just pictures

she just couldn't understand why they kept running away

contemplating the playground

brave girl going down the slide!

while daddy's at work we like to spin in his chair, wear his hat and make silly faces.

Truman and Bailey are good buddies.

Bailey's cousins Ian and Luke came for a visit last weekend and we had an impromptu breakdance party in the middle of Jamba Juice.

Then Ian surprised us all with this move:


the cousins checking out animals in the pet store

pocahontas and the train

One of Bailey's favorite things to do lately is to make her toys "talk" to each other. We are amazed (and entertained) at some of the things she comes up with at only 23 months old! Here's a conversation that happened tonight between a tiny Pocahontas figureine and a Thomas Tank engine.

Pocahontas: "I'm riding on you, train!"
Thomas Train: "Yeah!!"
Pocahontas : "Whee!--oops, I fell off!"
Thomas Train: "Are you okay?"
Pocahontas: "Yeah! Would you like me to hold your hands?"
Thomas Train: "I don't have any hands."

catch up...not ketchup

B's signature dance move....the PJ spin...note the announcement of "I like kitties!" mid-dance.

Once again the months have slipped away and I have not been the diligent blogger that I set out to be! Thanks to those of you who have prodded me to get with the program. :)

We are snug and cozy in our little house tonight with a dusting of snow outside. I'll let these photos fill in the gaps from the last few months:

finding the perfect pumpkins...

....is a lot of work!

a fun and messy night of carving and...ta-da!
We had fun at the fall party at church...unfortunately most of our photos from that night were lost due to a camera malfunction! Here's our little chick. She still wears the duck feet that go with this costume quite often.
In November, we celebrated Darin's 35th birthday! M. and T. joined us for dinner out, then we came home for homemade strawberry cheesecake and presents. On the way home, B and Grammy provided the entertainment.

On Thanksgiving we made the short drive to Grammy and Papa's house. We had a relaxing day playing in the yard, making goofy faces, and eating of course! My mom can cook. For this, I am thankful.

Tony and his teeth, always good for a laugh...

Bailey was thankful for the trampoline in the yard.

...and no lazy Thanksgiving evening would be complete without a claymation Christmas special!

Somewhere in here I recieved a very special early Christmas present from my very wonderful mother-in-law--a puppy! We named him Truman. He's 7 lbs. of fun. He likes to come with us on our walks, and when he gets too cold he lounges under the stroller.

And most recently, we have been preparing for my favorite holiday of the year--Christmas!! Wahoo! A few nights ago we had a family Christmas-cookie decorating extravaganza:

We've also been riding on every carousel within a 100 mile radius. Very festive. Bailey LOVES them.


Merry Christmas everyone! Hopefully it won't be another 3 months before I post here again!

Su-Su and Grampa visit

Last weekend we got to spend some time with our beloved California Grandma and Grandpa. It was a quick visit and we packed a lot in to our short time together. On Saturday, the girls visited a farm. It was a gorgeous fall day and we had a great time. Bailey's favorite activities were playing in the pumpkin patch, crawling through the hay maze, and looking at the animals. The guys had an adventure when they went on a boat ride, the boat broke down, and they had to make their way to shore by rowing, and finally by catching a tow. Thankfully we all made it home safely for a competitive game of Parcheesi over milk and warm chocolate chip cookies. We love you, Su-Su and Grampa...thanks for coming to see us!

bathtime hilarity!

a fair day

Today we went to the fair! Bailey and I met up with Grammy and Papa for a day of fun. We wandered around and took in the sights...booths with people demonstrating kitchen gadgets, lots of farm animals--including a sow and her newborn piglets, rickety roller coasters, coin-operated foot massagers, a circus show...after lunch, Bailey took a nap in her stroller while we watched a 4H dog show and reminisced about my 4H years (remember those, Cora?)

Bailey's favorite part of the day was when she woke up from her nap to find Papa with a strawberry ice cream cone. She had never had strawberry ice cream before, and I can safely say she's a fan. Once she got a taste, she literally would not remove her mouth from the cone. In the video posted here, you'll see a tiny fraction of the time she slurped continuously on Papa's cone. Complete strangers stopped to watch and even took pictures of the spectacle. After several minutes of this I had to dig my camera out of the stoller and record a little. (You'll hear Grammy laughing on the video; don't think she knew I was recording!) :)




It was a day I'll remember for a long time. I'm so grateful my parents are here to share these little moments. Since becoming a mom, the things that make me happy have changed. I'm happiest when I see how full of joy Bailey is while she's having fun or experiencing something new--and that happens everyday, usually several times a day. What a blessing she is. Life is just sweeter now that I'm sharing it with my beautiful brown eyed girl!

go, Bailey, go!