Sitting On Santa's Lap For 10 Years

My favorite thing to get out of my Christmas totes every year are the 5x7 pictures of Bailey with Santa.  This is probably my favorite annual tradition we've done over the years as well.  Every year we head to Coral Ridge Mall to wait in line to see Santa.  Some years we have waited for close to an hour.  I think this year was a record at waiting about 10 minutes in line.  Mom and Dad have joined us for the memorable occassion every year and the past 2 years we've gotten to see my nephew Graham sit on Santa's lap as well.  This year he had the same reaction Bailey did the 2nd year she visited Santa...lot of tears and wanting to get off Santa's lap ASAP.  We brave the crowds at the mall as well to get in a a little last minute shopping.  One of my former IWC students who works at Scheels told me on Saturday that the crowds were nothing like Black Friday.  I'm really going to have to ponder whether I will ever venture out to those kinds of crowds in the future since I told my sister-in-law Amy I would go out with her some year.  It's all part of the experience, I guess. 
 

This blog marks the first of a series of '10 Years of Memories Through Pictures' as we look forward to celebrating Bailey's 10th birthday this March. 

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

Display of pictures

Got a big chuckle out of Bailey's request on her Christmas list this year.  She's been working really hard to be on Santa's nice list by Christmas.  Earlier in the week she did arrive home to find this note from Santa.

A stop at Build-a-Bear Workshop has also become a part of the tradition over the past 4 years. 

Snowflake is this year's addition to her Build-a-Bear family.

Bailey's developing an interest in crazy socks. 

She received many comments throughout the day on these snowmen socks.

A Year Of Fun-Filled Memories

Instead of a lengthy Christmas letter this year, I would encourage you to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, grab a hot beverage and take a little time to explore our blog.  It pretty much covers the highlights of 2010 including family gatherings (including the arrival of Kate Addison), reunions with friends, day trips and vacations, school highlights and other fun memories of 2010. 

Have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
Love, Heidi and Bailey

Remembering UNI

I know that I usually blog about the happenings of Bailey and my life, but today drew me to write a post about a reminiscent thought I always have this time of year...when I graduated from the University of Northern Iowa.  Today marks the last day of finals at Iowa Wesleyan so it's interesting to see how finals week in college hasn't changed much in 13 years.  Yes, this Monday will mark 13 years since I was awarded my bachelor's degree in public relations and communications.  When I hear the students I'm working with saying how they can't wait to be done with college, I have to tell them that there will be days you wish you were back in college (3 weeks of vacation days off for Christmas Break, rolling out of bed and going to class, sharing living space or walking next door to see your best friends).  My 4 1/2 years (yes, I was a 5th year senior when I graduated) at UNI are some of the most precious times of my life.  Fortunately my close-knit group of 15 friends still get together at least once a year for a Panther Reunion.  But no reunion can quite measure up to the good times in Noehren Hall and Jack's Manor, at PRSSA National Conventions and on The Hill.  This Panther alum will forever bleed purple and gold.  Go Cats!

Miss Alli Turns 5

Over the past month I've been working on getting my nieces Lauren and Alli's scrapbooks caught up so I can move on to Austin, Graham and Kate's scrapbooks.  It was so fun to work on the girl's scrapbooks and see how they have grown from cutie pa-tootie little kids to adorable young girls.  Here are some more great pictures from Alli's 5th birthday in October to add to the birthday section of her scrapbook.

Still loves her baby dolls at age 5

Time for cake

Lauren and Bailey enjoy a cupcake

Rockin' outfit from Nana

Breck's Wedding

On November 5th, one of my closest college friends, Breck Breitsprecher, got married.  It was amazing to realize how fast time flies when I recalled that Breck and Mike had met when Bailey was only 7 months old.  9 years later they finally tied the knot.  The wedding was beautiful and the reception and dance to follow were a blast.  Songs from our college years like 'This Is How We Do It' and 'Come On Eileen' brought back great memories from our evenings out at UNI.  All the best to my dear friend, Breck Danner.

