The Special Announcement...

The Special Announcement from Craig Williams on Vimeo.

And Summer 2012 Flew By...

Here is a whirlwind tour of our summer starting in June with:

Our trip to pick strawberries with grandma & grandpa - it was a hot day, but very productive!

We also watched Uncle Mike & Shire go skydiving - everyone was SO brave.  Amelie cannot wait to take her turn jumping out of an airplane...

Then Craig & I went to Lutsen for a week while Amelie stayed with the grandparents. Craig had fun fishing on Superior, while I enjoyed laying by the pool and eating his bounty!

Even though June was busy, we were sure to play a lot and take many trips to the park.

Then when July rolled around, we didn't stop.  First, we celebrated the Fourth of July with family!

We had our favorite friends sleepover for the first time!

We helped celebrate a new friends baptism (yay, Ellie)!  It was a bonus that we played near a pool while celebrating...

Hit up a Twins game with grandma & grandpa (and clearly had NO fun at all)!

Then we ended the month in WI with our postponed Fourth of July cabin trip - some of our best summer fun happens here!

August came quickly and we chilled out a bit.  We explored our backyard and played outside even more!

A momentous occasion in August came when Amelie's request of seeing a new state came true!  Our favorite friends Megan, Eric, & Oscar took a road-trip with us to Chicago.  It was an amazingly fun weekend with only one little snag; Oscar took a fall and needed stitches on our first day in the city.  Amelie learned a valuable lesson from brave Oscar, a little blood and an ER visit shouldn't stop us from having fun!  After Oscar was all fixed up, we explored the city together...

Then we had a fun day at the MN State Fair with grandma & grandpa!

Finally, Amelie started back up at Montessori this week!  She will be joining their kindergarten class part-time in January after she turns five-years old.

Craig & Amelie are very excited to start their winter adventures too; they put together their snowboard gear in the living room one night last week.  Me, on the other hand, I am going to hold on to every last drop of summer...

Our Own Little Scottish Girl

Thanks to our cousin Ashley and her hubby Dan for studing abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland - the family returned with an adorable kilt, matching scarf, and hat for Amelie!

We waited to take photos on a foggy day that reminded us of those rolling hills of Scotland. The only thing missing were the wandering sheep lazily eating grass.

What do we do on a 70-degree day?!

We go snowboarding, of course! It was the last day for our local hills to be open, so we took Amelie to Afton Alps and she rode on a chairlift for her first time! Craig is already anticipating next season with Amelie. They couldn't be more excited.



Where was I, you ask? I was standing on the hill in the sun wearing a tanktop and getting a nice tan. I'll take this crazy warm March weather! LOVE IT.

Birthday Girl!

It's not 20 degrees below zero or sleeting & snowing 2" an hour, so it might not seem like December 12... but it is, it's Amelie's 4th birthday!

Yesterday, we had a little gathering at our house to eat some of Amelie's favorite sandwich fixings and upon her request, we made a homemade strawberry cake. Here is proof that we have the best friends & family - Shannon & Elle keeping busy at the dollhouse:


And check out this sugar induced smirk that Amelie is showing off, what a doll:


After our guests went home, we went ice skating with a few friends (we missed Luca - get well soon!): Gretta, Amelie, Matea. What a bunch of ice skating stars!

All in all, the day was a blast! This morning, Amelie woke up to a bedroom floor covered with balloons (photos later). So far, being 4-years old is pretty fun!

December Arrives

Along with December, comes snow. These are a few photos of our first trip out with Amelie & her snowboard. She was ripping down the hill, getting cheers from all the other kids. But it was the other parents approaching us, asking where she learned her skills, how old she was, and if I was "recording" her that really had us laughing. I could see Craig's chest puffing out with pride.


I must say, Amelie is a natural - she gets down low, leans on her front foot and points it. Plus, the girl seems to LOVE it. Here we are, giving high fives, after one of the first runs that she flew straight down!



