We haven't seen our friends for a while, so we invited the Dreher's and Hall's to come visit on New Years Eve. Addison had fun playing with Alexis and Dean! We need to make more time for friends :) Both Alyse and Rachel were pregnant at the time and now they both have little ones..... I'm SO FAR BEHIND on posting! Almost half a year!
It's 80 degrees out today and this photo was of it snowing and Addison watching it - ha!
This year marked our 5th anniversary, these last 5 years have gone fast! We had a great NYE in our sweats with a toddler and champagne. Addison wanted to take our photo, she had so much fun. She would take one, look at it, then say "hmm, let's take one more". She's heard that a few times from me :) ha!
We were laughing so hard at her, but she did manage to get some good ones.
I'm glad it will be a while until she doesn't want to spend NYE with her parents :)
She wanted me to take her photo with her new train track. She was putting her rags under the track to make little hills.
So as always when ISU is in post-season play, Ryan and I debate long and hard if we should go. We had told ourselves that we shouldn't spend the money since we were going to Italy. Then we found out my siblings and my dad were going just because it was the Alamo Bowl. Well of course, I didn't want to miss out, so we decided I would go and Ryan would stay home. His family had Christmas over that weekend too. So we had committed that I was going with my family, THEN, I get an email from work asking me if I want to go. I was so excited. My position isn't even in the policy to get a chance to go! I couldn't say no. First, it was a free trip. Second, it was a great chance for me to see how my work runs the pep rallies and events outside the Alumni Center. Third, I was scared if I said no that they wouldn't ask again!
I apparently didn't take pictures of the pep rally, but my main job was setting up big Cy. I don't know the exact number, but he's about 20 feet tall. Then I handed out hundreds of beads. I'm amazed at how demanding and impatient people get over free beads! Ha!
Ryan found the Busch Light guy at the football game. We kept hearing he was in San Antonio and Ryan found him, without the rest of us. So he had to take a photo for proof.
Leaving the bar one night Landon wanted me to take his photo with the Busch Light Truck. It was a big deal that Cyclone Fans love their Busch Light and the past few years cities run out of beer for us. So Busch Light kept promising us that there would be enough. We were at a bar and they ran out, so Landon and Ryan tweeted at Busch Light and some Cyclone personalities and ten minutes later, the bar had Busch Light again. Ha!
I was working but I was able to get a little free time to spend with my family. This was about the only photo we got. My sisters and dad were there too :)
Addison stayed home with Grandma Rita for a few days, while Ryan's family stayed at our house. Addison then spent 1 day with them before we got home. Ryan and I got home later on Saturday and we had our Lents Christmas that night then everyone went home the next morning!
She asked Santa to leave her a cookie please, and he did!! Santa is the best :)
This was her big Santa gift. She had asked Santa for a new doll. She got the "baby alive" version of the Cabbage Patch Doll. The doll laughs, "eats", get's sick, falls asleep, etc. and her eyes are LCD screens so they move. Addison thought it was so funny and cute, she was obsessed.
And Santa didn't bring her the doll..... Makena did. Ha!!
Yup, it's April 7 today and I'm writing about Christmas :)
She got an advent tree from Christmas and loved playing with it. I loved my advent tree when I was little and I was so excited to get it out each year. I hope she's the same :) I love the picture above, in a time when she struggles to look at the camera smile, I love this Christmas morning photo! She had no idea what Christmas morning meant, but she was happy as a clam as always.
Her stocking and gifts from Santa. She may not have known what Christmas morning meant, but she was still up before 6am. Good thing was, she didn't know today was the day she could open gifts so waiting for Dad to wait up didn't matter. ha!
By the way, people kept asking us if she opened any gifts early. The only thing she opened early was an Iowa State necklace her and Ryan bought me for my birthday. Ryan and Addison wrapped the gift then went and Ryan got in the shower. He came out and she had unwrapped the box and opened it and took the necklace out - ha!
"Come on Mom, just let me open them!!" (she wouldn't have been so excited if she would have known it was clothes and necessary items, not toys)
She quickly lost interest in gifts and told me she had some cleaning to do. she got a bucket of water and went upstairs to clean. I hope this continues over the years - haha!!
Addison convinced Hugh and Tracey to go fishing too. Addison apparently lays claim to all the yellow fish and gets mad if anyone else catches them! Hugh and Conner love to go fishing (real fishing, not the game) so I guess when Addy gets older we will send her with them. And then she can go camping with Dave and Parker :)
Parker got Addison a Paw Patrol sleeping bag. She was pretending to sleep and Tracey was "waking" her up.
She's pretending to snore in this photo.
And probably the highlight of Addison's weekend was learning how to play leap frog. She loved it! Everyone having to say "ribbit" as they hopped over was probably a big part of why she loved it.
And it's not a weekend with Conner if we don't do the Juicy Wiggle :) ha!
We thought we got to church early on Christmas Eve, but apparently our definition is different than other people's. The main santuary was already full and we went to the lower level. Which actually was okay, it made our 3 trips to the restroom a little easier.
We may not have gotten the seats we wanted, but we DID get cookies :) The cookie table was busy, so I just grabbed 3 that I knew we would eat. Of course there was one that we all had our eye on.... guess who got that one. I know you are probably thinking Ryan, but nope, Addison got it. I think he really debated stealing it from her.... and if I wasn't there, he probably would have - ha! Just kidding (maybe). She was super excited for her cookie.
She was actually more excited for the candles. We did let her have her own candle (yes the church is still standing). In the 3 verses of Silent Night, she probably blew out and re-lit her candle 12-15 times. haha! And no Mom, we did not get wax on our coats. Growing up, my mom always got worked up about candles in church because when people blew them out, wax could get on your clothes or coat. haha!
We had a great afternoon/evening at home, just the 3 of us. I didn't do any cleaning, dishes, laundry, etc. We just hung out, played games, and then watched the cartoon Grinch. Then we got our cookies out of the freezer and made a plate for Santa. Addison was super excited.
Although while we were putting them out, we realized we didn't explain the process. She heard "cookies" and had a one track mind. I had gotten some cookies out of the freezer and went back to the garage and heard Ryan say "No No No!!!" and I ran back inside. Just in time for the lip to come out Addison to start crying. She picked up a cookie to eat it and Ryan freaked out - haha! In hindsight he realized it wasn't that big of a deal if she ate Santa's cookie, but in the moment he apparently thought it was a big deal. She was so confused and upset - what do you mean you put all these cookies in front of me and make me smile and I don't get to eat one?? Of course, I let her have one after that!
We thought she was so cute with her Merry Christmas and Ho Ho Ho :)
Then we left Santa a note that Addison dictated:
Of course I made her pose like she was writing - haha!
