random

Hi everyone! I have posted a few pictures of Alexa and Grant below with a blurb about each of them. We don't have any "new" news to report - which is totally okay with us :o) Everyone is healthy and happy - Praise God!!!! We're grateful for the warmer weather and can't wait to get some more "action" pictures of what's going on with us in the months to come (it's so great to get out of the house :o) We hope this blog finds all of you happy and healthy as well!

Alexa

Here are some recent pictures of our big girl! Alexa has been practicing her hula-hoop moves at school so we thought we'd try it out together the other day. She's getting the moves down pretty well but I certainly need some more practice! She just loves to hold our puppy, Duchess. She loves nothing more than to snuggle her and pretend that she is the "mama" and Duchess is her baby (and being a puppy with lots of energy, this doesn't happen too often :o) The other pictures of Alexa with the "boot" (which really belongs to my mom) on her foot and of her holding a new "Aurora" (favorite princess) Barbie doll are from Nana and Grandpa John's visit to our house. They recently returned home from France and had to bring some goodies to Alexa and Grant. Our big girl really does seem "big" these days. She attends preschool, dance, AWANA and Sunday school every week; while her schedule is pretty packed, she manages very well. She's a very tender, nurturing and comical little girl that couldn't be any sweeter!!!

Grant

Here is our big boy. Grant is a very busy guy and, as you can tell, doesn't hold still long enough for many pictures these days!! In one of the photos, he kept saying "bye bye bye bye" and tried putting his hat and shoes on so he could leave (so independent these days!) The very top picture shows him being creative in using my George Foreman drip pans as skis in the kitchen - he actually traveled pretty well on them :o) I took the plunge today and ordered him a "big boy" bed. He has managed to escape his crib a few times but, for the most part, stays put if he's tired enough. I don't want to rush this transition but I also don't want an injured toddler. It's hard to believe that he will be 2 years old in a couple of months. Our "baby" isn't such a baby anymore!! Thank goodness he still loves to snuggle his mama!!!!

reading time

Grandpa and Grandma came to visit last weekend - which is always a great time! This particular visit, Alexa requested that Grandpa do the "tucking in" with a bedtime story and snuggles. He did a great job and had both kids asleep in no time! As you can see, Alexa's bed is a favorite spot for both her and Grant to do some reading. He loves to climb up, pull on the blanket and grab a book. He doesn't have his "big boy bed" yet so he has to use her pink stuff for now ;o) It seems so strange to think of him in a regular bed soon and not having a crib around. Kind of sad but exciting at the same time (tear...)

Puppy Time!

Well, we finally took the plunge and got a puppy. Her name is Duchess Prancer Berryman and she's just adorable!! Alexa is in love with her and is always picking her up. She likes to "be in charge of Duchess" whenever I'm not supervising the potty training duties. The help is much appreciated, actually! Grant likes to softly bark at her but for the most part, totally ignores her. I think Duchess can sense this because she tries to chase him and nip at him whenever he walks through the kitchen (which is where she's confined to, most of the time.)

The Squirmy Update

I promised an update on "Squirmy," Alexa's pet caterpillar, quite some time ago. He was re-released back into the "wild" - aka our back patio - shortly before Christmas. We don't know whether or not Squirmy was still alive in a cocoon or if he was just shriveled up and crustified in the jar so we gave him back to nature to join his family and become a butterfly. Alexa seemed very fine with this idea so Clint tossed Squirmy out - literally right outside our back door. I was hoping for a more "private" release where we wouldn't see Squirmy every time we walked through the kitchen but it was cold outside and Clint wasn't going to move the caterpillar any further than where he landed. Luckily, we have had a few snowfalls since his release and he's no longer visible from the door. Just wait until the snow melts...

Christmas 2009

Here are just two pictures from Christmas this year. It seemed like a daunting task to do blog each "party" that we had so this is all you get! We had an awesome holiday and enjoyed seeing family. Santa was very gracious this year and gave Alexa a goldfish and Grant got the "Cozy Coupe" car. It's so awesome to celebrate the birth of Jesus every year. Alexa would say "Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!" She was concerned about whether or not God made Jesus a birthday cake - I reassured her that He most certainly did. :o)