Catching Up

I know.  I completely missed the month of November.  And most of December at this point.  I just don't know where the time went.  Well, actually it went the way of busy days filled with preschool drop offs, dance classes, play dates, messy lunches, naps, no naps, watching Curious George over and over again, spontaneous dancing in the kitchen, refereeing play time between a toddler and an active infant, climbing stairs, pushing strollers on walks through the neighborhoods, and swinging at the park.  Throw in there Halloween and the attempts to go trick-or-treating with a two year old and a then nine month old, a family trip to our cabin for Thanksgiving, and all the preparations and celebrations of the holiday season, and I still can't believe I haven't quite passed out yet.  There were bridal showers and bachelorette parties, and watching our wedding video for the first time with our kids in honor of our six year anniversary.  Time flies, and I can't believe how much our cup continues to overflow.  

So instead of a million catch up posts (because who has time for that?), here are some snapshots of what's been happening in our little world.

Ella really got into the spirit of Halloween this year.  When I asked what she wanted to be, she immediately replied with "orca!"  And since it was pretty tough to find an orca costume for such a small person, I decided to make it, instead, with the help of Pinterest and some sewing by Mimi.  It only seemed appropriate that we kept Gavin at the top of the food chain, too, so we thought he'd make a cute shark.

She tried on her costume many times before the big day.  She was so excited to wear her costume to preschool.

Definitely the one that is not like the others.

Trick or treating at Mimi's house.

My good friend, Kathy, is getting married later this month, so we celebrated with a glitter-themed bachelorette party in Vegas, followed by a "Love is Sweet" themed bridal shower.  By the end of the two events, I definitely had my glitter fix, and Adam was ready for all the stray flecks of glitter to leave our house.

Ella is the flower girl for Kathy's wedding.  While she was trying on her dress, she broke out in interpretive dance (because that's what you do).

I love cold weather, and the drop in temperature (finally!) meant more opportunities to go to the park and not feel completely depleted by the heat.  Gavin got to swing for the first time during this visit, and he's been a convert since.  Ella showed him the ropes.

We spent our Thanksgiving at our cabin, which was Gavin's first time to the lake.  He LOVED it.  He is definitely a nature-lover.  We found a great hike (perfect for the little ones) and he couldn't stop shouting at the trees. 

The weekend after Thanksgiving we went Christmas tree shopping and Ella got to help decorate (and dictate).  It was a festive time and I love that our kids are just as excited about the holidays as I am.

Celebrating St. Nicholas Day, the kids checked their shoes for special treats.

Wednesdays have become Mommy-Gavin days and I have been loving my alone time with this little fella.  He loves having lunch outdoors and people watching.  I love watching him grow and mature right before my eyes.

 Rainy days and cold weather means camping indoors.  Ella loves "sleeping" in her tent.

Gavin being the lookout.

 We do family strolls around the neighborhood whenever possible.  Ella has taken to pushing her baby doll around in her stroller.  Just like Dad.

These two are everywhere these days.  Keeping up with them can prove to be exhausting.  Their newest idea of fun is climbing stairs (with Ella speeding to the top and cheering Gavin on), and then chasing each other through our bedroom.  

Ella had her buddy Caiden over to decorate gingerbread houses.  She snuck in some licks of frosting here and there, but I'm relieved that not too much candy was consumed.

Hello, 2013!

 We rang in the New Year with friends up at our cabin.  While this has become an annual tradition, this year we hosted our largest party yet.  With fifteen people and two babies, we were a full house.  But all the people made for lots of laughs and memories.  Everyone cooked a meal (I've been feeling too pregnant to take on those duties) and between boardgames, hikes, and birthday shots, it was a great time to celebrate a new year.  Ella LOVED hosting everyone, mostly because she never lacked having someone to play with.  We look forward to many more years like this--celebrating with friends and their growing families.

Having just been to the cabin for Thanksgiving, it didn't take long for Ella to acclimate to her new surroundings.

Watching snow fall for the first time.

The cold weather brought on a day of snow.  It was Ella's first time playing in it.  She was a bit apprehensive after she slipped on a patch of ice.

As more friends started arriving, Ella started realizing she had many new people to play with.  She got really fond of  her Auntie Kathy.

Dancing with Olivia. 

We made a trip to the waterfalls again.  This time it was much colder than when we came in November.  The bump was MUCH bigger.  Sigh.  (34 weeks)

Hiking in the woods.

Uncle Richard teaching bad habits already (yes, that's a boot of beer).

Playing around.

More boots of beer.

Enjoying a lovely frittata breakfast.

Another hike.

A bird's-eye-view of a fondue dinner.

A group picture after ringing in the New Year.

November Happenings

The most notable event in November was celebrating Thanksgiving up at our cabin.  This year we got to host some extended family from Washington.  My favorite part of the week was watching Ella play with her cousins, Sydney and Samantha.  We all had a great time relaxing on the deck, taking walks and small hikes, and just spending uninterrupted family time together.  On this trip, Ella discovered chips and snacks and there has been no turning back since.  

It was our first time back at the cabin since Ella was 8 months, so it took some adjusting for her.  But she ended up loving it up there.

Walking down to the lake.  Ella insisted on walking the whole way (and protested when we picked her up to cross the main road.)

At the lake.

Hanging out on the deck.  The weather was sunny and perfect.

We hiked up to a waterfall near our cabin.  It was beautiful.

Pretty moss-covered rocks.

My 28 week bump. (Still manageable at this point.)

More deck time.

All the walking and fresh air made this little one exhausted by nap time.

Our Thanksgiving meal.  So much to be grateful for this year!

More walking with Grandma.  Ella LOVED her walks with Grandma (and still does).

After our return from the cabin, Adam and I got to celebrate our fifth anniversary.  While (unnecessarily) eating our three-course meal way too fast, we reflected on how blessed we were to have experienced so much love in such little time.  When we said "I do" five years ago, we never imagined how our family would grow in a few short years.