Decorating for Christmas

This is the first year that Sophie has seemed to care about Christmas, and it was so fun to have her help us decorate the tree!

This pretty much sums up what Elsie felt about decorating.

After decorating, we tried to take a few family pictures for Christmas cards. I think this picture is hilarious! Sophie had had enough of smiling for the camera! (But isn't Mike's smile pretty?!?)

Now just a few miscellaneous pictures. One of Sophie's new favorite things is to wash her hands and face at the sink after mealtimes. Look at that pretty (yet messy) smile!

Mike's idea of privacy for a photo taken during bath-time!



The morning after we had tried to take our family pictures, Sophie grabbed Mike's tripod and brought it to him because I guess she wanted to take some more pictures. Here she is posing with her "Baby Bear" in the bumbo.

My famous husband!

Mike is going to kill me for this, but our local news station interviewed him at work this week about a new simulator that his squadron is using to train students on the 737. They posted the video on newsok.com, so click here to see it. You can fast forward through the boring guy in the beginning! Mike is also one of the guys flying the simulator (he's the one on the left)

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving, we met up with my parents in Virginia at Katie, Reed and Micah's house. I worked the night before Thanksgiving, so we flew out on Thanksgiving day and celebrated on Friday. It was a quick but very fun weekend!

Elsie's first airplane trip and Sophie's first trip getting her own seat. Both of the girls did great!

Our Thanksgiving dinner (on the day after Thanksgiving!)

We ate buffet style in Katie and Reed's family room

The kids are wearing pj's that Grandma and Grandpa got them as early Xmas gifts!

Grandma had her hands full!

(Sorry...don't know why this picture is sideways!)

Lounging on the floor with Uncle Reed

Reed took Mike and my dad to the Redskins vs. Giants game on Sunday. They had official passes to go down on the field (this is a picture of Mike getting as close to Eli Manning as he could) and then they watched the game from a suite. They were very thankful for the suite, since it was cold and rainy that day!

Here's the cutest Redskins cheerleader ever!!

Since we were taking off from the Baltimore airport, we all decided to go to the aquarium in Baltimore on Monday morning before we had to leave for Oklahoma.


I just think this picture is hilarious!! We were trying to get a nice picture of the grandparents with the grandkids, but you can imagine how hard it is to get 3 little kids to all look happy at the same time! Yet, in this picture, we managed to get all 3 kids looking terribly unhappy all at the same time! Sophie had just been crying, Elsie was in the middle of a fit, and Micah was just looks bored!

Sophie gives the whole trip a big thumbs up!!!

Grandma and Grandpa also bought the kids some squeaky shoes. I guess my grandparents got us a pair of these kind of shoes when we were little too, so it must be a grandparent thing!! They are nice in the store because I always know where Sophie is!

Micah must have challenged Sophie to a "jump off" to see who is a better jumper. You decide the winner!

Happy 2nd birthday, Sophie

We had a fun party on Saturday for Sophie and her friend Hannah, whose birthday is 5 days after Sophie's. The party was a Strawberry Shortcake theme (very pink and girly!), and I think the girls had a fun time with all of their friends!

"Yeah for Sophie!"

An adorable frame from Jim and Lynn (Lynn made it!)

Opening a striped sweatshirt from Tami and Gordon (friends from Sunday School)

Evan, Lynn, Emma (1 1/2 weeks younger than Elsie) and Jim

Gordon, Tami, Sara, Katherine, Staci and baby Logan, Jennifer and Mike and Sophie

(friends from Sunday School)

"Cheese" while opening a gift from Grammy and Pop at home on her birthday

Opening presents at Grandma and Grandpa's while out in Colorado

Daddy and Sophie playing with the Elmo sticker book she got from Grandma and Grandpa

Her present from us (along with her birthday money from Great-Grandma Ellie and Great-Grandma Ruth and Great-Grandpa Mel): a little Big Wheel bike!

Sophie is still learning how to pedal! We've started her out going down the driveway, but as you can see, the pedals get going too fast for her little legs to keep up!

An afternoon of soccer...I guess it helps to lift your arms up while you kick!