Are Those Cookies Done YET?!?!

And for the Niehomes who might be curious, yes, those are sour cream cookies that Luke is dying to get his paws on.

In the midst of all of our preparations,

Luke got to go sledding for the first time. He just giggled watching Mommy and Daddy trying to run in the snow and pull him.

Luke has also found the most wonderful independence...he has learned to steer! Rather than walking his lawnmower into the wall and whining until you helped turn it around for him, he now can go all over with it. Round and round the kitchen, back and forth from the office. And, what a wonderful little break it's been for Mommy.

Eleven Months Old!

Unfortunately, I'm not sure exactly how much he weighs...somewhere between 21-22 pounds. We are so close to walking, but just needing a bit of confidence to let go. We don't get many discernable noises yet, but a whole lot of gurgling and ahhhing. In fact, when Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he replied, "Ahhhhh." It clearly means something to him, but he hasn't been too concerned with making sure we understand it yet.

Our First Visit with Santa

Luke was a trooper! Not one little tear or even a while! He sort of was just wondering what on earth was going on. But, we managed to get just a little smile out of him for a quick pic!

Not Rain, Nor Snow, Not Even a Toddler...

Can keep us cats away from our treats! Obviously, Luke wants in on the action, too, or at least he was taken advantage of an opportunity to finally get his hands on the furry creatures that elude him.

Bye, Bye Grass!

Well, I figure we probably won't see our grass again until April or May. It's been snowing just about every other day here. We asked for snow and boy did we get it! Apparently, this is a triffle unusual for here this early. Usually, it's January before you start seeing temperatures in the single digits and one Alberta clipper after another. We totally missed the boat on getting our Christmas decorations outside. Next year, we will do it at Thanksgiving, like all the other smart people, so that when it starts snowing the Monday after Thanksgiving, we'll be all set. Mike has officially christened the snowblower and Luke and I pretty much spent the week inside nursing our colds. I'm already looking forward to spring and the end of cold and flu season. Ah, the joys of being a parent, right?

Pics from Thanksgiving

Welcome, December!

So, I'm wondering whether we'll see the grass again until spring? We've had our first snowfall, with two more chances for snow in the next 5 days. And, after 3.5 hours total, Mike got his mom to the airport yesterday morning and then made it to work. But, Luke and got all decked out and headed outside to experience the wet stuff firsthand.

The Answer We've All Been Looking For

Mommy! Mommy!! I've been looking at the numbers on this whole economic crisis thingy, and I know what the answer is!!

...More toys for me!