Snowman

Perfect morning to make a snowman... we used pretty much all the snow in the yard, and his snow is very dirty and leafy, but still a snowman. haha. I like his green pepper mustache the best.

Spontaneous Dinner with Friends

There's nothing like a spontaneous dinner with good friends to pep up a Thursday night! Luke and Lindsay were in town visiting Luke's sister who just had twins! They called last night to see if we could meet them for dinner - so we jumped in the car and met them at Brandywine. Such fun to see them! Ruby especially loved seeing baby Emmy.

Ryan at the Dump

Who knew pictures of my husband at the dump on a dreary day could be so appealing. Chris took these - and you can see more on his website.

Thanksgiving Family Pic

Chris Cox Photographer took this great picture of the Cox Family at Thanksgiving! The first thing Ruby said when she saw it was, "Oh Kyle." then she shrugged her shoulders and giggled.

Chopping Down the Tree

This morning we took our annual trek out to Hart Tree Farms with the Cox Family to chop down our Christmas Tree! Last year when we did this with Ruby she was so tiny she didn't really know what was going on. This year, she still didn't know what was going on, but seemed generally amazed by the whole situation.

The boys on the hunt. Major decisions were being made here.

This might be one of my all-time favorite pictures of Ryan and Ruby. Her face cracks me up.

Ruby loved the goats. This was her first experience with real live farm animals.

First Snow of 2010

This morning was the first time Ruby has ever played in the snow. She was out last winter when we cut down our Christmas Tree, but she was too little to enjoy what was going on.

When she woke up we looked out the window and she was in awe, so I bundled her up in her snowsuit, boots and gloves and took her outside to play. I think she liked it!

Here's a video, so you can feel like you were out there playing with us this morning.

Birdies

I have some creative and brilliant friends - so today as I was browsing my friend Lisa's etsy shop, this little birdies necklace inspired me to start sharing some of these friends with you!

Have you ever seen a cuter necklace? I love that it's dainty and delicate, but fun and modern at the same time. For more of Lisa's vintage-inspired jewelry with a charming modern twist, check out thedresdendoor.etsy.com

Rocks

Sunday after church Ryan and I took Ruby to the playground. She's not much of a climber at this stage - which is okay with me. She mostly just looks for rocks on the ground, then collects them all into a pile which she returns to constantly to see if the rocks are still there. When they are, she gets excited to see them.

I love her and her ridiculous amounts of happiness.

Thanksgiving

We had quite a full Thanksgiving weekend! It was fun to spend time together, telling stories and playing a few good rounds of nertz. The food was delicious and I ate enough for two... even though the child in my womb is only a little bigger than an avocado.

Sarah and I went shopping on Black Friday... which I have never done before. We waited until 10am, hoping that all the crazy people would have been done by then... but they were still out and about. I did find some great deals, and we did eat Chipotle for lunch, so it that alone made it an awesome afternoon.

Ryan, Chris and Dad took our leaves to the city dump on Saturday. Chris took some "industrial" pictures while they were there. I can't wait to see them! He's been shooting film, so it's a longer development process, allowing my anticipation to boil over. They also washed and waxed the van (getting it ready for the sloshnastsaltiest winter weather we have in Michigan). While they were doing all that hard work, Ruby and I took some naps.

It was a wonderfully productive yet restful weekend! I'll post more pics, including a family shot, as soon as I get it from photographer extraordinaire, Chris.

Ok Then...

ht: whyismarko