A New Year

I'm a little behind, and I strongly dislike that feeling, which is why I DO NOT scrapbook...I don't want to feel perpetually "behind" for the rest of my life. My efforts to update each Sunday aren't happening, so I'll do the best I can! Obviously these first pictures are from the Rose Parade...we were supposed to all go as a family and meet up with our friends,the Bunkers, in Pasadena, but the weather was quite chilly, and Charlie was quite congested, so I stayed home with the boy, and Andy took 2 thermoses of hot chocolate, the girls and blankets and had a fabulous time at the Parade...Andy said it was kind of tricky holding both girls on his shoulders at the same time...when I was a kid we did the 2 ladders with a board between them setup...maybe we'll try that next year...I love that Valerie is holding both Kate and Charlotte...they all had their hands full...I was bummed to miss it (and the 3 point cinnamon rolls Val!), but there's always next year..

Some cute pictures of our favorite boy...his eyes look quite dark in these pictures, but they're actually blue...although not as light blue as Lauren's...


A future Cougar? Oh to be so lucky!
I think you can see his blue eyes in this one...

Andy promised Lauren that they could go "camping" a few weekend ago...it turned out to be FREEZING (not Chicago -15 freezing), but LA freezing (50 degrees)...and probably in the 30s at night...they set up the tent, and finally went out there around 10 at night...as usual, it was Andy that "babied" out in the middle of the night and brought them both in! Lauren is usually fast asleep, but Andy usually gives up because he's so uncomfortable, and this time it was just too cold...who could blame him? Anyway, the girls always have fun playing with the tent...




We get some pretty spectacular sunsets out our front porch...we took a walk this night and enjoyed the colors...Charlie's first ride in the Bjorn...even Andy commented that he was heavy...I never did get the chance to use it...he got so big, so fast, that he has already surpassed my carrying capacity, and he's only 2 1/2 months...I'm looking at getting an Ergo baby carrier, not because I think they are particularly attractive, but because you're supposed to be able to carry much more weight...I was at the park with all the kids this morning, just carrying Charlie in my arms for an hour+, and realized that I can't do that for the next several months till he learns to walk, he's just too dang big already...(brown knit hat compliments of Laura Daines...)

Kate has the funniest grin these days...not sure if it's cute, or scary...I about died when I saw these 2 curled up together in bed...

Having a tantrum in time out...it's hard to be 2 and mad at the world all the time...actually that could describe my 4-year-old also!
I loved this...Charlie was thoroughly entertained by Lauren...he's not hard to please...put him in the bouncer and smile at him every once in a while, and he's perfectly content...how did I get so lucky?

Andy's parents were in town this past weekend for Charlie's blessing...we took them to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and ended up buying an annual pass...what a great place. The weather was sublime, and it's such a pretty location...downtown Long Beach is a cool place, and it'll be fun to go back throughout the year and enjoy the Aquarium, the surrounding harbors, the restaurants and the beach...we had a fun time...



Both girls were completely soaked after playing in the spouting whales...good thing we had a change of clothes...Kate was freezing, and ended up laying right in the middle of all the kids playing to warm up in the sun...

The girls dancing around in the sun to warm up...We blessed Charlie this past Sunday...what a great day...the weather was perfect and we had family here to celebrate with us...I hosted my first big sit-down dinner in the new house, and it went well...we had to add a card table on to the end of our dining room table, but it worked...

Charles Hyer and Stephen Smith = Charles Stephen Hyer


My kids' Great Grandma Purcell

You can see the new brick on the porch in some of the pictures...we love it. We've started slowly chipping away at the planting in the front yard, and it'll come together eventually! The neighbors are probably thinking, "finally!"