It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Christmas is finally over for our little family. We started on the 20th and finished on the 28th. Calla opened gifts almost every day during that time. She of course received many, many, many things. She has played with everything too!
It was so nice spending lots of time with family and even a few friends! Take some time to enjoy our pictures. We hope that you have taken some time to reflect on all that you have received this last year. We certainly have so much to be glad for in 2008 and only hope that 2009 blesses us even more!

Playing under the high chair at home

B playing in Calla's new rocking chair and sporting her new Dora slippers!

Calla and her new blocks

Sitting at the little table at Grandma's house

Layne and Calla in the rocking chair.

Calla and Elly in their similar dresses at Christmas Eve services

Opening her new house from Grandma and Grandpa Ripp

Grandma Karma, Papa Mike, and Calla

Sitting in Grandma Karma's cradle

Calla and Minnie Mouse!

Santa came early!

Santa visited our house yesterday! Calla was SO EXCITED to get her own set of blocks and a kitchen set! She opened the kitchen and then just stared at it for a few seconds, then Chad moved it to her corner and she just kept saying "Thank you Daddy!" It was so cute! We gave her some food to play with too and everything kept going into the microwave...I hope this is not how she thinks I cook everything. :-) Last night her friend Elly came over and they played and played with the kitchen and then the blocks they LOVED too.

This morning she is wearing her Christmas dress to church since our church isn't until 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve so she won't get much use that night. Enjoy the pics!

Christmas is coming!!

This week Calla has been rather busy entertaining us! Thursday night she helped me make cupcakes. At Target on Tuesday night she saw a cake mix box and kept pointing and saying "Cake, Mama!" so we bought a cake mix and some cupcake liners. She sat so nicely on the counter and stirred rather well. She didn't stick her fingers in to taste it until she saw me do it! Oops!! As soon as they came out of the oven she was at her high chair saying "Sit, cake!" She has ate most of them and enjoys them very much!
Yesterday we took her downtown to see Santa! She sat on his lap for about 1.3 seconds and then wanted off! I decided to kneel beside Santa and hold her and she was ok with that. She did really enjoy the candy cane he gave her though!
Last night at bedtime, Chad and I took her to her room then turned on the fan and night light. I asked for a kiss and she put her finger on my lips and that was my kiss for the night. Chad got a nice big Calla kiss! Then we put her in her bed and covered her up. She then shut her eyes like she was pretend sleeping and said "Night, night! Bye-bye!" We just laughed at her and left the room! She is so silly sometimes!
This morning she wanted to sit at the table and eat another round of breakfast. I told her that she already ate and she needed to go play. She ran across the living room crying and went back behind the couch to her play area. I didn't hear anything for a few minutes so I came over to see what she was doing. She was sitting in a toy crate and gave me the cutest smile! We LOVE every minute we get to spend with this amazing little girl!

Here she is in her crate after she was mad at Mommy!

Laying on the Dora couch with all her things. She carried this crate full of stuff all over the house this morning!

Our attempt at Santa!

Outside Santa's house

Dancing on the table!

This is sad Calla after Mommy took her off the counter when we were done making cupcakes!

Messy face!

Trying to put the batter in the cupcake liner!

Mixing!

Pretending she is sleeping on Daddy's pillow! She was even trying to snore!

Hello Again!

We had a great Thanksgiving with our families! It was nice to go to Deshler for 4 days and hang out with just playing on the agenda! After the long weekend with both families, Calla continues to ask "Grammy go?" over 700 times per day...even our daycare provider was tired of hearing it by Friday. :)
Calla got to go to Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic this week. SHE LOVED IT!!! Minnie Mouse has been a favorite for a while now and when Minnie came on the ice Calla was beside herself with excitement...pointing and yelling "Minnie, Minnie, Minnie, Minnie!!" There were over 20 different Disney shows represented during the 2 hour performance and so Minnie would come out between and tell about the next part and Calla would get so excited when Minnie reappeared. We really hope another Disney show comes next year b/c Calla will love to go again!
This week we also did some more home improvement projects. We finally purchased our flat screen TV and so we had to do some rearranging and painting before it could be hung on the wall. Yesterday we worked most of the day and have it really close to finished. We really like it and are happy with our choices!
Like all of you, we continue to prepare for Christmas and can't wait to spend more time with our families. Keep warm!

She enjoyed the Styrofoam from the TV!

All of the prince and princesses represented at Disney on Ice!

Calla enjoying the show!

Calla and Burlynn ready to go to a wedding reception.

Calla's area of the living room

Our laptop table (Chad made it!!) and the furniture with the TV on the wall!

A view with the piano on the other wall

Happy Thanksgiving 2008!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1

Calla made her headband at daycare yesterday and she really likes it!

We love Elmo!

Calla is on my lap as I type this chatting about Elmo...the love of her life! We found some new books at Target yesterday about Elmo and we have read them more times then you can imagine. I am glad that we have raised a little reader!!
Chad's mom, Karma, has received the official word that yes indeed she does have cancer. She will have some chemo and then will be rechecked to see where she goes from there. We know that the power of prayer works, so please lift her up when you are saying your prayers!
We look forward to this week of giving thanks...we have more then we deserve that we are thankful for. Thanks for all the prayers and kind words over the last few weeks.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Psalm 100:4

Under her right eye you can kind of see her battle wounds from daycare. She got hit by a flying toy!

Burlynn and Calla had a great time reading with Papa last weekend.

Sitting with Grandma Karma and the cat.

Take it to the Lord in PRAYER

Chad's mom is doing ok. Thanks to those of you have expressed words of comfort and PRAYERS!!! It is amazing what a few minutes with God can help you through! Continue to pray that her recovery is not too painful and that the doctor's knowledge is in our favor. We will let you know when we have any new information.

Our Halloween Fun

Calla had a great Halloween! Before Daddy came home from work we visited a few houses and then we came home to eat and visit with Grandma and Grandpa Ripp. They tried to convince her to wear her duck outfit, but she would not comply even for them...better luck next year! After supper we met our friends Andy, Amber, and Elly at the Light in the Night Carnival. There were many games to play and some jump houses to try out. Calla and Elly got special treatment and got to go up close to play the games. Several times they wanted to keep the balls or beanbags rather then throw them, but with a candy prize they decided to give it back! Yesterday all things Halloween at Target were 1/2 off so we bought her outfit for next year already...I can't wait! Thanks for checking in to see how our Halloween went!

Checking to make sure the tunnel was safe before she entered!

There were so many things to see so she would not look at me for a pic with Daddy!

Loper in the making?!?!

Playing a bean bag toss game!

Elly and her Mommy throwing the balls through the holes!

We sat the girls on the outside of the jump house so the big kids could not trample them.

Calla trapped in the contraption Andy built!

Posing with the pumpkins in her orange outfit!