Saturday Favorites

We had an unexpected warm day today, which was a wonderful break from the freezing temps. More cold days are expected soon, which meant we did a lot today to take full advantage. Some of our favorite things have filled the time ... for Randall, golf; for me, shopping; for Sydney, a wagon ride. If Sydney could request to live in her wagon, I am sure she would. I can't believe she'll be 13 months old tomorrow!!

Another of her favorites --- books! We have a new bookcase so she can now get to most of them on her own, which she loves.

We spent a little time in the backyard, and it was obvious Sydney was thrilled to be outside and not freezing cold :)

As the weekend winds down

I love Sunday evenings because typically we just relax and get ready for the week. As much as I love Sunday evenings, I despise Monday mornings twice as much! Anyway, just thought we'd do a quick post as we wrap up a very fun weekend. Last night, Randall and I went out with 10 other couples to celebrate our friend Amanda's 30th birthday. It was one of the most fun nights out I think we have ever had ... ever! It was also a later night than we've had since becoming parents. :-) All 22 people knew each other, so that set the stage for a great evening. Amanda's hubby Kenny did an awesome job organizing the night, including a party bus (with a driver named Cadillac if you can imagine how fun that is!), full itinerary of stops around Northwest Arkansas and a get together at their house to start the evening. We had our babysitter Madison take a quick photo before we left. We're relying on others to provide pictures from the celebration.

And here is a video of Sydney from today, featuring two of our favorite moves - the mummy walk and sweet kisses on her Singamajig, a very cute singing toy she got for Christmas.

School's Out for Snow!

Sydney and I were very lucky to have a snow day together Thursday. When the public schools close, Sydney's school opens at 10 a.m. but when the university closes, her school closes, too. I really didn't want to drive on the icy/snowy roads, so it was nice we got to stay put. She has been dealing with a cold the past couple of days, so a day with mommy was just what she wanted/needed. The only thing that would have made the day better is if Randall could have stayed home with us! We went outside for a grand total of 10 minutes, and I didn't take any pictures out there. I don't have quite the right snow gear for either of us, so we both were over it pretty quickly! Next year when she's bigger we'll get a good sled and proper attire.

 

I love our house, but I love it even more with some snow around it (this was taken today, Friday, after much of the snow already melted). It looks and feels so cozy to me!

Wednesday cuteness

This outfit (from Cracker Barrel, no less!) was a Christmas gift to Sydney. I have to admit I wasn't so sure about it at first, but I trusted Randall that it would look cute and chose it for her to wear to school today. Oh my goodness!! I thought she looked so stinkin' adorable when I got her dressed!!! And she was in an especially cheery mood, which made her look even cuter. Happy "hump day!"

 

 

These legs were made for walkin'

Sydney took her official first steps Dec. 17, almost two weeks before her first birthday, and she probably took 3-4 consecutive steps that day. From there, she caught on very quickly and is now all over the place! It's amazing to see how much more confident she becomes with each passing day. Here are a couple of videos of her walking and playing, taken earlier today:

And here is a picture of Sydney tonight after we put on her PJs. 

What a sweet little rock star we have :-) 

1st Birthday Snapshots (and snow pics!)

I have lots to update you on!! For this post, I'll share a few pictures from Sydney's 1st birthday party, and also her first big snow! Our trip to Virginia was just perfect. Sydney was an angel in the car both ways, and we got to spend a lot of special time with our families and a few close friends. Next year, we are already planning to stay in Arkansas and start our own traditions, but it was nice to spend these very special "firsts" with the whole gang!
We had about 35 people at the party, so we rented a local club house for the day. It worked out great, and I think everyone had a wonderful time! Sydney was (surprisingly) not into the cake AT ALL. All of the adults loved the cake, but she wanted no part of it. So, we gave her a few crackers instead. I guess there are much worse things than a female not loving cake. Haha! Everyone was more generous than you can imagine, and we have enough toys and new clothes to last Sydney for awhile.

 

 

 

 

 

 Here are a couple of pictures from the snow. We had the best time pulling her on the boogie board!

 

And last but not least, here are a couple of photos I just like a lot :) The first is Sydney climbing up my dad's stairs. Both my parents have stairs, and she was obsessed. I have never been so thankful for a one-story home in my life. The second is Sydney sitting on my old rocking chair on top of my old Raggedy Ann. The chair made it home with us, and is going to be refinished and re-cushioned (fingers crossed it goes well).

More updates from the holidays to come, including WALKING VIDEO. Yes, our little gal is more mobile than we can believe!

Packing Palooza

I've now learned what goes into planning a vacation in which the family is driving instead of flying. I've also learned that I have no idea what families do with multiple children and all their stuff. Lastly, I've learned that no matter how much stuff we have to pack (and despite a freezing cold weather forecast), Randall will find a way to fit his golf clubs. Here's the car so far:

And here's what still needs to go in:

I have a very confident husband, so I'll just go along and believe it will all fit. I'm quite proud we're able to leave the back seat clear in case we need to sit with Syd. We are hitting the road as soon as Randall can leave work. Sydney is napping right now, but I won't let her nap too long. We need some sleepy time on the road! Merry Christmas!

1st Christmas!!

Since we are traveling to Virginia next week, we decided to have our small family Christmas at our house a week early. Here are three videos...longer than usual, but we wanted to capture this special morning! And a few photos follow.

 

 

 

Santa didn't forget about mommy and daddy, so don't worry :-) We wanted new bedding for our room, and are thrilled with the outcome!

Here is the before:

And here is the after:

The rest of our gift is being able to travel home to be with our families for Christmas and Sydney's 1st Birthday!!! What an exciting time of year :-)

Lights and Sights of Christmas

Last night was a fun holiday-themed evening! We had a delicious dinner with our friends Kenny & Amanda, who always spoil Sydney with goodies. Sydney loves them, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the gifts ;-)

 

After the fabulous dinner at their house, we all went to the Fayetteville Square where the beautiful display of the Lights of the Ozarks draws lots of people each night during the season. Sydney was fascinated, and she looked so cute all bundled up.

 

There was an option to take photos of your child with Santa, so we took advantage of the opportunity, which also helped us to avoid the mall crowd and crazy Santa line. Her immediate death grip on my arm told me this was going to be a family photo. Call me crazy, but I just couldn't force her onto his lap in the middle of our lovely evening. We are happy with this photo to commemorate her first Santa experience :)

Last but not least, we took a photo on the bench where we got engaged in August of 2006. It's so fun (and emotional!) to think about everything that has happened in our lives since that moment!

Messy, but Toothy

Black beans + yams + pears made for a really messy dinner last night, but we loved the first of these photos especially because you see her two chompers!

Milling Around

This past Sunday was a great day! After grocery shopping, Randall had the idea to go out to War Eagle, the grist mill not far from our house that has gorgeous surroundings. I had only been during Craft Fair time, when the grounds are covered with people and booths. It was wonderful to walk around, take pictures, look around in the gift shops and just hang out. I can see doing this much more often now, and maybe bringing a picnic next time.