Watch her grow

So I finally met my new great niece. 

We managed to all stay well and make the trip to Indiana last weekend.

Pins and needles to meet the newest member of the family.

Kids were both quite enamored with her.

Pierce especially.

But really, how sweet are babies.

Besides all the hard work they cause, they are just sweet.

Great Neena went with us too.

She has always loooooved babies.

Camden was there too, but really wanted nothing to do with this pay attention to the new baby business. Or me.

He and Hope are buddies and they played and played.

And sweet Jaclyn is managing well with two babies two and under.

Excited to watch this sweet baby girl grow.

A new niece. THAT I HAVE NOT MET YET.

So Christmas was over and we were all hanging in that limbo week between Christmas and New Years. Paul headed back to BG to work, and the kids and I stayed back for one specific and special reason. The birth of Lyla Eleanor. 

We had a few days to kill before her arrival, so fun was being had. 

But the fun was very short lived.

We started dropping like flies.

First it was Paul, then me, then Hope, and then Pierce.

I was feeling pretty bad, like go to Urgent Care bad. So you know what that meant? I COULD NOT MEET MY NEW GREAT NIECE.

I was not bitter or unhappy. Oh no.

But enough about my stable emotions, I am happy to report I do have a beautiful new niece. Lyla Eleanor born on 12/29, weighing 7 lbs. 15oz and 21 inches long.

Here I was in Indiana specifically to meet her, and stuck on a couch looking a pictures. NO I AM NOT BITTER.

Oh look, everyone has had a chance to hold her.

 No really I'm happy for them. Jealous? A tad maybe. But I shall prevail.

Check it out, my parents are now Great Grandparents for the SECOND time!

How neat is that?

And Jaclyn and Christopher and both doing great!

I was actually supposed to get up to Indiana this weekend but weather and illness stopped it. OH MY GOSH. So maybe I will meet Lyla before she is walking and talking. MAYBE.

Until then, I will try and keep my emotions in check and stare at this picture of Camden being the cutest and proudest big brother, EVER.

Christmas Eve 2015

So after the Christmas here at home, we rolled up to Indiana where the honey flows. 

Time to prepare ourselves for the best day of the year...

Christmas Eve. 

Per the normal tradition I met Jami and the boys for breakfast Christmas Eve morning. We started this tradition five years ago, but this time opted for a rich people breakfast at Panera.

Once we heard enough conversation about body parts and such from little kids, we headed home.

The parents house is always beautiful at Christmas.

Unfortunately we couldn't light a fire in the fireplace this time around.

Seeing as it was a balmy 70 degrees!

So we just sat around in denial about the weather and ate.

Christmas Eve we opted for simple foods....

Sort of appetizer'ish.

Who doesn't love a good meatball.

Before we ate I threatened the kids with no gifts if they didn't stop and smile for me. MERRY CHRISTMAS.

After we ate our supper of meatballs and such, there was a lot of this....

The conversations can get interesting.

Oh and look at Jaclyn here, she was about to give birth in five days and you can't even tell from the back. As someone who got pregnant EVERYWHERE, I envy her.

But yeah, there are lots of conversations and lots of laughter.

And sometimes you might even catch young love.

Nathan has a girlfriend.

And it's pretty adorable.

But besides all the Christmas Eve celebrations, we also celebrated our Cody bear who turned 21!

I think it's pretty great our family still celebrates each birthday with importance. Whether you are one or twenty-one we will line up and watch you open up your gifts.

And then you will get a terrible rendition of Happy Birthday.

Because we are awesome like that.

But once the meal has come and gone

And each and every gift assembled...

And each child tucked away in bed

We wait. 

For the big day.....

Carving adventure

While in Indiana there is lots of play with the cousins, because the kids are CRAZY about their cousins. 

You can imagine the delight that was felt when Cody suggested we get together to carve pumpkins. And that was just from me.

But the kids? They were beyond pumped.

When he suggested the carving, I imagined maybe we'd carve a couple small ones.

I imagined wrong. 

We had six massive pumpkins to occupy us.

No way around it, pulling out the middle of a pumpkin is whack.

It just feels wrong.

But you eventually get used to it.

Maybe.

This wasn't just a little kid activity.

In fact I think the grown ups may have enjoyed it more than the kids.

Determined to carve a masterpiece.

I was all, "let's carve a smiley face"

Uh no.

So I mainly sat back and just photographed as it unfolded. 

I think it took three hours?

But they turned out great!

So I did help Pierce with his, and he regretted that decision. He was totally upset with how his turned out. If you can't tell it's a Patriots mascot, but he hated it. Perfection runs through his blood, so all he saw were the imperfections. I can see the pain in his face in this picture, "OH MY GOSH, MY MOM RUINED MY PUMPKIN."

Once his dad talked him off the ledge, I think he came around that it turned out pretty well.

How awesome did these turn out?!

It really was such fun, I loved hanging out with my sister, my nephews, and Megan. We are determined to make this a tradition and already have new strategies laid out for out next carving adventure.

Until next time!