Presents

Erica got so many great toys and clothes. She did actually open a presnt herself she ripped open the paper. She just wanted to eat the paper of course not interested in the awesome gift that lay beneath the wrapping paper. Here are a few pics of her with her gifts!

Erica looks so pooped here!

Christmas Eve 2007

Christmas eve is when my family celebrates christmas, everyone came to our house for the celebration. We has tons of food-- ham, clams, shrimp, beer bread, cheesy bread and many other apps. We always start off the night with food, drinks, and chit chat while the kids play and then around 7 pm we start the gift giving. Every year is a new Santa that passes out the presents, last year was Aunt Suzy and this year we drew out of a hat and it was Sal. All the kids bring the gifts to santa who reads the gift tag.

I am so excited to share all of the memories and traditions that Jimmy and I cherish with Erica. To look at her and know that she is our most precious gift it is the best feeling and especially at Christmas!

Here are a few of the pics of all of the families that were celebrating on christmas Eve.

Uncle Pat, Beth, Shannon, and Grace

Uncle John, Suzy, John and George

Venessa and Kathryn

val joe and kathryn

Erica, Mom, Great Gram, Aunt Kathryn, Aunt Val, Gram, Great Aunt Lois

Aunt B, Mom, Uncle John and Uncle Pat

Mom and dad

Grace, Erica, Tony, Little John, Shannon, George, Hunter, and Kathryn

auntie becky pics

Auntie Becky came over to get some pics of us for the christmas card but miss Erica had other plans, she was very smiley when the Graske family arrived but when it was time for pictures she did not want to smile for the camera! We got one good one with mommy and Erica but I could not send out a card with just me and Erica.

Erica and Mommy! Look at that smile

Here is Mia and Erica there is 11 months seperating them it is such a huge difference right now but when these two little girls are toddlers and older it will be less aparent! I can't wait for the trouble that lies ahead from these little munchkins!!

Breakfest with Santa

This year we went to the Breakfest with Santa that Jimmy's union has every year. Erica did so well with Santa at the mall I knew she would be good here too, it is next year that we worry about/. The mall Santa was great, Jimmy and I have gone to see him ourselves for the past few years and he is always so nice. Erica must have felt the same way because she had a huge smile on her face. Not so great with the santa at breakfest but that's ok.

All the kids got build a bears and a huge bag of candy this year the bears are so cute they have a tee shirt on that says breakfest with santa 2007.

She had on her Santa outfit that grandma gave her, she matches santa pretty well!

go Bears!

I though this was such a cute picture- Erica was playing in the exersaucer and jimmy threw his bears hat on her. I love her smile she is so precious!!! To bad the Bears are not doing that well though they did beat green bay twice! I guess there is always next year.

Five Months

I cannot believe my little peanut is five months old. I found a newborn diaper today while cleaning and could not believe how much has changed in this short five months. The newborn diapers were so big on her when we brought her home and now they look so tiny! Erica is changing everyday. She has been getting more and more hair it is so weird the top is light colored while the back is still dark from when she was born! She is working on sitting she is tripoding" but soon hopefully sitting on her own. She does like to stand of course with help but it is a nice change for her. we took her to see Santa this weekend I will try to get them loaded this weekend. She was all smiles of course, next year she may wonder who is this big man in the red suit holding me! YIKES!

We have been trying new foods with her she does like the sweet potatos from thanksgiving though we tried green beans and this is what happened!

We also gave her peas which she wasn't a fan of either but she liked squash and then here are a few pics of her trying prunes for the first time!!

Thanksgiving 2007

We had a great and thankful day this Thanksgiving. We are thankful for so many things but the most important and best of all is that Erica is sharing it with us this year. To Jimmy and I Erica is the best gift of all! We started the day by bringing up the christmas stuff, we then got dressed in our thanksgiving outfit that aunt Kristina gave Erica last Christmas we were so glad, it fit her!

We went to dinner at Melissa's house and then to follow we went to my moms house for desert and some of the greatest stuffing ever!

Family picture Thanksgiving 2007

Erica, Aunt Amanda and Chris



Erica and Grandma



Erica had to share in the thanksgiving feast, she had sweet potatos! This was the first veggie that we gave her and she seems to really like it! Yeah, the next one will be green beans we will see what happens with that one.

Here is he first bite!

Here is a picture of Brooke she gives such good smiles for the camera!

Lights festival

Last sunday we went to the Bolingbrook Promenade to watch the lights festival, the tree lighting ceremony. It was so cold and then it started to drizzle, we were all bundled up and Erica was toasty warm. Santa made his way to his house and he light the tree! The lights on the tree are choreographed to music though we did not find it to be that great. I think the back speakers were out because we could hardly hear the music.

Here is Erica all bundled up!

Erica and mommy

Erica and daddy

Mommy, daddy, and Erica

Erica and Amanda

Erica and Grandma

Ellie

Ellie seems to get lost in the shuffle, she was our first baby that we loved and nurtured since she was a pup. Since little Erica's arrival Ellie has been playing second fiddle though I think that is true for any pet. She is getting plenty of attention though not what she is used to, she is such a great dog though and very gentle with Erica. Here are a few pics that we took of Ellie.

Ellie loves giving kisses I though this was a funny picture!

Mommy and Me

I am usually the one taking the pictures so there are not many pictures of just mommy and Erica but here are a few that I thought were so cute!

Some of these pictures were taken a couple weeks ago. Here we are sitting outside when the weather was still nice. I love cuddling with her so is so sweet.

Just one of many kisses given in any given minute!

All smiles

Here is a picture from a while back this was a marking the day that Erica wore her first pair of gym shoes...thanks to auntie lois! Of course they don't fit her anymore though they were so cute on her.

John and Brie

Here are some pictures that I took when John and Brie were over at the house. It is so amazing to see how much the kids are changing and growing.

Here is Brie she is stretching sooo big she is exhausted from taking pictures!

Brie

Kristin Kevin and John

Little John