A few of my favorite things ....

I have lots of things I like to do these days - in true fashion at 21 months - I've got people to see, places to go and things to do! Here are a few of my favorite things these days:

Birthday parties! Who doesn't love a birthday party? There is cake, lots of other goodies typically, toys and toddlers galore to play with - did I mention I like to play with my friends gifts and often question why I can't take them home with me? I LOVE a party .... imagine that!

Giving Audrey a birthday hug!

Playing with the newly one year old Audrey!

Attempt at a group photo - this picture says some many things:)

We recently celebrated our friend Hayes's 2nd birthday and Mother Goose made an appearance:

Sweet Caroline and Catherine Ellis waiting on Mother Goose to arrive!

Shushing with Mother Goose - we were singing an nursery rhyme.

Play dates - another opportunity for me to spend time with some of my favorite peeps - here are a few of my recent play dates:

Playing in the water fountain at McWane with Cyatt
(Wyatt in non-toddler language)

Building a tower

Making a little music

I LOVED the snow exhibit at McWane!

I love McWane

Playground time - what's not to love about a slide, a see-saw and a swing?:

Swinging

Preparing to slide

Sliding

Crafts - I love to color and make things - this is my latest creation at school - my very own Kentucky Derby hat:


Cooking - it's a nightly activity in our home (well 5 nights a week!) - Catherine Ellis loves to 'help cook':

Jesus Loves Me

A little Saturday morning singing to get your day started off on the right foot! If only she would let me capture the whole song - she knows when we're dying to catch something on video and purposely will not perform near as wonderfully as she does not in front of the camera.

Regardless, I think you will agree she's a show stopper - even if it is only 17 seconds!

Happy Saturday everyone!

My Greats - Aunt B and Uncle C

I sure love my Aunt B and Uncle C - they are so much fun and they sure spoil me (that's what greats are supposed to do!)! We always have so much fun together! My last Christmas celebration was with my Greats and boy did we end things with a bang - I had a great time opening up my final selection of gifts and even wondered at the end - aren't there more? Shocker for a little girl that had 4 Christmas'!

Yesterday was my Uncle C's birthday - I called and said very softly (I'm really loud until we pick up the phone to call someone and then I'm shy) "Happy Birthday Uncle Chip!" - I sure like birthdays - that's a post for later this week! And I sure love my Uncle Chip!

Two peas in a pod

We'll hit the highlights of my favorite things from my Christmas with Aunt B and Uncle C:

Red ankle boots - like Gossie's!

Walking my fancy walk with my new boots

I've got this modeling thing down pat

Making sure my boots stay put

Soap for my tub babies

Enjoying my "Brown Bear Brown Bear" book

You mean this is it? No more presents?

The finale! I sure love my new pink red rider tricycle - with it's very own bell to ring!

Last but not least, loving my B and feeding my new babies - Thank you Greats for my wonderful Christmas!

Snow day!

It's been an eventful 24 hours or so here in Birmingham! While lots of our friends are used to inches and inches of snow in the winter - we're not! And when it does happen it shuts us down and shut down we are. It's been snowing/sleeting now for almost 24 hours - we've not had the fun stuff here in Birmingham - it's a weird combination of ice, layer of 2 inches of snow, then more ice on top. Not the kind you want to play in - but we did venture out for a little while earlier this morning. The roads are still covered in our neighborhood and the state is discouraging all travel - emergencies only. We just found out that Catherine Ellis's school is closed again tomorrow - so looks like we're home again tomorrow! David does have to go in tomorrow for a little while - but it has been so nice to have him here to help today! Our little one has a case of cabin fever and 2 on 1 is much easier when cabin fever is in play:)

These are from about 10:00 a.m. this morning:

From front porch

Driveway and David's truck

Backyard

Our street

Front yard

Then we ventured out with Catherine Ellis - she wasn't impressed to begin with:

Not liking the ice - she's smart - within 10 seconds she fell down the steps - but she's just fine!

Tiny footprints in the ice, snow, ice sandwich

That's some cold ice!

This might be fun after all:)

Ice, Ice Baby

Chomping away

Laughing at Uncle Matt

Silly girl

Well hello there

Cheese with a mouth of snow

Dada, look at me!

Happy Snow Day to all!! And WAR EAGLE!!!

21 months & Happy Baptism Day Anniversary

This time last year you were being welcomed into the Christian community at Camp McDowell and were surrounded by so many sweet friends and family. This year as we celebrate your anniversary - we'll also celebrate your 21 months! Boy how you have changed!

January 9, 2010

A Baptism Anniversary Prayer for Catherine Ellis:

Remember this, Catherine Ellis.

You have been washed

In the saving waters of baptism

And anointed with holy oil.

Place on your head and in your heart

The sign of the cross of salvation.

Loving God,

You created all the people of the world,

And you know each of us by name.

We thank you for Catherine Ellis,

Who celebrates the anniversary of her baptism.

