Christmas Day!

Olive *LOVED* Christmas this year. She was a champ at opening gifts and even "oooohed" and "aaahhhed" when she discovered her treasure. We spread out some of the gift opening over a few days so that it was not too overwhelming (and because I might of out stashed myself with a few of the gifts). We gave Olive a kitchen set and my family kicked in with kitchen related gifts. Olive has embraced her new occupation, head chef. After opening gifts at the house we went over to Molly's for a Christmas pagent - super fun. Bob showcased his juggling skills and Kate did a dramatic puppet show reinactment of the Breackfast Club. Fun was had by all.

Merry Christmas and much love!

Christmas Eve

Visit with Santa

Santa made a special appearance at the Goodman's house. Most of the kids screamed but not our Olive who can be won over by the promise of a present. The top image is a photo of Olive with her best bud Gretchen.

Tuba Christmas Concert

Chicago!

We had a great trip back to Chicago for my Uncle Louis' 80th Birthday. The theme was "Around the World in 80 Years" and it was perfect in every way. We stayed with my superstar cousin Jenny who not only put together a black tie soiree for 150+, she hosted 15 family members in her home (in addition to her own family of 5), and pulled off a brunch for 50+. Did I mention that she also sold a property over the weekend, wrote expert testimony, and made time to catch up with each of us? Amazing!

Halloween!

What a crazy weekend of Halloween festivities! Music class, a street fair, a birthday party, a dinner party with three toddlers (and many adults), a Halloween party, and more... We are pooped! Olive was an excellent chicken for Halloween and even developed a few dance moves and a shy "buck, buck, buck" to wow her fans.

Hoe down at the Randalls'

Coolest cousins ever!

We had a super fun trip to Kansas City to meet Olive's cousins (soccer star Niely, little mommy Reese, and spunky Sofie) and catch up with the Randalls. It was great to see everyone and Grandma K.K. really rolled out the red carpet for us. Mike and Nancy even came down from the farm to meet Olive. We had such a great time that Olive was ready to stay and move in with her cousins. Thanks everyone for a great weekend! Much love to you all.

A girl and her chicken

Spent last Saturday at the Plains Conservation Center for the Harvest Fest. Olive *LOVED* it. She was crazy about the chickens - chasing them, feeding them, and stealing a fake one from the old time photo people (sorry!). She also showed off her dance moves (we are still working on the funky chicken).

Walking!

Number 1!

Can't believe it has been a year already! I did not think it was possible to love you more than I did the day you were born but it is. Happy 1st Birthday!

Jackson, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone

We just returned from a week of hiking, napping, and site seeing in Jackson, Grand Teton, and Yellowstone. Hitting the open road with a toddler is a different experience, but we adjusted and had a wonderful time. Olive was a terrific sport on a few hikes. Her passion for sticking her hand down critter holes was unstoppable and her talent for covering herself in tree sap was unparalleled. Mom and Dad adapted to her early bedtime with a nightly bottle of red wine, chocolate cake, and Mad Men Season 1 on the laptop. A good time was had by all!

Shots from my sister's wedding

New skills - filing