A BIG Post to End a BIG Year

Ok, I am going to warn you now.  This will be a huge post.  Why you ask?  Well we had well over 800 pictures taken since last time.  Yikes!  Well it has been an eventful couple weeks for sure.  That coupled with the fact that daddy got mommy a new fancy camera for Christmas equals lots of pictures.  

Thanks Heidi!

We had our Christmas as a family here on Friday night, where everyone but me ate a yummy steak and opened round 1 of presents.  I got some cool little blocks, I don't remember what everyone else got, you can just look at pictures.  I just know that everyone seemed really happy.  The next morning started off like any typical Saturday but then we jumped in dad's new mini van and went for a trip.  

Can't wait for our daddy daughter day at the K!

Oh yeah, Santa did come.  but I stayed as far away from
him as I could.  In hindsight, I feel a bit bad since he
brought me what I wanted!

I thoroughly enjoyed massages from
Uncle Brian!

Let me take this Heidi....The trip was Awesome.  As if dad's mini wasn't already cool...turned out it had a TV!  So we got to watch my new movie Tangled that in it (Thanks Heidi).  Needless to say, I would be fine if we drove to California (wherever that is).  Heidi, on the other hand, got a bit frustrated once we hit Nebraska City so we had to stop and let her calm down and eat.  We decided to risk it and successfully made it all the way to grandma and pop pops house in Hartington.  I don't have to tell you, they were excited to see us.  Aunt RaRa was already there.  That was just the beginning of a whirlwind couple days.  I had an absolute blast with everyone.  I played my heart out and gave lots of hugs and high fives to people.  Dad is amazed that I am still feeling OK after all those germs were passed (Both he and mom didn't fare so well).  I think I did pretty well too.  I was held by pretty much everyone and trained them all in how I like to be held.  I even kept up with my sleeping schedule at slept my standard 9-10 hour stretches.  I even did well on Christmas Eve.  With all 24 people in the house. We started opening presents at 4 and I think we finished at 10.  Granted we took some breaks to eat, play, and some went to church.  There were a lot of good presents and good times.  Amelia and I gave our Godparents scratcher tickets in hopes that plenty of money would be won, it wasn't, I think a free ticket and $5 dollars were about it.   I got some great presents from my Godmother Danielle, grandma, and Bailey.  Bailey even painted me a picture for my room.  Amelia got some awesome presents from Sierra, grandma, Gabby, Will, and her godfather Eric gave her a great play dough set and some super sweet purple sparkly high tops!  As you can guess, we were quite happy.

Heidi was showing off (ok flashing) Ryan

and talking with Aunt Rhonda

And sleeping with pop pop and later cousins Gabby & Mallorie

playing hair dress up with Siera and Rhonda.  She looks funny with hair!







As always, I had a lot of fun with Jason

I played with Siera a lot too...
trying to show her how cool us
Kansas folks are.  Hint, hint!

Forgot to mention, we also did pictures of all us grandkids.  It was during my nap time, but I muddled through.  Hopefully they got some good ones!

Jack trying Heidi's poop.  Dad made him in order to get his present!

Will gave me a stuffed puppy, that I call ya-ya...and love it.

Christmas morning came after a long night, I didn't get to bed until late because I just had so much fun  playing with all my cousins.  They are awesome.  I woke up late and a little cranky. Dad came and got me up and carried me into the living room where Santa had came and brought me my PINK CHOO CHOO that I had been asking for every time I saw him.  I couldn't get out of Dads hands fast enough.  I loved it and had so much fun driving it around the house.  Heidi received a Sophie giraffe to chew on, she wasn't as excited as I was about my car.  Dad packed up the mini for a long trip to Lincoln.  It was a struggle getting my choo choo away from me to get it loaded in the van.  He promised to get it back out as soon as we got to Grandma's house.  We said goodbye to everybody and headed off.

With one stop in David City to settle Heidi down we made it to Grandma's house.  After unloading the mini we decided to open a few presents that grandma had under her tree.  Ok, few is an understatement....so we took a break and saved some for a couple days later.  Again, I won't get into all of the presents, but I have been having fun with them all. 
Some videos from first thing in the AM

Mom had to work during the days, but grandma kept me entertained playing lots and dad even took me to the Children's Museum one day and afterward we went to meet Grandpa McLain for lunch.  Heidi didn't get to come because mom & dad thought she would make it hard for them to eat.  Hopefully he was content enough with just me until next time!  He spent hours (ok, months) giving Heidi and I both part of his coin collection and a cool family tree.   I feel pretty special.  I like looking at them, but dad says he will hold on to them till I'm old.





Amelia, don't forget we also saw my godfather, BJ and his family!  They were all so nice, I did some talking with them and let them all hold me.  Amelia took a while to warm up...so Grandma was nice enough to make dinner for all of us...and hooked us up with some Pumpkin Pie!  Once we all went back to grandmas for dinner she finally gave in to the Noecker clan and had a blast.  They sure are fun.

The whole trip was so much fun seeing everyone, we are lucky to be loved by so many.  I wish I could see them more often, but I make the best of it when I do!  I'm sure I can talk dad into taking the mini on another road trip since we are both such good travelers!

