It's Christmas time, Pretty Baby...but no snow is falling on the ground...

Ahhh...Christmas.  The tree, the food, friends, family, a warm fire, snow...ok, no snow here but you get the idea.  Don't you just love Christmas? 

We had the best Christmas ever this year because we had our dear darling Elysia join our little clan.  Such a joy she was!  Of course we had to wear a pretty dress and visit Santa.

Hmmm....are you sure you're the real Santa?

Yep, I've been a good girl!

I just Love Christmas!  Ooohhh...is that a real candycane for me to teethe on?

Ahh...after a tough day of visiting Santa, a good bevvie is just what we needed.

Six Months Old and Definitely a Genius

Well, my Elysia turned six months old a few days ago.  6!  It's funny, I used to hear people say that time flies when you have kids, but I never really thought so until my Elysia.  How can she be 6 months?  How precious (and often crazy!!) those months have been!  It seems like only a few weeks ago that I was excitedly waiting for her arrival. Happy Birthday, my dear, darling Elysia.

OK, Winter...Here I Come!!!

Gotta love the hair!

Pucker Up!!  It's picture time. 












Elysia amazes me all the time.  OK, I admit it...my kid is a genius.  Her latest accomplishment?  She can now...(drum-roll, please)...sit up on her own!!  Not long now and she'll be running around the house and playing Mozart on the piano that I am going to have to buy her.  Yep, it's true.  My kid is a genius.  She must get it from her mama.  

Tis the Season to be Jolly

Christmas spirit has invaded my house.  It started early in the morning on November 30th when sounds of the song, 'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas,' invaded my dreams.  Steve got up early, dug out the Christmas CDs we purchased last year, dusted them off, and put them on to repeat over and over and over again...

Let the decorating begin!

Steve started by putting up Christmas lights outside our home.  With the garage and front door now adorned with lights, the two of us set our sights on our living room.

Candles, snowmen, twinkle lights, and a Christmas Moose have turned my living room into an explosion of lights, colour and sound.  Of course I had to bake some yummy cookies!!

My Christmas Tree.  Hmmm....looking at this pic, my tree looks a wee bit crooked....

Just need to hang the stockings!

Christmas Moose.  Annie the cat used to sit on Moose's head when she was a baby.  I think that may be why his ears are a little bit squished now.

Yep, Christmas Spirit has invaded my house.  I love it!!

More pics to come.....

The Swap Meet

A few weeks ago I joined a 'Mommy and Me' online group that sends me e-mails about events going on in the community.  Most recently they sent me information about a kids Swap Meet being held in Cloverdale.  Now, I have never been to a Swap Meet, but it seems to me to be in the same category as garage sales.  You know they are always going on in your neighbourhood, but do you really want to go and root through or buy other people's junk?

Well, the cost of raising a baby sure changed my mind!

Thus, I figured I'd give it a try.  Early last Saturday morning I dragged hubby and baby with me and away we went to our very first Swap Meet.  Steve was thrilled, I tell ya!

Unlike a garage sale, you have to pay to get in.  If you arrive early it's $5 per person, but if you arrive an hour later it's only $2.  So we waited at our local Starbucks and bought a few $6 lattes while we counted down the minutes until we could save a few bucks.

If you read my previous blog, you know that I've attended things like shoe sales with hundreds of people and waited in lines to enter stores.  Well let me tell you, comparatively speaking, those were like a quiet stroll through the park compared to this.  It is a mad, mad, mad, world inside the Swap Meet.

Shoes, toys, books, clothes, games, strollers, furniture....all things we could use, but add to this hundreds of parents (all looking for a bargain) storming a room the size of my garage containing tables piled high with these goods, and it becomes pure chaos.  The excitement never ends!

With twenty bucks in hand, I entered the room looking for bargains.  'Two bucks for those shoes?  Will you take a dollar??'  Ahhh, the joys of bargaining.  Takes me back to my time in China (minus, of course, the millions of chinese people).

After an hour of searching, I purchased four sweaters (I'm not sure why, but I seem to be in a sweater phase right now), a pair of shoes, pants, and a toy for Elysia's crib.  Not bad, if I do say so myself!

