Christmas at the Eyes

This is our first Christmas as a family of three in our own apartment in Denver.  Last year was great to share with my parents, especially with a 2 month old! Now we can bust out some of our own touches, though. Nothing extravagant, but a little fun:

chopped it down ourselves!

next year it will be my own instead of a kit:)

nutivity!

Playing with Lights

happy decorating!

Helping

We started getting out some Christmas decorations this weekend and are slowly making progress with little touches. Avery was helping:

apparently it's nice to help upside down, too.

Freeeeeee Tiiiiiiiiiiiiime

I've had a lot of free time this past year. Or so I say...when I really think about it though, being a mom is BUSY! Just not the same kind of busy I'm used to. My life looks so different than it did when I was working. I go back and forth daily about the blessing it is to be able to stay home with Avery and watch her do funny things and teach her things, and about wanting my hands in the working, outside world and in public health. Can't I do both?

Well, that is the question. I'm applying to part-time jobs out there, but it's a slow process (and I'm picky). I'm hopeful that something will turn up after the holidays. Luckily, it's not up to me entirely! I'm go grateful I have God on my side and that He already knows what my life looks like tomorrow and next month and next year. I'll just wait on His direction and open doors!

In the meantime I'm keeping hiking with the CO Mountain Mamas, I'm taking Avery to Book Babies songs and reading at the library which we both love, and we recently settled at the Vineyard Denver Hub, where I've quickly met some really genuine and interesting moms whom I'm looking forward to connecting with. In fact we have weekly playdates, YAY! Adult conversation and more kids for Avery to socialize with! Yips! I'm also about to volunteer with cooking and nutrition classes for low-income families. AND I really need to up up my Spanish skills...all useful for a future job!

There you have it, my exciting life. I do really love maintaining a welcoming home, sewing, cleaning and cooking (maybe not the laundry). It's hard to believe this is what it looks like right now, that I have all this free time, but I know it's God's design. And it's rewarding supporting Tim's hard work at Starbucks and in school. He finished his first quarter with flying colors!

This afternoon after lunch with a friend, Avery played outside our apartment in the leaves. Enjoy:

Hey, I'm One!

Mom spends all this time writing on the computer and looking at pictures of me, it was just time for me to see what this is all about and have a say for myself. I just turned ONE (I guess, cause mom keeps pointing a finger at me and saying that). That means people sing to me and let me eat yummy things and give me presents and do whatever I want!

I even had TWO birthday parties. One was up in the mountains with mom's family.  I got a new rocking horse! I love to push it back and forth and sing the Rocking song "Waaaah waaah, waaaah waaaah" (Rocky, Rocky).  The whole weekend, all I really wanted to do was walk around. I just figured it out the day before we left, and there was a long hallway in the cabin where I could go back and forth to and from different people. I also liked going between all the furniture and trying to climb on the fireplace. I like waving my hands around while I go.

The other party was a couple days later when Mimi and Grandpa Jim came to visit. We played at the park until it was too cold (I didn't notice), then went back home for a little bit but everyone left really quick because there was a stinky smell in the place. Daddy was on the phone a lot, and right after I ate another yummy cupcake by myself, we all left and I fell asleep at Mimi and Grandpa's hotel. I woke up in my bed the next morning, and lots of repairmen came over the next week to put in something new in the kitchen. I love banging on it and licking the front, but mom tries to stop me.

Here are 5 of my favorite things in life so far:

1.  The bath. Just mention it, and I'll beeline it to the tub. I even know the sign for bath and do it all the time. If I can't get in, I'll at least walk around the house with my rubber ducky or fish bathtoy, just waiting until after dinner every day when I can get in. I'll just take laps around the house holding these toys for most of the day, though sometimes I switch to holding measuring cups from the kitchen. I like those a lot too.When I fall down, I can get up all by myself without letting go of my toys!

2.  Going downstairs with mommy to do laundry. There is a REALLY long hallway down there with lots of interesting pipes and buttons and gates along the wall to play with, bike tires to feel and eat (before mom stops me), plus a dryer door to swing open and shut over and over. I love laundry!

3. Playing on mom and dad's bed. There are lots of pillows to throw my face into over and over, and laugh and laugh. There's dad's coool Rainiers hat that I like to put on and take off, plus TWO guitars hanging on the wall that mom lets me "play." Don't ask her to play her flute under the bed though, that FREAKS me out.

4.  My hiking backpack. Mom takes me on all kinds of adventures with other moms and babies and I love riding in my backpack and feeling leaves and tree trunks along the trail. I can even get out and walk now and take my time feeling grass and rocks and dirt. We tried a corn maze the other day and I really liked that!

5. The hall door. I like opening and closing this big door with glass panes - I can peek through at the rest of the house and play peekaboo and eat the wood. And shake the internet cords on the wall next to the door, over and over (until mom stops me)!

I have many other favorite things, including my sign language video that I'd watch all day every day if mom let me (I know lots of signs, and do lots of animal sounds, but only really say "nana" and "Uh oh" and "go?" with my hands out asking where something went). Also I love my snack trap with cheerios inside, and of course books. But I'll save all that for another day, it's time for me to take a nap! Which reminds me of my faaaavorite thing above all of these, that's Zoe my zebra blanky. I can't sleep without her. Night night!

getting swept away at the Denver Art Museum

Playing with myself at the art museum

My best friend!

Stats

Avery's slimmin' down. Her 1 year checkup yielded a tall, big-headed skinnier girl.

Head: 18.25 cm, or 85%

Length: 29.75 in, or 73%

Weight: 21 lb 12 oz, or 63%

All that toddling is taking its toll. And no wonder she falls down so much, her head is heavy!