So here are some recent pics.....This is Katie and I at a SeaWorld Jack Hanna event. She got to pet lots of animals and it was just a great event!



Now this is Hannah's "Stink-eye!" Be careful that you're never on the receiving end of that!


On Easter morning the girls got their baskets. Then they got another basket at Mimi's. I guess that wasn't enough, because when Uncle Luke fell asleep, Hannah tried to help herself to some sweet stuff from his basket!


And here are our Easter girls! :-)

Okay.....

For about three months now I've been avoiding another post - I know that's not hard to believe since I'm not that much of what you may call a "consistent" poster to begin with, but this time there is a very specific reason......

My grandpa is gone.

Just having to type those words makes it all hurt all over again. He passed away in early February after going in to the Hospital shortly after Christmas. He was at my house on Christmas. My girls last saw him that afternoon.

He was my hero - my unsung hero that quietly became enraged for us when there was an unjustice. He was the man who showed me what to look for in a husband and then proudly gave me away when I found that. He loved me and I loved him.....and now he is gone.

And I don't feel the same. I feel different. My life has changed so much, and yet it all continues like nothing. Losing him makes me lose grandma all over again. How can I not send them updated pictures? How could I ever delete their numbers from my phone? I was so close to them for the first 30 years of my life. They can't both be gone in less than a year.

And yet they are. What happens now?

I know I will see them again. I know they are both watching out for all of us and are going to celebrating our accomplishments and joys right along with us. But my girls won't have the chance to know them like I knew them and that hurts. One day at time I guess......I will see them in the girls and will have to remember those moments and stories and preserve them (My sister started another blog for this!)

And now I've written this. In a way it helps a little because I was avoiding it, and all the while it's been in the back of my mind. Avoiding it wasn't about not telling people - anyone reading this should know what happened anyway - this was about my "issues"...... So look to the other blog for these moments and stories we'll be sharing. And look to this one for updates, changes and those accomplishments with the girls. There are sure to be many.

Merry Christmas

Well, we had an exciting and exhausting Christmas! It was a marathon event, and took something like 12 hours! But in the end, everyone had a great time and we were all very happy! Here are some pics from the various events.......

Katie sitting next to the stockings that Santa left us. The first comment she made was that Santa "forgot to wrap" her new Tinkerbell doll!

Hannah holding one of her gifts that Santa wrapped in her stocking. Santa wisely gave her Yogurt drops! She promptly handed them to me and gave me the "more" sign in sign language to open and feed them to her!

Katie helping her Opa open one of his gifts.


Hannah giving her new Nemo doll a "kiss."

Making sure her new scarf and hit fit.

Practicing her "non-walk!"

Trying out her new poncho from Aunt Lisa!

A great day had by all!!!! :-)

So we are still not done opening all the gifts or trying things out. The tree came down yesterday and we are trying to just relax and enjoy the rest of our break. Josh and I finally broke down yesterday and got a new dining room table and chairs! We are super excited - it will arrive next week. I hope it fits well in the room - it is definately bigger than what we have now! =)

Finally!

I have been fighting with the computer on and off now for months to upload this video! It's too dark to actually see, but you can get a kick out of Hannah talking. We had put her to bed an hour or so prior to me finally grabbing the camera. SHe was just talking and laughing away! My favorite part is her response after my comment about her Mimi giving her coffee ice cream! More updates and pics to come!

Another post?

Wow - two updates in two days! What is going on? Actually, I don't count yesterday as a blog- It was just a bunch of pictures....This time there will be some information!
So Katie got her first "professional" haircut this weekend. SHe was so cute - and of course so well behaved! Here is the before......

And here is the after! They ended up taking like 2 inches off!

She has hair like I did when I was younger....very thin and very fine. She looks so grown-up! I can't believe she is going to be four in just a couple of days! She is so excited for her birthday party. It's so cute, but I realize now that she is going to be so sad on Saturday evening when all her "fun" is officially over. What are we going to do?

So I was finally going through the rest of the older pictures I have been keeping in the closet, and picked some to scan in so I could get them back to their original owner. 5 pictures in my scanner just breaks. What's funny is I can't even open it up to try and re-adjust it. I think the scanner is officially gone. And such good intentions I had!!!! I guess after 7+ years of working just fine, it has decided to retire. I just wish it had waited until I was done to break! =(

Well, I should go. I am exhausted and the weekend is done. Back to work and reality.......Wish me luck for this upcoming week and I'll update after!

We had Hannh's Birthday Party last week. Hard to believe she is one year already! Here are a few pictures from her party.......Here is our latest family picture......

Getting a kiss from sister

There's that tongue!

Katie helping her little sister out!

And finally here is the cupcake topper!

I am still figuring out how to get this layout workable for me.....The pictures loaded in the opposite way than I thought they would, but it all works! Now that I finally have a large amount of photos saved, I am hoping to get some more posted tomorrow.

Updates

Well, the school year has been up and running for about a month now. Sometimes I think it's hard to believe it's only been a month, and sometimes I think it's crazy that it's already been a month! The girls are doing well and Katie especially is enjoying being back in class with her friends!

Both girls will have a birthday within a few weeks! I imagine where I was a year ago, waiting for Hannah to make her arrival! Tomorrow she will be one and I cannot believe it! I cannot imagine our lives without her - such a happy little girl! And boy does she love her sister! What is equally wonderful is how much her sister loves her too! I have yet (and I know "yet" is the appropriate word) to see any sibling rivalry between the girls!
Now Katie is all about planning her Birthday (and her sister's as well!)! We think Katie will have her first official "friend" party with some of her close friends from school! She is SO EXCITED! =) It's hard to believe she will be 4!

I am still working on their scrapbooks! I feel so guilty - like Katie's should definately be done by now. I constantly make that my "goal" for the week/weekend, but then "life" just gets in the way! I really do need to work on those! But who are we kidding - look at how slow I am to update this!

~Stacy