QOMonthly update

OK, so I am not the most dedicated blogger - life gets in the way! If only I didn't have to sleep . . .

Anyway, here's a quick update (as quick as a 2 month update can be).

First of all, Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. Preparing for it this year was even more fun! But, let's start with Thanksgiving . . .

First, we went to chose a new destination for our annual shopping trip in November. My mom, Annie, Eli, Eva and I went to visit Diane and Mason at their new house in Iowa, and then went shopping there for 2 days. As usual, the kids did pretty well in the car (there were a few tears, but hey, it was a cross-state drive). We got A LOT of shopping done, even with 3 babies (Mason was born in between Eva and Eli). Then, Eva and I came home for 3 days before heading back to Galesburg with John in tow to celebrate Thanksgiving. Eva discovered pumpkin bread - her new MORE FAVORITE food. It's too bad we don't have video of her shoving it into her mouth with both hands. So dainty! Thanksgiving was very fun with the whole family in Galesburg except the Welchs. Especially missed was Dylan's contribution to dinner!

The weekend after Thanksgiving, we went and picked out our tree (Annie wrote a lyrical post regarding that, so please see her blog to capture the spirit of the season we were all feeling!). Then, we shopped and shopped some more. John's daily question became "so, now you're done, right?" (Please note, the answer is always, "Not yet!") In the final 2 weeks before Christmas, the baking and wrapping began in earnest. First, we had Annie, Eli, and Pam over to our FABULOUS new kitchen for a cookie baking day. It was a Christmas miracle - a stove that baked cookies evenly and didn't require that you use a hot pad around the handle to avoid 3rd degree burns while opening the door. To paraphrase the famous Timothy Piper, it's a good thing I know how to sew, because we baked our butts off (but luckily, I could sew them back on). Ask Tim about that little gem, for sure! Then, we went to Grandma Margie's for baking day - see how cute the two littlest bakers looked in their aprons!

I wrapped presents at my new, perfect-for-everything, island. I LOVE it! I also utilized the island to cut, piece and sew 6 bags (I know, Maggie - yours is coming, I swear!) for a friend for Christmas gifts, and if only I had a sweatshop at my disposal I could make a little money off of them the rest of the year. Fortunately, I consider sewing therapeutic.

There were several trips to Galesburg to visit Grandma and Grandpa Piper, as we went to Michigan with my in-laws for the actual holiday. Eva is still a pretty good traveler. She sleeps almost anywhere and doesn't mind having a roommate or two (me and John). Luckily, no one in our family snores! Eva and I got invited to the Knox OB-GYN Christmas party, so Eva got a chance to sport her fancy Christmas wardrobe - she was very impressed by the two-story Christmas tree!

Christmas Eve we packed up the car with A LOT of presents and then headed to New Buffalo, MI to hang out with Grandma and Grandpa Meerdink and all of the Grissom clan. Eva must have been very good for her first year, because Santa brought her a lot of presents! We had a great time playing with the all of the kids (even outside in the snow!), and Eva got a kick out of Kate (who is 20 months old) - they are going to be quite the twosome in years to come. On the Saturday after Christmas we headed back to Galesburg (=driving from Michigan, across Indiana, across Illinois to get there). Eric, Tim, and Dylan all made time in busy work schedules to come back on Sunday so that we could all celebrate as one big, happy family! I must have been pretty good this year, too, because I had a mountain of presents to open. It was so fun to see Uncle Eric, Uncle Tim, Grandma and Grandpa help Eva open her presents (after she gets the first piece of paper, she's pretty much done). She did like all of her presents - and not just the boxes! Her favorite, though, was the Eve stuffed toy from Uncle Tim. She is still sleeping with it! Grandpa got a kick out of helping Eva navigate on two feet - she's not walking on her own yet, but she loves to trek around with a little help from her family. Grandma spent a lot of time cuddling and helping out with everything baby. It is always hard to leave Galesburg - even though it is only a 2 hour drive, it seems awfully far away. We did manage to squeeze in one of our "traditional" babies-on-Grandpa's-lap poses - this time in the gingerbread snowsuits Barb made for them.

If you ever wonder what picture Webster put next to CUTEST EVER in the dictionary, please see below:

Back at home for New Year's Eve, I went to work for a 3-night stretch. John and Eva hung out and did laundry. What a party, right? I did get to hang out with a lot of drunk people at the ER to really ring in 2009 in style. It has been pretty busy at work, even with the students on break. I am always thankful to come home to my sane, sober, and healthy family!

And, finally, Eva managed to figure out crawling (see video in next post). She still only has 3 teeth, she can still fit into size 9 month clothes, but now, she IS mobile! It is opening a new chapter in the adventures of Meerdink parenting. Tonight she became fascinated with the outlet that the TV is plugged into, and when redirected from that, she went for the open vent hole in the floor (better put that on your to-do list, Daddy!). Ahhh, yes, toddlerhood is just around the corner. Roz - please let me know when you have perfected the "Secret Formula to Keep Kids Young" (SFKKY for short). We need some!