Happy First Birthday Hannah!

Hannah celebrated her birthday in Bend last weekend with her cousins, aunts, uncles, Nana and Boppa. She seems to have really "grown up" in the last few weeks. She has been practicing her walking and now surprises us daily by walking into a room to find us or heading down the hallway after Clara with her hands held up high in the air for balance. Clara likes to hold her hand while she walks, which usually lasts a few steps before they both fall down! Hannah's vocabulary is expanding weekly and some of her favorite words are "go", "up", "more", "all done", "abba" (for her pacifier, or any pacifier she sees in the house), "cup", "wawa", "ow"(usually said after bonking her head on something for attention), "whoa" (when she almost falls over), and of course "mama, dada, and Clara". She likes to call for "mama" when she wakes up in the morning, and if I don't respond quickly enough, she then starts calling for "dada" who jumps to rescue her from the crib! The poor little thing came down with the flu yesterday, so the pictures are from her party last weekend, and I think we will wait until tomorrow to celebrate her first year with her Elmo cake. Hopefully we will get some good pictures of our 1-year-old with cake all over her face when she can enjoy food again!

Thankful for Cousins!

We traveled to Bend for Thanksgiving, and the five cousins (all girls!) had a great time jumping in the "bouncy house", playing with dolls, making gingerbread houses, and baking with Nana.

Clara's cousin Chloe is just 5 weeks younger, and they were two peas in a pod running around together. If one needed to go to the bathroom, off they both would run, taking turns on the Dora potty! The two of them went shopping with Nana, Aunt Julie, and me one afternoon, and I got to experience what it would be like with twins.....they move so fast, and always in opposite directions! Here is a picture of the girls in their new clothes.

Joe is ready to start the Christmas cheer as soon as the last bite of turkey has been eaten. He made sure the girls got their requests to Santa early this year. We were able to visit the same one who held Hannah last year when she was just 3 weeks old! Clara cried last year and Joe had to hold her next to Santa, but this year she climbed right up and had a long conversation with him. She gets so excited for anything that has to do with Christmas.....she is her daddy's girl!

Ships and Trampolines

Clara has such an imagination, and Hannah is always willing to play along with the games that Clara comes up with (although she doesn't always play the "right way" according to Clara!). I brought out the suitcases to start packing for Thanksgiving in Bend, and they quickly became boat, or "ships" as Clara later renamed them. You can see in the first picture that Hannah is finally smiling for the camera!! Clara smiled in the second picture, but only for the promise of chocolate chips!

My pile of leaves was soon a trampoline for Clara to jump "way, way up to the high sky". She was "Shackelford" (for those of you who don't watch Clifford's Really Big Movie weekly, he is the dog in the circus who flies through the sky) and Hannah was content to swing away and watch, calling out "go, go" any time the swing stopped.

Jump!

The girls got to play at Pump It Up last weekend for their friends Carson and Elliette's birthday party. Clara was in constant motion running between the slides and bouncy houses. I couldn't keep up! She loved the huge slides and made it through the obstacle course by herself for the first time. Hannah tried to keep up, and just loved to climb and bounce. That little one has no fear! She is definitely not content to just watch the big kids play anymore!

Clara and her good friend Grace rehydrating after their workout....Say Cheese....

Wheeee!

A rare pause for some rest...

Play Time!

It's been so fun to watch the girls really start playing together. They can make each other laugh......and they can make each other cry......usually both within the same activity! Clara loves to teach Hannah how to do things, and delights when her little sister learns something new. She tells us, "She'll figure it out. She's growing up big like me!" Hannah has started taking her first steps, so she'll be keeping up with Clara in no time! Here are a few pictures of the ups and downs of play time.......

Fall Fun!

We spent the afternoon at the pumpkin patch! The girls loved looking at the goats and ducks that live there, and were able to reach their little arms through the fence to pet a few. Clara was very helpful when it came time to pick out the pumpkins and rode with the pumpkins in the wheelbarrow the rest of the time. She chose a big "mommy" pumpkin and a smaller "baby" pumpkin. I'm pretty sure she will keep the big pumpkin for herself and give Hannah the small one. I guess that just goes with being the little sister!

Clara decided that clothes were not necessary for pumpkin carving with Uncle Tommy and Aunt Bobbie!