Rub-Dub-Dub...

...Eva LOVES the tub. We took Eva swimming last Sunday which really sparked her interested in pools, tubs, and water in general. Every night this week, she has discovered some new activity to do in the tub: standing up, swimming, and laying on her back. She has such a great time in her bath that I couldn't help but snap a few pictures. The water is gone, but does she want to get out? No.

Eva discovered that her ears feel funny while laying on her back in the water.

Birthday Celebrations

I celebrated my 29th birthday today. My mom always said that she was grateful for our birthdays in January because it can be such a miserable month. This is holding true for us this year, with nasty weather and Les's flu, we needed a little fun. We got take-out from my favorite restaurant tonight followed by cupcakes. It was a quiet birthday, but I don't think I could have asked for a better day. Eva now knows the word "cheers" and loves to "cheers" with everything. Here we share one with our cupcakes.

Snow Day!

Eva tries to make a necklace with play dough!Due to snow, high speed winds, and temperatures of -30 below, all area schools closed early today. Tuesdays are my heaviest days with 4 1/2 hours of teaching. So I traded a busy work day for a fun afternoon with Eva.

Unfortunately I did make the commute before school was called. My drive home on the 4 lane was slick and somewhat slow going, but fine. The exit I take to Eva's sitters is an uphill incline. I failed to slow and hit black ice and went into a crazy slide. The terror I felt as the car approached a 45 foot drop off was undescribable. My car crossed the bank and, it looked like it was downhill from there when it came to an abrupt halt.

I jumped out of my car, terrified it was unstable and could still fall. Nicely put, I was acting like a crazy lady. A nice couple who was right behind me stopped and helped me get calmed down and back on the road. In hindsight, the whole event lasted no more than a few moments but it was a little too intense for my liking.

Strength

Eva had a check-up yesterday. The doctor was very pleased with the progress she is making and gave her a clean bill of health. She had to have two shots and some blood drawn. She was a little trooper although not without some squirming. All three nurses commented on how "strong" she is.

After sharing in Eva's struggles to stand and walk, I decided I wanted to challenge myself to do something difficult for me. So, I set a goal of running a road race this summer. I've been using some free time to lift and run in order to get ready. I think it's only fair that I push myself after pushing Eva so much. I'm also chairing a Lighten Up Iowa team at work and encouraging others to adopt a healthful lifestyle.

Cake and Ice Cream Party

Eva turned 18 months old yesterday. In honor of this special day, (and because we are always looking for some excitement besides snow, snow, and more snow) we had a little party for her. Spaghetti for supper and cake and ice cream for desert. She didn't eat much of her 1st birthday cake, so we thought we'd give it another go. "Spaghetti! My favorite!"
The "neighbors" even came over to help her celebrate.
Eva enjoyed decorating her cake. Most of the sprinkles ended up in her mouth, but she did manage to drop a few on the cake.
"It just doesn't get much better than this." A smile of contentment after enjoying her cake (and the seconds that she talked Dad into).

Portrait Session

We made a trip to Sears today to have Eva's 18 month portrait taken. Our framed pictures of her suddenly were looking very young, not at all like the little girl she is today. Here they are, for your viewing pleasure! Eva played shy when we first arrived. She wanted to give me hugs rather than cooperate with the photographer. This candid shot was taken very unexpectedly (I wasn't planning on being in the pictures.) However, it is actually one of my favorites.
Our big girl...growing up so fast!

And now, as I scroll through past posts, I notice how many times "the vest" has made an appearance. Apparently, I'm kind of partial to it. We're sure getting our bang out of that buck :)

Trip to Minnesota

Eva and I headed North last weekend Our first stop: the Barclay home for a Luther get-together. 7 college friends gathered together with a total of 7 children (and another 3 on the way) and 2 husbands. It was a great afternoon spent reconnecting after 6 years and meeting the next generation. Rowan, Eva, Greta, Logan, and Jonas take a seat on the couch while parents furiously snap photos of the brood.
A group shot of the mom's and kids.
And a shot of the ladies - formerly of 8th floor Dieseth (minus a few who couldn't make it). 6 years ago, quality time was spent during nights out with drinks. Now, it's spent during daytime playdates with toddlers and toys. How things change...

