Well – to say that it has been a while since I last wrote would be an understatement. The last blog I wrote, Amelia was about 4 days old and I was telling you how she was named. That can't be further from where we are now. As a matter of fact – she has several new names. We like to call her Stinky (short for Stinkerbelle) and I have recently started calling her my baby tornado for her uncanny abilities to destroy a room in 2.3 seconds.

But I am jumping ahead. Let's see – since I last wrote, we have celebrated several things in our lives. I shall attempt to document them briefly below.

1) Amelia was baptized. She was surrounded by friends and family. She has two sets of godparents – Ross and Amie Benson were able to make it to the ceremony, and Alison Hardies and Aaron Leatzow who weren't able to make it down. Her great aunt Lisa even made it up for the big day from Florida! She wore the Christening gown that my grandmother hand sewed for me to wear at my baptism. She and Braden both wore it. (December 2010)
2) Grandma and Grandpa came to visit for Christmas. They brought lots of presents and even lights for Braden and Amelia's tree upstairs. (We only have 4 trees we set up each year!) Braden was really excited because he got to open up all the presents! (December 2010)


Grandma, Grandpa, Braden and Amelia





3) Uncle Ross and Aunt Amie came to visit and celebrate Christmas. They moved back to Portland shortly after that =( Amelia slept through most of the festivities and once again, Braden got to open all of the presents. Mommy took Aunt Amie to the Nutcracker for her first ballet while Mimi and Uncle Ross took care of the babies. Great times had by all! (December 2010)



The destruction



4) Christmas Season – we have many Christmas traditions that we celebrate in our family, and this year was no different. The kiddos met Santa, and Braden, mommy, and Mimi decorated Christmas cookies on Christmas Eve. We then went to church and came home to wait for Santa. That night our one act of sibling violence occurred – Braden beat Amelia on the head with a giant plastic dinosaur. He hasn't done anything before or after to cause any harm to her, matter of fact, he is the sweetest big brother a girl could ask for!

Mimi and Braden making cookies

Some were bigger fans of Santa than others



Toy Story seemed to be a common theme with gifts this year

 Christmas – this was special not only because it was Amelia's first, but because it snowed on Christmas Day in Georgia for the first time in a long time

We were so excited! If only we had know what was to come!

I think that is enough for today. I promise not to let so much time to pass by again. I shall begin the next blog with the big snow storm of January =)