Thank you, Liz!!!

Clare wanted to say thank you to Liz for her very first nativity set.

It will be a special memory for years to come. Thank you, Liz! Clare enjoyed playing with Baby Jesus...
and then trying to eat the manger.

Sweet Baby Girl

It was exactly a year ago, today, that we learned that we were pregnant. WOW! It's amazing how drastically our lives have changed in the last year...for the BETTER! Clare is such a special gift to our family, our marriage, and our day-to-day lives. What will the next year bring?

Our Sweet Baby Girl...Singing...
Smiling...
Inquiring...
Focusing...
Just another day of joy in the life of Miss Clare Ann!

Happy Little Girl

Clare is such a happy little girl, and we love her spit-soaked smiles!Checking herself out during tummy time.

Having sweet dreams...with a sweet little smile in her sleep.

Welcome, Shane!!!

My dearest cousin, Kelly, had her baby yesterday. Shane was 8 lbs, 8 oz., and we are SO excited to welcome him to the family. CONGRATS, Kelly and Josh!

Daddy's Little Girl

There's no doubt that Clare LOVES her daddy. I think the feelings are mutual.

Our non-traditional Thanksgiving!

Phil had to work on Thanksgiving day, so we celebrated a few days later. As you can see, Phil woke up VERY early to start smoking the turkey. Since he didn't take this picture of himself, you can only imagine who else woke up VERY early. Yes, Clare was ALSO awake VERY early.
Hard at work throughout the day.

Look at that beautiful turkey and handsome cook.

We enjoyed our feast with Sarah and Tory...our local family!

Future Flying Dutchman?

Our little Flying Dutchgirl has had a busy few days. This is her sleeping position, and she fell asleep within moments of reaching the horizontal position. Who do you think she looks like now? We go back and forth, and people tell us all different things. What do YOU think?

While We Were Out...

Clare and I were in Michigan for six days, and I thought that Phil was at home enjoying some down time while we were gone. I should have known better! Without a basement or adequate storage space, our extra bedroom quickly turned into a junk room (boxes, Discovery Toys stuff, clothes, and everything that didn't fit somewhere else).

The first picture is from a long time ago, but it gives you the idea.
While we were gone, Phil painted the room, organized all of the junk, and created a wonderful storage/shelving unit. The shelves (on the left) hold SO MUCH STUFF, and they will help us stay clean and organized.

This is our make-shift basement for now, but at least it's tidy, organzined, and surrounded by a great new color.

Needless to say, Phil was VERY busy while we were gone. He was sore and worn out from lifting all the awkward lumber by himself, but everything turned out perfectly. What a guy! :)

Thankful for...

Clare Ann is thankful for...

her daddy...

fresh water... Grandmas...
Grandpas...

(Is this the same baby?)

Grandparents....
GREAT-Grandparents...
Seeing the snow, but not living in a state that has it...

Blue skies, sunny days, and time with family!!!

Happy to be HOME!

Clare was VERY happy to see her daddy after six days away,

but daddy was even happier.Snuggle time!
Tummy Time!

Tongue Time!

Those cheeks hold up the sunglasses.

Another week in Michigan!

Clare and I are in Michigan for the week. We've been seeing lots of people, doing lots of toy parties, and surviving the cold weather. Even though we've been having fun, we miss Phil (Daddy) VERY MUCH!!!
These are some of my high school friends (Katie, Autumn, Melissa, and Missy) who came over on Thursday evening. It was great to see everyone again, and they were expecting to "make the blog." :)

Happy Birthday, Melissa!!!

Brianna enjoyed holding Clare.Grandpa D. has the magic touch...
...and so does Grandma H.!

Clare loves playing with Grandpa on the floor, but Grandpa might enjoy it even more than she does.

Same Grandma...another day, another nap!

More play time with Grandpa. :)

What kind of magic touch does Grandma D. have???