Some Christmas Pictures!

A trip to see Santa

The girls with Santa.
Sydney helping decorate cookies.

Last Friday night we took the girls to get pictures taken with Santa. We were shocked but happy that Sydney sat on Santa's lap with no problem. She wouldn't smile but she wasn't scared. Hannah grabbed his beard (it was real) as soon as Scott put her in his arms.

Also, Mom and Dad came up for a visit last weekend. Sydney helped to decorate cookies (mainly by licking icing off cookies while Mammaw and Pappaw decorated). Mom and I went shopping. We did a lot of hanging out. It was a good time. Scott went to Chicago for his friend Sam's surprise 30th birthday party. He had a good time but the trip home took forever because of traffic and the weather.

Luke's Mom died Sunday night so we will be headed up to Syracuse tomorrow after Scott gets out of school. The funeral will be on Wedesday at 2. We aren't sure when we will head down to TC. I would love to be there Wednesday night and wake up there on Christmas Eve, but we will see. It will all depend on how the day goes and how the girls are doing. Luke and his family are incredibly sad but relieved that she isn't suffering anymore.

I can't wait to see Sydney's face when she opens her presents. And I can't wait to see all of our family. Merry Christmas!

Lots of pictures for ya!

The girls playing together.
Our pretty girl.


Miss Hannah

Such a sweet, happy girlie!

Sydney loves to hold Hannah.

She had to give her a kiss.

All smiles!

Playing with playdough.

Again.

And again :)

I am almost done with Christmas shopping. This year I probably did 75% of my christmas shopping online. I really can't stand shopping in crowded stores. Actually, I refuse to. Especially if I have to take along a stroller and 2 babies. One night this past week, Jenna and I hit up the outlets. I was surprised that they really weren't that busy. It was late and on a weeknight though so I am sure that helped us.

Sydney is sick. She got pukey sick a lot on Saturday night and then has been not feling good for the last two days. I think that tonight she was beginning to act like she felt better. She wouldn't eat anything all day yesterday--except for a popsicle and a push up pop that Scott got for her. Today she asked for a banana as soon as she got up and then what she calls rectangle cheese (pronounced "yectangle") which is a piece of American cheese folded in half and then torn into--you guessed it--two rectangles. She didn't eat much else the rest of the day but she did drink a lot of water.

I hope that she is back to herself tomorrow. I also hope that the rest of us don't get it. It was quite a mess and not fun at all to see her so miserable.

Please keep the Matz family in your prayers. We found out yesterday that it won't be much longer. Beth and Luke do have a gorgeous baby boy to help them through this though. I just saw some pictures of Marshall last night and he is perfect. Scott thinks that he looks like Luke.

Mom and Dad are coming up here this weekend and I can't wait. The plans are to make cookies and have Sydney help, so it should be a great time.

Christmas Music

Sydney is really getting into singing now. I love it. Her current favorite songs are Rudolph the rednosed reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. I had to look up the lyrics to Frosty because I could only remember the first verse. I was looking on my Itunes at the christmas music I had and the only version of O Holy Night I had was the Bing Crosby version. So I decided to look on Youtube to see whose version I liked the best. Now if you like that song, you HAVE to listen to Celine Dion's version--it is awesome! And I'm not a Celine dan necessarily, I'm just saying that she sings that song beautifully.

Incredible Pizza Company

Hannah at the Incredible Pizza Company.

Sydney and I in the Starlight room.

Dad reading to the girls.

Sydney tugging on Hannah's ear.

Last week, we mainly stayed around our house. Scott and I both had a lot of homework to do. And Scott had to go to Terre Haute this past weekend for school. Dad came and stayed with us. Dad took us all out to dinner on Friday night and when we walked in Santa was singing Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer. When Santa tried to talk to Sydney she had a very tight grip on her Daddy's neck! He gave her a candy cane but she still isn't sure about that guy. I don't think there is a chance of getting her on Santa's lap yet this year. She prefers her Santa in books and stories! The rest of the weekend we just stayed at home. Mom and Dad bought the girls a set of Classic Christmas movies so we watched Frosty and Rudolph. Sydney kept calling the Abominable Snowman a monkey. He does kind of look like a monkey I guess.

On Sunday after Dad had left, we rode to Greenwood with the Huffs and met Scott at the Incredible Pizza Company. It was fun! It is like Chuck E Cheese minus the scary rat in a costume and tons of more food and games. There was even a merry go round that Miss Hannah rode! There were several different dining areas. There was a room like a gymnasium with a large screen and the Colts game on. It was already full though. We ended up in the Starlight room which is only lit by Blacklights and the light from the movie playing. A Christmas Story was on repeat. It was a good time and all of the kids had a great time. Thanks Daryl and Rose!!

