Dear blog followers

Hello to my 3 blog followers... I am sorry I've failed you.  I know you've been waiting desperately to hear how our Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year, Valentines and Presidents Day have been and I've not kept you abreast.  Well, our little family is plugging along in all its cuteness and I haven't documented.... this all b/c my "new" laptop isn't very helpful to me in downloading photos, etc.  So, alas, I will get back to it.

Wish I had a great teaser, but I don't. 

Halloween

I'll come back to Weezie's bday after this post, but wanted to get halloween out there while it's easy to download on the laptop.

Trick or treating has become one Lover's favorite experiences with the girls over the last 2 years.  It's such a fun time to be enjoying the fun they're having alongside of you.  He told me that he wants to make the night be just our family b/c, before long, they're gonna be too cool to run along with us and be excited and it'll be all about their friends.  So, what's better than Mommy and Daddy, a sack full of candy and running aimlessly in the streets???

And now for the most important part... the unicorn fairy, the chicken and the ladybug.

Dividing the spoils.

Tribute to the one year old

I was remiss after posting the last post that I didn't give any comments about our darling little baby.  I have to say that she has been the most delightful addition to our family over the past year.  Our hearts are so smitten with her, all 4 of us, that I cannot imagine enjoying a baby more.  I want her to stay little and cute just like she is right now and not change. 

Lately, we've especially loved hearing her babble... sounds like "cully, cully, cully." Also love when she tries to jump (just her feet staying firmly planted but her body doing jumping motions).  Her smile is precious especially when she does the extra cheesy version and shows all 6 teeth.  She's cute when she claps along to the music in the car and even gets giggly excited when she hears one particular song on the Sesame Street cd that we play a lot (letter H). 

We love you Meredith -- don't go changin'!

Photo with Gogo... she'll learn how important a person Gogo is in her life as soon as she's able to chew gum, drink Coke and eat honey buns... should be any day now.

Baby turns 1

We better get with the program and move onto the fall, eh?  Before we do, I gotta catch up on some important events from the summer... like Baby Girl's birthday.

We took our second annual lake trip with the Wolthuis family over her birthday -- oh, I mean, we went to the lake FOR her birthday!

Here are all the other kiddos riding in a car that Perry made.  Notice the blocks she built to form the outside, the circle toy as the steering wheel and the cardboard box as the baby doll's car seat. 

We had a wonderful time at the lake... thanks Wolthuis' for letting us come!

More summertime fun

One way to beat the heat... play dough!

Cute cousins at the beach house... don't know why she's topless.

Getting neglected but happy nonetheless.

She feels like such a big girl when she's allowed to do this.  She actually does great!

This has been the summer of swimming for her.  Took swim lessons for the first time ever and they helped tremendously... mainly with just getting her to be comfortable putting her head under water.  From there (where she plateau-ed with her teacher), she has gotten braver and braver on her own.  Wouldn't say she's competently swimming yet, but definitely making excellent progress.  She's encouraged when she sees her friends doing it... competitive nature just like her parents.

A visit to the trailer park.  Oh, wait, this is in our yard.  We have on our "yard suits" complete with safety pins and such.  Some of us don't even have a yard suit.

Perry throws a luncheon

Hopefully the first of many to come! P asked and asked if she could have her teachers over for lunch.  I was thrilled at her initiative and desire to serve them, so encouraged the idea.  We had a lovely lunch with her teachers from her 3-year-old class.  I let her select the "china" (Elmo), make the place cards and help with the cupcakes and flower arrangement among other things.  She was so very proud and very much in her element!

Thank you, Mrs. Ashley and Mrs. Leslie for all your hard work, patience and wonderfully creative ideas!  She had a wonderful year and felt so comfortable with both of these kind-hearted women. 

Summer Visit

Backtracking a bit and starting with June, the girls and I went to SC for VBS and a little visit with Bibi and Gogo, with whom they love to spend time.  As seen above, a little blackberry picking at Uncle Randy's where we had to relieve ourselves (happens EVERYWHERE we go).  Granddaddy love and then a celebration of twenty-something years of teaching... Mom has finally retired so we went to dinner to celebrate.  We're proud of your hard work, Mom!

Many more summer posts to catch up on!