Anew

Hello 2012!  We welcome you and can’t wait to see what new adventures you have in store for us.  We’re ready to start making memories!

Palmer’s new years resolution was to become active and he hasn’t stopped moving since Dec. 28th, his 8 month birthday.  That’s the night he took his first crawls.  He’s also got four teeth (his two front teeth came in on Christmas), claps all the time, and is pulling up on everything and even balances by himself for a couple of seconds.  He’s pretty much showing off and we love it! 

Big brother is enjoying the outdoors everyday, especially his new balance bike.  Leo recently started MyGym and absolutely loves it!  He’s definitely an active little toddler growing bigger by the day.  I measured him tonight and at 38 inches he’s 5 inches taller than a year ago.  Love my Leo!

Isla Lou started her new year off with a bang!  We bought some poppers and she and Leo had a blast pulling them apart till they popped out confetti and a little toy.  Ah, the simple pleasures in life.  She’s continuing to enjoy her ballet/tap class and can’t wait for her Barbie themed recital in June.  And some of the most exciting news is that our 4 year old, Isla, is reading now.  Santa brought her some “Bob” books and she is speeding through the set.  I love to hear my angel’s voice and to see the excitement on her face as she reads through the pages.  So wonderful! 

After Christmas we got to spend some quality time with the cousins and Papa.  John’s sister, Heather, and her husband, James, were in town and brought their three boys over to play for the morning.  It looked like we were running a day care in our front yard but the kids had the best time! 

We’ve been loving the free time the new year has given us.  The Christmas season was packed full of events and it seemed like we never had time to just sit and relax.  Well, we have it now and are soaking it up.  Cue midday living room fort:

And a perfect January afternoon at the beach…

I must say, Palmer was extremely thrilled to see the ocean and sand for the first time.  Yes, we took him last summer but he was only a newborn and let’s face it, they can’t see things very well, but when his little 8 month eyes met the beach for the first time it was an expression of pure joy and amazement. (And look at those teeth…love that look he makes)

I’m really looking forward to the new year.  I love starting fresh and get all excited when I think about what could be in store for our family in 2012.  Happy New Year, everyone! 

Our Christmas

Another heart singing holiday it was.  Every second of last weekend was filled with joy.  Oh how I love Christmas and this one did not disappoint.  It started with Christmas Eve.  We woke up and excitedly shouted, “It’s Christmas Eve!” and then watched as the kids did a happy dance around the tree while gleefully chanting, “Santa Claus is coming tonight!”

We celebrated the morning over at Papa’s house with a huge, delicious breakfast.  The kids rolled down hills, ran around the yard, played with new friends and shared their excitement with all.  They took a nap when we got home and then prepared for the night’s festivities.  Our tradition is to get dressed up in our very best, go to the Flynn’s house for a homemade pizza party, and then head to the Ponte Vedra Inn for some caroling.  Isla looked like such a little lady in her black, velvet dress, Leo sported his penguin shirt proudly, and I wanted to eat Palmer up in his blue dot overalls…




My three children (I still can’t believe they are mine) were ready for the magic!

After a little sprinkling of reindeer food (i.e., oatmeal, sprinkles, and glitter) we were off…

The pizza was delicious as usual and the parents enjoyed wine and great conversation with old friends.  Palmer’s favorite part of the night was the paper plate that found its way to the ground. 

Down at Ponte Vedra, Isla and Leo met the REAL Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  They had been hiding here all along.  Santa even told Isla he parked Rudolph out on the beach.  They were beyond thrilled to meet the jolly old St. Nicholas.  They must have sat talking with Santa and Mrs. Claus for a good 10 minutes.  Santa even rang his sleigh bells for Leo, who was extremely tired but wouldn’t have missed this moment for the world. 



Palmer had been sleeping but woke up just in time for the Christmas Caroling we look forward to all year long.  Our family keeps getting larger each year and we took up practically the whole seating area…Heather, Brannon, Isla, me, Palmer, John, Leo, Ava, Mom and Dad soaking up the night. 


