Christmas photos that didn't make the cut

Boy, is it difficult to get a decent shot of 2 kids. I'm thankful to live in the digital age where I can take 50 pictures or so and hope for a least one decent picture. Here are a few samples of the pictures that didn't quite make the cut :)

Protesting Her Peas

Sylvia didn't like her peas much, and she has a unique way of telling us!

silly girl

                                                  Look Mom! I can sit up!

She's pretty happy that she can sit up in the sink now for a bath

Now this move I haven't figured out yet.  She loves to hold her toys up to her face/forehead.  A little weird, but still cute :)

cozy

A requirement for living in Michigan is learning how to stay cozy and warm during the winter months, whether you are staying inside or going out.

Sylvia is all bundled and ready to go for a walk

Some mornings it's just nice to stay in those warm pj's a bit longer :)

a few more things...

I have just a few random (and cute) pictures to share that really have no official title...just day to day 'stuff.'

 A new and fun place for Andrew to play with his cars:

Sibling love.  Everyday, Andrew asks to hold Sylvie and she puts up with it quite well:

Andrew gives such great snugs.  Every morning when he wakes up and after his nap, he gives and needs some good snuggles.

Sylvia, the poser

What can I say...my daughter loves the camera. As you can see in these next few shots, she has become quite the poser. I just love all the cute pictures I capture of this delightful little girl. Here is just a little update on my sweet Sylvia at 7 months: she still has no teeth; she can almost sit up on her own; she loves to smile and giggle; she is very ticklish but hates to be tickled; she has loved all foods introduced to her so far except for peas; she still does not sleep through the night (boo!).

Christmas cookies

I have been waiting for the day when I could make Christmas cookies with my children. It just seems like such a fun tradition. I went back and forth in my mind as to whether or not it was worth attempting with a 2 year old. But the tradition-loving person that I am won over. I'm glad I did it, despite the mess. Andrew enjoyed using the cookie cutters but thought the cookie dough was play dough. And he enjoyed decorating the cookies but became impatient when he realized he could not eat ALL the cookies NOW! All in all, we had fun :)

Rolling out the dough

Cutting out the cookies

Decorating the cookies with handfuls of sprinkles

Enjoying the fruits of his labor

Bible Songs

I wish I could post the whole video, but Andrew was super-excited to sing Bible songs with the family at dinner. This went on for well over 10 minutes, and he never lost his intensity!

Sylvia (almost 7 months)

I thought I would post a few pictures of Sylvia since she is changing by the day.

November Videos

Sylvia doing her "situps"

Andrew and Sylvia - BFF?  We can dream, can't we?

Fans

Besides cars, Andrew's other obsession is fans. Things that spin have always fascinated him. We had a brief period recently where Andrew was cautious around fans after one of Grandma's fans fell on him. But today he overcame that fear and now his love of fans has come back with a vengeance. I am not exaggerating when I say he played with this fan ALL DAY! He carried it from room to room, put the pinwheel in front of it, talked in it, turned it on and off, etc. When it came time to eat lunch, a snack, and dinner, we practically had to tear him away from that thing. What a funny kid! Needless to say, Ryan and I had a pretty relaxing Sunday :)

Meeting Aunt Grace

For those of you who don't know, our Sylvia Grace was named after my two Aunts on my Dad's side. My Aunt Sylvia passed away a few years ago, but my Aunt Grace is still living. Both were/are wonderful women of God and I had always hoped that God would give me a daughter so I could name her after these wonderful women. Today Sylvia Grace got to meet one of her namesakes, my Aunt Grace. It was a special moment that brought tears to my eyes.

This and that on Thanksgiving weekend

            Andrew 'helping' Grandpa Huizinga hang the Christmas lights:

Grandpa reading a Dr. Seuss book to Andrew

Sylvia getting some snugs from Grandma.  Life is good!

picking out a tree

The day after Thanksgiving is for picking out the perfect Christmas tree, right? So that's what we did. We went out to a tree farm in Rockford and had Andrew help us pick out the perfect tree. It was quite chilly outside so it was a quick trip, but we still had fun, as you can see from Andrew's big smile.

pure sweetness

I'm so thankful that this little girl is in my life! Here are just a few fun pictures to show you how sweet she is...and that she is starting to express herself :)

Sylvia's 6 month check up

Sylvia Grace is now 6 months old. Hard to believe, right? She continues to move her way right up the stats chart. She now weighs 18 lbs 1 oz which is the 82%. She is 27 & 5/8 inches which puts her at the 97% for her age. Believe it or not, she both weighs more and is taller than Andrew was at that age. It appears Ryan and I produced yet another big dutch baby :)

wine tasting in Texas

A favorite activity to do in Texas, among the adults, is to go wine tasting. Ironically, the kids had a pretty good time too.

 My sisters, Sylvia, and me

Andrew posing in wine country

I'm not sure what was so fascinating over this wall, but Andrew and his cousin, Isaac, had lots of fun investigating

Picking grass and watching it blow in the wind

More cuteness

Picking the perfect rock to throw at a tree