Happy 2nd Birthday, Olivia Tonette!

Our sweet baby girl is two years old today...and not so much of a baby anymore! Olivia truly keeps us smiling and laughing, so we celebrated with a little family gathering tonight. Our theme was "You Are My Sunshine" because she is definitely a little ray of sun brightening our days. We had a lot of fun; she LOVED all the attention and requested we sing her "Happy Birthday" multiple times (which, of course, we did). She happily ate only the icing off her cupcake that Meme had made for her-a preference clearly passed down from that same Meme :) Olivia received new clothes, a high chair for her baby dolls, money and a new play table. She loved everything and did a little happy dance when she saw Mama and Deeda carrying her table inside. It really was a fun party which was the exclamation point on an all-around good day for our little sunshine birthday girl!

Mommy Day

Owen needed a mommy day yesterday instead of going to Mother's Day Out. I happily agreed, so after we dropped off Olivia, who always loves the chance to play and interact with kiddos, we set out on our adventure for the day. We went to Wal-Mart and bought seeds for planting: pumpkins, watermelons, green beans, tomatoes, sunflowers and marigolds. It was a random assortment to be sure, but it's what Owen wanted and who am I to argue with such a colorful selection? Owen has a Winnie the Pooh book his Nana gave him that is all about gardening, so he's been wanting to try his hand since the dead of winter. We took the first step today, but we'll see how it goes since my mother seems to be hoarding all the green thumbs in the family.

We ate a quick lunch with Dee-da and as we were leaving Chick-Fil-A, Owen noticed a bunch of tiny, white flower petals covering the pavement. He said, "Maybe it's snowing, Momma." I told him I didn't think it was snow because it was too warm outside for snow. He promptly replied, "God can do miracles." I agreed-it was a sweet moment of our day.

We rounded out the afternoon with plenty of running and playing at the park. What a beautiful March day with my favorite little boy!

Bonspiel

I returned Monday from a whirlwind trip up North to cheer on members of my family who curled in a bonspiel honoring my Grandpa Futterer-the curling club's first president. Doesn't that sound so small town Minnesota? It was and it was a special treat to visit one of my favorite places on earth in an unfamiliar season. I have not experienced a Grand Marais winter since I was 3 years old. It was beautiful and unseasonably warm, so now I am convinced I need to visit next winter. Also, I relished the time I got to spend with my dad and brother; an 18-hour car ride to and from has a way of restitching the bonds that have been stretched by life, children and the included responsibilities.

Uncle Craig, Aunt Karen, my dad, Joe and Uncle Chuck
(the Futterer kids)

Joe, Me and my dad

My cousin Anna took this photo.
I thought it was a neat glimpse of the game.

Looking forward to the 2013 Charles J. Futterer Memorial Open Bonspiel!

Elsy Kate's 1st Birthday Party!

Sweet Elsy Kate turns ONE on Wednesday, so we helped celebrate at her party this weekend. Amberley and Joe did such a great job decorating for her party-it was super cute!

Aunt Katy and the Birthday Girl

Uncle Cade, Owen and Elsy

Grandpa, a couple Great-grandmas and Aunt Pat (and some of the fun decor)

Mama and her sweet girl

Happy First Birthday, Elsy Kate!! We sure love you!!

Close-ups

Here are some pictures of my three favorite kiddos.

Sweet boy.

Pretty girl.

Precious Elsy.
(Could she look more like her daddy?
I do see definite Amberley features, but there's no denying she is her daddy's child.)

I'm not sure why I haven't blogged in over a month...laziness, maybe? We are all doing well. Today Owen and I got to spend a fun day together because I didn't want him coughing on all his MDO buddies. He was really good at my eye doctor appt. and while we were running errands. I did treat him to a Chick-Fil-A lunch complete with ice cream, so he was thinking that was a pretty good deal. I can't imagine life without Olivia, but I sure do miss my one-on-one time with my little buddy! Speaking of Olivia, she is goofy as ever. I started this post while I was cooking dinner and she came walking into the kitchen wearing a pillow case on her head saying, "Hi, Mommy!" She is carrying on the family tradition well-Anything for a Laugh!

This past weekend I took a quick trip to Fayetteville to attend a bridal fair with my college roommate. It was SO good to see her and catch up a little. I can't wait for her May wedding when all of my OBU girlfriends will be there to celebrate with her! Also, I got to sneak in a visit with Joe, Ams and Elsy Kate which always makes me happy. Elsy Kate might be the cutest little almost one-year old I know!

I hurried back home to attend our small group Super Bowl party. There were only a few of us because there has been some serious sickness making the rounds in town, but we had a nice, relaxing evening and I was so thankful for our gracious host and hostess who made some killer BBQ pork and baked beans.

I sure am thankful for all the sweet people in my life!

Merry Christmas!!

We had a really fun Christmas filled with family traditions, food and presents, of course! I always love the holidays because it means special time with loved ones.

Santa's presents dwarfed my tree. We stick with the "something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read" tradition at our house, so Owen and Olivia each got a big present (want), an umbrella (need), pajamas (wear), a book (read) and a bucket filled with little goodies. The buckets are also used for Easter and Halloween, so I decided I would use the buckets for Christmas, too-it will be our own little practical spin on a Christmas tradition.

Olivia was given a kitchen for Christmas and Owen got the biggest truck, trailer, backhoe set I have ever seen.

The presents have been enjoyed, but we certainly didn't forget the main reason we celebrate Christmas Day. It's all about that little baby in the manger and, for that, we are so grateful!

Back to Work...Sort of

I'm working very part-time over the holidays at Bath and Body Works (my old stomping grounds) which means Jacob has had some special time with Owen and Olivia lately. They went to the park on Saturday and he took some fun pictures. It's been nice for me to get out of the house and it's been good for the kids to realize dad is just as capable of taking care of them as mom is!