Millie's First Christmas

Millie would like to thank everyone for making her first Christmas an amazing one! While she seems to have liked most of her gifts, nearly every one of them made it into her mouth. Love from Colorado and hope to see you all soon!

OK, Cukoo Birdie isn't new, but the track jacket is!

These ornaments taste pretty good

Wes Welker Onesie - WOOT! WOOT!

Give me a month with this one and I'll be banging out Mozart

All that gift opening certainly is tiresome...let's have a timeout while I rest up a minute

If you have to be stuck somewhere, make it Fremont

As many of you may have heard, the city of Seattle turned into a bowl of winter soup just before the holidays. Julie, Millie and I road-tripped down the night before our flight to Denver and stayed at our most gracious hosts' house, the Arnolds. How kind of them to loan us their sweet digs for what was supposed to be a single evening, particularly in their absence! Anyhow, the snow fell in heeps, on top of a substantial amount of black ice already on the road. That plus the city's alleged 20 snow plows, made for a mess at Sea-Tac airport for the next few days. After initially being told that we wouldn't be able to arrive Colorado until the 28th (we were due to depart on the 21st originally), we got lucky and caught a flight out on the 22nd. I will spare you the mission impossible story of how that happened, but big ups to 1) The Arnolds for letting us stay in their cozy casa for two nights 2) JD for rallying us to the airport in my car and 3) Kevin from the Visa Avion travel agency that miraculously found seats for us. Oh and by the way, if you have to be stranded someplace, there's no place like Fremont. I recommend walking to The Dish for snowed in brunch, and also snowboarding down Fremont Ave to watch Sunday football with the fellas at the Pac Inn. 

Vancouver Christmas

We had a little Christmas here at home, before we head out tomorrow for Colorado.  Call us crazy, but it's important that we let Walter open gifts, as this is his favorite thing to do!!  He loves tearing open the paper...we wrap up little treats and toys and he goes to town.  It's tough to get him to wait his turn, and he always wants to help whomever is opening.  Millie got quite a kick out of this...he kept her in giggles.  We built a fire and opened presents from the East Coast Crew (thanks Deck's and Keegans :-)  Such wonderful gifts!!   I think it's official...Millie likes Christmas!!!  Hughes' and Deison's....here we come!!  We can't wait to see you guys!! xo

Snow day!

Twice this week, we woke up to snow!  Although it usually "snows" once or twice a year in Vancouver, it really is nothing to speak of.  It rarely sticks and it usually melts before you have to shovel.  But this week, we had some pretty major dumps.  It was so pretty and just what we needed to really get us in the Christmas spirit.  Millie seemed to like it.  We still went for our walks, just with a few more layers.   We can't wait to take Millie sledding next year :-)

Admiring the snow first thing in the morning. 

5 months old today!

hi

big blue eyes

Hangin with Moo Moo (courtesy of Mama Merce :-)

Her new friend Maddox...they were pretty fascinated by each other 

sooooooooooooo tired!

Helping mom make Christmas cookies!

BCSPCA Toy Drive

Today, we attended the annual BCSPCA Toy Drive.  This is the animal shelter that Julie volunteers at on Tuesday nights.  Each year, they hold this drive in hopes that they receive food, donations and most importantly good quality toys for the animals.  Toys provide mental stimulation and distraction for animals who are struggling with depression and loneliness.  Although the shelter is an amazing place for these animals to find themselves temporarily, it can be quite a stressful situation for them.  Toys are a highlight of their stay.   

Pancake breakfast by donation...Jaim said they were DELISH!

Yay, Santa!  Walter had to come clean on his sins for the year ;-)

Fun for the whole family!!! 

The Nursery!

Alas...the nursery is complete!!  Many of you have heard us gripe that our changing table still had not arrived.  I ordered it weeks before Millie was born, so that it would be here when we brought her home.  No such luck.  After many calls to the store where it was purchased, we kept getting the standard..."any day now, it should be here any day now."  Well....if "any day now" meant 6 months later, then they were right on target.  It arrived this week, and the nursery is now complete.  Millie got so used to being changed on the floor that she's a little confused as to why we're changing her on the table...but none-the-less, she likes it.  And it is saving her parents from any more back aches.   Here are a few photos of the nursery....

Yep...Walter has a bed in the nursery!