Santa came...

We had a quiet family Christmas. Everett was truly in the spirit of (opening) gifts and the magic of St. Nick.

Things I don't want to forget about this Christmas.

Matt was the first one up, with Jack, preparing breakfast and coffee... waiting for Everett and me to wake up.

Everett reciting 'The Night Before Christmas'. "To de top of de porch! To de top of de wall! Now dassaway, dassaway, dassaway all." Which one is Dassaway?

Singing jingle bells over and over and over again.

I'll add more as they come to me.

I've been trying to get out holiday and thank you cards, and it's been excrutiatingly impossible. I have high hopes that this will be the perfect venue to reflect and cross reference events - almost everything that happened this year is in this blog - and maybe produce a card. As for Thank you notes... hold on to your hats, they will trickle in. We're trying for one a day or so. We have a lot to be Thankful for.

more! snow

SOOOOO much snow. It's amazing. Not too cold, but it's hard to walk in.

Everett scaled a snowbank next to a tree and was able to climb onto it's lower branches. He bumped it while climbing, and a huge dusting of snow fell and fell and fell around him. He didn't like it, but it was amazing to watch.

wish lists...

Hello dear gift givers. Everett has a list and well, I thought I'd share it with everyone so that they know what he's into. I totally have mixed feelings about this, but his list is sweet and it doesn't take a lot to make a kid excited about Christmas. And well, if Everett gets a list, Jack gets one too. You'll find them on the side bar.

Do you have a list? Can we see it?
*Also, if you have chosen something on this list and want me to remove it or make a note, I will.

We're pretty excited about Christmas around here. It's hard to get anything done, but we're trying. Today Matt put up some outdoor lights. Yesterday we made a Gingerbread house (a kit) and some gingerbread cookies (not a kit).

Jack has grown and changed so much. He's still concerned, and cries if he's had to much to nurse...:( but the other day he just started kicking and smiling and cooing and gooing. When he smiles it is just so genuine and direct. I forgot how completely absorbed I become by my baby's smiles. Here he is at 7.5 weeks.

Wintertime.

In this picture, Jack is 6 weeks old. We go on forest walks altogether. We went down a different path and found this shelter. We collected spruce cones and alder cones.

We've been making lots of snow people in the front yard. These two are Fiona and Molly.

embracing winter.

I forgot how cold November can be. It's been below zero (farenheit) for the past week and it's tricky to get us all outside for very long. We did enjoy a nice fire in the fireplace outside. And the moose came back and had a nap in our backyard.

first snow

The first snow came overnight November 9th. It was a big day for our house. I know this because I started a big wall calender with Monday, November 9th as the first day - Christmas is coming so soon. New snow and the first day of swimming lessons! (And first day of no more diapers!?! ) That evening a moose came calling and ate the pumpkin off our front stoop.
On the 10th Jack turned four weeks old.

halloween '09

Halloween was a big deal.
Thanks to Gramma Jude, we had a cozy warm Buddy the Dinosaur (T-REX) costume to wear to a party and out trick'r treating. Sadly, we didn't break out the Turtle costume for Jack, but we did dress him up in a Pumpkin sleeper wrapped in a ladybug blankie and hat.




Matt does a great job of dressing up the driveway for trick'r treat-er's. He likes it when a house is clearly open for business.

pensive.

Usually, he is quiet but concerned.

gramma jude

My mom will be here with me through the week. We are grateful. Thanks Mom for staying longer, and thanks to everyone else for letting me keep her for just a little longer.

Jack.

So, he's finally here. We call him Jack. He is adored and loved..
8 lbs 9 oz. 20.25" long. Arrived at 1:43 pm October 13th.


Check out this flash back.

grandad.

My father was here for a week (last week) and while he didn't get to meet a new baby (...still in the oven) he cemented his bond with his grandson and helped with all the that stopped us in our tracks (patio door lock, lawnmower blade, computer chair, range hood cover!, etc.) Thanks for making the trip, Dad. You'll just have to come back to meet this new person.

it's officially fall (and my birthday)

We haven't had a frost, but the leaves are changing quickly and falling off the trees.

forest walk.

Toadstool town.

garden pictures.

I'm really pleased with the garden. It is really productive right now and as always, continues to be a great learning experience. I'm still supplementing every week from the farmer's market, mainly because our lettuce never really seemed to take hold. And I could easily eat every single carrot in our garden in one sitting. Next year I'm doing lots more broccoli in succession, lots more lettuce in succession. No onions, but as many carrots as we can. More dill. More cucumbers in containers. A big pot for zucchini. Less beans. Cilantro in pots. We did the perfect amount of chard, though I might add an additional green like Tatsoi. The radishes were really fun, but I don't really like them so most have them have gone to seed and have sent their pink-veined white flowers tumbling throughout the vegetable beds. The peas are great. The sunflowers are awesome. All the flowers are awesome. They are what make the whole thing really fun for me. I'm crossing my fingers that a moose won't come over the fence.

grandma jane.

the sun shined for you.

birthday party....

and then the real deal.

family visit.

Thanks for coming all this way! We had a lot of fun.

In lieu of traveling on Father's Day

Ontario Trip 2009 was wonderful. I don't know where to begin with the all the photos. Send 'em in everyone.

pulling leaves off trees.

Mommy Moose feeds Baby Moose just steps from our front door.

master mind.

Everett playing with pegs. AKA master mind.
I'm just getting him started early. He really likes it. I pulled it out to play with an older child who was visiting and Everett couldn't leave it alone.

little boy growing up.

I can't believe he'll be three in August.