Party Pics!!

Tomorrow is Hannah's 4th birthday! Still being the "novice" parent that I am, I was at a loss as what to do, so I decided on a "Chuck E. Cheese" party. Don't laugh! Actually, Hannah was so excited for her party that I knew I did the right thing. All but two of her classmates from preschool came to her party and it turned out to be a total blast.

I'm not good at the "mushy" stuff, so let me just say that Hannah is the most precious gift that God could have given us, and Steve & I feel blessed every day that Hannah is our daughter. She is an incredible little girl who brings so much joy to our family.

Our silly little girl ....

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 ....