Long Time No Blog

* I started writing this post a few weeks ago and never got a chance to complete it so this is a little dated...*
It seems like forever since I have been able to post anything new on the blog here... our computer crashed at the beginning of January. We took it to a local repair shop and the guy kept promising it would be done like every few days FOR A MONTH! Well maybe 3 weeks... but it was approaching a month and getting pretty annoying. It was a good thing in a way since it helped break us of our computer habits and spend more time together in the evenings. JW's even watching The Bachelor "On The Wings Of Love" (does it get any cheesier than that??) Ha! One of the girls got kicked off in one of the first few episodes for fooling around with one of the producers... and JW was hooked! If you happen to watch the show- we couldn't believe Ali left for her job... CLEARLY she was Jake's perfect match! We also got a big laugh since Cooper (our big light colored golden retriever) was bugging us and he was making a face just like Vienna!) haha Alright, if you don't watch The Bachelor you have no idea what I am talking about so sorry about that! *UPDATE Vienna was proposed to at the end... bleh! That's all I'm going to say about that! :)
It's been snowy and cold here in Indiana. I think everyone is ready for spring at this point. There was a snow day today so I got to stay home with the kids. Luke played in the snow today while Charlotte took a nap and I shoveled a path up to the cars. He was so cute talking about a baby snowball and daddy snowballs and mommy snowballs (sized accordingly). He was saying that the babies want to get to their home and he has to take them home. He would tuck them into a pile of snow then. He had fun for a long time rolling around in the snow and then we got to go inside for hot "choco-lot" as he calls it.
I can't believe Charlotte is 11 months now! She is always trying to get into something or climb up onto something. She is definately a girl who knows what she wants and she lets us know with a point and a "egh!!" Usually its something she knows she shouldn't have like the remote, a cellphone, a pop can, Luke's cups, etc. She's pretty persistent too! She has walked 7 steps at one time but lately she does a couple then drops to her knees since she crawls faster. She now can say "mama" but mostly she says "dada". She also point and says "duck" and "dog" (unfortunately more than mama!!!) lol She also loves to be chased. If you say, "I'm going to get you!" she takes off laughing hysterically and grinning from ear to ear the whole time. Charlotte was sleeping through the night finally, but then we all caught a yucky cold/sore throat bug and since then she has been waking up around 3:30 or 4:30am. I usually just feed her a bottle and she goes right back to sleep. It just stinks when I know my alarm will go off at 5:20am as I get to lay back down at like 4:45! However, I feel she will get back into a better pattern soon so I'm not too worried about it.
Luke got to go ice skating for the first time. He may or not be the next famous Dutch speed skater *you be the judge*

Christmas Bliss

We had a wonderful Christmas and I am really enjoying my vacation time at home with the kids. For the most part, everyone has been in really great spirits and we are having a great time with loved ones. Luke was officially spoiled on Christmas eve, Christmas morning, and Christmas day haha but it was so much fun to see the joy on his face. I've also been able to spoil him with attention, playtime, and kisses and let him know that he is a loved and cherished child. Charlotte as well is a joy to be around. At 9 months she is showing her little personality more and more and its so fun to watch her grow. One of my favorite moments this Christmas was her reaction when opening a special American Girl doll that my grandparents gave her for Christmas. Lottie just went crazy for the doll's face she could see through the box- she was crawling all over it and trying to get at it, I couldn hardly get it away from her to open the box! She also does this funny "egh egh egh!" laugh when she's excited and she was doing that. It was so cute! The other night she slept 10 hours without me having to get up!! That's a record for her... I thought it was a Christmas miracle and maybe from then on she would always sleep that long. Well, the next night we had to get up around 2am, so I guess I'm not in for consistent all night sleeps but hopefully soon!

Today my mom and I took the kids outside in the snow. Charlotte's first time out in the snow- which she enjoyed the sled ride into the woods and would wiggle her arms and feet when she got pulled. She wasn't so happy when we stopped so that Luke and I could sled down the hill a few times haha. But both kids had fun.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from the last few days! Geez I love these kiddos. I am one lucky momma.

Cookie before bedtime! *GASP*!

My little sassy girl

Give me my doll!!!!!

"Hot Choco-lot" in his special little Christmas cup from Oma and Opa

Cool dude!

Taking my baby for a walk (cutest baby girl present!)



Sledding with Mommy!

Here Comes Santa Claus...

Luke is VERY excited about Christmas this year and we've been hyping him up all month! This morning he said Charlotte was going to go on Santa's naughty list because she knocked an ornament off the Christmas tree! So he generally gets the idea of it all. He saw some presents I had wrapped for family members earlier in the week and wanted to know where his was. I told him Mommy and Daddy had a Christmas present for him but we didn't wrap it yet. So last night we finally wrapped the presents from Santa and a big box with an Chalkboard/Wipeboard/Magnet easel got wrapped up for Luke from Mommy and Daddy. He was sooooo excited to see that big present this morning but immediately said, "I wanna open it!". When I tried explaining we have to wait until Christmas.... then came the tears. I would give in and let him open it tonite since it is Christmas eve and it's from us, but I know JW would not agree with that. I double checked with JW got home from work but as expected he said Luke has to wait for tomorrow! I think Christmas is fun when you are a kid and then as you get older and don't believe in Santa anymore it loses some of the fun... but then when you have your own kids to hype it up to and try to make Christmas special it becomes magical again. I can't imagine what next year will be like when both kids know about Santa and are sooooo excited to see what will happen on Christmas morning.



Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and happy and healthy 2010!