I was about to post this in "According to Jillian..." but felt it needed some explanation.

Jillian thinks "getting married" is dancing to fun music because she's watched our wedding video several times. Every so often, when she wants to dance, she'll come downstairs all dolled up and ask Daddy to "get married." Then she'll tell Peter and I to get married too. We've tried to explain a little more but it was seemingly pretty innocent until about a month ago she said "Okay, now let's turn off the music and get pregnant."

WHAT????

We certainly don't use vernacular like that around here!

I'm sure it was just her trying to make sense of words she's heard, not all at once!, but when she put them in order like that she had us laughing and laughing.

Exclamation Point

My mom described Peter as an exclamation point and that description fits so well! Everything he says is an exclamation "Yeah!" "Moo!" "Wait!" "Stop!" "Cheese!" "Please!" "Knock, Knock!" He hasn't walked anywhere since he learned to run but has recently been a good little hand holder in parking lots and even looks back for us, which is so fun. It could be argued that he doesn't always think before he leaps and will throw himself off the couch or into furniture but usually just rubs his head with his hand (the palm rub with cute outstretched fingers like kids do), says "BooBoo," and bounces right back up. We'll have to help him channel this in some athletic way in the future and prevent careless craziness! For a while now he has been walking around repeating, loudly, to himself "Happy! Happy! Happy! Happy!" while he plays. Well, really he says "Huppy" but we know what he means. I have no idea where he picked this up but it's sweet. I love his passion and exuberance. And let me tell you, I'm glad I didn't have this guy when I was 40, because I would be exhausted:)

We went sledding down a really big hill. When we went down with him he'd get snow in his face so he preferred going down by himself.

Puddle jumping, Grandma's idea:)

Pete makes SUCH a mess during every meal that he's gotten used to us pulling out the dustpan and has started helping clean up after himself. Usually it makes more of a mess but we'd better encourage it anyway, right?

It's Christmastime Charlie Brown!

Taking the kids to see the MACY'S SANTA downtown.

This Macy's really is so magical at Christmas.

Peter's form of protest while waiting in line for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Throwing himself repeatedly on the gross floor.

The waiting pays off once you get inside the Winter Wonderland. So many magical things to look at. Unfortunately the "elves," who might be considered a little cheerless, were constantly rushing everyone along once you got there.

And Santa didn't want to hear what the kids wanted. Oh well:)

Playing in the snow on Christmas Eve.

Right after this shot was taken, Jillian moved about a foot forward, and one of those large rocks positioned to be a button fell right where she had been standing.

Just for perspective on how massive this snowman is, my dad is 6'2".

The annual reading of The Grinch

Grandma's glasses

The stockings were hung by the chair with care...

Kevin just getting home from call Christmas morning - Thanks for working so hard for us Dad!

You always need ample "waiting on the staircase" shoots.

We've been holding on to this toy for some time until Jillian was old enough for it. Someone came up to me at the park and asked if I wanted to come and take it off of their hands.

Go Tarheels!

Peter loves animals!

And has a new found love of reading

Just need some private time with my Baby Doll.

Cheese Ball

"I love my new truck. Please don't touch it."

Winner, Winner, Ham Dinner

Union Station in D.C. to see the model trains and holiday decorations. Thought this display was pretty cool.

And had big people fun at the art museum in D.C.

A great Christmas! We especially loved talking to our missionaries!

Off to a great start

Well, judging from my birthday, I think this next year is gonna be a good one. Friday night Kevin said I needed to be home between four and six to receive a package. I asked if I could shake it and he just chuckled. 4:30 rolls around and turns out the package is my mom. She had driven up to surprise me, keep me company while Kevin was on call that night and watch the kids the next day while we went on a mystery date. Kevin got home from work and told me what to wear but not where we were going. When we got in the car he gave me a fun list of choices for the day.

1) Would I rather a) go home and sleep, b) go home and work on some projects, or c) ride the train into NYC?

Poor Kevin was exhausted after working all night. I wrote the man across from us a note to see if he would take a picture for me.

2) Would you rather a) play in central park, b) find a stream and through rocks in it, c) go to the MET, or d) go to the MoMA?

This one we decided to postpone when we found out it would be $40 for 1 hour, the amount of time we had to spend at the MoMA. We are really excited to check it out some day soon though.

3) Would you rather go shopping at a) The Gap, b) a hot dog stand, c) Banana Republic or d) The MoMA Design Store?

I love this store and all the fun designer innovations they have for your house. At Thanksgiving we found a fun shelf here that makes it look like your books are floating.

I forgot to take a picture but I got to pick from several fun restaurants and chose Max Brenner's Chocolate by the Bald Man. Delicious for any course! Thanks for introducing it to us, Emily and Grandma G.

The next choice was to 1) go home and watch Monk reruns, 2) throw rocks off of bridges or 3) Go see In the Heights at the Richard Rogers Theatre.

A face I'd love to run into, even on late night, underground.
Thanks, Hon!
And thanks Mom for babysitting.

Richmond and New Years

A few days after Christmas we headed down to Richmond to visit "the cousins," Grandma, everybody. (They really are our cousins. I just put it in quotes because that's what we always say when we are going to see them.) I wish I'd pulled out my camera more but here we are at Maymount (on a freezing cold day:) and then being gamers on New Years. It was a different, mellow type of year. We just took the holidays a little bit slower than we usually do. We missed our missionaries but it was nice to slow down a bit.

Peter cracks me up. He is always on the go and always wanting to be outside, no matter how chilly it is. The other day we went to the park and he was screaming as we left, partly because his hands were popsicles but mostly because he wanted to stay and play!
Concerned Tessa, or maybe she was just freezing?

Lauren, Jaime and I

Wish I'd gotten a picture of Meggie, the birthday girl

In the bird's nest

Five Crowns

The only revenge I could get on Mom when she was kicking my trash, more blackmail photos in the archive where this came from.