Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

As usual, our December is jam-packed this year. I'll give baby shower, Florida trip, Christmas, and St. Louis trip updates when we have more than a 36-hour layover at our house.


Here are a couple of photos that Jeff and Michelle took of us this summer that I never got around to posting. I love Christmas, but isn't everything better with warmth and sunshine?


Also on the to-do list for 2012: Baby Boy due in late March. I'm not sure why I waited to long to mention it on the blog, but I did. I think it was part sensitivity in knowing how many of my friends would like to be pregnant, part superstition and part waiting for inspiration for a creative way to announce. And let's be honest, waiting for creative inspiration from me could take years. Anyway, we're thrilled, excited and praying for a continued healthy pregnancy and delivery.

Rain Delay

As part of my Christmas present this year, I asked (again) for some professional photos of Brooke. Our friends from church, the Maas's have an amazing photography company and agreed to get us in on very short notice so that we could use the photos in our Christmas card.

We woke up to pouring rain on the day of our shoot, so we decided to reschedule the outdoor photos for sometime early next year. They were kind enough to get us in for a quick shoot at their studio, though.

http://maasphotography.myshowit.com/alley

We had a great time and can't wait to work with them again!

Deck the Halls

We finally bit the bullet and bought an artificial tree this year. I'm a HUGE fan of real trees, but with our trip to Florida the week before Christmas and our trip to St. Louis the week after, it just didn't make sense anymore. Even though it doesn't smell or feel the same, it's so nice to have a tree in the house again. I guess this is technically Brooke's first Christmas tree. I think she'll get over those first couple of years.


I don't have a photo of this, but she was borderline obsessed with one of Matt's plastic football ornaments (classy, I know) and would NOT let us hang it. She ran around the house saying, "I need my foo-ball!" If that's any indication, Matt's brainwashing techniques are working.


It was pretty fun to watch her explore all of the decorations. She decided that the "Jingle Bells" barking dog needed some water. I heard, "Herwe, Doddie," and came around the corner to find this.


She's also really into the Little People nativity set again. She carried Baby Jesus around for about an hour the first day it was out. She tried to give him stamps (one of her new favorite things to do).


She also wanted to read him a book and since our Bible concordances are on high shelves, "Baby's First Numbers" had to suffice.

This really is a magical time of year and having a little one who kind of "gets it" makes it that much more special. I'm really hoping to instill the true meaning of Christmas to her at this early stage while avoiding getting caught up in the stress of the "to dos" myself. Happy Holidays!

Photo Dump

What would a visit to St. Louis be without too many new pictures of the kids together?


I say this often, but it really is priceless to see Brooke playing with her cousins. She loves/fights with Lexi like no one else (and believe me, she can fight - but that's another post for another day. And not something I try to get a lot of pictures of.). It always breaks my heart a little when she hopefully asks, "Lexi today?" on our first morning back home.


Luke is the smiley-est, most easy-going baby that I've ever been around. And he's SO cute. It's really not fair.


The girls out shopping on Friday.


Brooke decided to get in on the Timmerman Christmas photo shoot.



We love you guys!

Thanksgiving

Brooke and I went down to St. Louis last week to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. Matt couldn't make it because he had to stay around to prepare the Tigers for their fourth state championship game in five years. They didn't win, but Brooke had fun watching Daddy and "Uncle Mike" - a random coach that she decided looked like Uncle Mike - on TV. Congratulations on a great season!


On Wednesday, the girls helped my dad prepare a turkey. Brooke was pretty into it until she had to spread butter on it. I can't say I blame her.



On Thursday, we went over to my grandparents' house. The kids all had a great time playing together. Brooke was so excited about playing that I had a hard time getting her to eat her meal.



She had fun with Uncle Tim trying to catch food in her mouth.



Brooke got to spend some time with Gigi and Grandpa Charlie. Unfortunately we didn't take these pictures until she was about an hour past her naptime.


As always, we have so much for which to be thankful!

Trick or Treat?

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, I'd been trying to find a costume that Brooke would wear as she was pretty vehemently opposed to anything that came over her head...until I used some good old-fashioned peer pressure. A couple of weeks ago, my friends came over with their kids who were happy to put on their costumes for a little photo shoot. With just a couple of, "Look, Brooke, Grace is in her duck costume!", Brooke was asking to put on her ladybug costume (thanks again, Joy!).


I love this one. It looks like someone opened the cages at the zoo.


Enter Halloween evening - less than 24 hours after her birthday bash - and us having to wake Brooke up from her nap because the "Big Girls" were coming by to "pick her up" at 4:15. We did not even attempt the ladybug and instead went with the less restrictive bumble bee (with the cute antennae headband that she wouldn't wear). She wasn't thrilled, but was happy to get to play with her friends. Until she saw their makeup.


We were finally able to convince her to go door-to-door and after about 5 houses, she had the hang of it and was having a good time.




Checking out her loot at the end of the night. Lollipops were her favorite. I'd like to think that overall the night was a success and that we didn't scar her too badly. Time will tell.


I should also mention that she woke up at about 9:15 Halloween night laughing and singing in her bed (possible video to come). When we went to check on her and got her out of bed, she literally ran in circles around the room. It was actually funny and a lot of fun, but the sugar high is not something we're looking to repeat. Happy Halloween!

2nd - 2nd Birthday Party

We had Brooke's second, 2nd birthday party at our house last weekend. (Yes, this is the second decently-sized party that we've thrown at our house that we've owned for a little over a month. We wanted to join the neighborhood with a bang.) We had a good mix of family, our friends and Brooke's friends. I had multiple paparazzi for this party (thanks again, Debbie, Danielle and Lindsay) so I may have another post of party pics in the near future.




This is the Caillou cake topper that I ordered online. Not the actual one, because of course the bakery couldn't put the one that I ordered on due to legal issues. Instead, it's the third one that I bought and the only that was successful.



I had some pumpkin crafts for the kids. Brooke's still enjoying them. I can only hope that she ends up craftier than I am.



The large number of people didn't seem to bother her until it came time to open gifts. She was kind of over it after about the third one. Her tune has changed since she's been able to play with all her goodies.



The tricycle was a huge hit. Given the motor skills that she's inherited, the sooner she gets a start on this stuff, the better.