Merry December!

This year is almost over!  How is that possible?  It has been a wonderful, and very busy year!  I wouldn't trade it!  Well since my last post we have celebrated a special little girl's first birthday! Miss Hailey had a wonderful birthday celebration.  Her Mimi came in town to help us celebrate her first year of life.  We had a small party here at home and she loved it!  She was a happy camper about her first cupcake!  It was so much fun to watch her.  At 12 months Hailey had 5 teeth, started taking her first steps, and started using more and more words.  She loves to say Mama, Dada, uh oh, all done, no no no and da for dog.  There are more but those are the ones that I can remember right now.  She is really copying sounds and trying to make new words all the time.  She loves to copy sneezing sounds and every now and then I hear her trying to say something that big sister said.  At her 1 year well check up she was 20 lbs (24th %) and 29.5 inches (52nd %).  She's growing well and appears to be slightly more petite than her sister was at this age.  Hailey is changing so much right now and I'm not sure that I am ready for it!  She really wants to be like a big kid!  Her precious personality is really starting to shine.  She loves to laugh and is a funny girl!  She is also showing her demanding side!  This girl knows what she wants and is NOT amused when things don't go her way.  This should be fun! She loves to climb, climb, climb.  She sees all the big kids doing things and she wants to do them too.  I am constantly trying to save her from herself.  She's gotten a few pretty good bumps and bruises... naturally.   We sure do love our Hailey and are thankful to God that he picked us to be her family.  She is a special girl and I know that God has great plans for her life.  It will be fun to watch them unfold.

Callie is doing well!  She recently started a two day a week  pre-k program.  She goes for half a day and really loves it.  She is doing very well and is excited to go everyday.  Tonight we just got back from her first Christmas program.  Her class sang "Joy to the World" and "We Wish you a Merry Christmas".  She was all into it!  She loved singing and doing the hand motions.  I was a proud Mommy watching her!  She loves reading and is getting better and better everyday!  It is fun to be able to write her notes that she can read!  This girl is growing like a weed.  I'm enjoying the moments where I am taller than her... they are numbered! Callie has a great group of friends here and cant wait for kindergarten.  Time needs to slow down!  Speaking of time, I seem to need more of it!  This is just that stage of life that is a little messy.  The laundry piles are endless, toys are everywhere and I pretty much run around like a crazy woman driving Callie to all of her beloved activities.  On Monday Callie has gymnastics and usually a play date right after with a friend.  Tuesday is preschool, Wednesday is learning group and swimming lessons, Thursday is preschool and AWANA. And Friday is our wonderful amazing free day.  I cherish that because next year that will be gone.

Callie is very excited about Christmas and our upcoming Texas trip.  She can't wait to see everyone.  We started Elf on the Shelf this Christmas and Callie has loved it.  It really is fun to watch her light up with Christmas spirit.  As much fun as it is, we are really trying to focus on the real reason for Christmas.  Our wonderful Savior's birth is the most special and amazing thing of the season.  I hope you all are doing well.  I pray that all of you feel the joy and peace that only comes with knowing Christ as Savior.  Merry Christmas!
Erin

 Hailey's Happy Birthday pancakes!

 Oh!!! For me?!

 Presents!

 Cheese face!!

 Hailey with Mrs. Carrie!

 Hailey's partay!

 Hailey has a wonderful Mimi!!

 My precious baby.

 Loving the attention!

 She just really wanted to touch the fire!

 What is this?

 Hmmm!

 Yummy!!!

 Hailey had lots of willing helpers.

 Proud of herself.

 Hailey's monthly pics!

 Callie helping Hailey with her present!

Hailey playing in the drawers... BUSTED!!

 This is Hailey tonight at Callie's Preschool Christmas Program!

 Waiting for it to begin!

 Callie singing "Joy to the World" with her class.

 "We Wish you a Merry Christmas"

 Callie eating cookies after the program with her buddy!

 Family pic!  :)

Callie and another sweet friend!

hello there.

Hello everyone!

