Picks of the Week 11.30.12

Fantastic Christmas Music - Simple Mom
When Kid Meets Nativity - Sit a Spell (hilarious)
The Christmas Conundrum - Jen Hatmaker

Enjoy! With some soup or a warm drink!

Thanksgiving was very nice. My family and Jonathan's family got together to feast at my parents' house. And we enjoyed some down time just hanging around Eugene. Jonathan took some extra days off too. I even got a 2+ hour coffee date with a dear friend! It's amazing how one can keep a conversation going without a baby around, haha. We also got some projects done and had some fun. 

Notice the newest trend in smiling? 
And when it's not raining, we're swinging. This girl can't get enough. 

I can't believe football season is pretty much over. Just as Quinn is starting to outgrow her duck gear from Nana and Papa. It was so fun watching games with friends as the weather changed from warm to cold and the leaves started dropping. Now the house is starting to get festive. I pulled out the Christmas box yesterday...

P.S. I printed a couple of these free Christmas printables for some frames in our living room, go get some!

Wow! It's been a year since we moved! I can still remember packing up our one bedroom apartment with my newborn strapped to me in the Ergo. And my parents helping us drive the moving van all the way from Mountain View. And stopping every three hours to nurse my six week old baby in the car. And living out of a suitcase in my dear friend's guest room for a month. Oh, the stories Jonathan and I hold close to our heart from that wild season. I'm still not sure if we were crazy or adventurous. Good thing babies only need milk, diapers, and love.

Here's Quinn hanging out in a box while I packed. And she's in her hip dysplasia harness! That feels like a lifetime ago.

And here she is today playing in the surprise sunshine.

I hope we can always keep an adventurous spirit.

We've had a celebratory couple of weeks. We celebrated Jonathan's dad's birthday, a baby shower for some friends who are adopting a little boy from Ethiopia, a birthday party for our friends' son Cameron who turned one, and a birthday dinner for my grandpa. Plus some visitors and some shared meals. What a treat! Every photo of Quinn now is Max Cheeser Mode - closed eyes and cheesy huge grin. Unless she is balancing a spoon, that is.

Our house is becoming a little naptime Santa's workshop. I made a "quiet book" for Cameron, which was quite a fun project. I also gave our wreath a Winter makeover (the wreath is from the dollar store and so versatile), crocheted a hat for Quinn and made a flower to doll it up, added a ruffle made from an old black shirt to the neckline of a plain black tank top, and made a couple headbands out of old shirts for gifts. The sewing machine and I are getting a lot more comfortable with one another. 

 

My 13 month old loves books. She'll choose a book over any toy. She reads them out loud in Quinn language and enjoys flipping pages. She's got a new scrunched face smile.

She also just learned to drink from a cup by herself and say drink in sign language.

Halloween festivities were fun the past couple days. We made gingerbread apple upside down cake for Cake Club. We went to a pumpkin carving party on Sunday.

And Halloween night we went to a friend's party. Jonathan went dressed as the host and I impersonated the hostess. Quinn dressed as their imaginary future child ... it's a long story.