Uncle Tommie, my Dad’s youngest brother, even joined us this year…

Loving on my Christmas angel before we headed home and tucked the kids in for a long winter’s night. 

And then it came…Christmas was here!  Oh, the joy, Oh, the wonder, Oh, the happiness that filled our hearts that day.  A day filled with family and love that warmed our souls to the core.  I can’t express how much I loved every second of our Christmas this year.  Maybe it’s because we added one more to the crew and maybe it’s because I felt this overwhelming feeling of “this is exactly where I’m meant to be.”  Whatever it was, it was perfect and I filed the memory away forever.  I’ll pull it out whenever I’m feeling lost, or stressed, or sad, because it was a day that reminded that there may be hard days, but it’s a  lovely life! 








Merry Christmas!  Love, The Halmans

Christmas Fun

We held our annual Christmas Cocktail Party last Friday night.  To me there is nothing better than getting together with great friends, sipping wine, telling stories, and just enjoying each others’ company.  I haven’t stayed up that late in a long time but it was well worth it.  We had a wonderful time and I’m again reminded of all the blessings in my life.  We are truly so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people. 

Shanan and Drake are our newest friends.  Our daughters found each other in their 2 yr. old preschool class and have been inseparable ever since.  Isla and Riley will go to separate schools next year but I feel will be friends forever! 

Katie and Ian are awesome.  I went to highschool with Ian and happened to become friends with his wife when I joined a mom’s group when Isla was 6 months old.  We’ve hung out for the past 4 years and Katie was the first friend to show up to both my boys’ hospital rooms after they were born.  Great friends!

Krista and Marcel are the picture perfect couple..which is fitting since Krista is our amazing photographer.  We met them through Katie and Ian.  They are such a laid back and fun couple and have a 4 year old daughter, Ave, and 2 year old son, Connor, whom Isla and Leo adore! 

Joey is the husband to Heather.  The Malone’s are the sweetest.  They are the parents to Addison, another one of Isla’s best friends.  They are members of Palms as well and amazing friends.  These were the only ones that would let me take pictures of them but we were surrounded by the best of the best.  As I get older I’m realizing what makes a true friend…basically it comes down to who makes you smile, who are your shoulders settled around, and who brings the least drama.  I think our circle is perfect! 

You know what else is perfect?  My littles…..

Isla’s class went to Adventure Landing for their Winterfest this week.  They frosted sugar cookies, made ornaments, danced under “snow”, sat in Santa’s lap and played reindeer games. 

And neither one of them cried this year…score!   Insert the story that came from “santa’s” visit to Palms the other week.  Isla was so excited to see Santa and sit on his lap.  Well turns out sister is a detective in her spare time.  She knew immediately “Santa” was Mr. Don, who reads stories to them every Monday.  I picked her up and enthusiastically asked her about Santa and she depressingly said, “Mom, Santa, is Mr. Don.”  I was put on the spot and the best I could come up with was, “well, Isla, I’ll tell you a secret, none of the Santa’s you see are the real ones.  Because the real Santa is magic and noone ever sees him.  He’s busy at the North Pole making presents.”  She is only 4 for goodness sake.  And as my friend, Katie Hathaway, reminded me the other day, I still believed in 5th grade.  And let me tell you a secret….I still believe, because I saw him when I was 8, eating cookies on my couch, and I’ll never forget that…

“The true meaning of Christmas lies in your heart!” ~  Polar Express

S-A-N-T-A

Isla’s dance class was invited to perform at the lighting of the tree in Atlantic beach last weekend and boy was she excited! 

Despite the chilly and misty weather, they tapped their little hearts out to a remake of BINGO was his name-o…instead they sang and danced to, “S-A-N-T-A, S-A-N-T-A, S-A-N-T-A, and Santa was his name HO HO!  It was adorable and Leo loved watching his sister perform.  They have the greatest relationship and simply adore one another. 

I’m loving seeing my little angel girl perform in all of these Christmas programs…it makes my heart smile!