The Hunt Is On

We've officially started the "house hunt" for our first home today. We're so excited but at the same time, so overwhelmed with all the options to choose from, the paperwork, the amount of money we're about to spend, etc. etc. So, I thought I'd come to those of you who have been there, done that already. Any advice you could give about house hunting and what is important to consider before buying a home?!?!? We're getting anxious, and have found a real estate agent that we like (she's also our current landlord) so it's a long road ahead, but I know in the end we'll get a house out of it! Wish us luck!

A New Year's Eve Visitor

Our New Year's was pretty mellow since Cam had had surgery on his ACL just days before. We missed out on some fun parties, but we were still able to enjoy visitors. Cameron's brother, Nate and his roommate came to visit on their way to Maryland and got here just in time to see the ball drop. Hallie was so excited to see Nate the next morning and talked his ear off. Nate played all of the games that Hallie wanted to play which made Hallie's day! Thanks for visiting Nate!

Christmas 2008

We spent Christmas with my parents in Michigan again this year and it was quite an exciting visit. We visited the Dicken's Festival that is held in a nearby town where they perform a Christmas Carol outside (and boy was it cold!!!) and you can also see Santa and join in other old fashioned festivities they have on the streets. It was fun but very cold.

While in Michigan, we also got to spend Christmas with my brother, Justin and his girlfriend, Brittany that he brought home to meet the family. It was fun to get to know her since she it looks like she will be part of our family in the near future! Hallie loved her instantly but she couldn't say her name so she kept saying, "Frittany" which stuck the rest of the week. So now everyone, including Justin calls her Frittany... sorry Brittany!

Christmas morning was fun having two kids to enjoy it with this year. Hallie got a kitchen with dishes and food (exactly what she asked for... thanks Santa!), and Sydnee got an interactive rhymes book (which I'm sure she would have asked for if she could talk!). It was a great Christmas, and we all had fun being together.

Above: Yes, that is a poster of Edward that Justin got my mom, and she actually put it on the back of her bedroom door. It was the best gag gift!

Jack Frost Has Met His Match

Just before Christmas, we had a huge ice storm that hit our city overnight. It did tons of damage to trees and power lines, leaving a lot of our friends without power for days. Most of trees on our street had to be cut down since they broke in half because the ice was so heavy. Everything was covered with about 1/4 of an inch of ice... it was pretty crazy!

A Big Sister's Guide to Feeding a Baby