Home for the Holidays...

The season kicked off with the Winter Solstice, gingerbread cookies and our first real snowstorm. Esme was fascinated by the snow and insisted on being carried from window to window so she could watch it fall from every vantage point. The cookies, too, piqued her interest and by the end of the day she had coined her own term for them, "Ahdi". I turned on the oven light so she could watch them bake which she did with rapt attention, nose practically pressed to the glass. Now for some this would be the moment when you'd want to caution that the oven is hot! and should be avoided! For me it was the perfect photo op.

Kristopher arrived home early to kick off his two-week holiday, so the three of us set out to play in the snow. This was a great opportunity to try out Esme's sled, a first birthday gift from Pop and Sarah. She loved it and was quite happy to be dragged all over the park.













Nana arrived a few days later. She happily assumed Esme duty so we could wrap up our shopping. Before we knew it Christmas Eve was upon us. We visited the Napolis and then the Takacs Clan, and Esme loved every minute of it. Christmas morning brought more presents including an Esme-sized table and chairs set. Esme's reaction was priceless. First she selected a present from under the tree, then she walked over to the table, set the present down and climbed up on the chair– the whole while looking very serious and business-y. Later that day we headed off to the Klopfers for a raucous Christmas day with the cousins and Grandma and Grandpa.

The rest of the holiday was chock full of activities. We celebrated the imminent arrival of a new cousin at Tia Erin's shower. Visited with Aunt Katie, Ben, Aunt Ruthie and Jay. And thanks to Nana, Kristopher and I were able to enjoy a New Years Eve out at the movies, a rare treat indeed.



Happy New Year everyone! May 2009 bring more of what matters most: happiness, health and time together.