New Year's in Philly

Sure have missed this face!

Loved getting to meet Miss Emma!

We had the privilege of traveling to Philadelphia for New Year's weekend to visit our good friends the Lutzs. They moved in June from Bentonville. It was fun to see where they lived and what the "older" part of the country looks like. So much history there! Very neat!

Friday evening, Fred made an amazing Prime Rib dinner. That was my favorite meal of the entire weekend! Leslie, Emma and I got to go shopping on Saturday. It was a fun time just casually strolling through the mall, eating mall chinese and treating ourselves to some yummy gelato! We also saw Kate Flannery...the very funny Meredith from The Office. Nobody in the mall seemed to recognize her...or just didn't care to talk to her so we also avoided her (actually, I'm just a chicken!). It was definitely her though, I googled her while we were eating and found out she is from Philly!

Sunday we all drove downtown and checked out a really neat market area. We then split up from the guys and went to Babies-R-Us so I could check out double strollers with Leslie's car seat and a toddler. The babies were wonderful models and I think I've made a decision on what to buy! Later that night we ate at a really good restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed our time together. The whole weekend was full of cuddling with Emma, great conversations and eating! We already miss you Lutz Family!

Our flights turned out to be not so friendly both going and coming. Praise the Lord my MIL was not only willing but eager to keep SJ for us! We were so blessed to not have her on our trip...that sounds bad but I mean it in a good way! I know SJ was spoiled with attention, loving and lots and lots of kisses! C-ma also brought SJ home to us on Monday evening and had dinner ready for us...although, I'm sad to say we missed dinner because we missed our connection in Atlanta. Thanks C-ma for being amazing and helping us out over the weekend! We love you!

The Christmas Post

Dec. 23...Christmas in Bixby.

Dancing with Carter!Opening gifts with help from Carter!

Dec. 24th...

Hanging out with Himali!
(one of my very best friends from high school!)

Dec. 25th...Christmas in Chouteau

Opening gifts from the Penturf side of the family!
I think she looks so big in this picture!

Dec. 26th...Christmas in McAlester with my Dad's side of the family.

A pink tricycle from Grandpa and Hunny!
(I think we have some growing to do!)

Hanging with Uncle B!
(My brother, Bradley)

Back to Chouteau that evening with matching PJs
from Cma and Grandfather for Lily and SJ.

We actually stayed in Chouteau from Saturday the 25th through Thursday the 30th. We got to enjoy special time with my sister in law, Carrie, and her family. They live in Michigan so we don't get to see them that often. Cousin Lily will be a big sister in March...we can't wait to meet Eva! Betsy also got to spend some quality time with us for a few days. We were sad that she had to go home on Monday though. Daniel went home and worked Tuesday and Wednesday and came back to Chouteau on Wednesday night. On Thursday, he and I left SJ with Cma and headed home to pack for our trip to Philly to see the Lutzs. More on that trip in another post! It was a fun Christmas trip but I am so glad to be home for a while now!

8 Months

SJ turned 8 months old on Christmas Day!

Fun Facts:

• Sits without support and has started falling over on her hands into a crawling position.
• Weighs about 17 pounds.
• Started cutting her first tooth and it was MISERABLE for both of us!
• Gets mad when I take something from her that she isn't supposed to have. It's actually quite funny to see her throw a hissy fit.
• Has started eating mum mums (dissolvable wafers) and baby puffs. Loves them!
• Still working on the sippy cup.
• Drinks about 30 oz of formula per day and eats 3 jars of baby food.
• Threw up for the first time in the middle of the night. It was prunes, enough said.
• We adore this baby girl! She's still a super happy girl and already seems to have that "please everyone" attitude. Natural first-born child! I'm extremely blessed to be her mother!

'Tis the Season

December is always a busy time for us! We always have several parties and get togethers to attend. Throw in a baby and life in December is just CRAZY!! Here was our lineup for the last week...

Sun - Birthday party for Riley Woody!

Sarah and Anna

Mon - Happy Birthday Jesus Party with the churchies.

Tue - Book exchange with Tuesday Morning Play Group (TMPG)

Aren't they adorable?!

Wed - BSF, lunch with Daniel, deliver gifts to Lincoln Jr. High

Thur - Deliver gifts to Grace Hill Elem. and White Elephant Gift Exchange with our small group

Fri - Head to Mazie

Sat - Mom's extended family Christmas

Sun - Back to Bville, Christmas party with my high school girls' Bible study group, shopping with Becca and pizza at the Kirbys.

I would NOT change a single minute of last week. It was super busy but super fun! Glad to stay home today, though!

As mentioned earlier, Saturday we headed to the booming metropolis of Scipio, OK (ok, really, I dare you to try to find it on a map) to celebrate with my extended family on my mom's side. I can remember being a little girl and just staring at ALL the gifts under the tree...well really they weren't under the tree because there were way too many! It was always a fun and exciting time to be with my family. What I really miss from our times was when we would all stay the night at MawMaw and Papa Sal's house. It was a tiny house and we slept wherever we could find a space but we LOVED it. Well, I did anyway. I miss that so much! I miss MawMaw and Papa Sal the most. But, I think we have done a pretty good job keeping the tradition going in their memories though...except the sleeping over part! Ahh, anyway, enough with my reminiscing and onto the pictures! Oh and thanks for hosting us, Aunt Susie!

Cousins!

Her first gift to open. Naturally, she only cared about eating the paper!

Chayton and Brach

We got them pocket knives and they seemed to be pretty excited!

Part of the chaos of the unwrapping of presents.

More chaos and fun!

So Proud...

My favorite thing these days is watching SJ get one of her toys to start playing music. She has this perfect, sweet, proud grin on her face when she gets it to play and looks for me immediately. I think it's precious...see for yourself!

7 Months

We are a little behind on this post! She was 7 months on Thanksgiving Day but we were in Oklahoma so we couldn't take our picture!

Fun facts about SJ:

• Sleeps about 12 hours per night.
• Takes 2 two hour naps a day.
• Got her first cold :( (luckily never ran a fever!)
• Rolls everywhere!
• Is now an official sitter!
• Loves to talk! Says "da-da-da-da". Daniel likes to think she is actually talking to him. I've been practicing "ma-ma-ma" with her!
• Can do a 360 degree turn on her belly!
• When she is on the floor playing, she prefers her back and her legs up in the air and arms clenched above her chest. Almost looks like her belly is in pain but it isn't!
• Eats solids 3 times a day!
• Now weighs 16 lbs 12 oz! (That's an almost 2 lb gain in about 5 or 6 weeks!)
• Takes her shots at the doctor like a champ! Cries about 10 seconds then smiles...so sweet!
• SJ is just a genuinely happy smiley baby. We adore this little chica! I am so blessed to be her mommy!

A Man's Man

Daniel's annual Kansas hunting trip was a success this year! Around 5:30 on Saturday night we got an excited phone call claiming his victory. Don't be surprised if you receive deer jerky for Christmas! :)
Also, check this blog to see a contest D won for one of his famous butchering tips. If it wasn't so cold out I would go and take pics of this but the deer has been gutted so it wouldn't work right this time.

Congrats on the kill hubby! We can now survive winter with all that meat... I must say, I have a very manly husband. He can "skin a buck deer; run a trot line, 'cause a country boy can survive." Ha! (for those of you non-country music fans, that's an old Hank Williams Jr. song!) But really, he can do just about anything outdoors or fix anything indoors. A real man's man! I love and appreciate that!