Mr. and Mrs. Danner

Halloween 2010: The Year Of The Eskimo

After frivolous shopping one Friday afternoon to find a Halloween costume, we finally found an eskimo girl costume.  I was particularly pleased that it was warmer than many of the costumes we had been rummaging through at the stores.  As in year's past, we took in the annual Halloween activities the Mount Pleasant community has: Trick or Treat on the Square and the Pumpkin Patch Party at the E-3 Center.  Another fun year of trick or treating fun.

Is it any wonder I call her 'Drama'.  Definitely getting a dramatic flair to her personality.

This year we used 1 pumpkin to make 2 designs.

Halloween 2010: Peace Out

Fun On The Farm

The image to the left is something I had not seen in over 25 years, a view from the combine.  Riding in the combine with Dad and Hope was one of many highlights during our family weekend on the farm.  It just so happened that Hope was on Fall Break from her law studies and Heath and Amy were going to take the kids to the farm to ride in the combine, so Bailey and I made a trip up north as well.  When I asked Bailey if she was going to ride in the combine, her response was 'I'm not much of a farm girl Mom'.  But when she got out to the field and climbed into the combine with cousin Lauren, her farm girl attitude changed.  Now she wants to go for a ride every year...or at least until her teenage years like her mom did.  It was fun to have the family together for an impromptu weekend and we may have established an annual family gathering outside of the holiday and birthday gatherings.

Bailey after her combine ride

Bailey and Lauren having fun in the field

Austin ready for his combine ride

Graham has fun with in the corn stalks

Bailey in a tractor tire

Alli and Lauren in a tractor tire

   

Pine Lakes Scrapbook Retreat

The fact that I haven't had a blog post since the end of September is definitely an indication of how busy the month of October was.  The nice part is that now I have lots of new blogs to post.  That is when I can find time as November hasn't been much slower and the holidays are only weeks away.

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there is one thing I've found over the years that can take all my cares away and remind me of what's important in life...pictures of those I care about.  I believe I started scrapbooking way back in junior high when my Mom gave me a scrapbook.  I'm not really sure why she did, but I am sure am glad she did and that now I have found a hobby I truly enjoy.  Over the years I would scrapbook when I could find the time or during my time off in the summer when I worked at Sumner.  Now I have a table set up in my bedroom all the time where I can escape and scrapbook for hours...or days which was the case when I was home last week for a couple sick days with Bailey.  Last fall my sister-in-law Amy invited me to a scrapbook retreat at Pine Lakes Christian Camp in Eldora, Iowa.  It was awesome!  A room full of women cropping away for 2 1/2 days interspersed with spiritual and cropping break out sessions.  Not to mention fantastic food and fellowship.  This fall's retreat theme was County Fair.  The weeks can't go fast enough until the next retreat at the end of March.

Our Cropping Table: Amy, her cousin Lindsey and Lindsey's friend Angie

County Fair Games: I found Wilbur.  My prize was a souvenir pig nose and a rice krispee bar on a stick

The following are a couple pages completed at the retreat. 

Me and My Mom page

My Favorite Things page

My Favorite Things page

Wapsie Pines page

Sunday Afternoon Photo Opps

Since purchasing a digital camera almost 2 years ago, I've enjoyed the luxury of taking pictures just for the fun of it.  It's also been nice for Bailey to get behind the camera as well and develop her photography skills.  A couple weeks ago Bailey wanted to show off her clean room.  She goes through these cleaning stages every couple months and to have evidence that she is capable of keeping her room clean, we took some pictures as proof.  Although we didn't get many pictures of her room other than her made-up bed, we had fun taking pictures anyway.  At the rate I take pictures with my digital camera, I'll probably never get caught up with my scrapbooking.  But that's a good problem to have. 

Yes, we have evidence of a tween-ager in the house with the tear out photos from Tiger Beat and Bop magazines hanging on the bedroom walls.