January 2015

We have had a lot of fun traveling but it has also been SO good to be back home.  I think the kids really appreciate having their "own" place a little more too.  :)

Walter

This month Walter has decided to start talking!  He is spouting out words left and right now and it is so fun to see him get excited about communicating. :)  He loves shapes and is starting to learn the colors as well.  Here is a list of words he says that I can think of off of the top of my head:

'loon - balloon

aw wet - all wet

mommy

daddy

mo! - more

out

ide - outside

eena - Lena

eese! - Cheese 

wak - awake

up

et - eat

wed - red

ween - green

wanky - blanky

winky - binky

wink - drink

weet - treat

cawndy - candy

bampa - grandpa

bamma - grandma

eeeeba - Eva

am - Sam

wa ter - Walter

no

uh-huh

weef - leaf

dah - draw

...

Speaking of drawing, that is Walter's FAVORITE pass time now days.  He loves to draw balloons, heart balloons and leafs, mostly. :)  He loves to name the colors he is using... though he still needs a lot of correcting. ;)  Another thing he loves to do is whatever Lena is doing.  He is big just like her and can do everything she can do (at least from his point of view).  It is so cute seeing him follow her around doing exactly what she does.  He gets so offended when she won't hold a balloon or toy that he gives to her.  

Lena

I've realized that it's been a little while since I've given a report on Lena.  She is still as cute as ever!  Always saying things that keep us entertained... I think I need to write what she says down, but then I have the hardest time because everything that comes out of her mouth is note-worthy.  She loves to talk about what she is learning about in school and I'm amazed at all of the new information she brings up.  She is starting to be able to read a little bit, although, it is not her favorite thing to do.  She still LOVES drawing pictures!  Randy mentioned today that we will need to buy a whole pallet of paper from Costco to support her drawing habbit (especially now that she has passed this on to Walter).   Lately, she is also creating things from cutting up paper and taping it together.  She has made about 10 dragons doing this.  She also likes making books.  Her imagination is breathtaking!  She can play for HOURS on her own just making up stories with her stuffed animals.  I really could go on and on about this girl and how much I adore her.  I am so incredibly grateful to be her mom. :)

And now, here are some pictures from the month. :)

Lena dressing up with her "car" shoes/skates. :)

Rosie and her sweet family took a trip to Pennsylvania for Alex's graduation and made a stop by the Hershey factory.  They brought us back some Reese's... most of which Walter enjoyed in this position, sitting on the couch.  He would get it... sit on the couch and unwrap it, run the wrapper to the garbage and then run back to the couch to sit and enjoy it. :)  

Homemade rockets. :)  (Lena's idea)

Like I said, loves to draw... check out how properly he holds his writing utensils!

Oh, small announcement.  To accommodate our growing family, we purchased a new-to-us bigger vehicle. :)  2013 Nissan Pathfinder.  We are loving it!

Box house at Nonna's :)

Fun walk near downtown.  My good old stomping grounds. :)

Silly Bath Time!

33 Weeks!

Walter found a little place to lay his head under Grandma and Grandpa's kitchen table. :)

One thing I absolutely love about our new car is that I can now recline the seats for the kids. :)  Yay for sleeping during long(er) trips without kinked necks. :)

Here is SUPER EVA!  Managing all four kids so that her pregnant sister could make it up the hill without getting TOO out of breath. :)

Playing out back at Nonna's house. :)

Lena is always ready to help me with dinner.  I was so surprised at how well she actually peeled this sweet potato!

Walter was being so cute with Nonna!  I love moments like these. :)

Lena LOVES holding Jemma! :) 

December 2014

December was another crazy month.  We spent half of it in Chile (I posted about this separately) and then a week at home and then the rest in Arizona.  After getting home from Chile we had a week to celebrate our own little family's Christmas. :)  We set up the tree, made cookies and  asked Santa to come to our house the Saturday before Christmas. :)  (since Randy was unable to join us on our trip to Arizona during Christmas).

My mom got Walter this cute farm set... they had so much fun playing with it the morning after our Comollo Christmas. :) 

Making cookies. :)  The pictures speak for themselves I think.

Walter's cookie

Lena piling up Santa's plate. :)

Stockings!

Walter got his own little vacuum... thought it would make him let me use MY sized one... I've had no such luck. :)

Lena got her very own camera. :)

Perfect for the year... they got an airport play set from  Randy's parents.  They definitely learned all about the ins and outs of airports this year. :)

Arizona

It was so good to have the opportunity to spend another Christmas in Arizona, especially since I don't know how many more times I'll be able to do this.  This is what my family did every year growing up and it's been hard to think that the tradition is starting to come to an end.  It really does not feel like Christmas to me until I step into that lovely old house and walk down the palm-tree filled street and feel the nice warm air.   My Grandpa is doing a lot better than the last time we saw him (my Grandmother's funeral :( ) but he is still anxious to be reunited with her.  

My wonderful grandpa took us all out to Pinnacle Peak steak house... this has been a tradition since before I can remember. :) 

Sweet Megan and Eva with Lena.

REAL Christmas morning...

My  mom was so great to still get a little something for the kids to open on the REAL Christmas. :)

My Grandpa got lots of chocolate... as usual. :) 

My grandpa rarely tries on and gets new clothes... my cousin got this sweater for him and he felt like a million bucks! :)

Walter with Uncle Pete by the fireplace. :)

Walter practicing to be an old man in Grandpa's chair. :)

The good old swing set... I'm still amazing every time someone steps on it that it doesn't fall apart. :)

I came out from getting ready for the day to find Lena and my grandpa sharing this special moment.  She was showing him and telling him all about the pictures she had taken on her new camera. :)

The good old wash... another thing Christmas is not the same without. :)  Glad I could share it with my kids. :)

People around here put up amazing lights as part of a contest. :)  Walter and Lena found a little play house complete with chairs and couple doors down.  The neighbors were so nice to let them play in it. :)

Chalk!

Oh Robby, what a great "uncle" to my kids (he's really my cousin).  They were all pretending to be kitties so he got out some bowls and filled them with milk for them to lap up.  I've never seen my kids drink so much milk in my life!  They loved it so much! :)

Robby and his sweet girlfriend cuddling with Lena. :)

Walter trying really hard to insist on taking a nap with his balloons.... have I mentioned he has an obsession with balloons?

My cousins Megan and Kelley were SO sweet with my kids...my kids adored them!    I'm so grateful to them for loving them so much. :)

Megan, who is a cosmetologist in training... gave me a make-over. :)  What do you think?

I'm realizing now that I didn't get any pictures with Eva, Sam or my mom.  Eva and Sam were only able to stay a couple of days and we had so much fun with them.  It was so amazing to get to spend so much time with my mom.  Walter and Lena really had a good time with her as well. :)  My mother is the sweetest person I know!  I'm so grateful to her for letting me tag-a-long with her on this trip. :)