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Heartfelt Blessings Christmas Card

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December 2011

Oh how this year has flown by! December was spent in typical December style, getting ready for Christmas! Elise enjoyed the opportunities to play in the snow and although reluctant, did sit with Santa for a picture! We were blessed with the opportunity to attend Grandpa Burle's 90th Birthday Celebration, and Elise of course enjoyed celebrating St. Nicholaus Day! The highlight of the month was a trip downtown to view the lights, give Elise her first Ice Skating experience, and take a horse drawn carriage ride. It made quite an impression on our Bugaboo, as in subsequent trips downtown she asks about the "horsey!" It was a great night for sure! Elise was at first reluctant in decorating the Christmas Tree, so we spread it out over a couple of nights. On the last evening, it finally seemed to "click" and there was no stopping her as she ran around the tree placing "pretties" where she best felt they fit. Since that evening, she has added her own prized "pretties" to the tree, from pacifiers to rubber duckies. Maybe that's a sign that we need more ornaments! While Christmas is a part of the month, we have elected to make a collage for the holiday all on its own. There is simply no way we could fit it all into one photo grouping. So keep a lookout for the new blog post, coming soon!

Christmas Family Photos

Thanks Belinda Mercure Photography, once again, for some amazing pictures. Belinda, we just love you!

November 2011

We started this month with a trip to Indiana. It was quite the adventure, as we made the 20 hour, 1100 mile drive to Indiana while Andrew passed a kidney stone, Rebecca was 6 months pregnant, and Elise was 18 months old... I think that says quite a bit about the trip! But overall it went pretty smoothly, all things considered! We had a great time visiting with family, friends, and even some of the extended family. After returning to Colorado, we had a few days to relax, then it was off to Nebraska for Thanksgiving Holidays there. All in total, we spent about 11 days at home during the month, which is an insanely busy schedule for any family, let alone with with a toddler! And of course with Christmas just around the corner, we don't see much sign of things slowing down anytime soon!

Our Little Red Riding Hood

Again, Belinda Mercure Photography did a beautiful job capturing our little Bugaboo!

October 2011

Who knew we were such Halloween people! But October was a very busy month, with Halloween themed events nearly every weekend. We visited several pumpkin patches, the Apple Cider Festival, Bug-a-boo at the Butterfly Pavilion, Boo-at-the-Zoo, a few Halloween Parties, and of course went trick-or-treating! Elise got plenty of use out of the Little Red Riding Hood costume that Rebecca made for her. She really enjoyed her cape, holding on to the edges while she walked, and didn't even mind the hood! At the first few events, she tried to give everyone the candy back after they put it in her bucket. But by event three, she had this all figured out! Mom and Dad had a lot of fun, and even let her have her very first piece of chocolate that was ALL hers (not just a bite, but the WHOLE thing!). It was a Three Musketeer, and Elise definitely enjoyed it. (YUMMY! was uttered almost immediately, and she did not give up licking and tasting until her hands were completly chocolate free. Elise also developed a love of pumpkins, carrying one with her whenever possible. Carving pumpkins was great fun as well, and she didn't even mind the inner-goo! In addition to all the Halloween themed events, Elise had her first "dance classes" with Mommy, a class called Moving & Music. It is more like attempted organized chaos than dance, but it is a great deal of fun as well! Daddy and Grandpa even got to come see a class. It is something that both Elise and Mommy enjoyed, and we hope to keep doing in the future!

September 2011

September brought about a lot of fun and excitement for our family as Elise finally completely "mastered" her mobility. Out of nowhere she was comfortable with carpet, pavement, grass, rocks, leaves, you name it! She quickly learned to go up stairs and ladders, making trips to the park much more exciting (and nerve racking!). But it was fun to watch her explore and learn, gaining skill and confidence every day. We took advantage of her mobility on several hiking trips to local wilderness areas, the opening of the pumpkin patch, the zoo, and of course out at the parks nearby. Grandpa also got to visit for a week this month, so she got to show off her skills for him as well! So far, mobility is an overwhelming success, with no significant falls or injuries to date!