It's that time of year again...time for cuddling by a cozy fire, sipping hot cocoa, basking in the glow of the Christmas tree, spending time with friends and loved ones...what's not to love about the holiday season? With Christmas just around the corner, it feels like Autumn has quickly flown by...time to stop and smell those Fall roses...
Our Fall has been loaded with traveling and holiday activities, with more fun things in store this month! We began October with a trip to Eastern Washington to visit my grandparents, a strategic plan to miss the snow that can make a trek over the pass next to impossible. It was so much fun to have the four generations of women together and Addy loved trying to play with all of Grandma's collectables... We'll definitely have to make another trip once the snow is gone! 
October also brought us officially into Toddler-hood - we now have a walking, mischeif-making, disappearing act on our hands that we like to call Addyson. We've learned that there IS a thing as being TOO quite and silence means there's something keeping her occupied that shouldn't be. Testing the bounderies is Addy's new favorite past-time, along with shaking her head "no" at us - the two of which do not go well together. I've determined that I need to invent a force field that can keep toddlers out of arms reach from any problem areas at the touch of a button. AND it needs to have the capability of keeping sippy cups and food from being chucked off the high chair tray...like a reverse feature! Please email me if you can help me with said invention... Can't say this girl doesn't have a personality though! She is full of jibber-jabber these days, although mama and dada are the only words we can actually understand. She loves looking at our family photos and constantly points at them so that we'll name who's in the picture. She's extremely inquisitive and observant - thank GOD it doesn't seem like she inherited my complete lack of observation. She's a very happy, bubbly girl that loves to play peek-a-boo, run from the tickle monster, "train" Lucia (aka feed her treats) and read books. In fact, pulling ALL the books from her bookcase is one of her favorite activities! We're still working on the clean-up game...
November made a quick pit-stop at our home, giving us enough time for Thanksgiving and a trip to Cali. And not just any trip, but my first flight with Addy BY MYSELF. I know, I know...you're asking yourself, "Has she gone insane?!" Well, yes, there are days I think I have but luckily this decision didn't cost me my sanity like I thought it would. Let's just be thankful it's only a two-hour flight or I might have had a different outcome. I made sure I was stocked with anything and everything I could think of to keep Addy occupied on the flight. Crayons and coloring book? Done. Stickers and new toys? You betcha. Snacks and more snacks? If you know my daughter, you don't even have to ask me this question...I might as well have had a mini-mart in my diaper bag. So off we flew to see Grandma and Grandpa Jones! We got them all to ourselves for a few days until Daddy, Auntie Sarah and Uncle Carl flew out a couple days later. We went shopping with Grammy of course, and got in some good time on the beach. The weather was incredible and we even got to play a round of golf! First time for me since I was newly pregnant with Addy and I even shot a par! Yes, just one, but I'll take my small victory against the golf course after my two year hiatus. :) We also met the most well-trained flock of ducks any of us have ever seen - Jeff would whistle from 50 yards away and 40 ducks would fly right to us, landing/crashing inches from us! It was one of the more entertaining things I've experienced on a golf course. Here's a short video to pass along the entertainment: Duck Video
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| Thanksgiving Day |
Thanksgiving was amazing, delicious and full of appreciation for all we've been blessed with. I think now more than ever I can truly understand and appreciate the unconditional love a family has for one another. Growing up, I knew my parents loved me and I them, but until I became a parent myself, I could never fully grasp HOW MUCH I was, and am, loved. It's a pretty incredible feeling - to look at my daughter knowing I love her with every being of my soul and realizing my family has that same love for me...it's humbling, actually. So much to be thankful for, some many blessings we've been given, it would take me a year just to write them all down. But as we plow head-first into the Christmas season, it's always a good reminder to reflect on what Christmas is all about and count your blessings - you might just find yourself getting enveloped in the spirit of giving and being a blessing to someone else. Merry Christmas!!
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| There's a crack in the back! |
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