Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas from the "O" Family

Adam, Kaitlin, & Maeve

Our year has been a busy whirlwind of activity; so busy we didn't even write a letter!

 But a quick update about our family would be to say: 

Adam spent the last fifteen months recruiting for a staffing company in the DFW area and just made the move to an internal HR recruiter for a nearby company. He will be working across the street from his good friend Mitchell--they already have weekly lunch plans lined up. He is brewing more than ever---Half-Bath Brewery is going strong! As I type this, he is writing up a very complex recipe to try when we get home; a Smoking Dubbel Barrel. His brewing means our fridge is always full of new concoctions (we never arrive at parties or dinners empty-handed), friends are always piling into our tiny town home to brew, bottle and taste-test, and our downstairs half-bath is barely accessible as his equipment multiplies with each passing holiday! 

Maeve is a walker and a talker. Ever our "do-it-myself-thank-you" girl, she is quick to run off and do things on her own so long as she can see us trailing behind. She's been walking (and quickly there-after running) since shortly after her first birthday and has been talking non-stop since as well. She has recently begun saying "bless you" when you (or the dog, she's not picky) sneeze or cough, likes to tell you food is "delicious!" and will periodically announce "I LOVE you!". Though, admittedly, it sounds more like "I lob twchoo" She is in love with our Boston Terrier, Dutchess and is convinced they are soul mates  We constantly find her in Dutchess's bed reading books with her, trying to pick her up and giving her hugs and kisses. She also loves reading and copying just about anything Adam & I do; especially pushing the cart at the grocery store. One day (in the far, far future) she'll make a great big sister, no doubt. 

And then there is me! I continue to stay home with Maeve and have also been teaching ballet for my own dance program, Wonderfully Made Dance since last May. I teach three days a week, and have students ranging from pre-school through adult and I LOVE it!! I am so enjoying sharing the passion of my heart with friends and strangers alike and seeing them really learn, grow and fall in love with ballet too! If you're ever in DFW and want to give plies a try....well, you know where to find me! 

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year from The "O"s!

 We wish you love, luck and happiness in 2013! 

12-12-12

So, while I am nearly a week late in posting, I tried to capture our day on the once a century date! Originally I thought we'd do something really special to remember: eat something in twelves, make a time capsule, do a craft. And then I remembered Maeve is only fourteen months old and our day went a lot more like: read a lot of 'ooks, play with our babies, and driving around in our cozy coupe. 

So, excuse the normalcy of our 12-12-12 pictures, but I still wanted to capture the day for my sweet babe. Can I tell you just how awesome she is? We're running all over the place and up to over 45 words. Her favorite thing to say right now is "oh reeeeeally!" She's a talking machine and it's H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S! 

 In and out and in and out of her little house door. 

 Playing a little tune on her piano.

 Ahem, please excuse that bad case of curly-girl bedhead.

 Carrying around "baBYYY!!"

Maeve and her best bud.

I adore this silly girl!

Bell Ringing

A friend of ours through church always organizes a day of bell ringing for the Salvation Army. For every hour of volunteering the Salvation Army is able to feed an additional forty people. We haven't rung in the past, but decided to give it a try this year. I figured we'd trade off chasing our little running elf and the hour would fly by. 

And then I had to teach a makeup class. Ooops. 

So, Adam braved it alone with miss thing strapped to his chest in their matching Christmas red. He's attributing their 70% success rate to his well-timed bell ringing...and to Little Red's back-bends of "Hi!!! Helllllo! Hi!", waves and kisses blown to strangers.

Wouldn't you donate to a great cause, if this lil bit was asking you? 

Snippets

Greetings from the least wintery December we've seen in awhile here in Texas. Today is a shivery 70*, thanks to a cold front that moved through last night. Yesterday, 82*. Let me remind you that yesterday was also December 3rd. On a fluke day last week we had enough breeze to warrant Miss Maeve's sweet little beret. 

