more Christmas pictures

Below is us at the Rathskellar, our favorite German restaurant in Rockford. Nothing like German beer and sausage to wash down all of those Christmas cookies, ay? We stopped at Sinissippi Gardens to take a group picture in the snow, a white Christmas!

Nevi's First Christmas!

Christmas in Rockford was AWESOME this year! We had a great time with mom, Kristin, Keith, Gavin, Ella, Ken, Aunt Lynn, Uncle Bob , Dy, Pam and the other Graney's. Nevi was very happy playing with the wrapping paper, ribbons and gift tags just as we had predicted. It was incredible to watch her play with her cousins and take to the many people she was passed around to...quite different from our Mexico trip. She smiled ear to ear with most people she encountered (except big scary Uncle Keith) and rested easy there, as if she remembered being there before. It was just one of those gatherings where we all laughed and loved for 3 days; ate lots of great food, played cards, watched movies and never ran out of good conversation. The flights and airports were painless and efficient, too. We were without electricity the first night in Rockford because of the ice but even that turned into a fun slumber party in front of her gas fireplace. Robb, Nevi and I got to meet Ken's family (mom's new boyfriend) on Christmas Eve and we all remarked on how interesting life can be if you learn let go of attachments and enjoy exactly where you're at in life, being truly present in the NOW and open to change. 3 years ago, who would have thought I'd be spending Christmas Eve with a new family and watching my mom grow within this family. She definitely has a way of connecting with people and inspiring everyone around her to be better people, more accepting and fun-loving. It was a very blessed Christmas this year.

Holiday Gatherings

We hosted a fun White Elephant Christmas Party with some of our friends from church. Robb introduced me to a little church in south Boulder called Community United Church of Christ (CUCC). It's where his Barbershop chorus practices on Tuesday nights. I liked the services and the community so much that I joined a fellowship circle to get to know some of the members a little better and am SO glad I did. Our circle is filled with intelligent and fun individuals and families, all of whom are very open minded. It's unfortunate but there is only 1 service on Sunday mornings and it is at 10am,right in the middle of Nevi's morning nap. Needless to say, I don't go to church much these days but look forward to attending again regularly when Nevi transitions to one nap each day. Most of these pictures are from that gathering. We fit 14 people in our little place and had a blast!

December photos

As I ponder December's activities and events, it makes me realize...we were busy! We purchased a new TV and now have Direct TV (for the first time in my life). I've never had a strong desire to upgrade to cable since just having the major networks has sufficed. However, after getting our new TV, which was sold to us with the understanding that we could still get NBC, FOX, ABC, etc. through it's digital capabilities, SURPRISE..it did not. We were left with only 2-3 channels, one of which played Spanish soap operas 24/7. Soooo, since we spent a wad on the TV we decided it would be helpful if we could watch stuff on it. Nevi, as seen, below, has really taken to the new TV. I am foreseeing myself doing exactly with Nevi what my father did to Kristin and I when we were young...restricting TV time. We had 1 hour a day of TV, then he'd shoo us outside and tell us to make friends with the out of doors. Best advise he gave us. And so his spirit lives on through me.

Robb also got a visit from an old Boulder friend recently (Cameron) and so our quest of introducing Nevi to all of our good friends continues.

Mexico!

What can I say about Mexico...? I can see why Jan and Jim love it there. The resort they stay've been staying at for the past 14 years has become family to them (who also made us all feel like family as well!). It's clean, culturally impressive and comfortable. Ixtapa was beautiful. Humid, but beautiful. Zihuatanajo was bit more rough but it was good for me to experience the 'third-world' life for an evening. Robb mentioned for me to remind him of Zihuatanajo when he starts complaining about America. Anyway, once I got over the initial heat and sticky skin factor where we arrived, we were able to settle in and relax in peace. Because Nevi is still on a 2 naps a day schedule and would not nap outside (too much stimulation, I'm guessing) Robb, the fam and I took turns going back to the room to let her catch some zzzz's. Jan bought a really cool tent for her to sleep in on the sand but Nevi just wanted to play in it. Too bad for us all. One thing that I have to say is that it was not a Nevi-friendly place. Tile and brick floors/streets means no crawling for Nevi and constant supervision in case she fell on the hard floors, etc. The beach would have been great for crawling/walking if it weren't for Nevi wanting to EAT the sand she played in. Grass was irrigated by 'recycled' water (toilet water) so that wasn't going to work either. She really didn't have much freedom of movement there. I had to help her walk everywhere we went (which is hard on the ol' back since she still needs my hands) or carry her because there are stairs EVERYWHERE! Anyway, we have a lot of great memories and lessons learned form this trip so we're very glad to have had this opportunity to be with family in this unique setting. But I must say, by the end, I was ready for a PB & J and a Guiness! Mexican food, beer and music had lost it's appeal. We arrived home at 1:00am on Sunday morning due to delays in both Ixtapa and Houston ... our bed never felt so good. Oh yeah, and Nevi came home with a cold, hopefully not a flu.

Snow & Pumpkin Pie!

Just a few photos from Nevi's first Thanksgiving... We opted for a smaller gathering this year with some of our closest friends; Carri, Jim and Sandy, family really. Robb cooked up a 16 pound turkey for 5 of us (3 of us actually since Carri and Sandy are vegetarians!). Needless to say, we have turkey for months in the freezer, plus the soup that Robb ambitiously created before leaving for Mexico. It was the most relaxed, delicious, and love-filled get-to-gether we'd had in a while. And of course, Nevi LOVED pumpkin pie! Couldn't get enough. But who can blame her, deeeelish!