After this get together, we headed to Rochester for a visit with George and Judi Berg. We had a nice visit with them, although it was becoming pretty obvious that Eva was ready to return home. A dense fog made travel home slow, but we made it safe and sound.

Sights to See

Wisconsin hit near-record snowfall for the month of December with nearly 40 inches. We've been enjoying the beautiful views off the back of our house.
We made a trip to the Mississippi River Museum on New Year's Eve day. We spent lots of time at this tank, watching small fish, turtles, and a few ducks.

Eva and I watch the giant catfish swim in the largest tank. We also spent a lot of time looking at the museum's alligator. Eva liked to watch him. At one point, he made a swim directly at us. He gave Eva a fright as she turned and reached for Dad.

Iowa Christmas

We were very fortunate that the weather cooperated and we had an easy trip down to visit Les's family. Many gathered to celebrate Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa H's. Here Eva is pictured with her cousins: Katy, Andy, Emma, Adam, Ryan and Abby. (Not pictured: Baby Bailey... coming sometime early April.)
Grandma and Eva enjoyed some bonding time. Here they are - all smiles!
Emma, Eva and I ducked into a bedroom for a while. The girls had a great time crawling in and out of a tent and pack and play. There was lots of laughing and shrieking by the two.
Eva sports her new chicken pj's with Great-grandma Sheckler.
The following day we made a trip over to visit Grandma and Grandpa Marshall. Eva LOVED all of their dancing/musical Christmas decorations.

Christmas Eve Pics

Christmas Eve has always been my favorite time during the holiday season. Since I was a little girl, we got dressed up for church, ate a meal of homemade soup, and opened family gifts. This year, we were excited to carry on the tradition and host it at our house. All dressed up...

While Ryan, Jenny and I are a little calmer about the holidays then we were when we were kids, its wonderful to continue to share it with them. In this picture, Ryan and I are sporting some Christmas clothes and Jenny cuddles her Christmas cat.

Visit from Nate, Jenny and Peanut

We have had some special bonding time with Jenny, her boyfriend Nate, and cat Peanut. They spent Friday afternoon with Eva and I and were over visiting again today. Eva loves to bake cookies (and eat cookies!) Here she helps Jenny cut out gingerbread men.
Classic picture of an over-stimulated 17 month old (and a patient Jenny and Nate)
Eva smiles with her first Cabbage Patch doll, a special gift from Nate. Morgan Tiffany has brown hair and green eyes just like Eva. The doll brings back wonderful memories of my childhood. This one is new and improved with a pretty scent, eyelashes, and underwear. (That could come in handy when talk turns to potty training.)

Two New Nates!

Last night we celebrated the Holiday season with my mom's side of the family. In many ways, it was the same as other years: eats, drinks, laughs, and gift giving. This year, however, we welcomed two new Nate's: Jenny's boyfriend, Nate and baby Nate- 9 months. Les and Ryan prove to be handy with the camera's automatic timer
Natalie and Eva enjoy art activities. Natalie spent time coloring while Eva spent time pulling crayons out of the box and putting them back in.
Eva and Nate enjoy this child sized table that mysteriously appeared at Grandma and Grandpa's. It seems a little small for them...I wonder what this could be for?

Feeling "Goldilox-ish"

For Les and I, our 4 years in Arizona just "clicked." We found jobs we enjoyed, wonderful friends, and lots of recreational opportunities. We moved back to the midwest 2 1/2 years ago...already. It's taken some trial and error to get adjusted...but I think we finally got it right. We tried out a variety of jobs and living arrangements before settling into a lifestyle we enjoy.