The rest of the week this is more true to our wardrobe choices...

 I love her sweet little curls!!

 "Yay!"

 Chasing "Titri" (Kitri) 

 Our big girl is talking more and each day. She's up to just over 30 words. Yesterday she shocked Adam and me by exclaiming "Bless You!" TWICE when I sneezed! The first time it happened she was a little muffled and I thought I misheard her, but the second time it was clear as a bell. The friends we were with even whipped around to look at her, crazy! I think that's one of my favorite things about motherhood is seeing all these amazing things she learns, and watching her become a little person. 

 My two loves at the park.

 The month before Maeve's birthday, we tried sliding for the first time and little miss landed on her face. Needless to say, for awhile anytime we got close to a slide she would freak out. To my delight, since walking, she has fallen in love them. Down we go, over and over, and over. And occasionally we scramble at the bottom, hoping to defy gravity and move straight up the plastic wonder. 

My funny honey during bathtime. We call this her "stank-face." ;)

Turkey Time

Thanksgiving this year had us in Corpus for our frousin holiday. Oddly enough, with two bouncing one year olds and a mischievous three year old, it felt like one of our more relaxing years. Shannon and I went waaaaay overboard with all the food and dessert. Between the two of us our spread included; a beautiful turkey, wild rice casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrot casserole, spinach souffle, cranberry-apple sauce, spicy pumpkin stuffing, two different pumpkin pies, pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, buttermilk pie, faux-pecan pie and about 70 cookies. 

Yes. For four adults and three toddlers. On the upside, it was all yummy and we didn't cook again the whole four days! Our time was spent at the beach, taking Christmas card pictures, playing with silly girls, late night conversations, puzzles and scrabble for the guys and even a late night movie get-away for the mamas! 

Our holiday in pictures: 

Thanksgiving morning at the beach!

Dads with two jumping girls. Alice Virginia much preferred her mama and digging.

Me and my Maevey

Believe it or not, this was the best picture we could get out of three tries. Oh well!

Observing the work in process.

Working in the kitchen with the girls.

                                    A very good trip, and we were sad to see it end. It was nice to come home and sleep in our own beds though, and I had almost forgetten we were all decorated. Driving up, and walking in the house was twinkling and even spells like pine. Yay Christmas!! I've been craving that sweet potato casserole like mad though....it may make it in to next weeks meals....

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from our little band of storybook lovers to yours! 

 We spent the evening at a local church carnival with games, animals, bounce houses, and so-much-candy!

 Little Red running through the woods with her basket of goodies. 

While Maeve didn't have the love for cotton candy her Mama does, she did think it was hilarious to feed it to me, giant clumps at a time.  

That's right, she walks! While in DC she went from the few steps she'd been doing for a month, and just took off. She spent all of Halloween walking and hasn't stopped since! 

Whirlwind

These past two months have been a whirlwind of change, growth and activitiy. My parents visited in early September, then we were lucky to have my frousin and her girls here for Maevey's birthday, then a week later I was off to DC to help my parents for three weeks! I've been home for a week and a half now and plunged right back into busy. 

You are looking at a five foot tall bear my parents bought for Maeve.

 It is as tall as my mother. 

Maeve loves him though, and while I don't know where in our little townhouse he and his two buddies (Oh, did I leave out that they bought a Minnie and Mickey of the same size? Cause they did.) are going to reside, he is quite soft and I'm looking forward to snuggling against him for storytime. 

Maeve and I spent most of our visit hunkered down at my parents house, but we kicked off the visit at a local pumpkin festival complete with slides, hayrides, animals and fair food. It wasn't until we got home hours later that I discovered poor little Maeve has a 102.6 fever....so that explained the mellow mood for the day, she was actually in a fevered daze. 

Here she is with her Faja!

They had miniature tractors and farm equipment scattered around for the kids to play on. 

While we're happy to be home, we miss you guys very much!! Hop on a plane and come back to Texas!!!