Christmas at the Loerch's

Em's new princess kit from Auntie Bec and Uncle Chris

Proof that I was not behind the camera all day:)

Emma's new table that was put together by Papa and painted by Grandma Loerch!!!! It is so nice I don't want her to use it:)

Emma in her new dress-up shoes from us, and princess purse and accessories from Auntie Becca and Uncle Chris. Doesn't she look 5????

We spent the day after Christmas at my Mom's to celebrate with that side of the family. Emma has totally warmed up to Auntie Becca and Uncle Chris, which is so cute to see. They gave us a free night of baby-sitting w/ gift cards for dinner and a movie... Which I totally got teared up about!!!! I am not sure if they know what they have gotten themselves into:)

Emma laughing at a booger on Daddy's face:)

Engrossed in her new Dr. kit!

Love to all

!

Christmas Day

Papa, Nana, and Great Grandma Hinrichs were able to come and spend Christmas day with us (only Uncle Justin, Christine and Aunt Judy were unable to travel:(). Here is Emma enjoying her cinnamon rolls.

Emma got some finger paints from Papa and Nana and she dug right in!

Emma is in love with Tommy and often she is not quite so careful with him. however, we noticed here that she was playing with her new puzzle with Nana as Tommy sat calmly in her lap!

Christmas Morning at Home!!!!

Our first Christmas morning at home!! It was so special and exactly as we had always imagined it. Emma was kind enough to sleep in until 6am, and she and Elliott came down to see if Santa had eaten all of the Gingerbread men we left him, and sure enough he had!

Every two year old needs a drum set!!!! And no pants, holiday socks, and a back pack:)

Daddy's new helicopter from Emma.... They were BOTH very excited!

The snow was SO beautiful and made the day that much more perfect (except I felt so bad for those traveling to see their families!). So we went out and shoveled so that Great Grandma Hinrichs could get up the driveway Ok, and it was a perfect time for Emma to break in her new shovel!

We felt very blessed this holiday and so thankful for all of the health and love surrounding us from near and far...

Christmas Eve

Are they not two-peas-in-a-pod? I think this is one of my favorite pics ever...

My mom and Denny came over to help celbrate Christmas eve nad we had crab legs, which Emma loved!
Present for Mommy!!!!!

Pre-Holiday Fun!

Elliott and I went Christmas shopping yesterday afternoon while Emma took a nap at my Mom's. We had SO much fun! Elliott decided to get lights to surprise Em with, on the outside of the house. Every night when the two of us are coming home from work/Carol's she sees all the lights and says, "I don't have those on my house"!!!!
Turkey dinner at Grandma and Papa's

Daddy.... I mean, EMMA'S, pre-christmas gift!!!!!

Rrrrrroooaaar! Monster Hands!

Love to all....

First Big Snowfall!!!!

DETERMINATION.....
Although we froze our bums off - it was only 6 tonight - we had a perfect MN night! Yesterday we had a snow day.... Yippie! So I promised Em if she fell asleep good for her nap, then we would go out and play afterward. So we ALL bundled up and went out. She saw the kids across the street playing with their sleds, turned to us and said, "I want one of those.... a red one!" She is so clear on what she does and does not like:) So I ran in to Target on my way in to work and they had a red one! She had to "hold" it in her lap on the way home from Carol's and promptly got us all outside. The grown-ups lasted about 10 minutes, but it was one of those moments you wait for and when it happens it is so special...

What up, G?

Emma "cleaning" out her book shelf!

Helping Mommy make banana bread in her new mixer, from Daddy, for Christmas! This is really the first time she has stayed interested in what we were doing the whole time. Her attention span is improving so much, and it makes it even that much more fun to do things with her.

Love to all...

34!!!

It is true... I'm 34!!!!!! Finally feeling my age a bit:) Emma celebrated her Christmas with Grandma Patterson while we celebrated my birthday. Elliott was sweet enough to make us Farfalle (my favorite pasta dish from when we lived in SLC) and my mom made a peppermint chocolate ice cream cake!

Here are Em and daddy playing with her new legos. She loves to build things as high as possible (and so does Daddy!).
Of course I had to show Emma how to lick the frosting off the candles...

Emma and Grandma Loerch

Em and her new baby

Em and Grandma Patterson holding Emma's new Giant Tiger

Thanksgiving 2009

We hosted Thanksgiving for the first time this year - 11 people! We had so much fun cooking (and I had fun deciding what we would have and nesting for the holidays!), and it felt so good to have the house full of family. We were thankful everyone could come and celebrate with us... Here is Holly, my sister-in-law and her daughter Brooke (who Emma was obviously enamoured with!). She is such a sweet and calm baby!

Em, Brooke, and Daddy

Emma in one of her sweet non-man-handling moments with Brooke

Holly, Brooke and Cooper making themselves at home on the couch!

A Week in the Life of Emma...

Emma and Daddy playing after dinner last night... THEY had a funfilled day at the WATER PARK! Apparently it is the country's largest, right next to the Mall of America. This morning is the first she has slept past 5:30am, in a week! So we know she had fun yesterday. They left about 10:00 and didn't get home until almost 2pm (she was fast asleep in the truck!). I guess she was a bit scared at first, but once they went down the 10 STORY high slide, she wanted to go again and again - and of course Daddy had to carry her up all the way! They had fun in the wave pool and kiddie slides, and she even went down once all by herself.... Mommy will go along next time... Not really my thing but can't wait to see her face! Elliott said it was so fun to see a whole park full of parents so attentive and happy with their children!
Emma pretending to be a puppy - with a gigantic bone. I'm sure that isn't very good for her!

Yesterday Emma was putting lotion on my legs, and she couldn't get the top off... So off she goes to the drawer and takes out the can opener!!!!!

Best picture ever

Who's child is this????? Yes, it is ours???!!!!! Elliott caught this sweet picture of Emma while I was at rehearsal yesterday afternoon. They get to have daddy/daughter day every sunday for the next couple of months! So good for both of them not to have nagging mom around:)
Yesterday morning I heard "Cheese... Mommy, take my picture!" and she'd set all of her animals up together

Daddy wanted to get Em a trains set for Christmas, but we saw one and she went right over and took it off the tracks. That's when he decided maybe he'd need to wait a while for a "nice" set. So he came home saturday with this AWESOME plastic used one (I was so proud of him!!!!) that she ADORES it and it is OK if it eventually gets destroyed (she is the destructor of all things:))

Love to all...