Merry Christmas!!

and Happy New Year!

Our Nativity was awesome this year.

Can you just feel the excitement?

(just kidding. bad timing on the picture.)

Christmas eve jammies.

Things we've been doing:

Hiking!

rest stop...with snacks!

to the tallest waterfall in the state :)

Hanging out!

A sleepover with Kate!

The girls love her so much. Jane's kids were so good to them. A & R had so much fun following them all around. And we had some super Thanksgiving food! Yum!

First solids.

picture curtesy of Anne

First toes.

I love it when they find these.

First teeth!

I meant to post these a long time ago...

sorry about the commentary. embarrassing .

Halloween

We had a great time at the ward's turnk-or-treat and Anne and Ruby both came home with a bucket full of candy! They were in heaven. We all had a great time. I especially loved the 20 minute hay ride under the stars, with my two big girls snuggled up next to me.

We recycled some costumes this year, but Lucy's is new. She is our sweet cuddly bear.

Don't you just want to squeeze her?

Stuff you've been waiting to see

--although you probably didn't know it.

We survived the week Randy was in Texas, and even had a few smiles. Now I know I can handle it--but only if I have to.

And here's the new van! I finally remembered to get a picture. We don't know how we used to do without it.

These next 3 pics are of our hike to Turkey Point Lighthouse. Not great pictures or anything, but still kinda fun to see the landscape around here. We are having fun exploring new places.

P.S. The fall leaves have been spectacular! Wish I had some pictures to do it justice.

Let's catch up...

Labor day we went to the National Zoo (or "yooo", as Ruby pronounces it). Here are some of the better pictures.

The Giant Panda

Those were the only pictures worth looking at.

Then we had enough time to see the Washington Monument,

and the Lincoln Memorial.

I decided to take a series of pictures of Ruby at nap time.

She wouldn't take off the backpack, and yes, her knee is in the air.

To be continued...

But here's another good one of Rubles sporting her big girl "Snow White" panties, a fancy nighty cover-up that has become part of our dress-up stash, and she tops it off with a gorgeous tiara worn as a belt! She's innovative!

Here's a new look to that same cute face we all know and love.

Anne has been begging me for a "hair trim" like her friend Hannah--"and you mom!"

Bangs

Lots of Lucy lovin'

Some more to enjoy -- I love these!

To the BEACH!!

We had a fabulous time playing in the sun and the sand.

Good times.

(I think this is the only picture of our new red van. We love it, by the way.)

Sea shell hunting with her friend Erika.

Fort Macon

A Trip to the Museum

One Saturday we went to the proving grounds to look around a bit and we took a self guided tour of the museum there. --Which mostly consisted of us wandering this field, looking at the tanks (and the large cool spiderwebs on the tanks) and guns. The indoor part of the museum was in the process of being moved, so we contented ourselves with tanks. Here are a few pics for your enjoyment. I only took one picture of a plaque for you to read, Dad. Sorry.

This one below was built for clearing a mine field. Not shoveling snow.

Wait for it...

HERE's the plaque!

Um, Here is Ruby in a tank field.

And I love Lucy

Don't you?!

-most especially in those jammers-

Potty Train (ed?)

Mission accomplished!

I've been without transportation for a month or so (Randy takes the car to work every day), so since its no fun to go places with a potty trainee in tow, we figured it was a good time to train her. Ruby's out of a diaper, and lovin' every minute of it!

She really was pretty awesome to train.--Nighttime and naps included.

Here she is with the bribery: panties to wear and a candy bar!!!

(one for her and one for Anne--in the hopes that Anne would be helpful and encouraging)

A Chart to record successes. She loved putting stickers on it!

SUCCESS!!! They were hers for the taking.

Here is the finished chart. She chose to ignore the days and use the corners, as you can see.

Whatever, as long as she's motivated to use the potty, right?

Woo hoo!! Back to only one in diapers at our house. Phew.

North East

When we went to Iowa we didn't think we would miss it much when we left, but we were wrong. We loved Ames: the many great parks, the amazing children's section of the public library, the good and inspiring people we got to know, the fun storms (although we are grateful we missed the flooding).

The girls handled the packing pretty well thanks to several friends that watched Anne and Ruby while we did the majority of the packing. Thanks!!!

We left Ames about 6:30 in the p.m. and went straight to Raleigh, NC to Megan's sister Jane's house. We got there at about 8:00 p.m., not too shabby.
We had breakfast in Kentucky (I think).

We had fun with Jane and her family for the weekend. Megan and I left for North East, MD Tuesday morning while Anne and Ruby stayed at Jane's for the week. They didn't miss us much but we were glad to see them Saturday.

Upack failed to inform me that the truck was delayed on Monday and wouldn't be able to make my appointment Tuesday afternoon. So Megan slept on an air mattress we had with us and I slept on the floor.

The apartment is quite new and we have brand new carpet. It didn't take long for Ruby to draw on it while our backs were turned. Thanks mom for the little bissel... it came right out :).

We found a beach nearby on the Chesapeake Bay. The water was quite warm, 70-80 degrees. Anne did NOT enjoy the sea grass floating in the water, but se really liked the sand and the warm water.

Lucy is getting pretty chubby. She has come to life since we moved here, which is fun but tiring.

This was Ruby's lunch the other day... after she was done eating.

The girls like eating on the patio and the door is a bit heavy for them.