Saturday, December 31, 2011

2011 in summary

phew, what a year it has been.  2011 brought many additions to our life, the most amazing and significant being our Maeve last January.  Here she is tonight, celebrating NYE2011.  Last year at this time, I was very pregnant and ready for her to arrive.  What a difference a year makes!


Other significant events include John passing his PE exam and NABCEP PV certifications.  The PE exam in particular was an amazing accomplishment - so proud of him!  We added several properties to our rental business and John added a bobcat and large excavator to his collection of toys (oops, I mean equipment).   Our nephew Martin joined the family in April and we remember Wilson. 

Looking forward to all that 2012 has to offer!  Can't wait to see what this next year brings.....  

Friday, December 30, 2011

now to plan a first birthday party









we had a houseguest last night!

Lizzie had her first sleep over at our house last night.  Such fun!  When we were snuggling in bed, reading books, she looked at me and said 'I think I will sleep here!'.  I fully expected to be driving her home at bed time or in the night, but truthfully, I think she wanted to be here for breakfast quite badly.  We had a great time together and look forward to doing this for years to come.

our christmas photo 2011

This years holiday photo

11 months!

Maeve was 11 months on December 17th.  These days it is harder and harder to get her to sit with Grif for a photo.  For one, Grif really doesn't want to be there.  Grifs typical reaction to Maeve being in his space is to get up and leave. Lately she has been following him around the house, a favorite pass time is to chase him around the island.  So, Grif has been asking to spend more time in the basement where he can get a little peace and quiet. 


At 11 months, Maeve has 6 teeth. She is sleeping better, usually up once a night.  She is eating
better and more all the time.  She signs for milk, more, drink, light, book....  My mother says that my Grammy Dickens would say 'no moss grows on her'.  Maeve does not stop, she loves to climb on anything.  If I am doing dishes, she climbs in.  She systematically destroys any sense of order we have in our house in about 5 seconds.  She takes the pantry apart one potato at a time.  Maeve LOVES the beamers at the farm  - grampy carries her around so she can touch them all.  She can moo like a cow, and ba-ba like a sheep.  She loves her kitty kitty and her dolls.  I love her.

dickens party

The dickens side of our family gathers each year for food and a yankee swap.  This year we had hors devours and my uncle Tom made my grandfathers southern comfort punch.


The girls, Maeve, Lizzie & Maddie

Michael
 Maddies pretty hair tie

Uncle Chris & Aunt Laurie

Maeve shows Grampy where his nose is (she can also show him where his ear is, in case he needs to know)

christmas up north

Santa comes a day late because John's family is so far north:)  The Rush family had a great boxing day gathering.  Here is Maeve in her party dress.  She loves these red shoes but this is her first foray in hard soles, so though she loves the look of them, I would say she is less than sure about walking in them.  She lifts her legs up high as though something is stuck to her feet.  Very cute.  She wore them long enough for me to get a photo at least.


Veronica and Allison cooking brunch
 Rose and Char cooking brunch too.  We always have more then enough food.  This year we had quiche, ham, french toast with homemade bread, donuts, egg burritos, baked beans, cinnamon rolls and more.

Maeve and Uncle buster playing

Uncle Mike helps Maeve unpack her stocking
 Grammy R and Maeve, she loves Grammys necklace!

John sporting a reflective hat (was sent along in a package as an unexpected bonus from the shipper/seller - but proved quite funny:)).

It was a cold day but we bundled Maeve up and uncle buster took her for a quick spin in her new snow sled.  She loved it!  Will be fun to take her out again when we have more snow.

christmas day

I did not keep my camera as handy on christmas day as I would have like (in retrospect)but we had a great day and I enjoyed watching everything away from the lens. 

The snowman at the farm on christmas morning...

Santa leaves presents on the roof.  This tradition came from my grammy and grampy dickens who used to tell us that santa dropped presents on the roof via a helicopter.  It left quite an impression on us as kids.


