Christmas in South Bend

We spent the weekend enjoying family and lots of beautiful white snow in the South Bend area. It was as close to a Christmas card weekend as I think it could have been. I have lots of pictures but will just post these few tonight.

Throwing snowballs at Papa Bruce

Being pulled around in a sled by Daddy

Standing next to the snowman Daddy and Papa Bruce made

More Birthday Pics

Just like last year, Andy was able to take the day off to spend with Quinn and me for Quinn's birthday. We are trying to make sure his birthday feels special, not just another day lumped into Christmas festivities. Also like last year, we went to the Children's Museum. I was happy because since it was the last day of school, there were no field trips there (at least that we saw)! When we went a few weeks ago, the place was exploding with field trips, and while I am a former teacher and do appreciate the exuberance of children having learning experiences outside of school, it is a bit stressful when I'm also worried they are going to stampede over my child! :) So, this day was great. The employees saw Quinn's birthday button and directed us to a place to get birthday crown for him, which he proudly wore everywhere. We had a lot of fun!

All last winter, when we came to the museum almost weekly, the dinosaur exhibit was a bit too dark and scary for Quinn. Now, he loves it. Isn't this a cool picture with Andy? The sky changes color, so I waited for the sunset sky to add extra drama to the pic. :)
He found a dinosaur costume area and immediately put it on, then wandered all over the exhibit. It was so cute to see my little dino with all the big ones!

After sliding down the Yule Slide, which is the big staircase they convert to a slide this time of year, I had Quinn pose in front of the Christmas display. I received some comments about how well Quinn smiles and poses for pictures. He really is my little model and is more than willing to do whatever I ask of him. I think there are 2 reasons for that--1. he's had a camera in his face for all of his short life and 2. I almost always give him a "special treat" for modeling for me. So, that's my secret! Also, I have to say that while I did comment on my last post about how Quinn never has meltdowns, that certainly does not mean we don't struggle with many other age-appropriate issues, such as listening and obeying, sharing, and using our hands kindly! I just wanted to set that record straight. ;)

Three Is a Magic Number . . . and Age!

Today my baby boy turns 3! As every parent says at every birthday, I can't believe he's this age already. Last year flew by. While his growth is not as dramatic as the first 2 years, still there are some big changes. Compared to last year, he is no longer in diapers, carries on incredibly in-depth conversations, is much leaner and taller, and is in general more independent and strong. He still is such a sweet, sweet boy who most definitely was not terrible in his 2's. While I'm sure some not-so-terrific times in the 3's will come, Andy and I remarked today, as we observed at least 4 meltdowns by similarly aged boys at the Children's Museum, how blessed we feel that we've made it 3 years with exactly 0 meltdowns, public or private. (And did I really just type that? Because I've surely now jinxed myself!(: ). Quinn is everything I could have ever dreamed for in a child and more. We are overwhelmed with the blessing God gave us in him!

I will post pictures from today later, but here are a few pictures from our Mickey-themed party on Sunday. Quinn is so blessed to have family members willing to drive hours to be at his party at this very busy time of year. We had a blast!

Quinn with Grandma Mary and Grandpa Dennis. Each year, we've had different party hats, and it's become a tradition to take a group picture with the hats on.

Photo Session

My sister Carolyn's best friend Kari came to visit for a weekend. She is an aspiring photographer looking to start her own business, and she graciously agreed to take some pictures of Quinn and me. It was a gorgeous day, and I loved how the pictures turned out. If you're looking for a photographer in the central Illinois area, let me know and I'll give you her contact info!

Getting Caught Up . . .

Well, November went by in a blur! I'm going to quickly post a bunch of pictures tonight in hopes of being more timely for the rest of the month, since I'll have birthday and Christmas pictures later.
In November, we had our annual visit from Uncle Johnny. He and Quinn has SOOOO much fun playing together. We can't wait to see him again soon, since next time will be his wedding in just a few months!

Aunt Amy came to visit for a few hours too!

Uncle Johnny got some temporary tattoos for Quinn so Q's arms could match his.

The next week, Uncle Steve, Aunt Amy, and Roscoe came to visit too.