Brothers and sisters....

.....hanging out by the Christmas tree, waiting for Santa....

Micro-malfunction

Our microwave oven recently went on the fritz, which opened the door for me to pursue some home improvement in the last months of our stay at this house. I'm not sure what was wrong with it, but the bright flash and smoke smell were definite indicators of a Situation NG diagnosis. So, we decided instead of trying to fix it we could buy and install a new one for about the same amount. After doing our requisite internet research and checking a few different local retailers, we finally found a replacement at a great price (Em had a "feeling" about going by Sears....don't ever doubt the power of female intuition). In the process of removing the old unit and installing the new one (pictured above), I learned a lot about over-the-range microwaves. For example, did you know that there are three different kinds of exhaust options on microwaves.....fascinating stuff, I know!

Happy Birthday Papa!

Happy Birthday! A 32 year old and a 17 month old

So there are several things going on in these pictures.
1. We are celebrating two birthdays, Dave is now the mature age of 32, and though you might think I transposed those numbers, sadly I did not. And Lily is now 17 months old - hopefully we'll get a block pic in the next few days. She has hit such a talking curve, she's picking up new words daily and her personality just bubbles over sometimes. Hence, the inability to keep her still especially when she has somewhere to go....


2. You might note Lily's handy artwork on her sign. She loves drawing, scribbling, whatever you call it, with anything she thinks she can get to write. She was very proud of her efforts.

3. Today was the first time I tried to put her hair in pigtails, and I have to say I 'm a big fan, so you'll probably being seeing more of that..



4. The beads around Lily's neck are taken from a collection of MardiGras via Savannah beads that have become her favorite play-toy. It is so entertaining to watch her take them off and put them on, over and over, and bestow them to any other member of the family she deems appropriate. Thatcher, for example, was lovingly draped in five varieties this afternoon....he's such a good dog, and I might add he kept his regal dignity the whole time (your welcome T-bone).

5. For those who are very detailed oriented, you might notice the unusual arrangement of the ornaments around the bottom third of the tree. We made an effort to put Lily-proof ornaments in her reach and she conveniently arranges and then rearranges them at her whim. The cutest anecdote is when she points to the shiny red balls and says 'apple.'Also keeping in the birthday spirit, we had the pleasure of visiting with Alison, Kyle and Hayes at the Harrelson's house yesterday in Asheville. It actually was Alison's b-day yesterday, as well. So, Anna, always being the gracious host, made birthday goodies for Alison and Dave. Thanks Anna! We did the best we could to get the three little ones to pose together, it didn't go so well. It wasn't much improved when the moms joined in....probably had something to do with the three different cameras trying to get each one's attention in a different direction....but here's what we got!