Merry Christmas!

We're heading down to Yreka tomorrow and I'm not sure when I'll post again, so I wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I appreciate everyone who takes the time to keep up with us here. We are lucky to know each and every one of you! I hope Santa brings everyone what their heart desires....I think Kate will have fallen in love with Santa by the next time I write! :)

Snowy weekend!

We woke up Saturday morning to about 10 inches of snow, and it's snowed off and on since then! We're pretty much homebound, but finding ways to entertain ourselves. Kate's starting to enjoy the snow, and we're just about to head out to try out the new sled Ryan just brought home! And, totally unrelated to snow, here's my favorite Kate gem of the day: while playing with legos that build into a castle, she proclaimed, "now I will put the toilet (turret) on top!"

And by "pub"....

...I meant "pun." Guess you can tell where my mind's at!

So cool!

My friend Clare, who lives in Australia, sent us this fantastic "bouquet" of cookies! What a neat idea. Kate exclaimed, "I can't wait for that to be in my mouth!!" when she saw it. Smart cookie (terrible pub totally intended :) Thanks, Clare!!

Life is good

We have a big window along side our stairs and I have a habit of doing the whole "starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight..." wish thing whenever I walk down them and get a glimpse of the stars. Yesterday as I walked down them with Will in the early morning hours, the stars were shining brightly and I automatically starting the wishing chant. When I got to the end, though, I paused and no wish came to mind. If I thought about it awhile, I'm sure I could come up with some but, in the moment, my mind was blank. I'm thinking that says that my life is pretty great. Healthy, happy kids, fantastic family and friends--there's not much more I could wish for and that makes me very happy.

My recent favorites

I'm always cracking up at the things Kate says. It truly is a wonder how a toddler's mind works! One of her better comments came yesterday in the grocery store. I was taking a soda off the shelf when she announced (loudly) "It's new beer for daddy! New beer for daddy for his breakfast!!" I told Ryan that he's going to get a reputation if she keeps it up since we live in such a small town now. :) Oh and, no, he DOES NOT actually drink beer for breakfast, but you got to love the creativity! Also yesterday, Kate was making beds out of pillows and saying "this is going to be nice and comsy for Kate." I think "comsy" is a combo of comfortable and cozy, but I kind of like it!

This boy's got cheeks!

Will's cheeks are every bit as squishable as Kate's were. Oh, Will, I could just eat you up!! I know I'm completely biased, but that little smile melts my heart. And at this moment he's taking a nap. In his crib. Now, I understand that this is no feat for most kids but if you know Kate, you know that we've never experienced this simple luxury before!! Kate has only ever napped in the stroller and by "ever" I mean ever--she has never been a napper and would never do it in her crib. She's an awesome sleeper (since she was 9 months old anyway) but I can't say she ever willingly and knowingly took a nap. Will, on the other hand, was just hanging out in his crib, watching his mobile while I did some chores. I went in to check on him and, wonder of all wonders, he's just snoozing away! No big deal for most but, for me, it's AMAZING!

Great idea, daddy!

Ryan is the master of rainy day fun. Last year, he made the VERY popular dig pit and, yesterday, he made Kate an indoor climbing wall. She loves it! When she woke up this morning, she popped up and said "it's time to do the rock wall." You know where we'll be today!

Three months old already!

Wow, three months have flown by! It's still hard to believe we've got two kids, let alone a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old. Time seems to be going faster and faster, and I find myself trying hard to cherish each day. I also find myself thinking more and more about my own parents, and about how you never know how much they do for you until you have kids of your own. My parents definitely shaped the kind of parent I am or, at least, strive to be. I think they did an amazing job of teaching me the big lessons about love, compassion and respect but it's the little lessons (that maybe weren't even lessons) that keep popping into my mind now. Here are some of the things they've taught me...hopefully, I can pass these same ideas on to Kate and Will:

1. When in doubt, do the gracious thing.
2. Simplify, simplify, simplify
3. Use firm handshakes
4. Smile
5. Always write a thank you note
6. Get the meaning, not just the answer
7. When it comes to family, you defend and support. No exceptions.
8. Every once in awhile, take the time to dine, not just "eat." In life, take the time to enjoy, not just rush through.
9. Only drink good champagne. If an event is worth celebrating, it's worth celebrating right.
10. You can always come home.

Thanks to ALL my moms and dads. You make me a better parent every day.

Gingerbread house & a milestone for Will!

This weekend we had a mini-Civil War party with our friends Heidi and Ryan and their daughter Addie. While the guys watched the game, the girls made a pretty great gingerbread house. We weren't sure what Addie and Kate would think about it, but they loved it (especially the testing of the candy part). We managed to get most of the candy on the house, but Kate is still eyeing it daily, telling me "that house would be yummy in my tummy!" It's a fantastic snowy, inside day activity, though, so we might do it again--maybe with graham crackers and cream cheese to cut down a LITTLE on the sugar! :) Will wasn't so involved with the house (although he is already eyeing our food pretty carefully) but he did hit a big milestone two night's ago: moving into his own crib! The first night he woke up a few times and seemed to be looking around like "where AM I??" Last night, though, he did just fine. He fell asleep downstairs around 6 (early for him) and I fed him around 8:30. He didn't wake up and then slept until 3:30. He got up to eat and then went right back to sleep. It's almost 6:30 and he's still sleeping, so he seems to be on his normal pattern again. Both kids asleep? I'll take it anytime I can get it!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Happy Birthday, Ryan! Thanks for being the best, best, BEST daddy in the world! We love you and hope you enjoy your Rice Crispy treats birthday "cake"! :)

Word to the wise:

Don't leave your toddler unattended with a bag full of goldfish crackers. Her cheeks were so full she couldn't speak for about five minutes!