Spring-like Weather...in January??!!

This past Friday we had very un-January-like weather- it was a little over 50 degrees outside! It really was so strange to me, not that I was complaining. So of course we all headed outside to get some fresh air- took a nice long walk to the park, spent some time at the park, and then meandered home the scenic route for naps. We had a great afternoon! I was hoping the kids would be worn out and take nice long naps- no such luck, but that's okay. It was just such a great day! I loved being outside- I needed that apparently, because it just felt great.

Daniel had a blast at the park- playing in the sand, going down the slides several times (something he rarely did last summer, go figure!), riding the bouncy things, trying out the spinning wheel, trying out the swing (because Annabel was!), and just having lots of fun running around. He also loves to balance and walk along the curb edge of the playground area- and he looks so cute doing it! We all have to put our arms out and walk and balance just like he does- he thinks this is so much fun.

Annabel loved the swing and she had a ball just watching Daniel. I sat her down in the grass and while she didn't mind the grass last summer/fall (she was much younger of course), she really didn't know what to make of it this time. It was funny to watch her check the grass out. She didn't hate it I don't think, but she didn't seem to like it much either; she wanted so much to crawl out of it, if only she didn't mind the way it felt so much - quite the dilemma for her! I helped her out of course and we played on the sidewalk and swung some more. I also gave Annabel her first ride on the slide, which was fun. Daniel even wanted to have Annabel ride in his lap- so we helped them ride together, too! Annabel almost fell asleep in the stroller on the way home, which was so cute really, but I wanted her to sleep in her bed, so I practically ran home!

I'm so glad we all got out together- it was nice to take a walk and enjoy the fresh air together. Daniel and Annabel are just so much fun!

Annabel loves her Daddy!

Now that Annabel can crawl, she's always off searching for Daddy. She sure LOVES her Daddy! She's always had a special smile and twinkle in her eye for him...she still does, I think!

Ben was in the kitchen cooking dinner...there goes Annabel!

Here I come, Daddy!

Thanks for picking me up, Daddy- that was just what I wanted!

One afternoon, Daniel was napping, Annabel and I were in the family room playing, and Ben headed out to do some work on the deck. Annabel immediately crawled into my lap so I could pick her up and take her to the window so she could see her Daddy. I knew what she wanted. She was VERY happy to see Daddy out the window!

I LOVE Annabel's big smile here!

You can just make out how happy Annabel is here!

Daddy came to say hi to his little girl!

A New Year's Jinx!

So, on New Year's Eve, while we were playing games after the kids were in bed, my mom asked us if Daniel ever got out of bed. We said no, not ever, not to our knowledge, he's always stayed in bed, and will even wait until we come in to get him out of bed when he wakes up. Not that he can't get out of bed, nor had we ever said anything like he shouldn't (we didn't want to give him the idea), just that he never did before. We didn't mind it this way, it was our little secret that we wouldn't tell him just yet.

What does Daniel do just two days later?...he gets out of bed! One afternoon, we put him down for his nap and he was talking and talking and talking, going on an hour and still talking and having too much fun as far as we could hear on the monitor. So I go up there to remind him to nap and there he is, on the floor, looking quite guilty, with his pillow and blanket on the floor, his animals all around him. He was having fun! I asked if he was going to nap on the floor and he said yes, like at Grandma (Mary Kay)'s (he napped on a mattress on the floor at her house one afternoon before Christmas), I (not knowing how to respond really, still in shock) said that was fine but he needed to sleep. It took one more reminder a half hour later, but he did finally fall asleep, for an hour and a half, not his usual two hour nap, but good enough. This picture shows how he slept! I figured he'd learn that wasn't too comfortable. He hasn't done this again since.

Anyway, we thought this was kind of funny! And of course a little too timely since we had JUST talked about how he never gets out of bed! We sure jinxed it when we talked about it. I've mentioned it before...I swear this kid reads my mind. He always knows when I'm thinking about him or about a certain toy- I'm certain to hear from him or see him playing that toy not long after I've even had the thought! It's really uncanny.