Yep, I can definitely say I am now hooked on Swap Meets.  In fact, I think Steve is too.  I believe his exact words were, 'it's right up there with the shoe sale you dragged me to last week.'  hehehe.

The Best Day Trip EVER!

The weather was nice a few days ago, so my hubby suggested that we drive over to Steveston to go for a walk and purchase some of his beloved potato bread.  It sounded like a nice outing, so we packed up the baby and away we went.

On the way, I suggested we stop at a little tea shop that I was told about.  When we walked in, there were doilies, lace curtains, china cups, and older ladies wearing large hats in the shop.  I saw grandmas with granddaughters, and lovely older couples enjoying a pot of tea and chatting with each other.  All this, and fresh baked scones and pie too.  I loved it!  Hubby wasn't as impressed...

After that little detour, we continued on our way to Steveston.  While driving, I saw something else that seemed interesting.  'Look, honey...a shoe sale!  Let's check it out...'

So there we were.  Steve, Me, and baby Elysia standing in a line waiting to enter a shoe sale that I just happened to spot.  Wouldn't you stop if you saw a sign that said 'Shoe Sale:  All shoes $39.95'???  After 20 minutes of standing outside just waiting to get in the store, we had to find our way through thousands of shoes to find the perfect pair.  Heaven!!  I loved it!  Hubby wasn't as impressed...

An hour or so later we left the store (sadly, it should have been much later since apparently this shoe sale only happens twice a year), and after that little detour we once again continued on our way to Steveston.

By this time, Elysia was getting grouchy.  Hard to believe, I know, but when my kid gets tired she likes to let everyone know about it.  So with our screaming kid in the back, the sun going down, and the rain heading in, we finally arrived in Steveston.  We ended up purchasing his potato bread, but we missed the walk and went home.

After this wonderful day, Steve went back to work and had a discussion about relationships with a guy he worked with.  His partner wanted to know how he knew that I was 'the one'.  Steve responded by asking his partner...'would you ever go to a shoe sale with your girlfriend?  If the answer is yes, it is really true love.'  =)  Awwww......I'm such a lucky girl.

Steve and I

My friend sent me a picture of Steve and I at my dad's 65th Birthday party, and it got me to looking at some of the pictures we have together.  Here are a few of my favourites!

Dad's 65th birthday party.

We love Birthdays!

I love this pic!  It was taken by me (see the reflection in Steve's glasses?) while on our first trip together to Vancouver Island.

This was taken at Steve's graduation from the Police Academy.  Loved his uniform.  :)

This was taken at his Graduation party.

The night we got engaged.

And finally...our wedding.

Love you, honey!!

Just call me the Elysia bragger...

My daughter is getting so big!  She's now five months old and weighs a little over 12lbs.  How I love my baby!!  I sometimes worry about her size as she is quite small for her age, but she is doing really well. 

Her favourite thing to do right now is to make lots of noise.  But not just any noise.  Nope.  My kiddo likes to make these strange, loud sounds when she is breathing in.  I mean, that's way more fun than making sounds when you breathe out.  Where's the fun in that?  Of course, she just ends up sounding like she is having trouble breathing, but just one look at her grinning and pleased face will tell you otherwise.  Last Sunday she was making these noises while in church.  Disruptive yes, but also absolutely adorable!  :)

But that's not all that is new with my little one.  My Elysia now takes your hands when you reach for her.  I LOVE that.  Her tiny little fingers (which are absolutely gorgeous) wrap around my hand and my heart just melts.  She takes my hands, I say 'ready?' and she smiles while I pick her up.  Could my daughter be any cuter?  She also loves to touch my face when she is drinking her bottle.  She looks at me and her hands just come up and caress my chin.  Of course I have to eat her fingers!! 

She has also finally figured out that her jolly jumper isn't just for standing around in.  She loves it, and it is so much fun to watch her jump, jump, jump!  She's quite the entertainer, really.  She loves an audience!

Yep.  The Elysia bragger.  That's me!  And I wouldn't want it any other way.