Happy Valentine's Day!

Here is a flashback to last Valentine's Day

for your viewing pleasure.  :) 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Computer Time!

Lydia pulled my old computer out from underneath the couch.

It barely even works anymore, 

but she sure looked cute posing with it!  :)  

More Book Reading!

Here's Lydia reading to herself again.

This book is full of animals, 

and she likes to flip through and make all the noises.

Is it just me, 

or is that one extremely cute kid?!  :)  

Handmade Christmas Ornaments!

When Joel and I were dating, way back in 2009, 

Joel had the idea that we should start a tradition 

of making each other a handmade ornament each Christmas.

I went along with the idea, not knowing what he had in mind.  

Here's what happened in 2009.

Joel whipped up these working nutcrackers, made from dowel rods!

Impressive!

And here is what he got in 2009...

puzzle reindeer in love.  :)  

After the nutcrackers of 2009, I was feeling a little pressure!

In 2010, Joel cut out these cute little love birds.

Only problem is that he still hasn't finished yet!  haha

They just need a bit of paint or stain.  

I think I've reminded him one too many times, and now they will probably never get finished!

In 2010, the year we were married, 

I made this double-sided picture ornament.  

In 2011, Joel stitched up this star.

Again, he didn't finish.

Ran out of thread!  Oh my!

Pretty good though!  I have a man of many talents!  :)  

And this is what I made that year.

We were expecting Lydia at the time!  :) 

2012 brings us to this ball wrapped in twine...

Joel is running low on ideas.  ha!

He says there is more to be added, but it hasn't happened yet.

And this is what I stitched up in 2012.

The three ornaments symbolize our little family of three.

2013

Sadly, this is the only ornament that was completed.

I think Joel may have given up on the tradition that he started.  

We might just go to one handmade family ornament a year.  

We'll see how long I can keep that up!  :)  

I wanted to document our ornaments here, 

because even after only 5 years some of them are getting jumbled up in my head.

And a bit of good news for you, 

this is the LAST Christmas post of the year!  

It's about time, wouldn't ya say???  :)  

Christmasy Cousins!

We attempted a cousin photo shoot last month.

It started out okay.

Then Lydia started to lose it.

I was cracking the boys up, 

but apparently Lydia did not think I was too funny.

This face just cracks me up!!!  Poor girl!

Jessica got a few pictures that were a bit better, 

but I don't think Lydia ever cracked a smile.

She gets a little nervous with too much cousin contact.  ha!  

Books!

Lydia has just started loving to read books!

Sometimes she crawls up in this chair and reads to herself.

Her favorite book right now is The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Thanks, Heather!

Speaking of books, I wrapped up all of our Christmas books and a few movies before I put them away.

Jessica gave me this idea.

When December rolls around again, 

Lydia will get to unwrap a different Christmas book each day!

Somehow she is already up to 16 Christmas books!

I'm not sure how that happened, but we're glad it did!  

Bunny Hat!

Pigtails!

While we were at Fall Creek Falls, 

Jessica dressed Lydia up in these lovely pajamas and gave her pigtails.

Lydia was in love with the princess pjs, 

but I, on the other hand, was not!

I prefer the footed pajama look!  :)

 Pretty cute!  :)

And now for the cutest thing you've ever seen,

Josiah reading to Lydia.  So sweet!!!

Cousin Tub Time!

We went to Fall Creek Falls at the beginning of January, 

and these cousins got to take their first bath together.

They loved it!!!

 I tried to put two pictures together so that they would all three be smiling in the same picture, 

but that didn't work too well, thanks to the line running down the middle.  Oh well!  I tried!

New Light!

This is what our laundry room looked like before Christmas:

And thanks to Jessica, this is what it looks like after Christmas!  :)  

Our Little Family Christmas!

Here is our lovely tree!

Don't worry, it isn't still up.

We took it down at a normal time this year.  :)

Lydia got excited about every present, 

and she shook her little fist in the air.

Aren't they cute!?!  :)

This is one of the things Joel got me.  I love it!  

Habermas Christmas!

Look at our cute little piano player!

She's learning from the best!  :) 

And here is the only picture I took at the Habermas Christmas!  Whoops!

I promise Lydia was having a good time! 

She just hasn't quite mastered the skill of smiling for the camera.

We're working on it!  :)