After Christmas Fun

We've been enjoying the days since Christmas, enjoying our new toys and the time Daddy has taken off from work (2 weeks!). Our days have been filled with just our little family doing a lot of nothing but playing! Next week will be busy again since our classes start up, all of which I'm looking forward to!

Here are random pictures from our week of playing!

Annabel LOVES these "logs" that came with Daniel's Log Carrier truck- she gets so excited when she sees them and she quickly picks them up and waves them around. It's so cute to watch. We've also had fun with our giant piano, which Daniel calls a xylophone.


Annabel also really enjoys her new activity table. It makes lots of music and has lots of lights and buttons to push. She loves to walk around and around and around this thing!


Aunt Christina gave Daniel this cardboard house which has been a huge hit. Daniel wanted to get it out right away. We played in it, played peek-a-boo with Annabel (which was SO fun- she loved this!), and not ten minutes later, Daniel figured out that the package the house came in showed images of his house with colors on it. So he asked "how they get colors on it?" and we talked about it, he said "I don't know," I gave him some clues and then his light bulb went off and he got out his crayons. So then we had a ball decorating his house. Annabel finally crawled in, too, and she loved it!

Peek-a-boo, Annabel!

Annabel explores every nook & cranny!

Daniel decorates his house.

Daniel has been very interested in picking Annabel up these days. We help him, of course. And she doesn't seem to mind it...she sure looks up to him! Can't you just feel the love in this picture?!


Hi, cutie pie! Annabel LOVES Daniel's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse train. She literally bounces with joy and even chases it! Video to come soon!


I was in the house playing peek-a-boo with Annabel and she loved it! She had the biggest smiles for me!


Who needs toys when you have plastic packaging?!


Annabel loves those "logs" from Daniel's truck!


We got to babysit Grandma Mary Kay's fish (from her office at school) while she was on vacation last week. Daniel LOVED feeding the fish every day! Our cats loved watching the fish at night...as evidenced by their paw prints on the counter!


Daniel helps Annabel check out her new squeaky squishy blocks from Aunt Christina. I love her expression here.



Annabel has discovered how much fun our window is. She loves to look out the window, especially if Daddy or Daniel are out on the deck. She likes to tap on the window and she will even taste it from time to time- ewww!

Gross, yes, but funny!

We took all the ornaments off the tree on New Year's Day. It was pretty funny- as soon as Christmas was over, Daniel did not want to turn the lights on at all! As far as he was concerned, Christmas was OVER so no more lights. He's interesting this way- if something is done, or over, or someone says they are leaving...then that's it- he wants it gone, it's final and done. So I was glad to get the tree out of the room...and just in time, too, because Annabel was finally starting to get interested in it! Daniel helped take the ornaments off for a while- we made a matching game out of it, find the ornament that goes in this box (yes, we save the original Hallmark boxes for our ornaments) or we'd say go find a Mickey, or find a snowman, or whatever. He thought that was fun for a while. Ben even hoisted Daniel up so he could take the special star off! And then, as soon as we were all done, Daniel wanted to put them all back on the tree! How's that for confusing?! He's done, he's not done!


Annabel has discovered how awesome the remote control is! She gets so excited when she sees that thing nearby. She will drop any toy and come crawling after the remote. And if the remote is up high where she can see but not reach, you can just see her gears turning as she cruises furniture to see what she can do about getting her hands on that remote!


I think my kids were switched at birth- both of them love, and I mean LOVE, the vacuum cleaner. I do not. Daniel had a ball vacuuming the family room after the tree was all put away and then he wanted to bring the vacuum to the basement and vacuum some more. Annabel doesn't mind one bit- she'll even chase the thing! She gets so exited when the vacuum is out!

Daniel worked really hard at pushing the vacuum around- he did it all on his own!

Annabel watches her brother vacuum...you can see how interested she is, she's not scared in the least bit!

