Birthday Time!

Happy Birthday Aria D.

Dear Aria,  

        Another year has came and gone so quickly, and you continue to amaze us in every way.  As your birthday approached this year, we couldn't help but think about the day you came into our lives,  so innocent and sweet and unaffected by the outside world.  And we look at you today and see that same innocence, but now you have spunk and can talk back! Oh how a year has changed you in so many wonderful ways!  This year we watched you learn so many new things. 

• You love to listen to stories, turn pages in books, and pretend to read books too.  You tell wonderful stories, we just wished we could understand every word, because you tell them with such expression!  Your favorite book at the moment is, The Cat and the Hat.  Your favorite part is when the cat brings in the box with Thing 1 and Thing 2.  
• You love to dance and sing songs.  You follow commands while you dance.  Some of our favorites are Old man, get low, running man, and the turnpike.
• You love to jump.  Ellen always comments on how you have happy feet.  You can jump over my legs, do a summersault, and pop back up. 
• You are doing really well getting potty trained, you have the daytime down and we're working on night time! You weren't interested for so long and then about three weeks before your second birthday, you started to use your potty chair as if you knew how to all along!
• You still spend Mondays with Daddy, Tuesdays with Um-ma (Grandma Diana), and the rest of the work week with Ellen.
• Your favorite animal is Pu-pa, a small dog with a huge head that Uncle Les got you for Christmas.  Since you opened him on Christmas he has been with you day and night.
• You are absolutely obsessed with your pajamas (japas).  You cry every morning when you have to take them off and you ask for them the minute you walk in the door to our house.
• You love to sort things, such as beads, mickey people, and blocks.  You will sort them over and over and over again. 
• We often call you copy cat because you imitate us performing daily tasks, such as vacuuming, cleaning the table, putting on make-up, popping zits, or exercising.   
• Some of your most used phrases are:  What's that?, Who is that? Where's the mama, Where's the daddy?, I DO, Ahh Mickey, More please, I fell. 

So Miss Aria D. you continue to fill our lives with uncontrollable laughter, you bring us more happiness than we could ever imagine, and you test our patients to the max.  And we are left to sit back and watch as you try things on your own for it's the only way you will become a capable, independent thinker. 

Love always,

Mom and Dad 

Christmas Celebrations!

We had a wonderful Christmas with our families. It was so great to see everyone. The weekend before Christmas we made the trek to Green Bay to spend time with Jerrod's family. We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas dinner prepared by Joe and Janel and enjoyed some family time. On Christmas eve,we celebrated at my mom and dad's house with Kim's family, Keith's family, and Uncle Les. My mom served her famous 'Christmas Eve' dinner of French onion soup, sandwiches, and all the fixings. I don't know how she does it, but her soup gets better every year. We woke up before Aria on Christmas and patiently waited for her to open her Santa presents. She must have been a very good girl! She was surprised that Santa even left presents for Mom and Dad. I guess we we good this year too! My mom and dad came by us on Christmas day to go to church and they also joined us for brunch at our home. It was a Christmas Miracle and Aria was surprisingly well behaved in Church! After nap time, we traveled to my mom and dad's house a 'traditional' Christmas dinner. Aria had a blast playing with Papa, dancing with her momma, and opening presents. Our holiday season was very blessed with family time, laughter, and just being together. I am so luckily to have my wonderful family and I thank god for them every day. Love you guys!!!!

Getting in the mood...

      Christmas is definitely in the air at our home. Aside from the 6 inches of snow we received today, we also went to Hilliker Tree Farm to pick out our Christmas Tree. Aria was quite the little trooper as we rode the wagon through farm to find the perfect tree. She wanted to hold the saw, of course, but she settled for holding the stick that holds the branches out of the way. Once Daddy cut the tree down, we headed back to warm up by the fire and watch them bundle up the tree. Aria LOVES the snow! She helped daddy shovel and didn't want to come in the house. We had to bribe her in with the promise of a bath!

Riding in the wagon... 

Spotted... The perfect tree...

St. Nick

Aria has been so excited for St. Nicholas day. We have been reading all about it and talking about it. She sure enjoyed digging in her stocking for all her goodies today! Thank you St. Nick:)

Pumpkin carving!

Ahhhhh, fall has arrived! We spent the weekend in Necedah enjoying some much needed family time. Aria had a blast, as usual, playing with her cousins, running around outside, and carving pumpkins.

Minneapolis fun!