We wish you a merry christmas!

 Christmas eve, reading The Night Before Christmas.

 Christmas morning!  Look at the beautiful tree, little brother.

 Opening presents, reading books.

Having fun!  Merry Christmas Everyone!

A little holiday cheer!

Happy Dance!

Tis the season!

Tis the season to belt out Christmas songs at the top of her lungs (after she stopped watching the piano player and started to pay attention)!  Lia, you are a Star!  I'm so proud of you.  You looked so cute and you did such a great job at your school's holiday rehearsal.  Keep singing loud and proud!

The Royal Family!

Ha Ha!  I know, we're a bunch of geeks!

Hope you are all doing well!

That boy can eat!

I have noticed a considerable increase to our grocery bills, and a quicker rate at which food gets eaten in our house.  Friends of ours with boys have said that their boys EAT so we should be prepared.  Lia was kind of a picky eater as a baby.  She likes a variety of foods now but I wouldn't say she devours food or stuffs herself.  Owen on the other hand...that boy can eat!  He's always hungry!  He'll eat anything and come back for seconds!  It's so cute!  And I have this motherly need (naturally) to let him eat as much as he wants (for now anyway...no worries about my skinny Minnie gaining too much weight).  I just need to get him to stop throwing food on the floor! 

Maybe he'll be a good influence on Lia and get her to eat more vegetables.  He loves tomatoes, avocado, yogurt, eggs, meat of all kinds, oranges, blueberries, bread, cheese, peas, squash...I know what I'm doing tomorrow- grocery shopping again! 

Happy Halloween!

That's one cute bunny and her carrot!

Like Sister Like Brother!

 Having a snack.

 Trying on winter stuff.

 Hanging with Dad.

Picking out pumpkins.

Owen loves to do what Lia does.  He is now walking everywhere (he can't sit still).  He points, he claps, he laughs, he waves.  He is always watching his sister and wants to do what she does.  He loves to hug and cuddle Lia.  He is always jibber jabbering to her.  It is so sweet.
Lia is doing more and more these days too.  She can now write all her letters and is working on numbers.  She can count to 30 and remembers many of the days of the week and months of the year.  She sings songs and draws pictures and loves to take care of her brother. 
We are all enjoying the Fall weather and seasonal festivities.  We are looking forward to Halloween and snow.  Hope you are all well.

A Beautiful Moment!

My Grandparents celebrated their 65th anniversary this year.  Their love is beautiful.  It's an inspiration.  It's an amazing accomplishment.  It's sweet, it's cute.  Their love is strong.  It's powerful.  It's something to work towards, something to live up to, something to admire.  It's an honor.  I love it!  I hope to have this when I'm their age.  This beautiful, heartfelt, wonderful LOVE!

Vacations are all about love!

 

We LOVE you, Aunt Michelle and Uncle Pete!

Vacations are all about fun!

Vacations are all about family!

The perfect water

The beach is calling and I must answer!  More vacation pictures coming soon.

Playing

A few pictures of the kids playing and having fun!

 Look, I have teeth!

 Lia helping Owen in the sand.

 Really cool buffalo at the museum.

 Train rides by Queen Lia.

Snow White in the garden!

Sun

Lia's artwork!  I call it Purple Sun.  Lia calls it 'Going Down Sun Tonight'. 

My 1 year old!

Happy Birthday Owen!

You are 1 already.  Wow, this year flew by.  You are growing stronger and smarter day by day.  You caught up quick for being a month early.  You are still the sweet cuddly baby you were at the beginning.  You are happy, playful, flirty, 'talkative', sweet, curious, adventurous, daring, lovable.  You adore your big Sis so much.  You are always giving her smiles and wanting to play with her.  She is teaching you lots of things like colors and shapes and how to eat foods play with toys.  She takes her job of helping you and protecting you very seriously!  She can play a little rough and love you a little too hard at times but this just helps you to be stronger.  Your sister loves you very much.

You like to do a lot of things these days.  You love playing in the kitchen, banging pots and pans, stirring with spoons.  You love trucks and cars and tools.  You like to ride your motorcycle.  You like books.  You LOVE water- the bath, the pool, the wet grass.  Getting wet is really really fun.  You and your sister play in the sandbox a lot.  Can you please stop putting the sand in your mouth?

You like to put things into containers and take them out.  This activity never gets boring.  You like to show us what you can do.  Cleanup is more of a game to you instead of a chore.

You like a wide variety of foods.  You love eggs, ground beef, oatmeal, apples, watermelon, cheerios, yogurt.  You have a very good appetite.  You are growing bigger and bigger every day.  You have 6 teeth now!  You love feeding me pieces of food with your sticky fingers.  I love how it makes you smile and giggle.

You are very ticklish.  It doesn't take much to get you to giggle.  I think you are close to taking your first solo steps.  You have said Mama and Dada and now we're waiting for you to say Lia!

We are all so blessed to have you in our family.  You are an amazing baby and your growing into an amazing boy.  We can't wait to see what you learn this next year!