It is hard to believe 2012 is over today.  This has been a big year of ups and downs.  The big ones being the chaos of selling our 1st home but then moving into our awesome new one just in time to welcome Heidi to our family and then we had to say good-bye to my ya-ya (Marley).  I don't have to tell you how much that still hurts.  Needless to say, we will never forget the year 2012!  I am pretty sure that 2013 will not be quite as eventful....but I can't wait to see what it has in store for us!

Until next year, Amelia & Heidi OUT!

Mom decided to take her first pictures with the new camera of us in the buff!

Proof that we did go play in the snow...geez, that seems like forever ago!  It was FUN though!

Some close ups!

Who Wore it Best - Christmas edition

Heidi - Christmas 2012

Amelia - Christmas 2010

Can't Hardly Wait

Can't wait for my first Christmas that is.  Luckily some of Christmas has already begun.  How so you ask?  Well first of all, I got my dates a bit messed up and accidentally gave dad his Christmas present from me 2 weeks early.  But he forgave me, and as you can see...we both enjoy rocking in it quite a bit!  It has come especially in handy these past couple days as I have been hanging out at home with just daddy.  Why?  Well, mom started back to work.  None of us really are al that thrilled with it, but I will admit I am quite enjoying finally having some one on one time with dad.  Mom seems a bit tired.  I guess sleeping 10 hours all last week and then as soon as she was ready to go to work, starting to wake up in the middle of the night again, is not her favorite thing.  Sue me, I was hungry!  I ate more during the day yesterday and gave her a good night sleep again last night.  Only to wake up to SNOW!  Amelia was more excited than me, but she has a party day at her school today, so we will wait till later to go check out this white stuff.  So you'll have to wait till next blog for those pics!

Yes, I was indeed comfortable



Patty kept me warm and comfy while people
opened presents.  She is cooking a
little friend for me come this summer too.
Pretty cool!

Anyway, back to Christmas fun. Last weekend the family went to the Ludlows annual Ugly Xmas sweater party.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I was the only one who didn't get to open a present.  I made some new friends as you can see.  Amelia on the other hand was being a big grump so we didn't get to stay as long as I would have liked.



Meeting Schnetzer!

Seriously, already ratting me out Heidi?  Not cool.....  Perhaps, I haven't quite been myself lately.  I keep hearing mom and dad talk about the 'terrible two's'.  I must not be that bad as my teacher at school told me the other day that I'm an angel and that they want a hundred Amelia's in the school.  Dad says, maybe I need to show that girl at home more often. I'll try to be better...as I have been told that Santa won't hook me up if I don't shape up and be a big girl.  Speaking of being a big girl...I have moved my way up to the big girl bed!  It's not that big of a change, but I can get in and out by myself.  Truthfully, I don't care either way, but mom and dad seem happy to not be lifting me up anymore.  Apparently I'm not as small as I like to think!

Here I am taunting Heidi in the AM!

I guess dad was a good boy, because he already got a second Christmas present.  Although this one was from himself.  He got a new choo-choo.  He calls her a mini, but she seems whoa big to me.  I guess he has been wanting her for quite some time.  All I know is I love it!  It is so roomy, and I can climb in it all by myself...the doors open automatically too!  I am looking forward to the upcoming road trip to Nebraska for Christmas to find out what other cool things there are. 


I have grown just a bit, huh?!

I'm a bit bigger now in the drivers
seat than when we got the last car!



Let's see what else.  I had fun helping mom make some cookies for a party she went to.  I wasn't too thrilled that I woke up from nap to find out that she took all the cookies with her.  But the bonus part is she came back with 2 big containers filled with lots of different cookies.  As you can imagine, I quite enjoy picking through and finding myself treats!

Oh, looking at pictures...I am really far behind.  We went to another 1st birthday party too.  This was for little Ava and get this.  The 2nd party in a row that they had OK Joe's!  Seriously, people at my first birthday missed out.  I'll have to tell mom that is the rule of thumb when Heidi turns one.  I of course had fun checking out the bday girls toys and eating.  I stared them down until they finally cut the cake, I was NOT going to leave without a piece.  Ava on the other hand, preferred to eat ribs over cake.  I am fan of both, so I can't blame her there.  Heidi - do you have anymore to share?

I can almost get the whole thing in my mouth!

No, nothing else here.  I am just working on growing, taking the bottle from dad, steering clear of Amelia who is coughing all over me with her germs, sleeping, and talking lots.  I barely ever cry anymore.  I like to even play (i.e. hold/suck on) my giraffe rattle too...and often I catch a glimpse of something dad calls my fist which totally enthralls me for....  huh?  What were we talking about?  Whoa...this thing is cool!

Christmas updates next time!  Amelia (& Heidi) OUT!

A little video of me doing some talking...

Yes, I DO love to read and am very strong!!

The activity gym wore me out...mom saysit was a bonus as I
am finally taking a nap on my back.

Here is sadly the last in weekly pictures with my friend Davis as mom is now back to work, hopefully there won't be too big of a break till next time I see him!