Lizzie spots the presents

Ryan gets them down

Martin snuggles with Dan

Martin and John

The only photo I took of christmas morning at our house, caught it just after santa came.  Maeve got books and toys.  An outfit from Mom & a race car toy from Dad.  Santa brought John is PE and NACEP certs professionally framed and santa brought me new boots and garnet earrings and necklace (Maeves birthstone).

The things that stand out for me this christmas include; getting thrown up on christmas day (thanks Maeve:)); John having truck and car troubles on christmas eve (hauling the excavator home with the dump truck from Belfast, some hoses froze and he lost his brakes.  Dan and Dad went to his rescue and he got home with out incident) and then again on christmas day (dead battery in the van); Maeve liking opening presents more than I expected (Nana Judy bought her a doll which she was BEYOND excited about); and my folks totally surprising us by getting us IPAD2s!!! Mom has had one for work and saw how much we all, including the kids, really enjoyed using it.  It was a complete surprise that was given out after all the presents were opened - we opened a clue, written as a diddy, that lead to where they were hidden.  A wonderful christmas day, all around.  lucky & happy. 

Oh, one last memory - cinnamon rolls!  I made a double batch that did not rise, so christmas eve day put together another batch which did take.  Lizzie and Emily helped put them together.  John and Ryan were particularly helpful in the eating cinnamon roll department.  Also made cakeballs for Mike on christmas day - per his special request.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

christmas eve

Grif is SO happy to see Dan.  Love the beamers in the background

Tree at the farm, filled with moms bird ornaments and other things.

John and Maeve talking something over.

Maeve in her party dress. 

Emily opens her made gift from me, mom also got a birdie sling bag. 

Daddy's girl
 Mom & Dad
 Emily
 Dan
 Maeve is a big fan of climbing on things and presents are no exception.
 Lizzie loving the train her father made her.

Martin trying to get to those presents.

Maeve loving christmas!
 Martin loving christmas!
 Maeve and Martin got their stockings christmas eve, added to the pile of them here that I have knit over the years.

Lizzie trying on the socks grammy made her

This years made gifts included sweaters for lizzie and martin, socks for dad and John, modified baby food jars for seed storing for Ryan, a bag for em and mom, and throw pillows for Dan.  John gave out very popular coupons for oil changes and trips to the ice cream shop for the kids.  We also received some lovely handmade gifts which included our annual calendar from dan, a coat rack from dad, mom finished a quilt for me by making and sewing on the binding, coffee and jam from emily, wooden cooking utensils from Ryan, lizzie painted a rock for us, Ryan made Maeve a beautiful stool with her initials on it and emily gave her a jewelry box filled with my old costume jewelry - such fabulous gifts!!!!

an addition to our tree

Maeve first christmas ornament.  Sweetness.


Thursday, December 22, 2011

A new house in Belfast

Here is an in-progress shot of a house we are working on in Belfast.  Though it may not look like much here, it is on track to be one of the nicest homes Evolo has ever built. 





Holiday Preparation

A peak at some of the holiday touches around our home this year. 

,

This pitcher was a wedding gift from my Aunt Laurie, the silver pine cones were ornaments I bought for decorating at our wedding (but never used) and the drift wood was a find during our fall vacation on the ocean in Northport this year.


The tree is up! (better late than never!).  I kept it very simple this year, lights, white bows and silver ornaments.  Nellie's dog collar is at the top and our little 'pickle' ornament is tucked in there too.  We got the pickle ornament last year in anticipation having Maeve, who we called 'Pickle' in-utero. 


Amaryllis in full bloom,  I staggered the potting this year so I have another one that will bloom just in time for christmas.

Last year I tied ribbons on the chandelier, this year I hung a wreath under it and hung ornaments from that....

Oh and there are gifts too....  Here Maeve is checking out a recently wrapped gift.  So far she has been relatively uninterested in the tree and presents (at least at our house).