Happy 1st Birthday!

Recently we had a birthday party for my niece who turned one. It was extra special because her birth family was there to celebrate with us.

Our niece with my sister Erica.

I'm not good at just picking out a few pictures, so here are a bunch of my favorites.

I thought it was extra-special that we could share this day with her birth family. They are such amazing wonderful people and I'm glad that she has so many people to love her!

Happy Birthday Mom!

Last Sunday we celebrated my Mom's birthday.

 (Getting some help opening her presents.)

 My little niece who is almost one has just learned to walk! This is her walking back and forth between her dad and Chris.
(I'm always a bit sad when babies learn to walk because then they don't want to be held anymore.) Now she's becoming a toddler!

It's hard to tell, but she was trying to stand on my leg (apparently that's more fun than standing on the floor!).

Quilts

Last spring I decided to make some quilts for my nephews that live in Florida. Well, I finally finished them and shipped them off for Christmas. So much work! But it was definitely worth it (I was tempted to keep them, but of course I didn't).

This one was ambitiously large (it's laid out on our queen-size bed and almost covers it). I loved the fabric.

Can you see the fun fish pattern that Chris helped me pick out? The colors were rather bright, so matching them made for a pretty bright quilt. But kids like bright colors, right?

Catch up

Obviously school started again and I pretty much stopped posting to our blog. Here are some fun things that happened last semester (and yes, my school year is officially half-way over!).

 Happy Birthday Christa!

 

Check out that adorable grin! Isn't our niece a cutie?

Happy Birthday Lauren!

Check out those tonsils! (And yes, she was a bit envious that her little sister gets to use "her" high chair, so she was trying it out again.)

My younger sister was in "The Scarlet Pimpernel" at the Hale Theater. We were able to go see her the same night as some of my sisters. She did an AWESOME job and we really enjoyed the show.

Happy Birthday Dad! (Yes, we had just a few birthdays!)

If you look closely, you'll notice that he's holding his grand-daughter, has the dog on his lap, and is blowing out his candle. Now that is multi-tasking! (Or surrounding himself with the ones he loves, it is his birthday after all!)

 My cousin and her husband recently adopted their second child and I was able to go be at the sealing.

Over Christmas break I caught up on my sanity and did a lot of baking (poor Chris, the kitchen was almost always a disaster, but he enjoyed my creations.) This was the cheesecake I made for Christmas. Yum.