Can you see that huge smile under her balaclava? Seriously, loving it. If I don't hurry up and learn to snowboard, I'll definitely be left at home during the winters. This is the year that Amelie AND I learn to snowboard, I don't want to be left in the dust by an almost four-year-old!

Oh, my lover girl.

3 Little Birds

It's *almost* old news that Amelie started at a new school. The new school is called 3 Little Birds and they have a blog that is updated weekly, at least. Feel free to take a look at the pictures of the kiddos, doing what they do best, having all sorts of fun!

This is Amelie during her first week, what a sweetheart:

A Happy Sight

While dropping Amelie off for preschool this morning, the classroom of friends was filled with schoolmade tie-dyed shirts. Last week, each friend dyed their own plain white t-shirt so they could wear them today for their field trip to the downtown St. Paul library! Amelie has been counting down the days for this trip.

What is she excited about? "I get to ride the city bus just like Mommy & Daddy do..."

Whoa.

Time really flies, eh? It seems I've neglected the blog for the last two months. Here is the long story, shortened:
- January = brrr, snow.
- February = brrr, snow with bar exam mixed in there.
- March = so far, brrr, cold with Vegas trip mixed in soon.

Amelie is progressively becoming more & more hilarious, spouting out important advice and musings. Such as:

"mommy, why doesn't booboo speak Spanish?" (I tried to explain she doesn't really speak English either...)

"mommy, can I always be with you and live with you and love you forever?" (I melted on the spot)

"mommy, I am going to buy you matching outfits so you can dress cute like me." (I asked where she'd get the money, she says Daddy - I'm okay with that.)

Recent photos from a snowy night walk we took. I cannot wait until we're wearing sandals.

Flashback to 2010!

2011 is here already... since 2010 went by so quickly and had so many highlights, I figured a quick review would be fun.

My family started off the New Year of 2010 at our Childrens Museum. I loved dressing up as a fairy and celebrating "midnight" at 10pm with my Mom & Dad!



February was filled with lots of love and art projects!

Art Day from H-Dub on Vimeo.

In March, Mommy finally caught up to Dad and turned 32. I had many fun playdates, just like this one with all my Yo Gabba Gabba friends!



In April, we took our first official road trip to visit our dear friends in Madison, WI! Thanks to Oscar for letting me play with his toys all weekend. It was a blast!



I perfected my tricycle riding in May, while cruising around our new backyard patio that Mommy & Daddy built just for me. My Daddy even took me for bike rides near Harriet Island!



In June, I began teaching Mom how to use her iPhone. Oh, and Daddy officially became older than Mom!



The month of July was hot. I took Mom & Dad for boat rides at the cabin during the Fourth. I also had many playdates with Gretta, Matea, and Anja in the sprinkler and pool!



By the time August rolled around, I was really becoming a big girl. I had been in Montessori for one year and made lots of new friends. I even love bath time!



Most of September was really fun! Mommy's friends took us to the new Twins stadium. We also went to the State Fair on Labor Day, but I got sick and we went home early. It was okay though because Grandma & Mommy bought me a Dora balloon. Geez, I love the summertime!



During October, I played outside a lot! My Daddy said we had to play outside as much as possible before it turned winter. I dressed up as Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street! I "trick or treated" with Mom, Dad, and Grandpa on Halloween. I love candy (mostly chocolates)!



Well, November was a roller coaster! The weather started off amazing, I even played outside almost every day! But when Mom and Dad went to Costa Rica over Thanksgiving it got really cold and yucky outside. I had fun with the grandparents, but I was really happy to have my Mom & Dad home!



Finally, in December I turned three! I love having my Mom tell me that I'm really tall for my age. I also love when Daddy plays "grumpy old troll under the bridge" and chases me around! I just tried snowboarding at a real mountain (well, Minnesota equivalent to mountain)! My Daddy says I ripped it, I think I will be better than he is...



So, I expect my third year will be the best yet and I cannot wait to share 2011 with you! xoxo.