Bless her with your love and friendship

That she may grow in wisdom, knowledge, and grace.

May she love her family always

And be ever faithful to her friends.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Happy 21 months sweet girl! Your two year birthday is quickly approaching - hard to believe in so many ways.

January 9, 2011 - Silly Cat Cat!

We'll highlight 21 of the most fabulous things you're doing with one to grow on:

• this is my favorite - when you want Mama or Dada to hold you - you say "hold you Mama/Dada" ... melts.my.heart.
• you are starting to understand other people's emotions - if they are happy, sad, crying, etc.
  
• your love of Cain and Emma continues to grow - you now must hug them both and say bye bye most every morning before we leave
• you are mastering walking up and down steps - you still need to hold some one's hand, but if you had it your way you would do it on your own
• your independence is shining through in most all activities - you want to peel your own orange, put on your socks, your shoes, etc.
  
• you speak well enough to tell most anyone what you need/want or are referencing
• you are so friendly and loving - you hug every friend that comes in after you at school and most anyone else that you know well enough
  
• you still LOVE (that's putting it lightly!) your pappie - we're not sure we'll ever get rid of it, but for now, we're still okay with you having it to sleep at night
• you've learned Jesus Loves Me and can sing almost all of the song by yourself (thanks in large part to coaching from Meme)
• you are growing like a weed - most of your 18 month clothes are now too short - we hope you are tall (Mama always wanted to be and Dada sure is!)
• you are a huge helper around the house - tasks are something you master easily and quickly most of the time. You unload the groceries from the bags and help Mama put them away, you help Dada feed Cain/Emma at night, you assist with the folding of clothes.
  
• you play well alone and with others - we've not been around you when you've met a stranger yet
• you've experience a visit to both Chuck E Cheese and McWane Science Center in the past month - you loved them both.
  
• You had your first haircut (finally!) on December 17th - your hair looks much better and we hope it beginning to thicken
• you may very well have longer eyelashes than your Dada and that's hard to believe! You have gorgeous long flowing eyelashes that you have already learned to use to your advantage
  
• you can count to 10 - sometimes you skip a number here or there, but most times you get the sequence correct
• you are working on your ABC's - you can sing the song, but at this point you still miss a lot of the middle letters between ABC and XYZ
• MINE - oh my! That's a word you've picked up and say about most things that either do or don't belong to you. Everything is mine or Catherine Ellis's ______
• you love to help Mama cook dinner at night - you have a spot on the counter and often direct me on what to do next (wonder where on earth she gets this?)
• you are a pretty decent lip syncer - it's hysterical to watch you lip sync to the songs on our favorite mixed CD that Dada made us for morning commutes - you have such emotion!
• your face will tell it all - you have more looks and expressions than most adults and you know when to use them
• you can say Big Sister and every time you do - you smile and giggle so sweetly - we shall see how long this lasts when she actually arrives!

Cat Cat working on her 'Cheese!' pose - we're making progress!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. - Psalm 118:1

Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

We spent Christmas Eve at our house for the first time ever - it was a lot of fun! We filled the day with a trip to Chuckie Cheese, our Christmas Eve service at church and then a few new traditions for the Cain family. We had a wonderful day!

These are pictures from the days leading up to Christmas - Santa preparing gifts, CE leaving cookies and milk and the arrival of Santa:

Santa working in his workshop (aka guest bedroom)

Playing with Dada at Chuckie Cheese

Playing basketball with Dada

Leaving Santa cookies and milk

Santa's arrival on Christmas Eve

Christmas morning we all slept until 9:00 a.m. - Catherine Ellis blessed us this break by sleeping late - until 8:30 or 9:00 almost every morning - over stimulation from all the toys and we think a growth spurt! It was bliss:) So we got a late start and took our time playing in CE's new kitchen - she was so excited! It was so much fun to watch her eyes light up - oh the life of a child!

"Oh no Mama!" Catherine Ellis didn't understand what happened to Santa's cookies & milk

Washing our hands in our new pink retro kitchen

Making some toast for Dada

Calling Pop Pop to tell him about my kitchen - every kitchen needs a phone right?

Making smoothies

Sitting at my big girl table and chairs

We packed up around lunch and headed to Jasper to the Cains - in the snow! That's right .... for the first time in my life it snowed on Christmas day! There wasn't much accumulation here, but it was delightful to watch (the best kind in my opinion!). We arrived in Jasper safely and continued Christmas with a yummy meal and lots more presents for our girl:

Violet - my new interactive puppy dog from Aunt Stace

Catherine Ellis's face cracked us up - she acted like opening gifts was such a task

Surrounded by all my gifts from the Cains - thank you Pop Pop, Gan and Aunt Stace

And this sums up Christmas perfectly - our cup runneth over (in so many ways!) but especially with baby dolls - we've been overtaken by babies. And yes, she insisted they all ride with her for our ride home!