busy

January has found us busy....

playing with brother and sisters,

escaping diaper changes to run free,

building and destruction with new tool sets,

planning a trip to Hawaii (for mom & dad),

play dates with cousins,

sleepover at Nana & Papa's,

and finally, on Jan 15, taking down our Christmas decor.

Sometime this month, I think I have lost a week....

soup

Have bowl...

...need soup!

Miss Ev has really started to show her spunk lately.

We attribute some of it to the 8 teeth she is cutting right now.

Some of it maybe in response to the sometimes tormenting older siblings.

Or perhaps, the need to communicate but not enough words yet.

In any case, the result is a lot of shrieking.

My most mellow baby has turned into a not so mellow toddler.

Good thing she is still so cute.

She still gives the sweetest kisses and hugs.

She snuggles with me in the mornings.

She follows her brother and sister around and plays.

She loves eating the food off my plate better than her own (it's the same stuff)

She loves to eat with a fork or spoon, by herself.

ending and beginning

New Year's Eve 2009

marked the end of a good year.

The end of my 33rd year too.

We celebrated the day.

Shopping with my mom, while Papa watched the kids.

Good food and yummy cake that night.

Mother nature was kind enough to deliver some snow

and then freezing rain.

The results were both beautiful and dangerous.

And also provided the kids with a great way to end the night.

Sledding behind the four-wheeler.

Cheers to a new year, 2010!

My 34 th year...

A year to keep on keepin' on.

To be a little better than the last.

A little more fit.

A little (or lot) more patient.

More grateful.

More giving.

More organized.

We had a humorous motto floating in the family last year, "lookin' fine in 09"

This year Ben came up with "try it again in 2010"

So, here we go!