Suburban Zookeeping: Yes, this thing is still on...

I would have been blogging more but truth be told, our lives were boring while DH was unemployed. He started his new job mid-December and we spent most of our time from October to December trying not to totally get on each other's nerves and/or blow up things around the house. I love my husband but spending almost all of our waking hours 10' apart, at max, for three & a half months isn't our thing. Our drive to finish up home improvement things slowed down with the weather so I'm still holding a mile long to-do house list.

But again, let's go with a photo dump update from Halloween to Christmas:

My husband in his ghoul outfit & my unhappy witch with her glowstick balloons.

The house in all of its Halloween glory.

We were both witches in my desperate attempt to get her to wear her tutu - hers was about 20 yards of tulle... mine was 325 yards and still could take more.

My "Jolie-Pitt" baby

Trying to hold a wiggly toddler in line for Pirates @ Disneyland

Taking in It's a Small World

Our HOA Christmas party with fresh snow & Santa - our foster puppy joined us. He was mauled on Thanksgiving and dumped in a field at about 4-5 weeks of age.

Giving Santa a hug at the Gymboree holiday party - her teacher is shocked because Bella is scared to death of Santa under normal circumstances. A fist bump changed everything!

The exterior for the winter holidays... and yes, I did build a custom Jack Skellington for our front yard. And we drive matching Priuses although that was never our intention.

The grandparents went overboard this year. We put many of our gifts back into the cabinet for later in the year because we felt it was "too much." Santa only gives her one mid-priced item as to prevent the "Santa doesn't read price tags" BS that my step siblings pulled.

Day 1 of my food poisoning from a Buena Park sushi joint - yes, I realize I could probably expect it. We went out to a place recommended by our best friend's fiance... never making that mistake again.