We got our Christmas tree yesterday. It was crisp and sunny with snow on the ground at the farm we went to. All my Christmas tree memories involve rain and mud, so this was a treat. Quinn enjoyed tromping in the snow and especially loved spotting this famous family.

We bought this little nativity set and she has been all about Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus lately. They've come along on many outings and had many sleepovers.

We found a sweet little tree and headed home.

Quinn likes the lights, but I suspect that she thinks ornaments on the tree are just a fancy way to display new toys. Fortunately, she's very careful with them. Two of her favorites are Starbucks cups that she uses to play "coffee date" with Jonathan.

Well, that was a busy week! Jonathan's new job within the same company has required some earlier mornings, so the pace around our house has changed a bit. Plus, traveling for Thanksgiving, visiting friends, date night, and some other fun made for quite full days. I'll let the photos do the talking.

Helping daddy put up Christmas lights

Beginning our holiday travels (moments later, she pulled out the kazoo she secretly packed in her purse and played us some lovely music)

Thanksgiving Feast #1

Happy Birthday to Nana

Gingerbread treats after my midwife check-up. Baby brother is still doing great!

We are thankful for a healthy baby

BOY!

All family members have now been told. We are so excited to meet this little guy. Quinn talks about and to baby brother all the time. "Show you run fast, baby brother?" and off she races. "Like book, baby brother?" He's still giving me a pretty easy time and likes to practice his dance moves all day.

Lots to be grateful for, thanks be to God! Quinn says, "raindrops" right away every time.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I'm glad it's Friday! We had some busy weeks around here.

Jonathan was in NYC for a couple days for work last week so Quinn and I ate lots of brinner and macaroni and cheese. But we made sure to have lots of outings too. We were both glad to have Jonathan back though!

This week Jonathan's mom came for a visit, Quinn had her first dentist appointment, we had some crafting playdates, we played outside, and we had home group at our house. I also finished stamping fabric for the baby's curtains. I couldn't find anything just right so my pregnant brain decided to make my own fabric. Glad that's out of my system now, haha! And I've begun my secret Christmas elfing projects, so fun!

We're on track for a nice weekend ahead. Jonathan and I feel so blessed to be experiencing this season of life. So many joys.

I finished the quilt! Now I just need a bedskirt and some different sheets. The quilt is far from perfect, but was so fun to make. I followed a tutorial from a sweet gal we knew in college (check her out, tons of cute kids clothes). I used my favorite Amy Butler fabric that always makes me think of Quinn, a bunch of other fun prints in coordinating colors, and there are also some sentimental patches. The sentimental patches don't match terribly well, but I like that they tell a story. There is fabric from her nursing pillow cover (lots of hours spent with that beauty), her first birthday dress, her second birthday dress, and a patch from the baby sibling's fabric which is conveniently cropped out. We are telling my parents the gender in person this weekend. They are coming up to take us to Quinn's first hockey game, her idea by the way. The Canadian blood is strong. And we are telling a lot of Jonathan's family at Thanksgiving. 

We had a good week - date night swap, bible study, outings, a good prenatal check-up. Quinn is blessed with strong genes in the imagination department and they are really starting to show. She has been coming with us to my appointments and wants to reenact them over and over afterward. After the ultrasound, she started propping a book so it looked like a laptop to type on, laying a cloth napkin on top of me, and swiping a headlamp over my belly to "check the baby" as well as listen to my heartbeat with her ipod cord stethoscope and take my blood pressure with the head lamp band. Oh dear. She pretends the arms of her sunglasses are soap pumps and has us all "wash our hands" frequently. Every blanket in the house has turned into a "poody dress" to walk around in. We do laps all around the house pretending to go places. She pretends to crack grapes like an egg. Most entertaining lately has been when she makes me follow her around looking for a moose hiding in our house. She finds it every time, but I have yet to see it. I really really don't know how she came up with that one. And when we went to the pool today, I had her wear sandals. She told me, "Quinnie wears sandals, match Jesus." I guess it's true though.