesitant when he first awoke. He refused to let me take any photos in front of the tree and barely tolerated opening his first stocking stuffer. But he quickly changed his mind when he realized the gift was a set of 5 Matchbox emergency vehicles. He ripped into them and retreated to the living room, refusing to return to open more gifts. Apparently, he was done.

CARS...no need to go any further


After much persuasion, he came around. He absolutely flipped over his set of John Deere toys. He oooed and ahhhed like he was at a Bridal Shower.

OOOOOOOO...AHHHHHHH...


Destroying Dad's masterpiece


All all in all, a fun day. And a good weekend, for that matter. Brian returned from a business trip on Thursday. Within a few hours, we were back on the road heading to Colonial Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle.

What prompted the trip? Well, we got conned into one of those free timeshare weekends. I can see you rolling your eyes already. Yes, we had to put up with a corny salesman and a 3-hour tour that was ONLY supposed to be 90 minutes. Brian mouthed to me numerous times, "Will this ever end?!" After saying no repeatedly, our sales rep gave up and slinked away like we had just taken his puppy. We had remainder of the trip to ourselves, including 2 free nights in a 2-bedroom condo and a gift card for $125 of spending money. They also accidentally refunded our $75 deposit twice. Shhhh...don't tell.

It was a chilly weekend but we bundled Caden up in his beloved truck mittens and trekked through Colonial Williamsburg. Caden was enamored by the horse drawn buggies. (He is going to love seeing Shadow when we're home, Pam!)



Bye bye horse

The colonial architecture is absolutely beautiful. The city has done a phenomenal job preserving the history.



Saturday morning, we toured Jamestown. And as I'm sure you ALL know (think back to 5th grade history), Jamestown was the first permanent American settlement. We went through a museum, a recreated Indian village, and a replica of the fort.

The Powhatan Indian Village


Brian, don't give that to him!

A recreation of the fort and church


All three of us agreed that our favorite part was seeing the three ships that carried the first settlers. Maybe Caden will be a sailor instead of a Marine, judging from how much he loved the ships. Not for me...talk about cramped quarters. I think the colonial era would have been an interesting time to live, but I'm content living in the 21st century.

Ahoy, mateys


Dare me to shoot?


Brian, maybe this fancy ship could be our second honeymoon cruise


Caden made all kinds of friends in Williamsburg, generally during meals. He says hi and bye bye to everyone repeatedly and shares his trucks with waitresses. The only person he wasn't totally excited to befriend was Santa.

He's not sure about this white-haired dude


This penguin is safer


This boy loves his "nacks" (snacks)


He tolerated the traveling fairly well and only had meltdowns when he was exceedingly tired and/or hungry. Understandable. He had lots of adventures, including a nature trail near our condo where he threw leaves into a creek for about 30 minutes. He tried to jump in on more than one occasion. Um Caden, that water is like 40 degrees. Sigh...no fear.

The only other recent event was the annual neighborhood Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. My sweater was the cat's meow. (Thanks again, Lisa. Are you sure you want it back?! Hissss!)



Have a happy holiday season!

With Every End of Life, There is a Beginning of Another

Life is precious. Sometimes we lose sight of that in the every day hustle and bustle. But that's the beauty of Thanksgiving...it's a day set aside to remember all our wonderful blessings that God has given us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last week, we lost someone very dear to us. Grandma Tegler passed away. Grandma Teresa was a beautiful soul who loved her family. She was 89 and has been suffering for a long time so it is a blessing that she is out of pain. She was surrounded by her children throughout her last weeks. She managed to open her eyes before she died, to smile at her daughters one last time. Then she let go, and the wrinkles on her face smoothed, almost as if her troubles had faded away. Pam said she looked at peace.

I'm thankful that our last memories with her were happy. Dane and Shannon's wedding brought the whole family back to Iowa, and to see Grandma at the nursing home. She was bombarded with visitors. She was absolutely glowing.

