Family Time

Photo: Gayle

We headed down to California for the holidays on December 17. Amari came over the next day, and he and Mary had fun playing together.

Photo: Gayle

 

Mary also had fun helping Grandpa make dinner.

On Thursday, Joshua and I left Mary with the grandparents and went on a lunch date. It was lovely.

 That evening Mary helped make the traditional Kerr family shortbread cookies.

Friday morning, Dave and Uncle Jimmy took the grandkids to the trampoline park. Mary was a little hesitant at first, but was soon exploring everything.

 These foam blocks were huge and it was difficult for her to move around in them, but she seemed to like the challenge because she kept going back.

The stairs were also a big hit.

After a nap and lunch, Gayle, Mary, and I took a walk by the river at a park in Ripon. It was a beautiful day and lovely to be outside.

Later that afternoon, Solace and Mary helped Grandma paint the window with a festive winter scene. We finished the day off with dinner together with the Kerr-Owens.

Tree Decorating

Mary loved helping put ornaments on the tree.

O Christmas Tree

Friday after Thanksgiving we got our Christmas tree. Mary and I enjoyed smelling and touching the trees, but it was quite cold so we were glad we found a good one quickly.

Mary was excited about the pretty tree with lights and a star.

Thanksgiving

We enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving at home this year. We agreed to not do any work and just enjoy the day, and it was lovely. 

Mary wore her festive attire. There's a turkey above one of the pockets, but it's hard to see in the picture.

We all enjoyed dessert and the long-awaited first cup of Tea of Good Tidings. Mary just got to smell the tea, but she loves smelling tea and coffee so she was happy.

A Day in the Life

Mary learned how to open the cabinet with the sheet pans and cutting boards.

Eighteen Months

Mary turned eighteen months last Sunday. It is a joy and delight to watch her continue to change and grow.

Mary loves sorting, stacking, and nesting all kinds of things. She has a set of cups that nest inside one another and also stack on top of one another, and they are one of her favorite toys.

She loves being involved around the house whether it’s helping Daddy take off and put away his shoes or making tea. She recently started telling Daddy when it’s time to eat.  

She continues to love books and reading, particularly things with lots of pages.

Mary loves singing, dancing, and listening to music. We got a song book from her Music Together class, and she often pulls it out and asks us to sing the songs on the different pages.

She’s a good eater and likes a variety of foods and playing with a variety of foods. Her appetite often impresses us for someone so small.

Mary knows a number of body parts and likes pointing them out.  

She has four words – mama, dada, (ba)nana, and amen – but also signs eat/food, drink, more, up, sleep, and milk; waves hello and goodbye; and hums all done or all gone. She also likes to moo like a cow and roar like a tiger.  

Happy year and a half to our sweet, fun little girl.

The Grandparents Visit

Dave and Gayle came up to visit over Veterans Day weekend. We enjoyed good times together around the house and adventures out and about around Eugene. On Friday, that included meeting Joshua for lunch between classes and stopping by the farm stand for some fresh produce. Mary got to get a baby pumpkin.

Photo: Gayle

After lunch on Saturday, we all spent a couple of hours working in the yard together. It was a beautiful day and great to be outside. Mary loved playing in the leaves and exploring the backyard.

Photo: Gayle

We got a ton of stuff done with all of us working together and the yards look so much better. It was satisfying.

Grandma brought some fall decorations that she and Mary had fun playing with and sorting.

There were also a few other projects around the house, all of which were quite fascinating to Mary.

It's always lovely to see Dave and Gayle, but things have been busy and crazy for us this fall, so it was an especially welcomed visit and chance to relax a little.