Busy bees...

We have been busy! Where do I even start? Over the holidays we bought a new car. We got a 2008 Honda Accord. Joe has to turn his company car in, so we needed a replacement. We were able to take advantage of the bad economy & got a great deal.

While we were off for the holidays, Joe put cabinets in the laundry room for me. The extra storage space is great and it is nice to be able to close the doors on all our stuff instead of it sitting out on one shelf. THEN - Joe painted the kitchen. I picked out a nice, pastel green and it turned out a lot darker than I expected. I've gotten used to it now and think it will look nice with the burnt orange & light brown accents I plan to get.

Last weekend the desk we bought was delivered (again, taking advantage of the economy). In our first house Joe built a nice desk to fit into a little nook in one of the rooms, but in our new house we don't have a nook like that and we needed something different. We hope the new desk will help, or at least encourage us to stay organized.

A few weeks ago I painted my toe nails for the first time in a long time and Leah was very interested in my red toenails. Last weekend I painted hers. She has been talking about her toes ever since.

Today we had a dusting of snow so we took Leah out in it. She had a good time cleaning the snow off everything. That is her favorite thing to do inside, so she was thrilled. The cold didn't seem to bother her but she was pretty bundled up.

I hope everyone is doing well and I will keep updating the blog. My brother Pete and his son Alex are coming to visit the week after next and I am sure I will have a lot to say.

In a rut

I've been in a blogging rut, but I promise I will have an update this week. We have had plenty going on, I just haven't kept up with writing about it.

Every now and then, there is a moment that makes you thankful for all you have. This Christmas was one of those for me. I am grateful for having such a wonderful husband & daughter, and family.

Christmas was a little different this year. Because Leah had fifths and Crissie is pregnant we weren't able to get together as a big group. Everyone got together with them without us, and then we got together without them. My brother's family usually can't make it up for the holidays because Pete works for UPS, so we are used to missing them, but it just didn't feel like Christmas. We will make sure next year is better.

Leah was excited about Santa (or at least the new toys under the tree Christmas morning) and all the other gifts she received. She is happy to have new things to play with, she was starting to outgrow a lot of what she had.

And... In the spirit of giving, we gave Leah her first fast food cheeseburger today. She loved it.

Pleading the 5th

In the midst of the holiday season, Leah (and possibly Joe) has caught fifth disease. At first we thought it was just another cold or maybe her incoming molar was bothering her, but two little girls at the sitter's had it so that is most likely the case. For the most part she has been in a good mood but has woken up at night when the Motrin wears off. Since she's sick, she had also been sleeping more. Sleeping in until 8 instead of 6! This probably means we won't see much family for Christmas but it is only one day, one holiday and there will be many others.

Merry Christmas to everyone & happy New Year!

Can you tell me where my baby went? Because this little girl is way too big.

I can not believe how big Leah is getting. She is full of words now and loves to pretend. She also loves to copy you. For months Joe and I have been the ones to chase her around the house, but earlier this week she started chasing me back. How adorable. She never ceases to amaze me.

This is the time we have been waiting for. Leah can finally communicate most of her wants. It is such a relief to know why she is upset or crying, even if we have to tell her no. Looking back to when she was a newborn, I remember chalking a few crying fit up as gas because nothing else seemed to be wrong.

It is fun seeing how excited she gets about new toys, Christmas lights or her favorite foods. Sometimes when I watch her I realize what a special time in her (and my) life this is, because this is when so many things are new & magical.

Holiday Season

We are in full holiday swing! Last week we put our tree up. It was very cold and very windy so we went to a lot up the street instead of cutting one down. We will start that tradition next year. Leah loves the tree, lights and all the decorations! She has gotten into the habit of saying "hi" to everything, it's really cute. I am looking forward to baking cookies and seeing Leah's face on Christmas morning - those should both be a blast!

Our Gingerbread House

Every year Jenni makes a gingerbread house with Jake and it has become part of our family's tradition. So, this year I decided to put one together with Leah. Here is the story in pictures.

Oh, this is going to be cool!

Notice the upside down shingles?

CANDY!!!!

Ok, let me try.

Aaand - we're done. Note to self: Don't try to cover-up upside down shingles.