We Are So Blessed!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas season is in full swing. If your family is like ours you have probably already celebrated at least one Christmas. We spent this last weekend in Michigan at Scott's Dad's house. We had a fun time and they TOTALLY spoil us all with gifts. We got at least a foot of snow too and had fun playing in that. Haddee was a little overwhelmed with presents I think. We celebrated her birthday with them as well. We would open one present and she just wanted to play with it then I would make her put it aside and open another and another. I can see how it happens with some kids - after a few years they are programmed. They tear through each present as fast as they can and when they are all done they say, "Are there any more?" It makes them seem ungrateful, but you can hardly blame them. I hope somehow we can teach Haddee and Eva to enjoy each gift and be thankful for what they get. Here are some pictures from our trip. Scott's sister Jody and her family was there too. Haddee LOVED playing with her cousins Austin, Hailey, and Kara. We came home last night and she is asking for them already today. Aunt Jody made Haddee an apron. We are going to have a lot of fun with that! We took a short drive to visit Scott's Grandma and Uncle and Aunt also. It is good to see some family we don't get to see very often!

Well, there is lots more I want to post about for Christmas so I will be blogging again in a few days. I hope all of you are enjoying this season as much as I am!

Go Diego Go!

Haddee's new stage - going on well over a month now - is Diego. She LOVES Diego. (For those of you that don't know, he is Dora the Explorer's cousin.) We don't have cable and she has never watched Diego here but some how between her cousin Laish and her grandma's house she knows all there is to know. Every morning when she wakes I say "good morning Haddee" and she says, "I not Haddee. I Diego." And this goes on all day. "Come upstairs Haddee." "I not Haddee. I Diego." So we have mostly played along. But not only does she give herself a name, all of us get names every day too. Daddy is always Swiper. Eva is either Alicia, baby Jaguar, or Boots. And I am either Dora or Alicia. (I do realize if you don't have kids this age or don't know about Dora you are probably lost - sorry) Then she refers to us with those names through out the day. Pretty creative I thought. BUT the situation has gotten a little more serious. Within the last 2 weeks she gets very upset if you refer to her as a girl. She is a BOY. On Sundays I try to get her to wear a dress and tights. Never - she hates them. She told me last Sunday "Boys don't wear tights, only girls. I a boy." Then today for lunch I made carrots and she says, "Boys don't eat carrots, just girls. I a boy." I know she really knows she's a girl, but when I try to tell her that she is really a girl and just pretends to be a boy she gets pretty upset. Yesterday when I was talking to her about that she says, "No. I am boy like Bodie, Liam, Daddy..." and names off all her boy cousins and friends. I am all about not having a girly girl, but should I be getting worried???

Here are a few pics of her birthday party. We had planned a Dora party but she had to have a Diego cake too so I made 2 small ones - 1 Dora and 1 Diego. She had a blast with her cousins. They bought her tons of great gifts (and helped her open them too). Among her favorites are an ice cream factory play doh set, a sleeping bag, a Diego hideout/tent, a Dora doll, a paint set and Strawberry Shortcake videos. And that was only about half the gifts. Who needs Christmas?

Yes, she is wearing a Diego jacket

Uncle Reggie with Eva

Happy Birthday To Haddee

Two years ago today Haddee was born. What a precious gift to us! With youth group today we had to celebrate her birthday at breakfast so Daddy could be there. We had "mickey mouse" pancakes and coffee cake. She opened her present from us which was a Curious George monkey. She carried him around all day and is sleeping with him tonight. We will have our extended family party on Saturday along with her cousin Michael, but I wanted to post some pictures on her actual birthday. More soon...