T'was The Night Before Christmas...

We had SUCH a great Christmas Eve and Christmas day!! Christmas Eve, we went to the annual party and the Paladino's followed by caroling! Mary seemed to enjoy that dispite the cold! (She loves singing!) Then we went to Midnight Mass where she behaved so well!! After Mass, we tried to get some good pictures of her in her pretty Christmas dress, and as usual, she was posing like a little model!!

Mary posing in Mommy's old rocking chair. She loves climbing up onto it- she thinks it makes her a big girl!

Mary making her funny face!

I LOVE this picture of her! She loves Mommy's old Christmas bear and she has the prettiest smile in the picture!!

While taking pictures, she started dancing to a music box- too cute!

Mary in her Christmas nighties...

Mommy reading "The Night Before Christmas" before Mary goes to bed!

Our Early Christmas

As most of you know, Mary is in Chattanooga right now spending a week with Grandaddy, Gran, and Aunt KK. Mommy's is (of course) missing her like crazy! But Mary is having fun and Gran and Grandaddy couldn't be happier right now! Because of this though, we celebrated our Christmas a little early, just so we wouldn't have to tote all her big presents back on the plan! Mary has decided that Christmas is her favorite, and she made this very evident by constantly letting out a random burst of laughter and non stop smiling! She loved opening up her presents- here are a few of her favorites!!

She LOVES her rocking horse!! She'll walk up to her horse and try to throw her leg over (She's still a little to short for it!) And then she'll pat its head! And she's so good about actually making it rock without Mommy helping!

She also got a stroller to push her baby dolls in. She's such a loving "mommy" to her baby dolls and kept letting them take turns! (She then tried to climb in it herself, it took her awhile to realize she's too big!)

We also bought her a Dora the Explorer tent. It's just a little pop up tent, but she LOVES hiding out in there! (She'll even let mommy and daddy in!) It's so cute, though, how she'll take all her toys in there and then start playing peek- a -boo with each one!

I gave her a sippy cup and then suddenly, she disappeared! I found her in her tent just drinking away! (On a quick note, we are officially off the bottle! Two weeks and no bottle!! Yay Mary!!)

Getting into the Christmas Spirit!

As we were getting our Christmas decorations out, Mary came across our dancing snowman and penguins. She figured out how to push the button to make them sing and then she would dance along with them!! She was doing it so well for awhile and then, of course, as I get the camera out, she was more hesitate...I still think it's cute though!!!

The Military Ball

This past weekend we went to Sunriver, Oregon to go to the Annual Training Conference and Banquet. We had such a nice time despite the snow and cold (at one point it was 9 degrees...) Our condo had a hot tub outside, which two other army wives and I enjoyed. Mary, as usual, LOVED playing in the snow! And Richard and I got to go out while a babysitter watching Mary! It was such a nice weekend!!


Mary getting ready to go to the babysitters...

Richard and I after the ball.

Richard "showing off" his Recruiter's ring. It's an award that goes out to recruiters with good conduct and a certain amount of recruits, and Richard got his! (He actually won it last year, but didn't recieve it until this year)

Our condo covered in snow as we were leaving...

Mary playing in the snow right before we left

WE FOUND OUT WHERE WE'RE GOING!!!

So, after much anticipation...we found out today where Richard is getting stationed. (Drum roll please!) FORT BENNING, GEORGIA!! Our report date is set for sometime in August (as of right now...) We are so excited!!

SNOW!

It snowed at our house!! It just started snowing out of nowhere and within an hour was about an inch and a half. The next morning (today...) we took Mary outside to play in it!! She's our little snow bunny....





I know this picture is random...but my roses are blooming and it just looked so pretty against the snow!


Daddy stopped by and played in the snow with Mary!!

A soldier and his daughter leaving footprints in the snow....

Hurricane Ridge

Daddy, Mommy, Mary, and Uncle Allen took Great- Grandma Penny up to Hurricane Ridge to sight see. We got to the top and what do you know? IT WAS COVERED IN SNOW! (Typical of the mountains in Washington...) Mary LOVED walking around in the snow! We then toured the museum and Mary just kept walking around looking at all the pictures! She had everyone laughing at her because she would make the cutest sounds at each display!

Mary walking around in the snow for the first time! (Of course Bunny came too!)

All ready to walk around the museum!

Enjoying the veiw out the window!

Mary enjoying the displays with Daddy

"Hurry up, Mom...I want to explore!"

The veiw from the window!