Baby, it's cold outside!

Celebrating Christmas in Michigan!

Books from Aunt Rachel and Uncle Geoff

Hanging out with Uncle Jonathan

Rosy cheeks!

Uncle Matt and Aunt Janice got a lawn chair. When her cousins climbed up to lounge on it, Clara had to join in on the fun!

We had a great time in Michigan, spending time with family and watching the beautiful snow... 22 inches of it during our 5 day visit! It was just too much and too cold for Clara to play in, though. Maybe next year!

Pictures from 12/19/08 and 12/20/08

Miss Priss

12/09/08

Christmas jumper photo shoot

Pictures from 12/05/08 and 12/06/08

Oh Christmas Tree

Last year when Nathan and I went to get a Christmas tree, I felt an odd combination of giddyness like I had just managed a fantastic escape and anxiety over leaving little Clara for the first time, you know, all the 45 minutes it took. I had my cell phone with me and I think I called my mom several times to make sure everything was alright. I didn't function very well as an escapee!

This time it was so much fun! Clara loved every minute of it. She wanted to feel the trees and I put her down briefly, which made her so excited.

We decided to decorate the tree that night when she went to bed so that everything would be decorated and, more importantly, picked up, by the time she woke up in the morning.

At the zoo

At the petting zoo - Clara wanted to ride a goat.


Grampy treated us to a leopard ride instead.

And if that wasn't wild enough, Clara also went on a train ride.

11/28/08

Hey Grampy, I like your glasses!

11/28/08
Photo by Grampy

Thanksgiving Day

Since Nathan worked on Thanksgiving, my parents, Clara and I just enjoyed a beautiful day together. We took Clara to the park and then went to the lighting of the trees in the Galleria.

Somebody at Continental Loves Me!

When I found out that I was pregnant with Clara, Nathan had just interviewed with Continental. Our calendar from March 2007 reads March 14 - Expecting!, March 15 - Nathan offered job at Continental, March 16 - Turn in letter of resignation. He started training at Continental on April 2nd and after one of my first OB appointments he gave me a Continental bib and t-shirt for the little one we had not yet met!

Celebrating Thanksgiving and continuing Clara's birthday

We celebrated Thanksgiving on the 25th because Nathan worked Thanksgiving Day. We tried some new recipes including a roasted butternut squash soup that was delicious! Here is a picture of our table, pre-feast.

Clara had a virus and an ear infection, so she was pretty worn out the night before when we celebrated her birthday. We saved some of her presents and she gradually opened them over the course of Grammy and Grampy's visit.

Playing with the push toy from Mommy and Daddy.

Opening and admiring the strawberry apron that Auntie Emmy sent from Japan.

First pair of pig tails!

Happy Birthday with Grammy and Grampy

11/24/08

She's still the Pumpkin Princess!

Grammy painted this special plate!

Clara blew out her birthday candle, all by herself!

It was ice cream cake. Can you tell?!

I love my animal friends!

11/15/08

11/21/08

Great-Grammy has given Clara so many stuffed animals...and she loves them all, especially her 'First Teddy Bear' and puppy!

First time on the swing

11/12/08

Vintage baby

11/09/08

I love that Clara has some of my baby dresses. Someone crocheted this for me. Thanks for being a memory-keeper, Mommy!

Don't mess with the 'do

11/03/08

Picking up where I left off... Halloween

On Halloween a group of the moms from church got together to take Halloween costume pictures of the 'littles'. I ran over to Walmart and the pumpkins were greatly reduced, so I picked up some props for our photo shoot.

Joshua

Elly and Joshua

Group Pictures

Note: Elly volunteered to be covered with a black blanket and prop up the littlest, Abigail.

As you can see, the boy-girl-boy-girl arrangement didn't work out too well for Clara.


We rearranged them and let the boys be boys.

The picture that belies the process.

When you have five pumpkins and a cute bumblebee baby, you can't have just one photo session! Clara and I went over to a courtyard in our apartment complex to continue the fun.

I am sure that my neighbors, were they watching, thought I was crazy. I had Clara in the umbrella stroller and five pumpkins in the regular stroller as I strolled and struggled to navigate our way. Then, Clara was so intrigued with the grass, stones, plants, etc. that she would not look at the camera. I resorted to making high-pitched, bat-like screeches to get her attention.

Hey, it worked...