Brian has a lot on his plate with work right now, but was fortunate to squeeze in a trip home for the funeral. He left Friday morning so we were able to spend Thanksgiving together. Daryl flew in from Cleveland. Brian was disappointed to get very little time with his best friend. Daryl was more than understanding and they still managed to get a few hours of video games, OF COURSE. He also celebrated his 29th birthday.

Life truly is a celebration. I think there are reasons for everything, and I have no doubt that the good news we received a few days after Grandma's passing was not accidental.

And what is that news?!...

A BABY!!!

Brian and I decided after Shannon's wedding that we would leave it in God's hands, and apparently he works quickly. I will likely be due in early August and am feeling awesome so far (knock on wood). I shared the news with Brian, Caden, and Daryl at the end of our Thanksgiving meal prayer. I closed with, "Lord, open our hearts to Your Love, and especially to the precious new baby that you have graced us with."

Brian looked at me with a small smile and stated, "You're pregnant." Um, yes, Captain Obvious. He's happy but also hesitant...perhaps overwhelmed? My friends tell me it's a normal guy reaction for the second child. No turning back now! I am completely elated and can't wait to meet the little one. I doubt we'll find out the sex, but I do have an inkling that it's a girl.

Yay baby!

We told my family on Webcam and Brian told his family during his trip home. My Mom told the Klindt's after the Thanksgiving meal prayer. I've called some people but there's so many to tell, so I apologize if I haven't touched base with you yet.

Caden's already sporting the gear

Wait a minute...what does that say?!

Brian's sister Heather is pregnant with their fifth and due sometime early summer, so just as Caden and Isabella are close in age, the next set will be as well. Those cousins are guaranteed to be trouble!

Wow...that was a lot of news, huh. We've had our share of ups and downs lately. Caden was sicker than he's ever been 2 weeks ago with a cough and a fever for 5 days. Brian was out of town, and we didn't leave the house much, so I felt alone and drained. It hurts to see your child so miserable. He's better now! Well, with the exception of getting some molars. Ouch.

On a happy note, it's the Christmas season...I LOVE this time of year. I listen to Christmas music 24/7 starting the day after Thanksgiving. YESSSSSS. Caden was fascinated with the decorations I dug out today, especially my "O Holy Night" snow globe which he insisted that I shake and wind up a billion times. He helped me decorate (and undecorate) the tree. He also hoarded the candy canes. Something tells me those won't stay on the tree.

Caden, please put that back for the 80th time


Thank you for all your support the past couple weeks. We are thankful for each and every one of you. God bless you all, and especially Grandma and for the new baby, "Junior G"!!!

Marine Corps Ball

Every November, we look forward to the Marine Corps Ball. It's the one night out of the year where we're guaranteed a date to ourselves. And that means a lot once you have a kid!

This year, we decided to forgo Brian's Ball with Systems Command (BORING). Instead we went as guests to the HMX Ball (NOT BORING). HMX stands for Marine Helicopter Squadron and they are responsible for transporting the President. Everyone we know works for HMX, so we figured it made sense to ditch our ball and crash theirs. Our friend Rob organized it so that we got to sit at his table with him and Angel.

Rob and Brian with the Guest of Honor, Lt General Flynn (Brian's boss's boss's boss, or something like that...?!)

Those HMXers know how to throw a good party. We were pleasantly surprised by the incredible accommodations. We stayed on the 23rd floor of the Sheraton in Tyson's Corner of Washington D.C.

Awesome view of the fall colors

The food was good and Brandee even gave me her slice of cake, because she obviously loves me. I taught Brian how to two-step and we danced the night away. My knees were killing me by the end but it was soooo worth it.

Angel, Brandee, Lyndsey, and Me

Air guitar always seems like a good idea until you see the photos

We stayed up late and then the guys decided it was a good idea to grappel in our hotel room. That didn't go over well with hotel personnel and that promptly ended. Silly (make that, STUPID) Marines.

Get him, Doug! (Rob, wake up.)

Caden stayed overnight with the Rivera's. He played hard with John Paul and slept 12 1/2 hours as a result! He didn't seem bothered in the least when we dropped him off but he definitely acted like he missed us when we picked him up...that made us feel good. Thanks again Angela!

