Christmas Card rejects

Let's just pick up as if we never left off!  Here are a few reject, yet funny, pictures in our quest for a Christmas card pic this year.  There are plenty more where these came from...but here are the most entertaining.  Pretty tame if you ask me.

Lillie's 3rd Birthday

It has been celebration central around our house this week.  That really just comes with the territory of having a holiday birthday, I guess.  It was three short years ago when my water broke at 11 pm on July 3rd just as we were going to sleep after a fun night of ice cream feasting.  Our lives haven't been the same ever since she came into the world and my how we are so very thankful for this this little bundle of firecrackers!

This year Lillie was more aware of what having a birthday means.  She knew that she was only two (picture her giving the peace sign here) and that she was turning "free!" and then it all went downhill from there.  She then moved straight to losing teeth and being a BIG girl from there. 

Here are some highlights from the week.  Maybe (and that's a big maybe) I'll get to post some pics from the past year.  We have somebody else's first birthday to celebrate soon!

We started off the morning right with a big wake up call from Dunc

Birthday presents were first because we all couldn't wait to see her excitement

A big girl bike...with no missing teeth!

Swim time with friends

picnicing with friends to finish out the week

Kitchen help

Help?  Ummm...no.  I still wouldn't have it any other way!

Long day...

of play ahead.

Sous chef

Back at blogging

...with a big maybe in there.  I last posted over 6 months ago and I'd like to say that blogging is like a great friend.  That friend that you haven't seen in a while and when you come back together you pick right up where you left off. 

I doubt that's the case here.  Bummer, because a lot has happened.  And while I love to enjoy every minute with my family, I also like to be able to look back at pictures and my blog to remember it.  So here goes nothing...

Lillie:


Slooooow down there, girl!  Our sweet little almost 3 year old is growing up way too fast for me.  Although, she is becoming a super side kick and I'm so thankful for all of her help.  I often find her saying the same things that I say to Duncan and trying her hardest to pick him up and comfort him or guide him away from something she has seen me tell him is dangerous. 

She's also full of an imagination and excitement (if you know her, you know the excitement has always been there) now with stories to tell and made up places to go.  It's a ton of fun to sit back and watch what she comes up with. 

And the drama is kicking!  She tends to have a good sense of how things usually go and as soon as she starts to get the feeling that it's not going as expected, no worries, she'll make sure to let us know.

Duncan:


Duncan is now 10 months old and such a little sunshine.  While he's much more laid back than his sister, I've come to realize he'll likely not have much of a problem being the little brother considering his size.  He's got such a warm, cuddly personality and fat rolls that 'll make you want to squeeze him a little too tight.  Sometimes when I'm holding him I jump up and down to just release the joy.

He feels free to adventure around the house.  We keep the bathroom door shut, all of the toys with hair or fuzz on them off of the floor (he just adores planting his face in them and knawing away), and the fridge door must be closed almost as soon as it is opened.  If he makes it there in time we'll surely be tearing him away.

There's so much more to our sweet family, but here's what I came up with on the fly since I'm getting some good quiet time around here.  Here's to hoping that I can share more...

artist at work

The cold weather hasn't really set in but we aren't doing as much of this these days.  I love to let Lillie try different activities but my Type A tends to get in the way for stuff like this.