Loving the beautiful weather!

This has been a very mild winter, and we have had so many opportunities to play outside. This last couple of weeks we have even hit the 70's! It as been crazy, but we have LOVED being outdoors so much. Emily sometimes gets her shoes and brings them to me telling me she wants to go outside.

Here are a couple of our favorite outdoor activities:

Playing on the swings/going to the park- We have very old swing set in our backyard that was given to us,and our girls love swinging on the swings. I am very thankful we were given the swingset! We also love walking to the park. We are just a block away from one park and have 2 other parks that we can walk to as well that are a little farther, but close enough for walking. It has been fun to watch Emily starting to climb up the steps and go down the slides on her own (of course, I am by her side!).



Riding bikes (and the little car/tractor, etc)- Megan got a bike for her 3 year birthday, and she loves riding it and is starting to be able to go for farther distances. (She keeps asking to ride to Nana's house, but that is still a bit too far...okay maybe way too far!). She will ride around and around in circles on our driveway and not seem to get tired or bored of it. We also take her out on the roads where we are trying to drill into her head to stop at every corner and look for cars and such. I am glad we are live in a very small town where there is not a lot of traffic. She also enjoys being a paper girl and throwing papers up onto our porch. (This brings back memories to my childhood as I used to deliver papers.)


Emily enjoys getting in and out of the car and pushing it around. She hasn't really gotten the hang of using her feet to move it around, but she still likes playing with it and such! She also has enjoyed getting on the tractor although her legs are too short to scoot around in in.


Tim and I just bought some bikes this last weekend! We have never owned bikes since we have been married so this has been fun for our family to take bike rides together. We bought a seat for Emily to go on the back of Tim's bike. Megan loves having us ride along with her. Emily seems to enjoy riding on the back.


We better enjoy this nice weather before summer comes and becomes unbearably hot!

LET IT SNOW!!

After having a very mild warm winter, we have had 2 recent snowfalls in the last week. Not a ton of snow, but enough to go out and play in! Megan was super excited to see the snow! Here are a few pictures of our fun memories we made.....
Emily's first time out in the snow!! She enjoyed being outside and just cried when I took her in. Megan could not wait to go and play in the snow. She has been waiting and waiting for it to snow!
Megan making a snow angel. Notice the snow is not deep at all, but she didn't care one bit!

Megan making a snowball to throw at her daddy!


Tim and his little snowman he built on his truck. Of course, gotta have hot chocolate to warm up with when you come inside!
This is our second snowfall. We had more snow this time around. I helped Megan build a snowman. I wish Tim was awake to help her build a bigger and better one. It was a fun time for Megan and I to play in the snow, while Nana watched Emily (who would have loved to been outside as well).
I was helping her learn how to roll snowballs...not sure why she is sitting down here, but her smile says it all. She loves snow!

Happy 1st Birthday!!

From my newborn baby
TO MY....
Big Girl 1 Year Old



Emily Grace turned one January 5th. I can't believe how fast her first year went. Unfortunately, she woke up with a 102 degree fever on her birthday so that was sad for all of us. We decided not to celebrate her birthday with cupcakes until later when she was feeling well. (Everyone but me (Kristen) got sick over the next couple of days.) She opened up some gifts on her birthday, but we ended up celebrating with my parents and sister a couple days after her birthday eating cupcakes and doing a couple more gifts. Here a few pictures!

Cuddles with Daddy right after waking up with a fever. Poor little girl. Opening up her birthday gifts with Megan.
So many new toys after Christmas and her birthday being so close together!




Happy 1st Birthday!! She dove right into her cupcake and loved it!
Pretty much finished off birthday cupcake. YUMMY!

Just a little update: She is 18 pounds 2 ounces (10%) and 29 1/2 inches tall (50%).She just started taking a few steps here and there although she usually sticks to crawling or walking on her knees. (She is so funny to watch walk on her knees!). She doesn't say a lot of words, but does say, dada, mama, hi, dog, and bath. She LOVES her baths (Obviously as it was one of her first words!) She loves playing with babies and enjoys the outdoors. She is my sweet little cuddler who is very special to our family. So thankful to the Lord for giving us our precious Emily Grace!

December 2011

Well, I have to get caught up one way or another...I can't skip December b/c so many important/fun things happened. so here is a hopefully quick update!




Dec. 5th-It was my 30th birthday....I was not too excited about turning 30, but it turned out to be a fun day! I took the girls to story hour at the library that morning (always fun for all of us as I get to talk to other moms, and Megan gets to see her friends!!). Then a wonderful friend invited another friend and I over who shared the same birthdays for lunch. It was very thoughtful of her to do this, and I very much enjoyed the food and fellowship! Tim had put in a roast when he got home from work and so we were able to have roast beef and potatoes for supper with my parents and sister. It was a great b/c I got to spend it with people I love! (I thought we took one picture on my birthday, but I can't find it??)



Dec. 5th -This day was also Emily 11th month birthday...just can't believe that she was getting so close to a year. Here are a few highlights for her in the last month....
-First trip to Florida as well as on an airplane. She got to meet her aunts, uncles, and cousins for the first time!
-She started signing please and more (finally!!)
-She started blowing kisses as well. Well, she doesn't blow them, just kisses her hand and smiles!
-She learned how to do touchdown with her hands! Uncle Dave taught her that one!
-She went on her first carousel ride with her Aunt Talitha (She was fine standing in line, but when she got on the ride, she saw me and cried the whole ride.)



Dec. 24-25th- Merry Christmas!! We actually did our Christmas festivities on Christmas Eve as Tim had to work on Christmas night. We had mom, dad, and Karen over for pizza. Then Megan and I read through our advent calendar story. (This was such a special time for Megan and I as we did an advent calendar for the first time this year. I will try to get the video of it up so all can see!). We said Luke 2 and sang some Christmas carols, and then opened presents. The girls have enjoyed playing with their gifts so much this last week. On Christmas Day, we had a church breakfast and then a church service. Grandpa and Grandma Varner came to share this day with us! A great Christmas dinner by my mom (although Tim went right to bed after church as he had to work so he missed this). We love celebrating our Saviour's birth. "And you shall call His name Jesus for He shall save His people from their sins." Just a few pictures....








Dec. 27-30th- Grandpa and Grandma's 60 wedding anniversary. What a special time for us to be able to get together and share this special time with such special people! My grandparents are truly an example of what a biblical marriage should look like and examples to all of us in their following of Christ. It was so fun to see my aunts, uncles, cousins and their kids who I haven't seen for so long. The Lord was so good in helping my Grandpa have some good days during this time. We made many good memories. And again, just a few pictures...










Dec. 31st...New Years Eve...Goodbye 2011. I think back on this year and the thought that comes to my mind is God is faithful. I am so undeserving of his faithful love and forgiveness as I am so unfaithful to him and struggle keeping Him first in my life. But God has remained faithful to our family. He has been so good through all of our ups and downs. Praying the Lord gives us another wonderful year in 2012 to love and serve Him. Happy New Year!!