Wow! I'm back again after a few months off... opps!  As I'm sure many of you can understand, it's a bit crazy busy being a mommy of young kiddos.  It makes me really sad that I have done such a bad job of keeping this thing updated though.  I have two wonderful children and I absolutely love writing about them and sharing pictures of them with you all but man oh man- they really keep me busy!  There just aren't enough hours in the day.  There is always something that doesn't get done.  Anyway... back to the kiddos!

They have adjusted so well to the move.  We are all loving it here and have settled nicely.  Callie is involved in several activities.  She enjoys soccer, gymnastics, swimming lessons and Awanas.  All of that and playing with friends and trying to get some preschool in keeps us quite busy throughout the day.  Matt is staying pretty busy with work, but we knew that coming into it- and it's really not as bad as I thought it would be (although I hear it gets harder). 

My sweet precious Hailey just turned 11 months old yesterday.  11 months old.  How? Can time really be passing by this quickly?  I just had her.  Now she army crawls with speed all over the house, stands up, cruises furniture, waves, and even has words!  Right now Hailey loves to say "Mama, Dada, Baba, hi, bye, and uh oh".  Tonight it really sounded like she said Hailey right after Matt did... but who knows!  We will see if it becomes a trend before we say that she can say her name!  She also refers to Chile as "Dah"!  She is in love with Chile.  The first time she sees Chile in the morning she gets the biggest smile on her face!  It is precious.  At 11 months old Hailey is wearing size 3 diapers and 9 and 12 month clothes.  Everything that I am buying now is 12 months but she still fits her 9 month stuff pretty well.  She runs a bit smaller than her sister did at this age.  She still has bright blue eyes and not much hair!  Hopefully it will be ready for bows and pony tails soon!  Her favorite hobbies include, trying to play in Chile's water bowl, making a mad dash for the pantry if it gets left open, trying to play with everything that big sister is doing and finding full glasses of water to pull off of the living room tables.  She knows what she's doing too!  When she sees Matt and I coming she starting crawling faster to whatever mischief she is about to get into.  Her personality is really starting to show and she is a funny one!  Hailey loves to eat everything but also still enjoys Mama milk.  She is such a wonderful easy going baby. I simply cannot imagine our family without her.  She is a precious gift from God and we cherish her.  

Big sister Callie is growing in so many ways.  She is about 41" tall and 40lbs.  She was so proud that she could ride all of the 40" roller coasters at Disney.  This girl is a thrill seeker and is scared of nothing when it comes to rides.  The faster and scarier the better.  (Little sister seems to be the opposite... she doesn't like being thrown up in the air at all!  Callie loved this as a baby!)  Callie is reading simply books all by herself.  She loves reading Dr. Sues books and continues to get better and better!  The other day I asked Callie what she wanted to be when she grows up and she said "an instruction worker".  Of course she meant construction worker.  Hahah... Matt immediately started talking about how she could be and engineer and design the buildings.  But Callie quickly corrected Daddy and told him that she wanted to build the buildings!  Hehe so cute.  

Mom recently came for a visit and we were able to go to Disneyland.  It was a blast. Well I guess I should post some pictures now!

Callie with Doc!

Mom was such a great photographer!  Me and my sweeties!

Callie dancing!

I love this sweet baby!  She insisted upon drinking out of my cup. So big.

All the girls at Cars Land.

Callie seeing her buddy for the first time at Disney.

This girl was a trooper in the stroller!

Callie and her buddy riding all by themselves.

Bumper cars!

Have  you ever seen a cuter baby!  We got sooo many comments about her as we walked. 

The castle at night!

Callie meeting Mickey!

Callie  and her friends with Mickey.

The whole gang.  Aren't we brave?

Dancing again.

Pluto!!

Hugs for Daisy.

Hailey checking Pluto out.  She wasn't sure about him!

Hugs with Minnie.

The park was decorated for Halloween.  It was so cute!

Me and my littlest baby.

Aurora waving at Callie during the parade.  

Princess Callie

Princess Cinderella baby.

My beautiful Momma! So blessed to have her.  The girls adore her and so do I.