A few pics from Christmas ....

Most of these pictures were taken Christmas Eve and Christmas day. I threw in a couple from Hannah's preschool show. She was singing the songs for two weeks and was so excited for the show--however, when she was on stage with all of the parents looking at her, she started crying! She looked terrified the whole time, but she made it through! What a trooper! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

Favorite Photo Friday

Here's Hannah with her new kitty (Cami). Cami joined the family yesterday and is quickly becoming "best buddies" with Hannah. :)

Okay, I'm not sure if I have any visitors anymore, but I thought I'd give a quick update (I think Nikki and Stef still stop by once in awhile!)

Here's a picture of my favorite girl and my favorite guy! This was taken on the Saturday after Thanksgiving when we went to the German Christmas market in downtown Chicago. It was lots of fun--and Steve and I enjoyed the hot spiced wine!





Here are a couple of pictures taken during "fall clean-up" day -- as you can see, Hannah is as cute as ever. :)

Oh, and one last picture. Steve had mentioned that he wanted to get me a special ring for our 10-year anniversary. Well, last weekend he took me out and bought me this!! The picture doesn't do it justice -- it is quite stunning! He's decided to torture me, though--he won't let me wear it until Christmas! (I guess the huge price tag qualifies this gift as a "combination" anniversary/Christmas present!)

Favorite Photo Friday

Hannah's first school picture!

Our Little Ballerina!

(Sorry about the flash)

A new post ... for an old friend!

I haven't had much time to post (or comment) lately, but I have been visiting my favorite sites--I can't go too long without seeing those adorable little faces out there in bloggerland!

Here are a few photos from last weekend. Steve's longtime friend, Tom, paid us a visit while he was in town. We hadn't seen Tom in years. And, better yet, we were able to visit with his 9-year-old daughter, Olivia. We had not seen Olivia since she was a newborn. And now, she is a beautiful (and very sweet) young girl!

I

Disney Photos!

We're finally home! Disney was fun--exhausting, but fun! Here is a link for a sampling of the photos we took ...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/15116057@N07/sets/72157602430909276/show/

We're off to Disney World!

See you when we get back ...

It's a rainy Monday ...

... and we're feeling a bit sleepy over here. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Happy 10th Anniversary!! (Wedding, not LID!!)

I've been so blessed to be married to my best friend for the past 10 years. I'm happier than I've ever been and I am so looking forward to the next 10 years ... and beyond! Steve, you're a wonderful husband and father, and I love you more than words can say ...

Is This Heaven??

No, it's Iowa, of course ... and a perfect place to spend a Saturday afternoon.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE!!

Here's Steve looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, pondering what it would be like to be 45 years old. Well, now he knows!!

LOVE YOU TONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Few More Photos From Our New Jersey Trip

Here's a picture of our first annual "foot puppet show"! Out of the blue, Hannah said "let's do foot puppets," so she started putting on a show, and then her cousin, Stephanie, and her Aunt Florence joined in! It was truly hilarious!!





Lounging with Aunt Lynn ....

Swimming with Stephanie ....

I grew up by the beach, so I know better than to order ice cream on a hot, windy day. My husband, on the other hand, thought it would be a good idea ...

Well, at least she got to eat some of it ....

First Day of Preschool!

Hannah is at preschool right now!! The "drop off" went much better than I had expected. I still can't believe it ...

I Will Never Forget ...

Saturday Afternoon Chores

Daddy has trained her well ....

Happy LID Anniversary!!

Second post today BUT this is really being posted by The Blog Fairy.

I, the Blog Fairy, have tweaked Tracy's blog in honor of surviving one full year waiting for Hannah's sister. As a fellow Sept '06 LIDer, I can totally relate to the ups and downs of the wait, the post-referral blues (glad for those who get their babies-bummed because I'm still waiting), trying with all your might not to dwell on the fact that you are paper-pregnant with no firm due date. All of this requires an occasional treat. For me it is making blogs for others. For some it may be shopping. For Tracy, it is getting her blog "tweaked" just for fun.

If you are interested in a new blog look or a new header, just contact me: blogfairytemplates@yahoo.com I'll see what I can do.

Hang in there Tracy!

Labor Day Weekend - A Few of My Favorite Pics

I haven't had much time to blog lately, but I wanted to post a few pictures from our trip to New Jersey to visit my family. (I took more than 100 pictures, but, don't worry, I won't bore you with all of them!!)

Swimming Lessons

Hannah started swimming lessons last week, and I finally remembered to bring my camera last night ...

Favorite Photo Friday

Our little "rock star"!

Hannah's First "Official" Haircut!

Three and "a half"

Three and 1/2 years old today ... and getting cuter by the minute! :)

Bedhead

I know that Hannah will forbid me to take these pictures when she gets older, so I have to take advantage of the opportunity now. I just love "crazy hair" pictures. If only she would let me put hair clips or bows in her hair! I've been waiting years to do that -- I never even considered the possibility that my "little girl" wouldn't cooperate!

Dragon Boat Races

We had a great time at the Dragon Boat races in Chicago's Chinatown ...