This is what Christmas shopping in Old Colorado City looked like for Calla last week…

A new hat from Envi (I LOVE that store and so does Calla…mostly because of the owner’s pet parakeets) and a chocolate snowman on a stick from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  She was happy.

I was happy because I realized two ways in which Calla is just like me: she adores chocolate and she likes consignment stores.  Otherwise, she’s completely her father’s daughter…which is fine with me.

-Abby

“Are you really letting me have this?  The whole piece?”

“This is good stuff!  You’ve been holding out on me, Mama!”

“Um, it’s all gone.  Can I have some more?”

Happy 1st birthday, Hudson boy!  You bring your Mama and Baba so much joy, and you are a perfect playmate for your big sister.  We love you sooooo much!

Thanks Momma for the photo!

-Abby

L.O.V.E.

This makes me happy.

-Abby

Our little bozo is walking!  What in the world?!  Earlier this week he took his first steps (3 at once) and today he’s walking all over the place.

Good thing I have another baby on the way, because this one’s not a baby anymore!

-Abby

Blessed is the first word that comes to mind when I think about our Thanksgiving celebration this year.  Our family is truly blessed–beautiful and healthy children, sweet and hospitable grandparents, wonderful aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, an abundance of good food and even better family time.  With thirteen of us staying in my grandparents’ home at once, we had a full house…and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!

Here are a few (ok, maybe not a few) pictures from our weekend trip to Missouri:

Calla LOVES her little cousin Solomon and insisted on holding him as soon as they arrived…

Hudson was intrigued by his “white meat” cousin and showed his affection often by bonking Soli on the head with whatever toy he happened to be holding at the moment…

Yes, I am a proud, proud Auntie…

Look, no bonking, just sharing!  How sweet…

These two usually ate their meals at the same time and would occasionally eye the other’s food jealously…

Three cousins just hanging out in their pj’s (Calla’s polka dotted leg made it in the picture)…

We got to meet the newest addition to the family, Madison Grace Lamp, who was 9 days old.  What a darling little girl!…

My momma always loves her some newborn baby time…

My parents thoroughly enjoyed the time they were able to spend with all their grandbabies in one house…

Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a round of jowlers…

And a celebration of Grandpa’s birthday.  Happy 70th, Grandpa!  You don’t look a day over 69!

Thank You, Lord, for the blessing of a loving family who makes Thanksgiving so special.  My heart is happy.

-Abby

I took this video of Calla a few days ago.  Her new dance moves crack me up.  I’m not sure what’s going on with the strange facial expressions…

-Abby

So you’re all probably ready for me to stop talking about my birthday, but this is the last b-day post, I promise!  I’m really not self-obsessed…it’s just that these pictures were too funny not to post…

Bet you’ve never seen birthday candles lit like this!

Apparently “it would take too long to light them all individually” (am I really that old?) so a more efficient approach was taken…

Anyway…I did have a fabulous birthday.  After several weeks of not much hanging out time with my momma, we got to spend the afternoon together yesterday eating and shopping.  Yay!  To everyone who sent cards and gifts, thank you so much!  At this vagabondish (it’s a word, really) time in our lives, these reminders of love have been especially sweet.  Thank you.

-Abby