Saturday, December 11, 2010

Sorry for the blurry picture.  I grabbed Olivia’s camera to take a picture and she has it on some different settings.  Too bad. . .it would have been a good picture.  

You should hear this girl sing her Christmas carols!!  She knows quite a few and requests the Christmas station every time we’re in the car.  She also loves to read books.  Every night, Ryan and I read her two books before bed.  Afterwards, it’s Olivia’s turn to read them and it is hilarious to hear what she remembers from the books.  Sometimes she mixes the books up and talks about raccoons in Green Eggs and Ham and basketballs in Bethlehem.  It always makes us laugh.  And, she’s received Book-It awards at preschool two months in a row by reading 20 different books/month.  We have books coming out our ears around here. . .especially when you can order them so cheap from Scholastic Book Club at school.  But, I’m so grateful that she has a love of reading.  Music and books. . .that is what she asked Santa Claus for after all.

Happy Homecoming Day

First time in her crib.

Three years ago today we were able to finally bring Olivia home from the hospital.  She was 105 days old.  It was such an emotional day. . .I’ll never forget it.  Today, I asked Olivia how she wanted to celebrate it and she said she wanted to stay home.  So, we made it a pajama day and even took an afternoon nap together.  Oh, how I love my little girl.

Izzy and Olivia

Chillin’ at grandma and grandpa’s.

Paxten Pearson

Some of you know my good friends Tamar and Tiffany and their family.  Growing up, the Teschke’s were like a second family to me.  Tamar and Tiffany, who lived two houses down, were my best friends since before I was Olivia’s age.  Their youngest sister, Libby, has a 9 month old little girl named Paxten.  On Saturday, they found out that Paxten has leukemia.  She has the B Cell form of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) the most common form of leukemia in children under the age of 20.  I ask for your prayers for this precious family and the battle ahead.  They do have a caringbridge page set up at:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/paxtenpearson/mystory

Blake, Libby and Paxten

Sunday, December 5, 2010

December 2007

December 2010

Some days I feel so overwhelmingly blessed. . .

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Ryan’s employer hosted a Santa Party today and we were able to go and meet Santa!  Olivia really warmed up to him and even told him what she wanted for Christmas. . .music and books.  She also picked out a teddy bear that was made in the North Pole!  We  had a great time!

And here are just some pictures from a fun night hanging out at home.

Olivia with her two Gogums and her Lily. . .I think she’ll be taking these three to college!  That’s how much she adores them.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Aye Aye Captain!

I just have nothing much to talk about lately.  There isn’t a lot going on, I guess.  So, pictures will have to suffice for now. 

I did want to wish my sister-in-law Laura a very Happy Birthday today!! What an adventure the next year holds!  Also my sister-in-law Kim and her family spent their first full day in their new house in Arkansas and we’ve been continually praying for them!  Quite the adventure for them as well!   

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Just some pics of my sweet girl. . .

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Well, I’ve been out of commission for a few days with an awful stomach bug.  Today, I’m finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and now I just hope Ryan and Olivia don’t get it.  It pretty much spoiled my entire Thanksgiving weekend.  We did manage to get a bit of shopping done and put up our Christmas decorations.  Many thanks to my husband for holding down the fort while I was in bed.  I think Olivia enjoyed the extra time with daddy.  Olivia  has been overjoyed with all of the Christmas stuff and was so excited to “build our Christmas tree.”

Olivia putting on her first ornament of the season.

Our Christmas Tree

Our stockings were hung by the chimney with care. . .

I think we have an ornament bandit in our midst.

Just a reminder of how little Olivia’s feet were at birth.

This year, we even decided to decorate the bathroom in gingerbread.

Many blessings to you from our family to yours!

Paint The Towne

We had a girls’ night out tonight at Paint The Towne and we painted wildflowers.  Even though I am about the world’s worst artist. . .it was fun!  I was able to spend the evening with 4 of my very favorite people!    Thanks girls for a wonderful time!

Kerry, Laura, Me, Shelley and Kim

Worthwhile Moments Sweet Shoppe

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Is your mouth watering yet?  These are all creations from my friend, Angie, at Worthwhile Moments Sweet Shoppe.  If  you live in the Wichita area and need something for any occasion, I’d recommend giving Angie a call.

Find her on facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Wichita-KS/Worthwhile-Moments-Sweet-Shoppe/148666191825822 OR

Go to her blog at Little Worthwhile Moments

or contact me and I’ll get you in touch with her.  You’ll be glad that you did.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

My dad with his two granddaughters. 

