Christmas 2009

A quick glimpse into our Christmas this year...

The first two pictures below are of the kids all bundled up as we walked around a nearby town center with lights and "snow fall" once every hour. Not too sure what Junior thought of the "snow". It was a good experience but really cold for us all so we didn't spend too long out there.

The next day (Sunday before Christmas) we celebrated with Daddy's side of the family. Wonderful dinner, great company and all the kids enjoyed their gifts! Later that night, Daddy's sister and husband were telling us about an older man in a nearby town that has a train in his backyard and gives out train rides during the holidays. We thought that sounded like a great idea and we followed them there after leaving Mimi and Grandad's house. Gaga fell asleep on the way over there. We got her out of the car but left her in her car seat while the rest of us stood in line to board the train! Junior really enjoyed it and he got to sit next to big cousin M while I had the pleasure of holding baby A. The ride lasted about 7 minutes and I might have enjoyed it more than any of the kids! We will definitely be making it back there next year!

Then there are a few pictures of our snow on Christmas eve! What a beautiful sight!!! Daddy took the picture of our house covered in snow after we made it back from mass. We are glad we decided to go at 6pm instead of 8pm because the snow really started coming down as we were leaving mass. Good thing we live so close to church or it could have been a crazy drive home!

On Christmas morning we leisurely opened our gifts, had breakfast and then got ready to go celebrate with my side of the family. We do not have any pictures of the kids opening gifts at our house because we used the video camera the whole time. Sorry! Once at Nana's we opened more gifts and then headed to my grandparents house to gather with my extended family. A few more gifts to open and time to eat dinner. By this time, Gaga had almost mastered the art of unwrapping gifts. I guess from all the gifts she opened on her birthday and then Christmas a week later will do that! Junior, already a pro, wanted to open all of Gaga's and anyone else's that would allow him. (I got lots of help!) I was actually shocked that while at Nana's house we all took turns opening, oohhing and aahhing over each gift that Junior sat quietly between each of his turns and never made a fuss that he couldn't open more than one at a time! I'm so proud of my little man!

Words can not express the joy we received from celebrating and gathering with both sides of the family during the holidays. We are truly blessed to have such amazing families!

Christmas 2009

1 Year Old

We can NOT believe our sweet Gaga is already a year old. Time sure has flown by and we continue to enjoy every minute of it! She is quite the character! Junior made us laugh when he was little, but Gaga has taken it to a whole new level! She is hysterical!!! We think she knows it too and is always trying to make us laugh with funny noises, faces or talking gibberish!

Things Gaga has learned over the past few months:

• She's a great crawler and is just now becoming interested in walking behind her new push toy (baby stroller she received for her birthday...thanks Mimi and Grandad!)
• She loves to wave "bye-bye" or "hi" but usually you have to leave first and then turn around quickly to see it as she will start to wave after you have left.
• She can verbally say "dada", "mama", and "bye-bye"
• She can sign "more", "milk", "drink", "eat" (which for her is the same as more) and her latest one "help" (which I don't remember ever showing her that one)
• She loves to clap when others clap or when we say "good girl"
• It took her awhile but once she figured out how to get back down from a standing position she was a much happier girl
• She gives great kisses complete with smacking noises and can also blow kisses from afar
  
• She has 5 teeth
• She plays well with Junior (sometimes) and they can entertain themselves for awhile (sometimes)
• We can tell she is starting to comprehend things (for example...I was telling her I was putting on my shoe and she turn around crawled and grabbed for her shoe. And when I told her I needed to change her diaper she pointed to her diapers on the changing table across the room.
• When she isn't getting what she wants, she sure lets you know. She can get LOUD!
  

1 Year old stats:
30 1/2 inches tall
17 lbs. 6 oz.

Happy 1st Birthday, Gaga!!!

