"Backpack"

For the past couple of days Ali has been wanting to wear this giant pink backpack around. She got this idea because she saw her mommy carrying a backpack and wanted to be like mommy! She wore this big pink backpack around for about 1/2 hour this morning. I was cracking up. Of course it was empty, so don't worry... it wasn't too heavy. Here is a little clip of the morning fun.

It's A Beautiful Day

The weather finally warmed up a bit in Charlotte today. At one point my outside thermometer said 62! This is more like it. Even though I am a former Ohioan, I can't really take the cold too well. Must have been all those years in Florida! Ali and I went to a great park in Fort Mill this afternoon to celebrate the warm weather. We ran around in a big open field and went swinging on swings, sliding on slides, she was grateful for the wide open space to play in after being cooped up in the house. I really wish I would have brough my camera today, there were many cute photo ops, but sometimes it is just good to enjoy the time together and take the pictures in your mind that you can store in your heart for years to come. I am realizing more and more how important it is to really just slow down to enjoy the little moments. Today was just one of those days where you say, "Thank you God, how could I ask for more?"

Chuck E. Cheese

At about 3 pm every afternoon, Christa and I go through our daily ritual of calling eachother and trying to come up with a fun activity that will entertain our girls for the remainder of the afternoon. Most days we go for a walk or go to eachother's houses or a local park. It has been chilly in Charlotte for the past week, so we have been trying to find fun "Indoor" things today. So, this afternoon we took Ali and Caroline over to Chuck E. Cheese for an hour of fun! The girls really enjoyed it, although both of them were a bit apprehensive about the giant animals singing and dancing on stage. But all in all it was a great way to spend some time and get the girls to burn up a little energy.

Pretend Play and Bender's Day

Ali is in the stage where she loves to "pretend play". She is really into taking care of her baby dolls. She gives them bottles and walks them around in the stroller, she even tries to change their diapers. It is so cute! Below is a picture of her pretending to be a Doctor. She is at such a fun age.

In other news, yesterday January 16, 2008 Lans and I celebrated our 7th annual "Bender's Day." For those of you who do not know, January 16, 2001 was the night that we met at Bender's Tavern in Canton, OH. I was working there as a waitress and in walked a handsome stranger. Little did I know that 7 years later we would be married and have a beautiful daughter together. Funny how God does things. http://www.bendersrestaurant.com/ Here is the link for the restaurant should you want to check it out.

Priceless Friends

(L to R)back: Stacie, Hannah, Mindi, front: Alexia, Christa, Chrissie

Friends are one of life's greatest gift. And God has truly blessed my life with some wonderful ones here in Charlotte. I seriously don't know what I would do without them. A few of my "mommy" friends from small group finally made it out for a Girl's Night Out last week. We went to Starbucks and enjoyed chatting uninterrupted. Something we rarely get to do when all of our kiddos are around. What a fun night!

Ali at the Park

Here are a couple of photos from our afternoon at Davey Park. Our neighborhood playgroup went there to take advantage of the warm January weather. The kids all had fun, the moms were exhausted trying to keep up with all of them! Ali and her little buddy Caroline Rogers thought that Mountain Climbing looked like a fun activity. Needless to say, "Aunt Christa" and I did some mountain climbing of our own, chasing after our little ones!

The Holiday Beard

Around this time every year Lans makes an attempt at growing a beard because he gets some time off of work. So, here is the picture of Lans with his Holiday Beard. Ali and I enjoy having him home so much. Ali has gotten very attached to her daddy and is constantly asking for him when he leaves the room! "Dada, dada...."

In other news, today was the first Baby Boot Camp class that I taught. I had a great group of moms to start off with. Check out http://www.babybootcamp.com/ to find out more about my new biz. You can find my local homepage by going to the Find Classes link and then clicking on NC and then on South Charlotte. Ali loves riding along in the jogging stroller and being outside. It is nice to be able to have a little part time job, but to not have it take me away from her.

The Photo Shoot

A couple of days ago Lans and I took Ali to get her photos taken. So far we have had them done at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months. The difference between the photos is amazing. Ali had fun taking the pics. She was a little shy at first, but we had a great photographer and her really got some great smiles out of her. The pictures definitely capture the stage that she is in. Here is our favorite!