Merry Christmas

This Christmas was so much fun! The video is priceless and very rare to catch Addie in such a good mood when the camera is present. I think she was overwhelmed with all of the festivities but it is such fun to see her starting to understand holidays!

Addie had to wait on our bed for Papa and Gaga to arrive so she could see what Santa brought.

Santa arrived with an easel and art projects in tow...for anyone with small kiddos I highly recommend the Melissa & Doug company. They have all sorts of toys and projects which are fairly easy to assemble (YEAH!) and very kid friendly. Next came lots of gifts for the whole family...some of Addie's favorites so far are her webkinz from her cousins, a soccer ball which she wants to bounce most of the time, (We are eagerly awaiting some dry conditions outside to show her the difference.) a sushi set for her kitchen...too cute, a DJ Soundboard which I can't even begin to describe except to say we will never be in silence again, and the tent which Addie calls her house.

Jonah and his new Giants hat...

Gertie was in on all of the fun as well...

We always miss family during the holidays with everyone scattered across the country but we are so blessed to have my parents near by to share the days!

We love you all and can't wait for 2009!

Disneyland at Christmas

My parents and I took Addie down to Disneyland this week and it was so much fun! The only negative was that Jonah had to work and couldn't join us this trip. Once again Addie loved all of the characters, the parades and the shows. She is starting to figure out the ride situation and didn't give us too much trouble when it was time to exit. Her favorites beyond what is pictured here were the train, the Muppets 3-D movie, the carousel and the ladybug ride. It is so different to see Disneyland through the eyes of a child.Addie waiting for the parade to start...

I had not been to Disneyland during Christmas but it was amazing, I have never seen so many lights and the parade/snow was a sight to see. Below is "It's a Small World" at night.
This is the same ride during the day...Addie with Grandma & Papa.

Addie with Santa...she ran right up and jumped in his lap but no smiles for the camera. The attraction had live reindeer as well which were really cool.
If you know a two year old then you know that this age is when minor obsessions begin. Addie is currently in a "Tinkerbell" phase; she would watch the movie 3 times a day if we would let her. There is currently a Tinkerbell attraction at Disneyland where you get to meet some of the fairies and talk to them. We waited for over an hour not sure what to expect and I can tell you it was well worth it. Addie was speechless, shocked and overwhelmed. None of the pictures truly grasped her reaction but they give you a little bit of an idea.

Dumbo was a big hit!

This is the FIRST time Addie has ever fallen asleep in her stroller...we didn't think it was possible.

K-Town Christmas Parade

Okay...I know you may be asking why Kingsburg but I must say it was a great parade for the kiddos and the adults had such a fun time. We hadn't seen Casey and Kelli in awhile and it was lots of fun to catch up, even in the freezing cold. Addie is not one to wear shoes much less a hat, gloves and a coat but she finally realized what it meant to be chilly!

My beautiful family!

I love this picture...Addie is starting to get the hang of "look at the camera and say cheese".

Addie and her friend "O"

Kelli and I...if you only knew how many pictures had been taken through the years, I think this is one of my favorites.

The Holidays are Upon Us

I love this time of year! Our house is decorated, the tree is lit and the Christmas parties have begun. Addie was invited to a party on Sunday filled with Santa, trains, cake decorating and much more. She went with my parents and they had a great time. It leaves me without words to see how much she is changing, it wasn't long ago that she wouldn't leave my side and now she loves to ride in Papa's car without mom!

Our Baby On the Way

It is still so hard to believe that we are 12 weeks pregnant! I have had lots of people remind me that I haven't even mentioned this new development, other than the ticker to the side, on the blog. So...here goes, as anyone who would read this already knows we were more than a little bit shocked to discover a baby on the way. Our doctor has been amazing and has been very hands on since the day we found out, partially (I think) because he is as shocked as we are. While I see the perfection of God's timing and plan it is still a bit overwhelming at times.

I am feeling much better than I was a few weeks ago and (I think) starting to get a little tummy which is a vast difference from the in-vitro days. I am amazed at the difference in process, I must say normal pregnancies go through a long waiting period at the beginning! We had an appointment with an ultrasound last week which reassured us and also gave a look into a "VERY MOBILE" little person.

Addie loves babies but hasn't quite caught on to the idea of us having a new one. We are so excited to see her with a sibling, she is such a mommy already.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for us, sending us well wishes and are walking this road with us. I am sure I will have lots of questions in the months to come about having two kiddos in the house.

Halloween

Addie is starting to catch on to the different holidays (not that Halloween is a celebration for us) and themes, she even managed a "trick or treat" or two. This year made me so thankful for the neighborhood we live in. It is filled with great families and we had so much fun visiting a few houses and handing out candy. Addie loved the different costumes and picking the suckers out of the neighbors candy bowls. Daisy Duck was a big hit but I think she secretly would have preferred Elmo.

Riding Horses

Doesn't it seem like this vacation was long? It was a whirlwind, however, we did pack a lot in. Melissa's parents have horses and it was such a treat to be able to spend a few days introducing Addie to them. We also got to do some riding ourselves. The kiddo's had fun playing in the dirt, the jeep and pretend driving the tractor.

Our little cowgirl

Addie loves her cousins

Jonah was a pro...
Mikey was a natural...

Addie love's animals...maybe the veterinary field is in her future.

Ahhhh...the beach

What an amazing time we had in Cayucous! We were so blessed to be able to spend time on the sand and relax as a family. A few of us got in some boogey boarding while the rest splashed in the waves. The guys golfed, the girls got some quality bonding time and there were lots of laughs.

Disneyland

My brother and his family came to visit for a few weeks in September so we made our way to the "happiest place on earth". It was a great time especially for the little ones. Addie loved the parades, characters and shows. The only downfall of taking a 2 year old is that they don't understand when the ride is over you must get off. It makes sense if you think about it, when you are having fun why stop???

Addie's first look at Mickey Mouse.

She LOVED the parades!!!

Isn't family fun!

I highly recommend Disneyland during the week when school is in session. We had such a great time and practically walked on to most of the attractions.