This past weekend we moved into our new "home". (It was two years ago to the day that we were moving into our Verona home.) With Ryan's help we got moved, unpacked, and decorated for the holidays. It was a lot of work, but the payoff is fantastic on these cold, dark winter nights. We are looking forward to hosting my family in our home for Christmas.

And, on another note...Eva started walking on Friday, December 14! She is still a little unsteady but she will walk by herself from point A to point B. For us, that has been the highlight of the season!

Our cozy living room on a rare moment when it is not cluttered with toys
Our new kitchen...just waiting to host some parties

The Cat

Pepper is back living with us after a brief hiatus. Our landlord has a strong dislike for cats, so Pepper has been living with her aunt Jenny in Illinois. It's nice to have a pet in the house again, but conversations are quickly turning to getting another. She had two kitty friends on her floor with Jenny and is starving for attention. We're starting to talk about getting another little feline friend. She has spent hours sitting by windows the past week watching all of the snow. I haven't heard a count yet, but we have to be breaking records. It just keeps coming!
Pepper is very tolerant of Eva, who loves to chase her and "pet" her. We caught a rare moment of the two of them cuddling in the rocker.

Snowed In!

December has brought snowfall after snowfall to our home. We've managed to go sledding a couple of times, but most time is spent indoors. Here are some ways Eva has been entertaining herself: No Christmas tree yet...but she sure likes "Santa"
Wearing her new boots around is lots of fun.
Candy Land!
Eating Dad's french toast
Modeling Mom's clothes...almost a perfect fit

Eva Anecdotes

Here are some fun glimpses into Eva's development as a 16-month-old!

-Her PT is going great. She is making so much progress! She enjoys cruising around the furniture and we are working on strengthening abdominal muscles and reaching for things. This past Tuesday, she took four steps by herself! Dad got to witness this first milestone. She showed Grandpa this new trick today at church too.

-Eva loves animals...petting them, looking at pictures of them, and playing with them. She can sign the names of several and mimics the sounds of cows, horses, and chickens. Our cat Pepper is back living with us and Eva LOVES to chase her around the house.

-Her shoe fetish is starting young...she wears shoes at all times to support her ankles and thinks Mom should do the same. She will often come crawling across the house with my shoes in tow and insist that I put them on. She also likes to change her shoes often. I keep her extra pairs of shoes hidden...out of sight, out of mind. :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

First Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's New House

Wow! It's been nearly a month since my last entry. This could be due to the fact that our camera was smashed in the car trunk... We just got a new one for Christmas and are dueling over when we can start using it...

We had a nice, relaxing Thanksgiving vacation. We spent some great times with extended family and did some fun things of our own. Les enjoyed time tromping through the woods in search of deer. I did some hunting of my own for Christmas presents with my mom and Jenny.

We also got our first taste of winter and snow. We had fun pulling Eva through the snow and stealing up to Dubuque to see Santa and Christmas lights in Murphy Park. December is looking to be a busy month with Christmas parties and our upcoming move. We're hoping to be in our new house by mid-December. Then, things should finally calm down a bit, right?

Fall Fun!

October has brought a lot of excitement to our lives. Here are some highlights of the fall season: A visit to Vesperman Farms with Grandma and Grandpa H. Riding a hay wagon and picking out our pumpkins made this trip worth it.

We've spent lots of time with Uncle Ryan. He and Eva enjoy some time together in the masses of leaves in our front yard.

Tonight we hosted a "Pumpkin Carving Party" at our house. Grandpa Ron works carefully on his masterpiece of the year. Eva has her own fun with the seeds and gushy parts.
A sneak peek: here is our little chick!
The Hollingsworth pumpkins of 2007...a spider, a pirate, a happy baby, and Scooby-Doo.

Beth's Wedding!

Time for some back-blogging. We spent the weekend of October 19-21 in the Quad Cities for Beth's wedding. Everything was beautiful...the bride, the ceremony, the reception, the weather. It was a perfect weekend. Mr. and Mrs. Tony Runkle!!
Dad, Mom and Eva pose for a shot.