In other news, Brian got 2nd in the Turkey Trot. He was bummed but sort of anticipated a sub-par performance. He still won a turkey...woo hoo! I ran too, but didn't feel well. Okay, to put it bluntly, I felt like crap. But that's okay...I was happy to finish. I was super proud of Angel, Brandee, and Lyndsey because it was their first 10K race. 13.1 is next on their list (right girls?!) I'm glad they've caught the running disease. I like spreading it.

Brian got 2nd! First loser! YEAH! (He is thrilled.)


Brian is in Cali all week so me and little man are on our own. Caden's vocab continues to grow and he's recently started stringing words together in phrases. For example, a couple nights ago, we asked him if he wanted his pacifier right before bed time and he said, "No bah please." He's sly...he knew if he said yes, that meant bed time! He also says "No want" whenever he's opposed to my ideas. Hopefully his sentences will be related to more positive things soon, and not just "no." It's a fun stage. Well, minus all that toddler "no" business!

Donald Trump's prodigy


Let's see how many leaves I can get in my diaper...
click to see the video.

Stop, Drop and Roll

Caden loves fire trucks and goes nuts when he sees them, so we thought it was fitting for him to be a fireman for Halloween. Brian was envious because the costume was so realistic with real buckles and everything. Next year, honey.



We had a few incidents before we left the house, including Caden tripping over his own boots and flailing head first into a bar stool. Sigh. The dent in his head made me think, ER, here we come. But as always, a bump popped out and he was ok (after a few pieces of chocolate, of course).

The rest of the evening went well. Caden was generally cooperative and wore his hat willingly. We walked around the neighborhood with our friends Paige, Garrett, and Gabe (cutest bumble bee EVER). I pulled Caden around in his wagon. If I had been "Mom of the Year" I would have decorated the wagon to resemble a fire truck. Eh, I'm okay with being just "Mom."



Quantico housing is crazy because practically everyone sits outside and hands out candy. It's a child's paradise, and the gorgeous weather made it even better. Caden figured out the drill quickly and made no waste of time digging his sticky hands into the bowls of sugar-infested treats. He had 3 suckers before we even made it back to the house, some chocolates, and also the Sixlets I was so adoringly eyeing.

He thinks he's an Altizer boy and makes himself right at home. (Angie, do you want a fifth?!)

Brian evaluates the situation (aka, steals candy)


Brian had fun handing out candy and playing XBox, which apparently is an annual event now. We trick or treated at our own house as the end. Caden walked right up to Dad, took a piece of candy, waved "Bye Bye," and marched back down the stairs, ready to get more candy. It was hilarious. We watched Cars when we settled down for the night, which is now Caden's favorite show.

The holiday as a whole was a lot of fun. We did the Pumpkin Patch with the MOMS Group and Caden spent the majority of the time hanging out with (torturing?!) the animals.

Click here to see Caden, star of "The Cow Whisperer"

Mine.


Ride 'em cowboy


Mom, EW.


Stay tuned for another update soon including Marine Corps Ball pics...

The Geraghty/Clark Wedding

Would you believe me if I said that we flew into Iowa a week ago Wednesday and were greeted with GORGEOUS weather?

Ha. Iowa residents and wedding guests will call my bluff on that one. Obviously, our beloved state didn't get the memo about requiring beautifully balmy fall weather for the wedding weekend. Instead, we got cold dreary rain and a forecast for flurries. Sheesh.

But the weather didn't seem to faze the beautiful bride one bit. Caden and I accompanied Shannon for her countless errands on Thursday. It literally poured but we dodged the raindrops and got what she needed in record time. The downpour also meant my parents couldn't harvest, which meant they COULD attend the wedding. Things were looking up!

Friday rolled around and the pace picked up. Pat hollered at Brian bright and early (he was a bit sleepy from the bachelor party the night before). We spent 6 hours at the HUGE hall. It was indeed huge. Did I mention it was HUGE?! But apparently our family includes hard workers, and artistic ones too, so we turned that around in no time. Tricia and Aunt Diana were tulle extraordinaires, Krystie tied bows like it was her job, Aunt Colleen became the bell lady, and the boys did just about anything we told them. That includes Uncle John scrubbing the keg machine. I even caught Chris delicately spreading petals on the tables. Oh my.

