Christmas revisited...

Not sure why I am such a slacker when it comes to reporting on our Christmas adventures this year. I did this after our trip to Indiana and now I have done it after our celebration with Andy's parents, too.  Geesh!  Get with the program, Stephanie!  We celebrated Allen Christmas several weeks ago when Andy's parents came to visit.  It is great having them so close because they can come to us and we don't have to cart all of Baby Girl's 'One Sock Wonder's' gear.  It makes life much simpler!

Enjoy the visual recap of our fun together....

Playing with Grandpa.

Quick disclaimer on the IU ball you see in the two pictures above.....my sister sent it to me because someone (probably Melvin H.) gave it to her kids and it is the most appropriate at our house since I went to graduate school there.  However, an IU item is really never appropriate in any Jordan household, but we take exception to this one ball because Olivia likes to play with it!   Okay, now on with the pictures =)

Time to open presents!!!

Let's all be honest here...Olivia was the real gift this Christmas (as demonstrated by her bow wearing cuteness)!

Look at the great sweater Grandma knitted for me!

Yum, yum, I want to EAT you, Mr. Duck!!

Okay, so I think that catches me up on family Christmas postings.  Thank goodness because we are nearly in February! 

one sock wonder....

....that's Baby Girl's new name.

She cannot keep both socks on for any length of time.  Even if the world depended on it.  It has become quite a joke around here because EVERY time she gets brought back downstairs after a nap, she only has ONE sock on! 

 

It has been this way for at least a week now.  She typically takes three naps a day, so that is approximately 21 naps straight that she has emerged from her nursery oasis with only ONE sock!

This must be some sort of world record.....

playdate and the aquarium

Thursday Olivia had a playdate with cutie-pie Sarah who lives across the street from us (with her parents and brother and sister, too!)  Olivia and Sarah are about a month and a half apart and it is fun to watch them develop together.  Their nursery's are directly across from one another and we often joke when they have bad nights that they must be communicating through the windows!  I think they will be best of buddies as they grow and discover the world together.

 Olivia was intrigued and kept reaching out to touch Sarah.  I tried to get them to hold hands, but that proved to be too difficult!  The green cup that you see in the pictures became quite the hot item.  They kept "passing" it back in forth from one another (i.e., taking it from one another).  However, both were eager to share and never got upset when it was taken away!

Friday we went to the Aquarium and had a great day out with Grant, Grace, Gillian, and Auntie Christina. 

Olivia loved watching the big kids run around and was very content the entire time, despite completely missing her morning nap.  Sometimes you just have to go with the flow in order to be social ;)

All smiles as she cruises around in her stroller playing with her toys.

Grant touched the snake.....we kept our distance!!

I tried to get her to color a shark for Daddy, but she wanted to eat the crayons instead.  I guess I should have known better!

baby bathtubs...

.....those are soooo 2009!

Because in 2010, when you can sit up all on your own, the BIG bathtub is the thing to do!

Our little fish loves the freedom of the big bathtub.  She splashes, laughs and squeals with delight!!

perspective

This weekend I could have gone on one of these....  (well, not that airline, but I don't have the patience to find a different picture)

and had a fun weekend with the girls in Texas.  In my former life this would have been a no-brainer.  I would have found out the dates, checked the calendar, and then booked my ticket!   However, my new life is a little different. 

Ever since I quit my job, we have to be a little smarter with our disposable income.  We still diligently contribute to our 'vacation fund' each month to save up for a nice vacation, but the little trips in between have to be monitored.  No more impromptu weekends with friends. No more quick trips to Vegas for Andy.  When you cut your income in half, priorities must be made.  And perspective must be kept.

So rather than have a weekend of drinking too much wine, laughing till we couldn't talk, and reminiscing about the "good ol' days", I stayed home. 

And I got to see this look....

and this look...

and this smile....

and this new skill...

and have this be my morning wake-up call...

Perspective.  Yep, I've got it all right! 

carnivores...

Sorry, sweet girl. 


While I appreciate your interest in plants, we eat meat at this house.




Lots and lots of meat.

After all, Mommy was raised on a farm!!

photographer

I am the family photographer.  Always have been and always will be it seems.  I have asked Andy to make "I will take more pictures" one of his new year's resolutions for two years running now and he doesn't seem interested.  That is fine until I realize that I am in maybe 10% of our family pictures.  And those typically happen because I say, "please take our picture".  However, I digress.  This interest of mine has landed me a brand new camera!!  yahoo!!

I present to you the Nikon D5000.  After millions of reviews, I determined it was the one for me!

I have began to play and it is so much fun.  It is a bit of a love affair, I am afraid.  However, you all will reap the benefits!  Pictures, pictures, and more pictures.  So many pictures that I have already put our external hard drive to good use.  My laptop can only hold so much! 

Now I know I am complete novice, but I present to you a little photo session from earlier in the week.  I think you know my subject....we call her Baby Girl.

From the richness of the colors to the sharpness of the images.......it makes me all tingly inside!!!