Tonight we are going to put up our Christmas Tree and watch the Dora Christmas movie that we DVRed the other night. Sydney is excited to see it. Santa puts Swiper on the naughty list and Dora has to help him :)

I think that Beth is doing a lot better but Luke's Mom is feeling terrible. Please pray for them.

Part of My Heart

My beloved Uncle Gene passed away last week. I am saddened beyond words and I pray for his kids, Pam, and my parents. Gene was not only my Dad's brother, but also his best friend. There was absolutely nothing Gene wouldn't do for Pam or his family, myself included. I don't doubt my father for one second when he told me that part of his heart was also buried that day with my Uncle Gene. I think what I will miss the most is the story telling. I could sit for hours (and have) and listen to Gene and the rest of the family just talking. He was a wonderful man that I loved very much and I will miss him for the rest of my life.

Hannah was baptized Saturday night in a beautiful ceremony. Afterwards we had a dinner at our house to celebrate. Scott and I are so fortunate to have two beautiful healthy children and a wonderful supportive family.

I want to take a moment to thank my beautiful and wonderful aunts (and Alice, Shirley, and MaryLee)for what they have done for my family. I will never forget and always be grateful for the work they did for the dinner after the funeral. Thank you so much for creating a meal to honor Gene. I love you guys and I KNOW that I have the best aunts in the world.

When I got up on Sunday, I checked on Luke's Mom's caring bridge site. Here I found that Beth has developed an infection and had to have emergency surgery on Thanksgiving Day and has been told that more surgery is required in the future. Please pray for Luke and Beth as they keep having one thing after the other happen to them. Thank Goodness that baby Marshall is breathing fine and now home from the hospital.

We have been up to a lot of fun things lately! Last week, Erica and the boys came up to stay with us for a few days. The kids had so much fun together. It was crazy at times, but worth seeing the fun they had.

Last Friday, Jane and Bill stopped by for a visit. Sydney was thrilled that they were here. She still calls Jane "Yain" and says Bi-il in two syllables. Very cute. They took us out to Montana Mike's and it was delicious.

Scott had class all weekend in Terre Haute. Mom drove up and stayed with us. We had a wonderful visit just staying around the house. Sydney asked Mammaw to play with her. I think that she is talking more and more everyday. Hannah also enjoys getting snuggled and held by her Mammaw.

On the way home from class on Sunday, Dave called Scott and asked him to go to the game. So Scott was actually there! He loved it. Hannah and I stayed up to watch the game.

Also, our friends, Luke and Beth had their baby on Sunday!! A BIG boy! Marshal Matz weighed 9lbs 10oz which is big for a first baby!! He swallowed meconium in utero, so he has to spend his first three days in the NICU. Beth held him as soon as he was born, but they haven't got to hold him since then. I think Scott says that Marshall is doing fine, but that the meconium could give him a lung infection so that they are watching him closely and being cautious. I think he is fine but please pray for little Marshall and Luke and Beth so that they can be home soon!

The girls both have runny noses. I plan on going down to visit Gene as soon as I can. The doctors don't want anybody who is sick or even around sick people to go near him so as soon as the girls are over their sniffles I will be down there!

And right around the corner is Hannah's baptism. She is so excited. I still have to decide on the menu for the party. And I need to see if she can fit into Sydney's baptismal gown. I better go dig it out of the cedar chest while I am thinking about it.

Big blue eyes.

Decorating cookies.

Movie night.

Luke sitting up by himself!

Evan and the dinosaur walking down the road.

Sweet Hannah.

Photo Update

Hannah chilling on the deck.
Sydney playing in a pile of leaves.

Sydney in her Dora fairy outfit.

My gorgeous girl.

Both of my gorgeous girls!!! Sydney loves it when Hannah plays on the ground so that she can get very close to her.

Last weekend, we traveled to Warsaw, Indiana. Scott's best friend, Luke and his wife Beth, are expecting their first child any day now. Her due date is this Friday. Her doctor is thinking that her baby is large so doesn't want her to go over too much. They are both so excited and the baby's room is all set up cute. They didn't find out what they were having so it will be a total surprise!! Please keep them in your prayers as they are having so many things go on at once in their lives!

Luke and Beth have several large old trees in their yard, so we raked up some big piles of leaves for Sydney to play in. She loved it. But then she found an ash pile from someone burning leaves and was in it before I could catch her. Kind of a mess! Their house sits on Lake Chapman. This time of year the water was a dark, intense blue...it was beautiful.

Sydney has been fighting nap time lately. According to baby magazines, children need naps until they are about 5. So, it isn't that she doesn't need a nap, it is that she doesn't want to stop during the day and take a nap. And now that she is in a toddler bed, she is all over the place. She does great at night in her bed, but struggles during the day.

Erica and the boys are coming up for a visit today and we are all excited. We have a list of activities planned such as playing with play dough, paints, decorating cookies, movie night, etc. I will be sure to take many pictures.