Perfectly Paisley

One of my best friends (who many of you know), Beth Allen, has opened her own ESTY shop.  She is SO creative and one of those perfect, party planners that you just want to hate!  So she has taken those skills and now makes a variety of party and shower decorations that are handmade and beautiful.  You can check out what she does at her new website:  www.perfectlypaisleyshop.com or at her ESTY shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/PerfectlyPaisleyShop.  One of my favorite things that she makes is the “new arrival baby wreaths”.  Below are a couple pictures of one  -- they are the perfect gift that serve THREE purposes: use to decorate at a baby shower, have the mom hang it on her door at the hospital, and then keep to hang in the baby’s nursery!

Anyways, check out her shop and pass these websites on to any friends that throw parties & such!

Random pictures...

 Pictures from the week that need sharing, and will be grouped in a large, random blog:

Anders on the potty...

 Anders is so funny and likes walking around with his monkey or frog lovey on top of his head.  The other morning he was running around everywhere with "monk-monk" on his head, and here I told him to "look at the camera and smile" -- and he did!

 After sitting on the potty, Anders likes escaping and running off to play naked...

 Todd made us some homemade hot chocolate & Anders face (and shirt) shows how much he enjoyed it...

 We had a big IKEA box, and so Todd turned it into a play house for Anders.  He cut a door & window into the box and Anders loves going in & out of it.  

 Playing outside and stomping in the little bit of snow remaining on the back deck...

Anders in his favorite winter hat...

Anders 17 months

Okay so these ADORABLE pictures were not taken the day Anders turned 17 months, but instead they are pictures I took the end of November that I just realized were never posted.  But he still looks the same, and since we have been having FREEZING cold weather -- this hat & jacket have been Anders winter uniform.  

Update on our little 17 month old:

Anders still has 4 teeth, but we are convinced that he is about to get more teeth soon.  When I ask him, "why are you being a fussy-pants" and "does something hurt", he puts his finger in his mouth and points to his teeth.  He is saying new words all the time and has added: hot, blue, green, "go dog" (when he looks at the book "Go Dog Go!"), eye, bath, cracker, bubble, car, truck, plane, and bird.  And then more words that he says, but not perfectly are: apple, oatmeal, and Aunt Katie.  Anders can climb up on anything now -- the couch, kitchen chairs, ottomans, and the dining room cubes that were being used to block the stairs.  I should not confess this, but the other day I looked over and he was sitting on the kitchen table!  He such a sweet and curious boy.

Sweet story: about a week ago Anders was fighting me as I was rocking him before bedtime, so I started telling him everyone that loved him.  This is exactly what I said...Mommy & Daddy love you, Grammie & Papa love you, Grandma & Grandpa love you, Aunt Katie & Uncle Chip love you, Aunt Julie, Uncle Michael & Haley love you and Aunt Susu loves you.  He was relaxed in my arms and looking sleepy and I asked "Who do you love?"  I figured he wouldn't answer, but right away he said "Papa".  So sweet!  He now likes hearing who loves him, so I tell him before naps or bedtime.  I keep hoping he'll say he loves Mommy one night, but not yet.  Last night I asked him "who loves you" and he said Katie. 

       

Big boy sledding

Once the mountain roads were drivable, Anders got to go sledding at the Big Canoe golf course.  Earlier in the day, my Dad and Todd went on a drive and scouted out the best sledding area.  It offered both steep hills and a slow run -- Anders sledded down over and over!

Here he is nodding his head to say "yes" to going again...up they go!

and now BIG boy sledding pictures

Sledding...

 Proof that Anders was having fun & not just being dragged down the hill and forced to sled...

 Going down again...

 After 4-6 rides down the hill on the wooden sled that my Dad built, it fell apart.  The sled had been sitting in the attic for more than 25 years, and wasn't prepared for the serious hills of the day.  But it can be fixed for more sledding in the future.  But the sledding did not end -- Todd & I bought a sled at Target in November, just hoping we would have snow this winter!  In the moment, we thought we were a little crazy to do it and laughed a lot about it.  But we packed it for our trip & we already got our money's worth.  Here are Todd & Anders sledding down together...  

 Walking up the hill with Grammie & Papa...note that all of Bella's feet are mid-air (she loves the snow too)!

 It was such a fun afternoon!  So many of MY favorite childhood memories are of playing in the snow and sledding with my Dad, and I think that is why it was so special to see Todd sledding with Anders.  Definitely an afternoon I will always remember!

Santa Baby

Our little Santa baby delivering Christmas presents...

 "I'm not Santa, and I'm not wearing this hat anymore!"

Our White Christmas

We were SO excited to have a snowy, white Christmas!  It was both Todd and Anders' first white Christmas, and they both enjoyed playing in the snow and sledding...while I watched and took pictures.

Anders all bundled up and ready to go outside in the cold...

 Here is Anders being pulled around on a wooden sled that my dad made for my brother, Michael, in 1977.

 His face after sliding down the driveway...