Happy New Year!

My Girl!

Hi Jake!

Lucy started ballet lessons!

Lucy likes to help feed Jake.

Cold air, clear skies!

Bubba!

Mason, Lucy and Jake. That was the closest to a smile that I could get from Mason!

Lucy, GrandPappy and Cousin Mason

Handsome boys!

Lucy asked me to paint her face like a puppy. :) Then we made applesauce, and she cut up all of the apples!

Just playing!

Jake and Sean, 7 months old!

Baby Sean, so cute!

Evan smiled for me!!!

Lucy loves to help with home repair!

Cousin Joey brought Lucy Tinkerbell wings, wand, purse and gloves!

Joey and Jake

We had a wonderful start to the year 2013. To ring in the New Year, we had a party! Of course, I forgot to take any photos. I love New Years Eve, joining together with friends and family to celebrate the joys of the previous year and the anticipation of the coming year. I also just love to run outside at midnight and shout "Happy New Year!!!"  2012 brought us many special changes, the best being Baby Jake! We also moved into a wonderful new home, Lucy continued to grow and thrive, Marc has been successful in his career, Bob and Katie moved here...we are so very blessed.

Our nephew Mason came down to visit for a week, staying with Bob. It was fun getting to know him better, and for the kids to play and form memories together. My cousin Joey came later in the month and it was so much fun to have him here. I really miss him! Katie, Joey, Polly and I went to see Lady Gaga and we were in the right place at the right time and got passes to be really close to the stage. What a fabulous memory! We had a great time dancing, and Gaga is all about positive thinking and believing in yourself...it was good to get a dose of her energy.

Jake has met many milestones since I was last able to sit down and write. He started to crawl at 7 months old, and perfected his sitting skills at just about the same time. Now he is almost 8 months and crawls everywhere!!! He is beginning to pull up to standing, and subsequently has the bumps and bruises to prove it.   He loves to eat solid foods, especially finger foods. He is practically eating what we are eating. The other night he enjoyed the enchilada casserole. Eating can be a messy affair, but that is how he learns to feed himself. No teeth yet, but he sure has been teething! He loves to talk...rarararara, ahhhh, and lots of grunting. If he starts grunting, he is either enjoying what he is eating, or ready to take a nap. He loves to snuggle with his blanket, and he likes to snuggle with me for a bit after waking up. He has been playing peek-a-boo, and he loves to play with balls, a big difference from Lucy. He is very easy going and a happy baby.

Lucy has been growing and maturing so much! We spent some time watching videos of when she was Jake's age and younger, and wow! As all parents know, it seems to go so fast. Lucy has started to figure out how to write her name, and lately has been talking about having "lots and lots of homework." When I asked about this, she said that her homework is making thank you cards. I am sure there are people out there wondering about where their thank you cards are...and all I can say is we are getting there! :) For a while she was saying "yep, yep" and she still says "actually..." and "from" (instead of because) all of the time. She has learned about rhyming, and is pretty good at finding words that rhyme. She gets very excited when she thinks of one..."Mom, bear and share RHYME!!!" She has been really testing our limits lately and it has resulted in some hard consequences. She has lost some toys to the Goodwill, and fortunately it has been working. Today she was frustrated with Jake and she walked away, then told me she could take a deep breath. Yea!!! She is a happy, confident girl who now says she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Whatever she chooses, I know that her spirit is strong and loving!