Dah Damnit

I have a cute Olivia story for the day-seems like she's always coming up with something new, but this one takes the cake. This morning I was changing her, and she had a pop-tart in her hand and dropped it and it fell into some crumbs. In all seriousness, she says "dah damnit". I of course chuckled a little and asked her "what did you say?" and she responds "I ted, dah damnit." In the most serious voice that I could get at the time-I replied that we don't say those words....and then I had to tell Pat the same thing ;)

Happy New Year!!

Hope everyone had a wonderful 2010 & will have an even better 2011! We are here in New Ulm, but supposed to be in IA celebrating the New Year & Christmas at Pat's families. Between the freezing rain, sleet, snow, we weren't able to make it today. I had to work until 5:30 and just didn't want to travel at night with the weather, but crossing our fingers to be able to get out first thing in the morning.

Merry Christmas!!

I'm so late with getting these pictures posted. Time just gets away from me. We spent Christmas in Sioux Falls with my family and had a great weekend. Olivia is really growing up, and was fun to see her with all the excitement and spirit of the holiday with the family. She was such a good kid this year that Santa, along with Grandma and Grandpa, really spoiled her. Among her top favorites are her Kai Lan coloring book, pink computer, baby, play do, and zhu zhu pets.

Christmas Eve with Grandma and Grandpa after church.

Santa visited Olivia at Uncle Justin's house Christmas morning! Here she is opening up her new baby doll she's been asking for.

Olivia and her new Dora microphone. If you see in the background-her new baby came with a potty chair. I think Santa was hoping she would have some interest in using the potty chair herself. But-it might as well have stayed in the box b/c it's not working.

It's always a battle to get these 6 for a nice picture.

Uncle Heath buried with kids.

Grandma and Grandpa with another attempt with all the kids...

Olivia sporting her fun new leopard pj's from G & G

Out of everything Olivia was spoiled with, she had the most fun playing with this string.

Olivia's visit to Santa Claus

Santa Claus has made a couple stops to my work in the last couple weeks. I would have bet the farm that Olivia would have bawled and ran the other way (that's about how it went last year) but she absolutely LOVED him! We've been prepping her for him and telling her what a nice man he is, and that she will get to sit on his lap and tell him what she wants for Christmas. When I picked her up from daycare to go see him, I asked her what she was going to ask for, and her answer was "drums"...Drums?? What happened to dolls? Maybe it's inherited. I played the drums all through school but that was only because I couldn't hold my breath long enough to play any other instrument. But anyway, once we got there, she walked right up to him and sat on his lap and just had a great time. It was priceless. She had thankfully forgotten about the drums and asked for a doll. Makes me happy. After awhile, I was over talking with some co-workers and happened to look over to Olivia and Santa and Olivia was sitting on the ledge and they were having a conversation about Coco (our dog). It was the cutest thing. Santa is going to be back Saturday, so we may have to go for another visit when I have my camera along (the pics are courtesy of NU Telecom).

Snow Bums

We've been snowed in pretty much since Friday night with our blizzard. We didn't get quite as much as the cities, but probably about 10 inches. Molly and the boys were supposed to come visit for the weekend, but stayed put because of the weather. So what you see below is what we did. We would have loved to have taken Olivia sledding as long as we had the abundance of snow, but the temperatures were just too cold to have her out. So it was definitely a weekend of movies, scrapbooking, football, and snuggling.

Pat's in the way back starting to snowblow. He went to let the dogs out the back door and realized we were drifted/shut in. So, he got a headstart last night getting us dug out.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope everyone had a great weekend. We were especially thankful this year to be able to spend some time with both sides of the family. Thursday we went to Algona to spend Thanksgiving Day with Pat's family. Along with his parents, we spent it with the Chad Froehlich's, McNeese's, and the Redings. Olivia of course just loved playing with her cousins. Chloe taught her a few new dance moves (see pictures below)-it was quite the thing to see! We drove home Thursday night b/c I had to work all day Friday. When I got off work at 5:30, we headed out for the 6 hour drive to Gettysburg. We pulled in just after midnight, and much to our surprise everyone (minus Dan & Ryan were waiting up for us). Olivia did her usual 25 minute nap the whole trip-but was a pretty good traveler considering the distance/time. On Saturday the guys all went hunting-some pheasant, some deer. Saturday night we went to church and then out to eat to celebrate my parent's 40th Wedding Anniversary (which is Dec 4th). Congratulations to them on such a wonderful milestone. Sunday we had our Thanksgiving meal-it was great to have my family all together. Thanks to everyone for a nice Thanksgiving-we truly are thankful for all our family and being so close to share the Holidays with them.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Grandma and Grandpa with all the grandkids

Olivia sledding at G & G Driscoll's. She loves being outside as much in the winter as she does in the summer.

Olivia, Bella, and Anna playing in the snow

Chloe teaching Olivia the sprinkler-O had gotten the so adorable outfit from the McNeese's-Thanks Again :)

More of the sprinkler :)

And of course....the worm

This and that of the week.

I don't have too many photos lately, but should be writing about everything Olivia is up to. She is busy as ever, and talks non-stop. Whether it be repeating everything she hears, asking "what's this" or "why?" to everything, or tattling on her dolls, she is ALWAYS talking! It is just amazing the stuff she comes up with and learns and I hope to remember these moments forever. Here are some favorites for the week:
-Pat brings his backpack to work everyday and whenever she asks him where he's going and why-she responds, "To make the money?" So, the other day, Olivia put on her little back pack and went to the back door as if to leave. I asked her where she was going and she said "I'm going to da office. To make da money."
-She's also gotten a pen out and started drawing and told Pat that she was doing her homework.
-Olivia loves Sesame Street, and has fun mimicking The Count. The other morning I heard her in her crib talking to her dolls, saying "1 Ha Ha Ha, 2 Ha Ha Ha" and then she went on to say her dinner prayers to the dolls. "In the name of the fader, and da son, and da howy spirdit, amen"
I don't go a moment without smiling when I think of Olivia. She is such an amazing little girl and we are having so much fun in these learning stages and look forward to everyday as I ask myself "What will she think of and/or say next"

Olivia trying to put my hair in a pony.
We got an American Girl doll catalogue in the mail the other day. Olivia loves looking at it-I'm so glad she is too young to understand the importance of having her very own!

Olivia and I watching Jib Jab videos on the computer yesterday-we put our faces into quite a few different Christmas ones and watched them over, and over, and over. And then woke up today, and did the same thing.