2 Year Reunion

As previously mentioned, February 25 was our 2 year family day. We were so happy to get to spend the weekend with 2 other families from our travel group. We have been getting together with the Lazars a couple of times a year since our time in China. This time we got to see the Mulligans too! How exciting!! We had not seen them since getting off of our flight in LA leaving China.
We spent the weekend in Nashville and the girls had such a great time. Each morning Maya would ask, "Where are my friends?" And any time throughout the day that we weren't together she wanted nothing but to play with her friends...and her flashlight.

We took advantage of the Managers reception each evening. Little girls enjoyed popcorn and Shirley Temples. Big girls and boys enjoyed something a little stronger! We all enjoyed the company and the music.

We spent the day on Saturday at the Monkeys Tree House. Super cool play place for the kiddos.



Maya and Ella playing some My Little Pony.


Maya, Ella and Molly playing dress-up. Thanks to Evan for being the quick change master behind the curtain. Maya didn't care much for any of the costumes but did wear the hat.



We had Chinese food for lunch...imagine that. And of course, the ladies working there were very interested in the 3 Chinese beauties at our table.


Cuties


Next was Brushfire Pottery. The girls picked out their pieces and painted away. They did a great job. We just got ours in the mail last week.


Concentrating hard on her cupcake.


Maya loved riding in the elevator.


Running the halls wondering where Molly was.


Laura with a lap full of sweetness!


We ordered pizza for dinner and just let the girls run wild. And did they ever! They played ring-around-the-rosie until they couldn't spin anymore.


Together again!




I love this pic! How cute are they?!!


There was a purple couch at our hotel. We had great plans to recreate the red couch pictures from the White Swan. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and we were kind of scurrying around trying to get out of town before a snow storm. Oh well, maybe next time!
We had such a great time! Although, we wish Paul could have been there...ha!

January 2009

January was a cold and snowy month. We spent most days just hanging out here. Some days because that's what we wanted to do and then other days because we didn't have any choice because of the snow. We missed 2 weeks of gymnastics. That's a true bummer. Most of the time if you ask Maya what she wants to do she'll say, "I wanna stay here." She is definitely a homebody.
We did venture out to our local groups Chinese New Year dinner. Our girly looked just like a princess.


Maya and Emma


All the kiddos that made it to the dinner. The weather made it difficult for many families to make it this year. We usually have twice as many kids.


Maya loves to make snow angles. We made them all the way across our yard.


Such a shame to be so sad...


We do a lot of painting around here these days. We paint pictures and our fingernails and toenails.


The tent will be up for days at a time and then I just can't stand it anymore and have to put it away for a few days. Maya asks about everyday that it's down to put it back up. She will play in it for hours. The static is out of control!


"You take a picture of me, Mommy and I take a picture of you!"


We did get to spend one morning with the cutest red headed boy I know, Carson!


Halloween created a monster out of Maya. A candy monster. Before trick or treat Maya never asked for candy. She would only eat those tiny M&Ms. And not very many of them. Well those are days of the past. Candy, candy, candy! She asks for it 10 times a day, at least! This is Maya's first candy necklace.


Ice cream is another favorite. But really now, who doesn't love ice cream?


Just because she's so darn cute..


It's been a while since I've taken a picture of one of Maya's drawings . This Tinkerbell dry erase board has been a favorite lately. "It's a clown!" Maya says as she circles and circles to make the nose. The last thing drawn on the picture. "Hey Mom, I make a clown!"

December

The last month of 2008 blew in and out just as every other month has. Time could not go faster...could it? Please...no!
We started most mornings the same as we always do except Maya started many of these December days with her reindeer antlers on. And as always, Fisher is never far.

We don't get much playing outside time these days. It isn't always too cold. But it's usually muddy and sloppy. We do take advantage of those few and far between days when we can get outside.

We made a new discovery this month. I've always wanted to try these baby bananas. Don't know why I waited so long. They are delicious. Maya loves them too and will eat 2-3 of them.

We baked cookies.

Then we were sick for weeks.
We did a family pic with the McFees while visiting for Christmas. Notice how Maya is a limp noodle. We were all surprised that Maya was still awake when the photographer was finished.

The grandkids.

Maya asked for a doll house for Christmas. And specifically "I want a Goodbee doll house, momma" is what she would say. Well Grandma and Grandpa came through with the doll house. She was (and still is) so excited! She walked around and around the box rubbing her hands on it saying, "It's just what I wanted! It's just what I wanted!" She only stopped playing to eat and go to the potty all day. And I mean, all day.

This is our Christmas angel! My favorite Christmas present again this year!!

Don't think that Fisher is not going to be right in the middle of Christmas morning.

Hey! How cute am I with my new markers all over my face?!!

We brought in the new year at Pawley's Island. It was a good time. Being on the edge of the earth is always good times for me.

All the girls.

I'll leave you with a few of this years Christmas pics.

Happy New Year!!

November

Mike said to me today, "You need to start taking more pictures". He's right. I've been seriously slacking on the picture taking lately.
We were busy in November with getting new hardwood floor upstairs and painting. We are still busy in December with it all. But it's so worth it. Our new floors are beautiful! And so is this gorgeous girly sitting so nicely on the new floor to show it off.


Maya has moved on from the cheese face for pictures to the sad face. Pretty sad, huh?


If there is something sitting around that is Maya size, you can bet she's gonna be in it.

Even if it's almost not Maya size. Little squirt...who fits in a stew pot?! (another good shot of my pretty new floor!)

We had a few warm days early in the month. Mike and Maya spent those warm evenings burning up what was left of our sparklers. Most nights Maya still asks to play with them.

I love surprise pictures that I find when I download pics from my memory card. Mike and Maya one of those warm days. Guess I was working. Wish I could get her to smile like that.

Another little treasure. Such a big girl!

"Look Momma! She has flowers in her hair!"

October

Well, October came and went and not much went on around here after our trip to the OBX except for raking leaves and Halloween. We have two big trees in our front yard that give us plenty of leaves to rake into big ol' piles for Maya to jump in and kick and slide into.

Our little skeleton posing by the mailbox flag.

We of course had to carve another pumpkin after we got home since we had to leave the witch pumpkin in NC. We decided to try the traditional carving route instead of the stencil. Maya thought it was pretty fun to dig the guts out of the pumpkin.

She also enjoyed drawing on one with a marker. I don't know why I gave her a dry-erase marker. It was much more of a mess than any other type of writing utensil would have been.

But she sure didn't care. She was just glad to be coloring on the pumpkin.

She wanted a happy pumpkin.

The temperature was in the 50s on trick or treat night. I was so happy that I had found this little Minnie Mouse costume. It was warm and fuzzy and it had a full hood. Maya would never tell me what she wanted to be for Halloween. She would only say what she didn't want to be. "I don't wanna be a ghost. I don't wanna be a witch. I don't wanna be..." I think Minnie Mouse was a fine choice.

Me and my Minnie.

Maya and her friend Ellie.

The popcorn ball was by far Maya's favorite treat.

We took some sparklers to the OBX and Maya has asked her Dad every night since we've been home to "play with sparklers, Dad!" Don't think for one minute that he's gonna tell her no.

Meet the newest member of our family. He was born the first week of November but I can't wait till the end of the month to post his sweet face. This is Maya's cousin, Carson. Oh! I could just pinch this tiny red headed man!! Welcome to our world precious boy!