"Nobel Peace Prize for Laughing"

Some friends of invited us to attend a recent filming of the Conan O'Brien show with them on Thursday.

Jannene's laugh caught Conan's attention.

He then proceeded to engage in conversation with Jannene and Johnathan. Even claiming that he wants to marry her and would fight Johnathan for her in the parking lot.

Later, as Conan is poking fun at Morgan Freeman the computer malfunctions so he turns to Jannene's laugh as a reliable filler!

Look for us just after the 8:50 minute mark until the 11 minute mark and then again, just past the 14 minute mark, when the equipment fails (you can slide the player, you don't have to wait for us to appear).
http://teamcoco.com/video/full​-episode-thurs-7-28-jon-favrea​u-jayma-mays-brett-dennen

(P.S. We're currently working on a long blog post that covers from Ella's Birth to Johnathan's graduation, to Connor's birthday, to our recent 9 day road trip and more!  As it has been a while since we blogged.)

Christmas 2010!

We ran into Santa several times this year! It was great seeing him!
This snow globe was a lot of fun! They partially deflate it so you can get in and then they fill it back up while you're waiting. Once it was full of air, we had the freedom to run around and enjoy the winter wonderland.
The hunt for the perfect tree...
How about this one Connor?
Hi Papa! We're going to find a TREE!
This way Momma!

Right through here Mom and Dad!
This one is nice... however, I just don't know.
No. No. Dad... this way!
Tree huntin' was exhausting! WoW! I'm so glad we found our tree. Now... it's time for me to go to sleep!
After a few hours of decorating... Viola!
Haven't ya got a BIG TREE?

Christmas Morning!
PRESENTS!

Are You Ready For This? This car plays that song when the button is pressed. This is now Connor's favorite car! He rocks out and dances as the song plays!


This book features Connor from birth til' now. Jannene loved it! She and Connor made Johnathan a book too! They titled it, "The Best Daddy in the World... Again!" It's the squeal to last year's gift that they gave him.
Connor loves this book! He saw the big eyes and just loves how they move all over the place! He loves to be read to. Ohhh... the joys of a toddler!


And the Christmas Adventures continue... both Jannene and Johnathan tried new recipes this year!
Jannene started with an amazing breakfast quiche dish that featured eggs, sausages, cheese and more!
While gathering ingredients a laugh was had as both Droid Xs were out on the counter with recipes pulled up on each one. Jannene had her email up and Johnathan, the website for his two creations.
Preparing the quiche for the oven.

Hmmm... what's next?
This is going to ROCK!
This is a calorie free zone... yeah, no. Try the next blog over.
Among the homemade things Jannene made, fresh blueberry cupcakes! She also made home made apple pie! Both were amazing! And... for the season, the Christmas Breakfast, Santa paper for the cupcakes!
Two dishes ready for the oven. However, the potatoes aren't done yet! Ahhhh... potatoes, and oh yes, the cream cheese! oh yeah. This will be a FILLING breakfast!
A nice graham cracker topping for the muffins. Can we say "Muffin Top?" WoW! "Delicious?" <-- A slight understatement.
Going in...
And the finished items. Quiche, Cheese Potatoes and the Blueberry Muffins.
Ahhh... oh, so GOOD!
What's that he's making? Homemade Eggnog... from SCRATCH??
Gotta love the hair! Johnathan was so excited for Christmas that he just came down stairs. Once Connor took his nap, he jumped into making EggNog!
Whip the egg yolks
A cup of whipping cream and two cups of milk.
Add a couple of whole cloves and cinnamon.
Heat until steaming. Do NOT allow to boil, or the eggs will curdle. We're not making scrambled eggs here.
Remove from heat. And let cool for an hour.
Add some nutmeg.
Optional: Beat Egg whites into soft peaks. Add a tablespoon of sugar while beating to make the peaks stiff.
Once they are, fold them into the eggnog and chill.
After chilling, serve...
and ENJOY!
And of course... share with loved ones. Don't hoard it for yourself Johnathan. Connor LOVED it! He kept coming back for more!
Back to the PRESENTS!
Whenever we found one of these bead runners, Connor played with it. Now, he has his own. He loves it and constantly is playing with it!


Connor liked his friend Porter's toy, and always plays with it when he visits. Santa must have been watching him, as Connor got one for himself this year.
The wagon will be great on the beach, for now, it works great to hold Connor and some of his presents. And of course... the car that sings and plays music.
Ahhh... the beauty of Christmas morning! A wonderful quote from Andy Rooney says; "One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly."


Jannene's shirt says; "Fetus" -- "feed us" <-- She loves it! Another shirt she received for Christmas says, "I can grow people. What's your superpower?"

With Connor down for a nap... Stained Glass Cookies can now be finished.
Grab a hammer. A bag of jolly ranchers. Molasses. And... more! This recipe was a blast to make! Jannene thought Johnathan was nuts when he came into the kitchen with a hammer, two boards and the rest of the ingredients. She kept saying, you don't need a hammer to make cookies. Oh yes you do.







These cookies were made with molasses. They are exceptional! And yes, we now have a tradition on edible ornaments on our tree. If you ever see them, feel free to enjoy=... either with your eyes, your taste buds, or both. There will be plenty for everyone.

Jannene got Johnathan this helicopter... he still needs practice, however for only having it a few hours, he is doing very well.
Johnathan let Connor play too! When Connor first saw this flying his eyes lit up and a huge smile came across his face! When Johnathan saw that, he promptly sat down and called Connor over. Connor sat down on his Daddy's lap and grabbed the remote control. Within seconds Connor had the helicopter in the air. He wasn't controlling which direction it was going to fly. Instead, Connor just kept elevating the helicopter. He was thrilled by the remote control helicopter beyond what anyone expected or thought.
Connor sat on his lawnmower popper so Jannene pushed him. Hmmm... he LOVED THIS! And soon, was not wanting the thrill to end! A video was taken of Connor riding on this. In the video, you can hear him scream with excitement as he is pushed throughout the house.

Connor's cousins and a large portion of the family came over the day after Christmas for dinner.

Everyone opening presents. One of the presents received was a marshmallow shooter. The mini marshmallows were shot all over the house!


At eighteen months old, this Christmas was very enjoyable for us... and our little man!