Snow Perfect

Here are some pictures from our visit to Milford for Christmas with the Brown's. We all woke up Tuesday morning to a beautiful soft snow falling, blanketing the trees and ground with a picturesque fluff. No better time to take pictures!
Uncle Gabe and Andrew, just hanging out.
This is what a snowman looks like when we Brown's get creative...(complete with hardhat from dad's truck)
Family shot! The little shed in mom and dad's backyard provided a neat backdrop. Snow falling always helps :)
Sibling love :)
Oh my, I think they missed their calling...we love being goofy together, can't you tell ?
Libby and Gabe...an amazing couple whom we love so much! And we are so excited for this new step in their adventure together...no pun intended. :) Look out North Webster!

Snowballs from Ben and Dad always make pictures more fun...


Mom and dad, posing for a few pics... We love you two! The lantern is a nice touch, daddo!
Our trip out "west" for Christmas was great and we enjoyed family time with everyone. It always seems to pass by so quickly. Andrew loves seeing everyone, playing with all of grandma's toys, and eating yummy food! We are blessed to have family on both sides who love us so much and that we really enjoy spending time with. We look forward to many more trips and new memories made!

Hiding spot

Oh happy boy! How you love to crawl under the new island table. What a smile :) No toys needed, just a spot to crawl on...

Boxes

Joe put Andrew inside an empty box today, and he loved it! He has also been practicing his zerberts (sp?), and this face is evidence of one in action. Unfortunately, he likes to also practice while eating food, or just after drinking water. I try to turn my face away so he can't see me laugh, but it is useless. He can tell I am giggling. Oh boy.... Must have thought that the sides were quite taste-y! It was so cute..

Sip and Be Merry!

Last week we hosted the first annual "Sip and Be Merry" at our house. We had all the guests bring different types of their favorite drinks around the holidays, and share them with everyone. It was so much fun! Homemade eggnog, wassail, apple cider, sparking grape juice, coffee, and hot chocolate were enjoyed by all! I had fun decorating the house a bit before everyone arrived!

There were 5 little boys playing in Andrew's room at one point! Needless to say, they were all having the time of their lives, and Andrew was delighted to share his toys with friends :)

Daddy and Drew before the party

Tadaaa! Here is the island table that joe built us! Dad had some old barn siding that we used to create a rustic table. Joe added the towel rack (from Lowes) to complete the look. We love this new piece of furniture, and it was so helpful for the party!!! Extra counter space is welcome in our house! The boys loved to play underneath it, as it was a perfect hiding spot.
Here is our Fraiser Fir Christmas tree, all decorated. We think it is one of the prettiest trees we have had so far. We put on Big Crosby and had a wonderful time pulling out each ornament and reminiscing about where we got it, or when it was given to us. What a great evening!

Swings

A few weeks ago, it was a beautiful day outside, and all 3 of us had been inside working at camp all day. So we decided to run out to the swing set, and have some fun. Andrew loves swinging!

Higher, daddy, higher! What a fun moment, just us three out in the sunshine, enjoying each other.

After swinging, we took a walk around the new pond at Heartland. There is even a waterfall! This was right after 2 days of rain, and the pond actually overflowed! We are beginning to landscape around it, and look forward to the beauty it will continue to add to camp.

Bubbles in the Bath

Andrew still loves to be in the bathtub, and in fact now has begun to cry when we take him out! He was being so silly this night, loving all of the bubbles.

Haha, oh my Andrew... are you doing "the eyebrow"?? It must be genetic!!!

Standing in the bathtub is a fun thing to do now, much to mommy's dismay. In fact, standing anywhere, anytime, at any cost is pretty much the coolest thing to do, according to this 10 month old. Walking is just around the corner, young man!

Our Walks

Here is one of my walking buddies, ready for his daily walk down our road! He loves to jabber and squeal during the first part of the walk. Then on the way back, he usually falls quiet, just taking in the world around him. If I stop and bend down to say hello, he usually gives me a big grin, to let me know everything is okay, he is just enjoying the ride. Andrew, did you know you have been going on these walks with me since you were 3 weeks old?? Yep, in the dead of January, we were on this road walkin'! I look forward to many more walks together!

Molly loves these walks, too. She goes crazy waiting for me to get her leash and collar on, get Andrew in is stroller, and head down the drive. I guess it is a whole new world down that road....

It's a good day, isn't it?

*kisses on the cheek!*

Little Moose

We are trying to get outside these days as much as possible, because soon it will be too cold and snowy to enjoy much time outdoors with Andrew! He LOVES being outside, and will pick up sticks and leaves at any chance he gets. Then of course those all go in his mouth :)

We love the sunshine!

Peek-a-boo!! Lately, it seems Andrew has mastered the art of pulling himself up, on everything! He loves that, and even stands up in his crib after each nap and when he wakes up in the morning. I love all these new stages you are going through, buddy, but you are growing so fast!

Boots!

These pictures are for you, mom !!! Here he is, lovin' every moment on his horsey, wearing the boots from Granny Brown. Uncle Ben think they are a bit silly, but we love him!
Scooting, scooting.....
Where are you going, bubby?? Well, he stayed on the bucking bronco for at least 8 seconds, yay!

On the Hunt

Climbing....through the chair rungs....where are you going little boy?
You made it! The interesting world beneath the table....now where are you going?
Oh, I see! Sammy is eating his food, on the chair where mom thought it would be safe. Dunt dunt daaahhhh....
Escape! Someone is coming after you, Sammy! Or perhaps your food...hmmmm. And yes, Andrew did pull himself ALL the way up to the chair, and began pulling the food off the chair as well before I stopped him. Oh my goodness! Mobility + Curiosity = Quick Reflexes by Mom :)

The First Expedition

All loaded up and ready to hit the road on our first pop-up camping expedition! We even threw in a canoe :) Our van is working hard for us, haha!
We got to the campsite around lunch time, and while I took care of Andrew, Joe set up the camper! We finished putting on the awning just as Andrew fell asleep in his pack-n-play in the camper. Whew!
That night we enjoyed foil dinners...Andrew even tried a bit, and I think he wants to have these every night from now on. It got quite chilly that night, but as you can see, we are all bundled up and stayed very warm. (Not to mention, we packed a space heater that helped!)
Hey buddy! You are all smiles for the camera! And that is quite a feat, considering we just got out of the canoe here, and you were NOT a happy camper while we tried to paddle around the lake. But you did like it when mommy sat with you in the bottom of the boat and sang songs and let you wave around a couple of sticks that were floating by in the water. Hmm, perhaps we will wait awhile until our first canoeing trip to the Boundary Waters :)



Molly loved coming along on our trip...so many new smells, sights, and dogs! She is so good with Andrew!
Enjoying some time together by the fire....

Overall it was a short but sweet first camping trip for the 4 of us (counting Molly) and we look forward to doing it again. The camper makes all the difference when you have a little one, thats for sure. Thanks for being a trooper Andrew! You are an outdoorsman at heart, we just know it :) Can't wait to take the next adventure together!