Let it snow...

We had our first snowfall about 1 1/2 weeks ago and we had a beautiful white Christmas! I really miss the snow (yes, I just really said that:-) but it proves to be quite challenging to bring a 2 1/2 and 1 year old out to play in it! Here's a few photos to start and other random photos of us just playing around at home...

Rocco hangin' in his 'crib'

Lots of snow!!!! Yea!!!!



Carmella out getting a taste of our first snowfall...

Carmella

Rocco

Rocco's favorite new discovery: the bouncing zebra!! His face says it all!

Looking for Reindeer...

Looking for Reindeer...Carmella fell in MAJOR LOVE with Rudolph this year (we may still be watching it in July:-)....no Rudolph in these photos but some playful reindeer were found at Clear Creek Nursery...Rocco enjoyed the lights and just getting out more than anything...he's just about ready to start walking on his own..lots to update...more coming...



Carmella lovin' on the reindeer

Carmella and "McLamb" watching the real reindeer..dare we go anywhere without McLamb!!

Carmella, me and Rocco

Post-Thanksgiving silliness

No caption needed...just flat out silliness:-)

More play time...

How this Holiday Season is passing so quickly...I wish we could slow it down! It has been wonderful not getting caught up in the hustle and bustle and truly just having more time to spend with family and friends! We've done a few things to celebrate the season so far but what Carmella and Rocco are enjoying most is spending more play time with us-or is it vice versa!?!...we are so blessed! These two little Angels make us better people every day!

Carmella and Victor (and Rocco too)



Rocco and Victor (with Carmella begging for more in the background)

Carmella..the smile that gets her anything-almost:-)

Play time...

Carmella and Rocco enjoying play time in the sun room...

Enjoying the moments...

Can you believe Thanksgiving is just 8 days aways! I love this time of year and the peacefulness it brings...I'm finding that this year is ringing a new tune- with the economy slowing down I've decided to take advantage of this and not get caught up in the hustle and bustle. I'm really looking forward to the simple things in life that bring the most pleasure...spending more time with family and friends, enjoying more time with Carmella and Rocco, baking, listening to the Christmas music and of course, watching all the Christmas cartoons...and yes (to my sisters)...I will have the box of Kleenex available for Rudolph:-) I feel, atleast for myself, the true meaning of Christmas has been lost these last few years and I'm really looking forward to enjoying this special time of year...and I wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season also!

Rocco



Rocco with his sippy (and looking so innocent)

Enjoying story time at the Jacobson's
(Carmella, Pam and Fin)

Carmella was having quiet time on the couch instead of her nap...I peaked around the corner and caught her playing with her Mickey ears! These two kids are going to kill me with laughter!

Here's a few more photos of our trip to Ohio...we were lucky enough to be escorted around by my brother-in-law Gerald to all his farms...we checked out the tractors, barns, pigs....Carmella is always talking about Farmer Gerald and Lorli:-) (Lori...I thought this might help convincing Gerald to get that computer:-)

Rocco gearing up for a day in the field..is it really work when you're riding in this cool of a tractor:-)

Grandma and Rocco spending time together

Rocco sitting in the tractor wheel

Carmella kicking back in the tractor

Carmella's superhero...Farmer Gerald:-)

The true meaning of 24/7...

Anyone that is a parent can relate to 24/7....but thank God this includes lots of giggles and laughs along the way!!! Carmella is growing taller and growing big in thoughts and language...she is constantly testing me (sometimes it takes every ounce of me to not laugh...how do they do that to us??!!)...but she is a great domestic goddess already and loves to help with her baby brother...she's always shoving his sippy cup or some toy into his space so that he doesn't try to take her toy or get into her business:-) As you can see on the next photo...I should have been in the room quicker when I heard Carmella yelling "Ra' ho, no!" (aka Rocco:-) By the time I came to see what the commotion was Rocco had taken the sidewalk chalk out of a ride-on toy and decided to see what the color blue tastes like! Carmella was so funny...I asked her if that is what she was yelling about and she simply stated "Yes"....my little girl is growing up so fast and so is Rocco!!! I found him standing up in the crib for the first time this morning and he's learned how to scale the stairs....

Other happenings...Victor is back from 'working' in Palm Springs...no really, he did have a work conference...he was welcomed back with the rainy gloom of Washington..I think it's here to stay until the 4th of July:-)...anyone from WA understands this! We're filling our time with doing things around the house and visiting friends as much as we can....

Rocco tasting the color blue



Thanks Carrie for the muffins and lunch suggestion...they BOTH loved it and Rocco was so wiped out...he barely made it through lunch:-)

Carmella loving her HamJack...mmmmm!

Rocco playing...

Rocco and Carmella playing in the sunroom...

Carmella's fav' new dress.....

Thanks Aunt Cindy...Carmella loves loves loves her new poodle dress...she twirls and dances in it all day and sleeps in it at night too! (I couldn't talk her out of it tonight...not even for her animal pj's from Ellie:-)

Camping with Cindy and the Gang

I think this was one of the best days we had in Ohio...carefree day of camping and watching Rocco and Carmella play with Ellie and Adyson all day was so much fun!!!

Rocco loving his first wagon ride! (The first of many more to come that day!)



Adyson, Ellie and Carmella in dreamland...thanks Uncle Keith for making this happen! Whew!

Miss Ellie

Carmella being Miss Mother Hen...

Miss Adyson can always find the chocolate!!! What a character...need I say more??!!

Ohio Happenings...

Aunt "Lorli"bringing Ellie, Rocco, and Carmella to the football game...stopping at the Dairy Dream beforehand of course!



Adyson and Carmella playing with barbies in the camper...getting warmed up for a huge day of fun...I'll need to do a blog on that day alone....

Uncle Rick and Rocco

Carmella helping with the clean up after winds from Hurricane Ike moved through the day prior...

Rocco bundled up during our clean up time...

Dad's 80th birthday party...in Ohio

Carmella and Rocco with Grandma and Grandpa and some of their cousins...Dad's 80th Birthday Party was at a park with lots of climbing gyms, swings, slides...needless to say the kids were in heaven!!

Ah ha...catching some of the "Big Kids" playing at the park

Carmella zonked after the party...

Rocco enjoying time with Sara...please come back, Sara:-)

Rocco and Grandpa...aka Mini Grandpa:-)

This one's for you, Cindy....Happy Halloween:-)

Back tracking...

I'm doing a bit of back tracking now...these photos are from August when Victor's Mom (Susan) and sister (Jill) were visiting. The visit went by so quickly and we look forward to the next! Really:-)

This is in Seabeck


Carmella loving her one on one time with Aunt Jill!

Susan, Victor and Jill

Carmella and Grammie