We celebrated Gaga's first birthday on Sunday afternoon by eating yummy fajitas, purple cake, opening presents and watching a slide show of Gaga's first year of life. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and we couldn't be happier having our loved ones together to celebrate this milestone in Gaga's life! Thanks to all who made it and we missed the ones who could not. Happy Birthday, Gaga...we love you!

1st Birthday

St. Nicholas and gearing up for Christmas

After working all night, I got home woke up Daddy and got the kids ready for a pancake breakfast with St. Nicholas up at our church. Junior seemed to enjoy all the activities including listening to the story of St. Nicholas. Gaga, as usual, went along with all the excitement until we tried to get a picture of her and St. Nick. I have never before seen her so upset! Needless to say, when I asked Junior if he wanted to take a picture with him, he quickly shook his head, "NO"! (That was fine with me, so we could head on home and I could get to bed!)

Listening to the St. Nick story

Attempt at the picture

Gaga letting me know how displeased she was with me for putting her on St. Nick's lap

Before bedtime a couple nights later, we finished putting up the lights on our tree and a couple nights after that we finished putting up the ornaments. When Junior was younger, we never had an issue with him bothering the tree. It just didn't seem to interest him. Gaga is the total opposite. It is a complete and utter fascination for her. We are constantly redirecting her crawl route and she usually doesn't mind!

Junior trying on his "stocking"

This and that

Just a few pics and a few things that Junior is saying these days that makes me laugh!

-You being too noisy.
-We need a new one...that one too old.
-I want to be big like Daddy.

Nana, Junior and Gaga playing

Nana reading to Junior

Great One playing with Gaga

I turned around for a second the other night...

Cookie Day 2009

Our annual "Cookie Day" was this past Saturday. It was held again at my aunt's house and most of my side of the family was able to make it to enjoy. I took my usual position next to the oven to "man my station". I had to make sure all the cookies were at the right temperature and baked for the right amount of time. Easy enough you may think until I tell you that there were always 3 cookie sheets baking at once. One oven fit one pan and the second oven was a convectional and would house two baking sheets of cookies. In between, I was tending to my own cookies to mix up and bake. I made 3 different kinds. It is a tough job, but someone has to do it! We thankfully had no fires in the oven this time. (Aunt A was not there with her snickerdoodles to cause that! Maybe next year!) Junior enjoyed decorating his gingerbread house and Gaga enjoyed my cousin's dog immensely. She would crawl around and follow her anywhere! We managed to take the two little guys out to get some fresh air and run around before eating dinner, a little more playtime and then the long trek back home with many cookies in tow. Thanks to my aunt for letting us invade and destroy her kitchen! Can't wait to do it all again!

Cookie Day 2009

A Little Holiday Fun!!!

A friend of mine had done this last year with her 4 family members (now 5) and I thought it was the cutest ever. As soon as the videos became available again I could not resist starring our family in them this year! They are all different. I had a hard time picking just one to post so I included all of them. Enjoy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

11 Months Old

Junior's first Putt-Putt game

Daddy and I took Junior putt-putting for the first time recently and we all enjoyed our time spent with just him. Nana was able to spend some time alone with Gaga while we did this instead of Junior occupying all of her time! We played through 18 holes, but I think we were ready to go after 12. Junior did surprisingly well by making most of his holes in 3 putts (1 over par). I thought for sure he would be putting the ball past the hole over and over again. He sounded like a broken record after he sunk each putt..."Where we go now?"...as we would direct him to the next hole. He was also pleased with his success at each hole and so were we!

His first putt

Look at that form!

Our Halloween

Our Halloween was packed full of fun all day. We started off going to the pumpkin patch finally. We tried to get a good picture of the little ones in their costumes with the few pumpkins that were left. Then on our way back home stopped at the ballpark for my company's "Family Day at the Park". They had plenty of food and activities for Junior. This is where we took the picture seen below. We ended the night going trick or treating to a few houses and then called it a night. The kids and we were exhausted by the end of the day. Click on the picture below for a few more pics of the day.

Halloween 2009