Holiday Elves!!

Hope you're as excited for the holidays as we are!!!
(I'm not sure how long the link will work,
but enjoy it while you can!)

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1117286011

Turkey Day !!!

Just a quick blog with a couple of pictures from Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful day celebrating with ALL of Nick's family. His mom and step-dad hosted 40 for dinner on Thursday, then we got to see his Dad and Judie for round 2 on Saturday! Good thing Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite meal!! DELICIOUS!!

It was wonderful to be with everyone to celebrate. We are so thankful for our families. They even did a great job of taking the attention away from the turkey for a bit to celebrate my birthday too. THANKS!

Stella had a beautiful dress to wear for the festivities on Thursday, thanks to Grandma Freeman. We loved it!!

The dress even had a matching coat and hat. SO CUTE!--we couldn't stop laughing as we dressed her up in this fancy outfit!

The big development over the weekend was the ability to clap. Somewhere in the middle of the Thanksgiving blessing, Stella started clapping her hands. We are so proud!

Back to packing....

The Scoop

OK, so I have already been slacking on blog entries...but, you should see all of the boxes that I've packed! Anyway, here's some photos and updates as to what we've been doing lately.

New favorite activity: climbing the stairs! (YIKES!!!) Stella's first true attempt at a full flight of steps was in MN at Grandma and Grandpa's house. She did it a couple of times with ease. Well, now that we're home, it's absolutely her favorite activity. So, we just follow closely behind her to make sure no one gets hurt. Today she did it with a measuring spoon in hand...who knows what's next!?

We had a play date at our house at the end of last week. Ellie and Stella finally got to hang out. It was a treat for all of us. Here's some of the action:

Precious Ellie has no idea what she's in for! (how sweet is this picture, by the way!? LOVE the pink!)

Here comes Stella!!

Friends forever! It's amazing how different they are and they are only 7 1/2 months apart in age!

Yea! Everybody had fun!

Plus, Emily was amazing and agreed to watch both girls for a while, when I was at the dentist! Luckily they both slept while I was gone. Still though, that's pretty big to agree to taking them both on at once. You never know what's going to happen.

One way we like to spend our days is at the park...Stella is a huge fan of the swings, as am I because they make her so happy.

I just fall in love over and over again!

Practicing standing, as usual. She has been attempting taking steps. She'll walk around a piece of furniture, holding on...and if she's feeling really wild, she'll let go and try standing without any help. The longest she's gone so far is about 10 seconds! Not bad for a beginner. ;)

Post tub-time...usually baths are reserved for Daddy, but since he's been gone it's been another opportunity for bonding for the two of us. Then it's bedtime!

We're packing up for a Thanksgiving in Huron, Ohio with Nick's family. We'll be there through Sunday, come back to Cincinnati for our last week in our house and then move on December 1!
Can't wait for this new adventure to begin!!!

Chaperones

Nick and I got to "supervise" Stella's first lunch date a couple of weeks ago. A dear family friend, Betsy and her husband, John were in Cincinnati for a wedding. They have a son, Miles who is just a few weeks older than Stella. (see blog at right...Betsy, John & Miles) Anyway, they were kind enough to meet us on Sunday for lunch before they hit the road to go home. Not only that, but Betsy was organized enough to bring her camera and catch some great shots of the kids while they dined in style. Enjoy...

First meeting...so far, so good

What nice dining companions! It appears as if Miles is going to have to
work to keep Stella's attention. Gotta learn early, kid!

Saying "good-bye"...poor Miles is sad to see Stella go!

yet another great shot, by the super skilled photographer...Betsy!

Thanks so much for the photos, Betsy! Thanks again for meeting up with us. If only we lived closer. At least we have the internet, right?

What have we been up to?

Aside from practicing dining with spoons and not blogging, (as I'm sure you've noticed) Stella and I spent last week in MN visiting my parents.

even though she's covered in goo...I think the plate says it all!

post spoon practice session...still working on her form though

I'll bet you're thinking "not everyone can pull off the diaper, socks and shoes look this well"
...well, you're right!

This trip to MN was a wonderful get-away for us and a great excuse for Grandma and Grandpa to get some quality "Stella-time." It was especially helpful to me as I've been a little extra lonely since Nick has started his job in Columbus. It was wonderful to have company in the daytime and in the evenings. I wasn't quite ready for all the activity as Stella and I have sort of gotten used to being alone most of the time. (ok, enough of my pity party...)

visiting Grandma and Grandpa is the best!!!

playing in the kitchen...we even got to borrow the neighbors toys!

and the best "toy" of all...Keisha!
(this was about as close as they could get before the doggy would "sneak" away)

Anyway, once we got back from MN, we were treated to a wonderful "good-bye dinner" from our dear friends here in Cincinnati. It was such a treat to be able to get a night out with so many people that we're going to miss so much. (thanks again, guys!!!)
Now, we're home and packing has officially started AGAIN. This time, it's serious!!! The house is already starting to appear a bit empty as things are coming off the walls and cabinets aren't as full. I'm still not sure that reality has hit in just yet. All I know is that we are VERY ready to live in the same city again. 2 months apart is not easy...I would not recommend it. Families are supposed to be together!!!
As the move quickly approaches, I'm sure that blogging will be taking the back-burner (sorry)... I'll do my best to keep updates and most importantly, photos of Stella coming.

Look who is practicing with a spoon!

Our first attempt at posting a video...

Tights!

Hey, how do I look in these things?

Not bad, not bad at all...

Yeah, I'm feeling pretty cute!