The bride did her best to keep up with all the questions. Yeah, it got a little stressful at times. But bottom line...we made it through and the hall looked AWESOME. On Shannon's behalf, thank you to everyone that helped, especially those that came from afar. You guys rock. I think we all slept well that night....well, except the poor mother of the bride! But who could blame her?!

God truly smiled on Shannon and Dane the day of their wedding. Remember that crappy weather I talked about earlier? I awoke Saturday morning to sunlight streaming through the window. A perfect fall day...this was a good sign. And the rest of the day echoed the weather. I have been looking forward to seeing Shannon in her dress for months, and she didn't disappoint me. Her dark hair looked beautiful framed with lace, and her bright eyes and huge smile said it all. She was an amazing bride. And Dane agreed. He looked at her with adoration and kissed her shoulder a hundred times during the photos. Ahhhhhhhhh.

So pretty


I honestly can't think of anything about the wedding that went terribly wrong. That long aisle gave me nightmares for weeks. I envisioned various scenarios with our little ring bearer, and figured the mostly likely one would be that Caden would balk like a donkey, scream NOOOO, and run for the hills. Right up till the last minute, I was still deciding if I should carry him or not. I kept the faith and gave him a shot, and believe it or not, he walked. He chewed on a truck and stared at everyone like a deer in the headlights, but I'll take it! That's my boy! And to think I was worried.

See, he was already contemplating his escape.


I had to explain to Caden numerous times, we must respect God's space. He listened well.


ATTA BOY!

Shannon and Dane had an absolutely beautiful ceremony. She cried up the aisle, and so did I. Pam sang a couple times and gave me goosebumps. I was enthralled by Brian's readings and decided for him that he needs to lector. Father gave an awesome homily too. I think my favorite part was when Shannon corrected him on the appropriate amount of time to brush your teeth. (Are you confused? Ha...I figured.)

One word: relief!


The girls


Bubbas! (As Caden would say.)

The pics at the barn are seriously going to be magazine quality.

The good times continued at the reception. (Although, they played the Hawkeye fight song too many times. Where was the Rock Chalk chant?!) I had two helpings of potatoes, so that should tell you how good the food was. My apologies to whoever I cut in line in front of. (Yes, I pulled the bridesmaid card. I'm owed that, right?!) Heather and Hailey gave beautiful speeches. I will not comment on the guys...I'll just say, they were "interesting." (Crash and burn.)

Nice shades, Danger.

I'm sorry if I didn't get a chance to talk to you. I tried to talk to as many people as I could, but alas, so many people, so little time. I spent quite a bit of time with my parents and watching Caden. He was a maniac on the dance floor. He chased, stomped, and rolled on the fluorescent lights shooting across the floor. But, he could never seem to actually catch the light. That didn't deter him though.

Ladies, I've got moves you've never seen.


Caden and Bella fought like siblings the entire weekend.

Mom and Dad babysat Caden for the evening so Brian and I had some time on our own. This included HOURS at the hotel hanging with his cousins. I learned more about his childhood than I have in the past 8 years combined. FYI, if anyone is still wondering who shot out Grandpa Dick's windows and broke his hayrack, just shoot me an email. I'll give you a clue....BRIAN and 3 other partners in crime. I laughed so much my face hurt. Krysti and Cindy were the life of the party for sure.

Now we're back home. No matter how fun the trips are, it's always a relief to return home. Brian has had a rough couple days and now he's on the shooting range, freezing his butt off. Caden and I are already back in our routine of activities. We went to the Pumpkin Patch Wednesday and story time at the library yesterday. I'm excited to put him in his costume today. What do you think he will be?! Stay tuned...and Happy Halloween!

My boys

All four grandparents at once

Grandma Teresa had a TON of visitors over the course of the weekend.