Playing it By Ear: Blur

Okay, I'm done even pretending that I can stay on top of this thing. Gone are the days of posting every detail and picture of our lives; here to stay are the days I will try my best to get the highlights and cutest pictures up before they are seriously old news. (Truth be told, I started this post the week after Christmas...and who knows when it actually gets posted because it's almost February now!)

So fun having the Sauders here! We were so excited to celebrate William's birthday!

Annual Friends' Thanksgiving (photo credit: Leila)

Our spawn...

Cute

Thanksgiving tradition of bowling!

Thanksgiving feast

Her first Thanksgiving and I almost didn't get a picture!

Big Bingo winner of the night

Bundled for sledding

Going over their list with Santa

Zoe wasn't too happy

Cousins in a winter wonderland

Annual Home Depot trip for the perfect tree

Riding the Polar Express!

Decorating the tree

Cuddles with Ama

We had a fun birthday party to celebrate our spitfire Zoe Ann! Just like mommy and daddy, she took her first steps on her birthday! She has been working on her balance since then and is finally getting it down, which sadly means she isn't doing her wacky crawl as much anymore.

Pics from Zoe's big day:

Ready to party!

Enjoying a BBQ lunch

Excited by new clothes!

Lots of helpers with her gifts

Loved her balloons!

Melt my heart moment

Leila's first gymnastic class

These two...

Miss Claus

Enjoying some "coffee" with mommy

A quick recap of our Christmas season:

- Oma and Papa Chuck arrived and proceed to spoil our children with attention (and spoil me with taking over dish duty!)

- Leila performed in an adorable program at her school and we were able to make gingerbread houses with her back in the classroom! (Oh, and she was the most fancy kindergartner that day with her full face paint from the night before with Ama and Papa!)

- Oma, Leila, Bubby, and I made Christmas cookies (Zoe watched the madness from her highchair)

- We spent Christmas Eve with the whole family at Ama's house, making cookies, eating, more eating, church, and more eating. Leila and Nathan opened some presents and were both overjoyed with their Animal Babies. (Leila I expected to be happy and to "take care" of her baby, but I was surprised by how sweet Nathan was with his little tiger and how determined he was to take good care of him...now if he could just transfer that to his real baby sister!)

Cookie decorating with Auntie Lauren and her belly!

Papa was determined to not get sick!

One of Leila's beautiful creations

If I had patience and time, I'd do a split screen of this pic with one of Leila in the same dress looking out the same window. Love my Spicy!!

- Christmas was great. The amount of presents opened was insane. The amount of food eaten was crazy. It was a fun day with family and lots, and lots, and lots of new toys.