Annabel chases the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse train...it's just so darn cute to watch!


Since Daddy took the week off, we went to the library one day, we went out to lunch another day...we enjoyed having Daddy around. Although Daniel is ready for Daddy to go back to work now- he's ready for just me again I think, "I like Mommy" he says with his arm around me. :)

Mommy and Daniel at Choo Choo Johnny's!

Annabel watches the trains go by on the ceiling!
I love the way her hands are holding on!

Check out Annabel's cute two-toothed smile! Still no more teeth yet...I don't even see any others coming, although she doesn't like to be bothered with you looking in her mouth!

Top Blog Moments of 2011

One of the blogs I follow just did a "year in review" type of thing where she shared her top ten blog entries for last year. This inspired me to go back and reread my blog entries and find my favorites. It was a lot of fun! I knew a few of my favorites right away, and it was fun to reread and find some other gems that struck me as a favorite moment for my little family of four. I'd say all of them are my favorites...that's why I share them all with you! And of course you know me, you've probably already even guessed, I couldn't narrow it down to just ten, no matter how hard I tried.

So- I give you my Top Ten (or so!) Blog Moments of 2011...moments that really resonated with me...moments I'll always cherish and remember. Feel free to take this trip down memory lane with me if you want...of course you've seen all these posts before. (Click each title to check out the original post again!)

14. Blizzard of 2011

What a fun day this was for us. Oh, to have so much snow and be able to really enjoy it! This had to go on my list because Daniel LOVED snow last year. I sure hope we can enjoy some snow this year...we aren't having a very wintery winter yet!

13. Fun at the Fireworks

This was just one of those nights that stuck out in my mind as a night that I really enjoyed. We hemmed and hawed about whether to go, whether to take a tiny Annabel, and in the end, I was SO glad we all went! It was such a delightful night for us. Ben and I are always telling each other we only live once...let's live it fully! I can say we did that on this night- we just up and went and had a blast!

12. My Cutie Pies

I love my two children so much. I love that they love each other and this post just really reminded me how much they love each other and have from the beginning! I also loved the heartbeat moment...remembering that was just so sweet. It reminded me to take more time to slow down and notice the little things every day...something I'd like to try to do more this year. Time is just going so fast!

11. Reindeer Pokey

This HAD to go on my list...Daniel makes me laugh every day and I was SO proud of him for really getting into this song and our music class this winter. This post reminded me of how fast he's growing up!

10. Annabel's 1st Bath: A Family Affair

A special moment for our little family...I love how we do even the little things together, I love how Daniel has always wanted to help when it comes to Annabel; he still does on a daily basis. I misplaced one of Annabel's socks this afternoon and Daniel was all over it- "I'll find her sock"- and off he ran upstairs to her sock drawer and brought down a new pair of socks for her. How sweet is that! I also like this post because it reminds me again of how fast time is slipping away, how big Annabel is getting, how small she once was...

9. One Fine Day

This was just another reminder that we have a wonderful little family. I remember this day so well, it was just quite the treasure.

8. Nursery Room Reveal

Oh that first picture gets me every time! I love Annabel's Nursery! Every time I go in it takes my breath away. It suits her perfectly! I know it will be a wonderful room for her to grow into.

7. "Be Mine": Painting the Nursery

Daniel was just SO excited to paint. He still remembers painting her walls, too. I loved seeing Annabel's room come together and this was only the beginning. I loved how Daniel was a part of it all from the beginning.

6. Here Comes Christmas

This made the list simply because of the special star on the tree...how special it was that Daniel helped make it. That will be a treasure every year! I was actually sad to put the tree away this year because of how fun it was for Daniel to put all the ornaments on and how much I enjoyed looking at that star every day. Daniel was cute, too, as soon as all the ornaments were taken off he wanted to put them all back on again! And he had just as much fun taking them off as he did putting them on! Anyway, decorating the tree, all the Christmas energy in our house...it was a fun and special Christmas for our family this year! That star will always remind me of this year.

