Happy New Year

Our Christmas

This year we celebrated Christmas Eve with the Ringleins. I've been asked how Hope enjoyed Christmas...I don't know how much she got the "present" thing, but she definitely enjoyed seeing people (even if she did have a little cold - she was a trooper). Here's a pic with the Ringleins.
On Christmas morning, we opened stocking and some presents.On Christmas Day we stopped by and visited Grandma Linda.

We visited Uncle Dean and cousin, Victor (Gloria too, but she's not in this picture).
Cousin Julia helped Hope open some presents.Even with her runny nose, Hope still enjoyed seeing her aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma.
We had a good Christmas, and are happy to count ourselves blessed.

Hope loves apples

A couple months ago when I came in from the grocery store, I plopped Hope in her seat that is attached to the table, thinking she could amuse herself for a few minutes while I unloaded groceries. When I turned back around she had grabbed an apple from the middle of the table and just started biting into it. I knew she liked apples, but we usually cut them up for her and remove the peel. Here's a pic from the other day, you can see just how much she was going to town on this apple. We were in Katie's car and looking for something to amuse her, she thought she might enjoy holding an apple. As I guessed, she took it as an invitation to eat it. I will say that she had a method of "peeling" the apple herself - where she would take a bite and spit the peel out. Katie said that possums employ this same method. I will say that it leaves a lot of debris in the car seat.

Happy Christmas

Our family has really enjoyed going to the Dickens Fair the past few years. You step into a Victorian London Christmas setting with all the scents and scenes of that time. I love the costumes and the singing and have fun every time. Here's a picture (right to left) of Katie, Julia, Myself, and Hope trying on hats at the Holzer & Combe Haberdashery. I had no idea what a Haberdashery was before, but it was fun to check out.Here are London's Chimney Sweeps - I think I actually saw them do part of the number from Mary Poppins - How fun!Here are some of the sailoring crew at the London docks. I enjoyed the variety of things they came up with for "What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?"

O Little Town Of Bethlehem

I collect nativities, and I love each and every one of them. I love the Christmas Season because I get to bring them out. Just wanted to share my collection so far. Hope also has a Little People Nativity (not pictured).

A gift from Becky Hollingsworth

Willow Tree

Thomas Kincade

HeartSong

Department 56

Happy Birthday, Hope

Hope turned one on Friday. We had a party combined with a couple of playgroup friends with a fun, ladybug theme. Hope enjoyed herself and loved playing with all the kids.We did a Korean tradition where you put a tray of symbolic items in front of the child to see which item they will pick to predict their future (i.e. a jar of rice meant she'll never go hungry, a ribbon represented a long life, a pen means she'll be a scholar). We added a couple of items more geared to our family - a piano for musical , a chess piece for a grand master, and a poker chip representing a poker player. Andrew was pleased that she picked the chess piece (though she almost reached for the basketball - what would we do with a basketball player in our family?).I think Hope enjoyed her first cake and joy of getting her face messy. Although, in retrospect, red icing makes a messy face look a little gory.This shot just looked like pure mischief and I had to throw it in. Hope has mastered climbing up the stairs - though not climbing down. We think she's real close to taking her first steps - she's doing real well at pulling herself up on things and using furniture to walk along and even turning around and grabbing another support method...just not venturing those solo steps.