Warning:

This is a super-long-overcompensating-for-lost-time-one-million-pictures post!

Yeah, I know. I haven't blogged in forever, but I have good reasons for being absent. Besides, pretty much everyone else has been slacking in the blogging department so I think everyone will just overlook each others negligence (and update their blogs as well!) !

Emilie and I flew to Ohio to spend Thanksgiving and visit for a few weeks. We decided to go last minute because my Grandmother was going to be there and I never get to see her (she lives in Utah and who would want to visit anyone in Utah? Just kidding!)

My bouncy baby on the plane, sooo ready to get off and run around!

Making pie with Michael, the best helper ever (unless another niece or nephew happens to be reading this, then the best helper would be you of course.).

Emilie with Aunt Jenny at "The Lights Before Christmas" at the Toledo Zoo. Em was all bundled up like the kid on A Christmas Story. I really don't think she could move because she just sat like this the whole night. She stayed warm though!

I love the bond that Emilie has with her cousins. She adores them, and they love her so much too. I can't wait for her to meet her other cousins in Alaska this summer!

I love this picture because that is not Emilie's pacifier (or bump-bump as they are known to Michael Ben and now Emilie.) nor is that Benjamin's. They had this thing about trading and it was really funny. And gross.

Emilie was glad to be home, mainly because she loves her Daddy sooooo much (me too!)

I love this dress!
We got home 12 days before Christmas and had to get EVERYTHING ready for Christmas including all the shopping and all the give-away baking, which I don't think I will ever do by myself again. Too stressful!!!

Also we had all the decorating to do including the tree. This was the first year we had our very own tree with only our decorations (Nathan's Mom has like 7 trees so we just borrowed one because we were too cheap.) The funny thing is we only paid $20 for the tree (excluding lights) and most of the decorations have been gifts so it didn't cost much at all. This was our sixth Christmas together (fifth married Christmas) and we just now bought a tree. Anyway, I love to give and get ornaments for Christmas and love our hodge-podge tree because I remember who gave each ornament and I love the memories they bring. To me, that is what made our tree beautiful.

Emilie pulled down the tree once, but I was able to save all the sentimental ornaments. We put unbreakable stuff on the bottom for Em, so if the tree looks a bit divided that's because it is.

Emilie must have been really good this year. Santa brought her so many fun toys!

Ooohhh! She was so excited!

Helping Dad

She loves her trike. We almost can't get her off it

Oh the doll stroller. Em has developed a love hate relationship with this darn thing. She loves the doll stroller she got, however she thinks it is for her to sit in. It is really funny because she is obviously too big for it but insists we push her around. If you put her dolls in it she gets mad and throws them out and cries until you put her in it and push her. She also tries to climb in herself and ends up tipping it over and getting hurt. We are probably just going save everyone the frustration and put it away for a bit.

The aftermath mess!

Her Christmas dress. Sadly this is the best picture we have so far, but are having professional photos taken soon and will hopefully get a smile.

I am really proud of my ham. I don't like pork so I never cook with it and was nervous to bake a ham for company. I made up my own glaze and it turned out really good, thankfully!

Nathan really will sleep anywhere...

We got to spend the day after Christmas in the ER! Emilie pulled the lampshade off our table lamp and it fell over and she got burned by the bulb. She had a few spots of second degree burns so we had to take her to get treated . We waited three hours to be seen, but the cream they gave for the burns is so incredible (Silvadene) it was totally worth it. This was two days post incident and it already looked so much better. We saw her pediatrician today and he said she won't have any scars so long as we keep using her cream and lots of sunblock for a few months. Luckily she hasn't seemed bothered at all by it except when it first happened. I am so thankful she isn't in pain and it was just a minor accident!

She is so prissy sometimes and loves to prance around with purses. I think mine is a bit too big and heavy though.

I left her playing in her room the other day and this is where I found her when I came back. She thinks it is so funny to crawl under her crib.

Love this baby! (And these bows, thanks Tracy!)