Catching Up - Part 1

I'm back! I finished up my course on December 30th with only two hours to spare until the post office closed and my final paper had to be postmarked. Whew, that was cutting it close! With my nephews here the rest of that week and then quick trip to Oregon this past weekend to celebrate Christmas with my extended relatives, I am just finally starting to recover from the crazy pace I had to keep up this past month. So, here's a quick recap from mid-December until just before Christmas with more to come soon!

Ben got to check out his first snowfall on December 13th, my mom's birthday. It started snowing while we were at church, but didn't stick much until later in the afternoon. While Abby took her nap, Ben and I excitedly watched the snow accumulate.

We only got about an inch, but Abby was so excited when she awoke that we had to go build a snowman with her since she's been waiting to build one ever since I started playing Christmas music in late September. The snowman was pretty little and covered in pine needles and grass clippings, but we had a blast together. The picture below was taken the next day after the rain melted all the snow and the little snowman had toppled over. Abby is anxiously awaiting the next snow so that she can build "a blue snowman for Ben and a pink snowman for Abby." Hopefully, it will snow a few more inches the next time around!

The kiddos also bugged the cat many times throughout the month. Here they are jumping on the bed, Calvin's favorite napping spot, much to Calvin's dismay. =)

A new favorite thing for Ben is to suck on a damp wash cloth that I use to wipe his face off after he's finished eating. In fact, he now practically throws a fit if you don't let him hold and suck on the rag after you wipe his face. I also always get two wash cloths out now whenever I give him a bath - one for him to suck on and one for me to wash him up with or I'd never get it out of his hands! =)

We're pretty sure that Ben's first word is/will be "Mamma" just like Abby's was. He regularly says, "Mammm, mammm," and many times looks right at me when he says it. As I was with Abby, I'm hesitant to acknowledge the first word too soon until we know it is for sure what he is trying to say. =) And another non-picturable (yes, I just made that word up) Ben item is that he unofficially hit 20 pounds sometime during December! He's a big boy!

I was dumbfounded the first time we received a package via UPS from a guy on a bike, but after a few more deliveries it didn't seem quite so strange.

We had fun putting up the Christmas tree together. I almost didn't do it (I was crazy-busy trying to put in about 4-6 hours of studying each day!), but when an old family friend, Jean Russell, heard I might not do it she told my mom that I absolutely HAD to because Abby MUST have herself a Christmas tree. So, my mom decided to come over and help with the tree and the kids to make it go more quickly, otherwise I don't think dear Abby would have gotten her tree this year.

Ben was tuckered out after all the decorating.

Abby got to be in her first Christmas program at church. Being as shy as she is, I didn't know what to expect and somewhat feared the worst even though her part was small (simply stand on the stage with the other kids and hold up her star). But she did fantastic! I was so proud of her. =) I had to move over to her side of the stage down in front when I could tell she was starting to get a bit worried, but she stayed up there the whole time and didn't even cry when the girl next to her melted down and had to go sit with her mom. Half-way through she did say, "I'm all done, Mamma." But I whispered some encouragement to her and she continued to stay there. It also was a lot of help for her to be standing next to an older girl, Abbi, who held her hand some of the time. It was sweet to see the two Abby/i's together. =)

Waiting on the front pew for the program to begin.


Proudly holding the letter "U."


Not quite sure of Anuhea's crying and moving a bit closer to Abbi.


After the program.

A couple days before Christmas, we enjoyed our annual visit from a friend of mine from high school along with a former teacher of ours. My friend Michelle now has four children and we enjoyed getting to introduce our newest additions since last Christmas to each other - her Joel and my Benjamin.

I also got to visit several times with my dear friend Leah who was home for Christmas from Florida, but forgot to take any pictures.

Kevin got the flu in early December that developed into a nagging cough and then eventually was diagnosed as the early stages of pneumonia. Consequently, he spent a lot of time on the couch. And being the Daddy's girl that she is, Abby spent a lot of time on the couch snuggling with her Daddy.

Well, that's enough for now. I'll post all the Christmas pictures soon!