It's Electric!

I'll spare you all the gory details, but we were out of power for a good portion of a whole week (okay maybe like 80 hours total). It really killed my whole snow buzz that I had going right before the storm.

All in all, we survived and tried to see the good in it (as best as we could).

One day, we ventured to the Portland Children's Museum to beat the power outage blues. It's funny how there was almost a foot of snow and ice with rainy, cold drizzle in the Gorge, and it was 45 degrees and sunshine in Portland. We were walking around in our T-shirts!

You may be able to tell from these phone pictures that we were without hot water for a long time prior to this trip :)

Her lid was in full action by the end of this saga!

The Waterworks room was most definitely her fav

By the looks of the lad to N's right, she must have just let out a nasty one

At this point, I really didn't care about anything. Notice the bags under the eyes.

She's a mon-sah (monster)

Or just a cat who was spooked

It was the last day of the lego exhibition

Ahhh.... electricity

When our power came on at 11:30 AM on sunday, we did laundry, washed dishes, ran garbage disposals, blared lights, heat, music, took long hot showers, used computers, printers.....etc..... like never before. Thank you electricity. We appreciate you.

Second Year Mom's Group Birthday Party

I have the good fortune to have a circle of mom's that I have been through thick and thin with, since having Noella. These moms all had babies within a 2 month time frame, and we met every tuesday for at least 5 months. It was AMAZING. I miss it!

Last year, we had a giant baby party to mark a rough one year birthday for the whole group:

This year, one of the moms (my good friend Kate), hosted an awesome animal themed breakfast party at her house. Animal waffles for the kids, mimosas for the parents. Doesn't get better than that. Noella decided to try: she grabbed hold of the redi whip and stuffed it straight into her mouth when no one was looking. I need a picture of that to document.... All the kiddos showed up in their jammies and played the morning away, while using waffles as whipped cream, syrup and sprinkles delivery systems into their mouths (at least Noella did).

I love this group of people, and will greatly miss them when we leave for Bend.

Noella and Annika at the Easel 

Olivia

Ries, Carrie and Haven

Rylan

It's MINE.

Isa

Copeland

Liam, the gracious host

Some moms. Meredith, Kyla and Kate.

The waffle station

Davina

The mom's group dads

Mommies, and toddlers and babies - OH MY!

Pictures

Hugs

Gavin

Copeland and Noella

Mommy Says That

"Oooooohhhhhh shit. Mommy says that."

This is what Noella said to me the other day when I was getting her dressed.

I was (slightly) taken aback. "What? Noooooo....... Mommy doesn't say that".

Noella: "Ooooohhhhhh shit. Mommy says that. Ooooohhhhh shit." She really means it.

Me: "No. That's not a nice word. Mommy says 'shoot'. 'Oh shoot'"

N: "Oooohhhhhh shit"

M: "Oh shoot!"

N: "Ooooohhhh...... shoot. Mommy says that. Golly - Daddy says that.".

Now, first of all I never say "oh shit". I usually just say "shit" in response to something spilling over, breaking, hurting. It's usually whispered very loudly. But, it's never "oh shit". And second of all ---- when have you ever heard your father say "golly".  You're painting me in a very bad light here, my dear. And third.... how does just changing one vowel in a word make it so much more moral and good? I just don't get it. Oh shit.

Thank goodness she said it to me first. Now I can continue to keep my sailor's mouth hidden from the rest of the world.

Exactly Two Years Ago Today.....

I like this little game.

I can't even believe she was this little once.

 Exactly One Year Ago Today.....

Slightly more believable, but still tugs at my heart strings. 

Please stop growing.

Had Ourselves a Merry Little Christmas (and Happy Birthdays)

Actually, we had such a merry little Christmas, that we forgot to take pictures to remember all the fun we had in Missouri - visiting grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. I regret that part about it, but I don't regret for one second spending every last minute soaking up the family time we miss so much the rest of the year. We'll take better pictures next year - right?

We had to fit in lots of fun (as always) over the holiday, as it was Christmas Eve, Christmas, my 30th birthday, Noella's 2nd birthday, Papa Tracy's 60th birthday surprise.... and so on, and so forth.... We couldn't stick around for yet another birthday (Nana Carol's - January 4th), but we should have just snuck that in anyway. I mean, you can't have TOO many celebrations in one week's time - right? Sheesh, maybe we should just have one huge party day: Jesus and the rest of us.

Christmas started December 17th for us. Santa had to come early, of course before we left for Missouri. He just always knows, doesn't he?

"Christmas" morning. Someone got a play kitchen! (it wasn't me)

 

Thomas the Train craze has entered our home

Now onto Missouri time. Papa Tracy's 60th birthday was earlier in the month. All the kids couldn't be there on the day, so we had a special surprise for him when we were all there. A new guitar.

I like how Noella is standing right up front there, like
"don't you just love it, Papa? I picked it out myself"

 I'm ashamed that I don't have ONE single picture from the Noelker side's Christmas Eve. It was a fun time. I guess too fun, if there aren't any pictures. Sorry mom!

Christmas morning at the Holts:

Real Christmas morning. Lucy and Aunt Maggie
being serenaded by Papa, singing Jingle Bells

Serious work. 

This is even more serious work.

Lucy at the end of the tunnel. 

Snuggle time with Aunt Maggie. 

 Noella's birthday party was a blur. We had to speed up dinner, as Noella saw her pink and purple cupcakes and wanted one IMMEDIATELY. After that, I can't really remember. A special and HUGE thank you to my sister and brother in law for letting us take over there house for this. It was the perfect place to celebrate. and Noella loves spending time there anyway. I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

Hope's Birthday message to Noella.

She loves it. 

Getting that dinner thing out of the way,
so we can move on to cupcakes already!

Cousins Alex and Sam. Gotcha!

Spaghetti lipstick

The moment she's been waiting for...

Everything she hoped it would be...

I can't talk to you Mimi, I'm busy.

Checking out the choo-choo under the tree...

 

It's awesome. 

Let the pink and purple madness begin: gloves and bracelets.

Headbands. As well as countless other trinkets (including pink and purple duck tape) . 

Happy second birthday my little (big) pink and purple baby (not a baby anymore). We love you more than you'll ever know!