December, where did you go?

Man, I have really not done a very good job of staying up to date. So here is a re-cap of the past month...

 After we got back from celebrating Thanksgiving, we busted out the Christmas decor and got in the holiday spirit. Well, all of us but Owen. He was in a terrible mood that whole day... We all managed to enjoy ourselves in spite of his tears!

 We also went to the skating rink for the first time. We were so excited when they opened it last year, but with me being pregnant and Chris having a bum knee, it didn't happen. This first time there I think we only made it around the rink twice, but we had a good time going at a snail's pace. Ethan tossed the blue "guide" by the end and was doing really well. I, however, needed a back rub after pushing Owen around! Harper and Chris enjoyed cheering us on.

 One of our holiday traditions is making decorating cookies with our friends the Marleys. Harper and her buddy Jett enjoyed chilling on the floor while the older kids ate more icing and candy than what made it on the cookies. As always, we had a blast with them. Next year should be fun with the two little ones running around...

We also had our annual Christmas party, and the theme was "Holiday Cheer". (aka: wear whatever you want) I loved the eclectic mix of attire that we had - everything from sweats to sequins. We also played "the favorites game", and even though it was a tad confusing, I think everyone ended up with some really fun gifts. I also can't help but mention that the women dominated in our own version of Taboo. I was especially thankful this year at our party b/c the Harris' were able to attend. It is SO good having them back from NE, and James' boisterous laugh throughout the night was a wonderful sound to hear!

2011 has been a full year...full of immense joy (Harper's birth!!!), tears as we've walked with good friends struggling, thankfulness as the Lord has been faithful in it all, and so much laughter with these three amazing little humans the Lord has blessed us with. We give the Lord the glory for it all, and we're looking forward to another full and blessed year!

"I'm 9 Months Old!"

This is the first time since Harper has been born that I have had that feeling of "MY BABY IS GROWING UP TOO FAST!". I don't know what exactly has happen to make me feel this way, but I find myself wanting to soak up every little moment that she's at this fun stage. I have even tried to cuddle with her at night before I put her to bed, but just like her older brothers, she will have none of it.

She's doing better at eating table food, and seems to prefer feeding herself than having someone else feed her baby food. (independent little lady - go figure) She can wave good-bye, clap, nod "yes" and "no" ("yes" is my favorite b/c you can tell she really has to think about it), roll all over the place, make kissy faces when you ask for a kiss, and she's started pushing up but hasn't figured out how to get on her knees yet. She loves pulling things out of baskets or buckets, and she can throw a nice left hook when someone (ie: a brother) gets too close. She also seems to really enjoy having an audience...she loves having people watch and laugh at her. Oh, and she got her first tooth! I felt like a horrible mom that found it WAY after the fact. Come to find out she was cranky for a reason.

Yesterday I took a box her her baby clothes and all her baby gear/toys to be stored (thanks to the Harris storage unit!), and I also lowered her crib down a notch. As I was feeling nostalgic about removing all the signs of a baby, I am also really excited to continue to watch this fun little person grow and change. She is only going to enrich our lives more every day and entertain us like crazy, and that is something to look forward to!

(Think Daddy is going to be able to tell this face "no"??? Doubt it.)