The last two photos are of Nevi peeking out the back door during one of our first snows here in CO earlier in November. She enjoys standing at the door, banging away on the glass, inevitably scaring all of the birds and squirrels away for blocks. We continue to work on being gentle but it doesn't seem to be sinking in quite yet.

Boulder and Boy

Robb and Nevi enjoyed a gorgeous day in Boulder last week while I was at work. They soaked in all the sun before the snow hit this weekend. They camped out on the lawn on the Boulder County Courthouse enjoying the passersby on Pearl Street Mall and playing with the leaves. When I returned from work, they were both in great spirits and I could tell that it was one of those days that will stay in your memory for quite some time. Daddy and Nevi are becoming very close and this bonding is amazing to watch. She waves at dad every time she sees him and has a great big smile that tells the story of her love.

Last night, we went over to a couple's home from our birthing class for dinner and playtime (Domenika and Peter). They are of Polish descent, which is the primary language in the house but are very fluent in English, too. And quite the cooks! I haven't eaten that good in a long time...lamb, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli salad. MMmmmmmm. Nevi was overtired unfortunately from a long day of hiking with me and friends and then traveling into Boulder for errands. She just can't find contentment when she's tired but we did the best we could. Pawel is the little boy, 3 weeks older than Nevi and cute as little boys come. To my surprise, Domenika is pregnant with their second boy already, showing and due in March! I was happy for them but soooooooo grateful I don't share her 'condition.' Not it!

8 Months Old

On November 6th, Nevi turned 8 months old. Crazy. Absolutely crazy.

If it were up to Nevi, all she would do right now is walk. Run more like it. Unfortunately, she isn't quite independent with walking yet, so we pulled this 'walker' from the garage. I bought it for $5 from a neighbor at a yard sale and it is worth every cent. She LOVES this walker and uses it both inside and out. She doesn't quite have the strength to maneuver it on the carpet so she uses it primarily on the kitchen tile, back and forth and then back again. She especially likes it when you race her. But you have to let her win.

We still work on crawling everyday but it's more of a chore for the both of us than it is a fun activity. Definitely not her favorite mode of transportation....yet.

Got my hair cut today. Been wanting to do it for some time now and finally got up the gumption. Best thing I've done for myself in a long time.

Til next time.

almost 8 months...

We started our Sunday (10/31) at the Chapel of Miracles, a place where Robb spent a lot of time when he first moved to Boulder. He actually lived there for one summer both as a student and as a teacher. This is also the site where he went through ordination in ministry. Anyhoo, Robb attended the service that morning to honor the passing of a friend and Nevi and I decided to explore the land in which this chapel rested (Nevi actually decided for us by not using her 'inside voice' during the service). The picture below was shot as Nevi and I finished the labyrinth that Sunday morning. It was beautiful and serene. (Below, Robb sporting Nevi's sunglasses since she just won't keep them on herself anymore.)

We found some more 'touch and feel' books tonight as we reorganized Nevi's bookshelf. To start from the beginning, today we had all new windows installed in our townhome; taking advantage of the energy tax refund. We needed to move Nevi's bookcase since it was right in front of the window so as we were moving it back into place tonight we found more of her favorite type of books. These animal books that have actual feathers, wool and other tactile stimulants are the only books she seems interested in at this point. Tonight as she was helping me to turn the pages, she kept flipping the book over to the back cover, almost as if she was looking for the rest of the animal that was on the page. It was so interesting watching her try to understand the 2 dimensional concept of books. But as soon as she spotted the camera in my hand, over to me she crawled. Taking pictures of her actually doing things of interest might be tough in the coming months as her fascination with the camera trumps most other toys. We shall see.

Oh yeah, and now she can push herself up from crawling to a sitting position all on her own. Go Nevi!!!!

Halloween!!!

Nevi's first Halloween. We carved pumpkins, baked the pumpkin seeds (though I forgot to set the timer so I burned em) and handed out candy to a few kiddos in our hood. I never used to set the timer when I cooked but now that Nevi has joined our forces, it's an absolute must with the constant activity in our house. Mental note.

There was almost a foot of snow on the ground a few days prior to Halloween but it melted just in time for trick or treating. Phheww.

Robb carved a very 'different' kind of jack o lantern this year (see below), just a giant hole in the front. It actually looked kind of like a chiminea from NM. It was his way of being creative and unique and it worked! We had a few fun little outfits for Nevi that were not too gaudy or uncomfortable... we'll save that for when she can actually complain.

Too fast

I never imagined I'd become to kind of mom that says ...'she's growing up too fast!'..... but I totally am. The changes that are taking place at this point in her development are rapid and constant. It's the most incredible thing to witness first hand. Round 1 of our household 'Nevi-proofing' took place several weeks ago and now we're onto Round 2. She can officially get into anything/everything now and has taken a particular interest in Dylan's food and water bowls. Her most independent form of mobility is her 'army style' crawling - still not totally up on her hands and knees yet but scooting places on her elbows, belly and legs. Her favorite thing to do however, is to walk. She reaches for your hands, lifts herself to a standing position and off she goes gripping your fingers with her life and marching with all her might. I've gotta say that I already admire the person that Nevi is becoming. She's outgoing, strong, she loves to laugh, she doesn't scream and cry when she falls but rather gets right back up and keeps on truckin', she has a definite sense of independence, and when she's feeling extremely tired or frustrated a hug tends to solve the problem. Easy enough. Also, Nevi is not afraid of strangers (yet?) but stares long and hard at new people who are holding her, absorbing every angle and facet of the new experience.

About the picture of Nevi with the bucket over her face, Robb said that one day this week while I was at work, she held that bucket there for a LONG time, somehow fascinated by the darkness and resonance. He got a real kick out of it. We'll draw the line with plastic bags, we promise.