5. For the Record

How could my children's birth stories not make the list? I loved taking the time to put it in writing for them someday!

4. Sitting Any Day Now?...That Day Was Today!

This made the list because I love the pictures of Daniel and Annabel sitting next to each other- they take my breath away. I love that they sat next to each other from the moment Annabel learned to sit, and they still do seek each other out every day. Annabel is always crawling to be near Daniel! Daniel is always giving her hugs. The other day they were playing in the family room, with their own toys, a few feet away from each other, I was eating breakfast, and looked up at one point to find that Daniel had moved over next to Annabel and was quietly playing with her, showing her how her toys work, and she was completely in awe, full of smiles and love in her eyes!

3. Daniel and Mommy...The Two of Us

What a special day this was for me, for us. I'm so glad I took the time to reflect upon my day with Daniel, the day before Annabel was born. I am so conscious of always trying to give Daniel some "mommy time" and when I do, especially with special outings, I can tell he LOVES it, he soaks it up, and he talks about it for quite some time. That just warms my heart! I love my boy!

2. What Sunday Mornings are For

What more do I need to say? Except that this post again reminds to take in these moments with my little children, to take them in every day, to soak them up and store them away. Time is going so fast! Annabel was SO tiny when I wrote this post, how can she already be so big?! I love my little girl, too! And I just want to slow down and take deep breaths...I so enjoy my children more than I can even begin to describe! Watching them takes my breath away every day. How can I be so lucky to have two such wonderful children? They are my everything. They are my world. They are my life. I read a quote the other day that totally matches me..."If you want to see me (or my children, in my case), come on over! If you want to see my house, make an appointment!" I may not have the cleanest, neatest house, but to me, spending time with my children is much more important! They are only little once. I'll enjoy it all I can now!

1. Welcome Home, Annabel!

The best day of the whole year, one of the best of my life...bringing my family together at home! I will never forget how sweet Daniel was with Annabel, this little baby girl he didn't even really know, from the moment he met her in the hospital, and the moment we brought her home. He was so excited to help bring her in the house, to take her out of the car seat, to bring her in and give her a spot in our house to be, and then for her to be the first thing he looked for after his nap...melt. my. heart.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! We celebrated at our house with Grandma Cheryl and Grandpa Gary on New Year's Eve, complete with pizza for dinner, and then party noisemakers, New Year's hats, and the favorite item: party poppers! Thanks for joining us, Grandma and Grandpa!

Daniel and Annabel show off the New Year's hats Ben and I got when we went on our New Year's Disney Cruise back in 2007.

(Ah...the good ol' days of cruising! Can't wait to take our kids on a cruise someday! And we think a New Year's cruise is the most fun, because we are not partiers AT ALL, but it's sure fun to watch the party on a cruise!)

Annabel didn't like her tiara much at all!

Daniel was happy to wear his hat for about ten seconds!

Annabel and Daddy wish you a Happy New Year!

WHAT is that thing on your head, Mom?!

Daniel LOVED the party poppers!
Annabel was okay with the first one (she didn't know what to expect), cried for the second one, freaked out for the third one, and then didn't even bat an eye after that!

This is the best shot I got of Daniel wearing the hats Grandma brought us...again, he wore it for about ten seconds!

Annabel had to be fully distracted to even keep hers on!

Check out Annabel's New Year's Resolutions...

Learn to walk.
Learn to talk.
Celebrate my 1st birthday.

Lucky girl, I know she'll accomplish all of them!

Daniel had a New Year's shirt, too...of course both were specially made by mommy!

We enjoyed 2011, welcoming our sweet baby girl into our family, watching her grow so far (too fast!), watching Daniel as an amazing big brother...and we can't wait to see what 2012 will bring us! It will be another busy year, I already know that...with Annabel's first birthday, potty training adventures (sooooomeday), and Daniel's journey into preschool!

Happy 2012!!