Would you believe that I almost have my Christmas shopping done?  Thank goodness for grandparents who offer to watch Olivia.  A little of this and a little of that and I’m done.  I’ve never been done this early and never before Thanksgiving.  It’s crazy.  Our desire to start early ended in finishing early too, I guess.  I can’t believe Thanksgiving is Thursday and we’ll be putting up the Christmas tree soon.  We always do it on Black Friday.  We avoid the crowds and instead. . .turn on Christmas movies and decorate.  Hopefully this year Olivia will get into the Christmas spirit and have fun along with us.  

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Well, after a few weeks of talking nonstop about the scary hand. . .we’ve moved on to something else.  Last week, we were eating at Applebees and Olivia went into the bathroom to wash her hands.  Well, you know how the music is always louder in the bathroom?  Olivia deemed it “the singing bathroom.”  Now, she wants every bathroom to be a singing bathroom. . .maybe if they were, she’d be potty trained by now.  She just needs a little music.  LOL. 

As for me. . .I’ve discovered two of my new favorite things this weekend. . .they are totally random, but I’d highly recommend both.  The first one is  Nature Valley Granola Thins in dark chocolate.  I think my exact words after my first bite were “This is the best thing I’ve ever eaten!”  Yes, I have diabetes and they technically aren’t the best for me, but I figure they are packaged as one little square.  One little square can’t hurt, right?  Either they are truly super delicious or I just don’t get sweets very often.  The second thing I’ve discovered is www.mixbook.com.  I’ve had a lot of fun creating with this site.  I’ve used a lot of similar sites and this is by far my favorite!  Now, sit me down with my laptop at www.mixbook.com with a granola thin in my hand (and throw in an iced tea) and I think I’d be in heaven.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

 

Olivia is doing so well in school.  She comes home singing new songs, playing new games and often with a treasure from the treasure box.  (They get this for good behavior.)  I have really seen her blossoming and she’s come such a long way in less than 2 months.  I had a chance to visit with one of her teachers the other day and she mentioned that Olivia’s crying is pretty non-existent.  She says that if Olivia does tear up, all she has to do is tell her the next few things that she is going to be doing and she’s fine.  Olivia just needs to know what’s coming next.  I forgot to tell Olivia that we weren’t going straight home after school one day and I got an earful when we turned the “wrong” way.  She definitely doesn’t get her directional abilities from me. . .I still get lost at the zoo!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

As many of you know, my sister-in-law, Kim, and her family are moving to Arkansas next month.  Kim is Ryan’s sister.  I have been hesitant to say anything because it’s like. . .if I say it, it must be true.  As happy as I am for them and Kris’s new job, we’re heartbroken to see them go.   Kim has been busy packing stuff away and trying to decide what to take with them.  Lucky for us. . .they decided not to take the Leapfrog LeapPads.  So, Christmas came early for Olivia today and she got a LeapPad!  She has been playing with it all afternoon and was overjoyed to learn there was even a Dora book that came with it.  Olivia sure is lucky to have such amazing cousins (all of them) who share clothes and toys with her.  Thank you to Kim who always gives to us so generously.   We are blessed. 

Kris, Kim, Alex, Katie, Aidan and Kaleb. . .we will miss them so much!!

Olivia and Tobey

Tobey’s never too far away from his Olivia.

Tobey with Olivia’s “banklet.”

Olivia and her kitty, Tobey, are the best of friends.  Some days they do everything together.  One example is playing on the slide downstairs.  Olivia will go down the slide. . .then Tobey will climb up the stairs and sit at the top of the slide.  Olivia will give him a push and he’ll slide down. . .then Olivia will slide down and so it continues.  It is adorable.  I managed to catch it on video tonight, but I missed Tobey climbing up the stairs and he sort of jumped off instead of sliding down.  But, I’ll try to post it anyway.  As far as cats go, Tobey can be a real pain.  But, I see how much he means to Olivia and how good he is with her and he starts to rank up there with the best of the best.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Well, Olivia is sick now too, so we just hung around the house all day.  Daddy had to work and Olivia and I were looking for some new things to do.  I pulled out my old Nintendo DS to see if Olivia showed any interest in it at all.  To my surprise. . .she loved it. . .especially Mario Kart.  Sure, she just kinda bangs into walls and goes backwards, but she’ll learn.  She is Ryan’s child, after all.   Olivia has been walking around with it saying, “I’m playing a DS. Kaleb has a DS!”  Ryan got out Mario Kart for the Wii to see if she liked that.  She did,  but she was quickly back to her DS. 

I wonder if I’ll find myself living with 2 video game nuts.  Oh well. . .for now its good for her hand eye coordination and fine motor skills.  And, it’s helped keep her mind off of her runny nose.