10 Years Later--Where Has The Time Gone?

March 28th marked Bailey's 10th Birthday.  Or as she likes to put it, 'double digits baby'.  We celebrated her special day on a few different occassions: A trip to the Book Fair, Library and Pizza Ranch with Mom, a family party at Coral Ridge Mall (including both of us ice skating for the first time ever) and a friend party at our house where the girls played hide and seek for hours and created banana split cake sundaes.

This year was a true year of reflection for me as I looked back at all the great memories over the past 10 years.  In the weeks leading up to Bailey's birthday, I had fun scanning and saving old negatives and pictures through the years.  I even got creative and played around with making a video which can be viewed at  http://www.vimeo.com/22133222 .

Happy Birthday To You.

Happy Birthday To You.

Happy Birthday Dear Bailey.

Happy Birthday To You.

1st Birthday

2nd Birthday

3rd Birthday

4th Birthday

5th Birthday

6th Birthday

7th Birthday

8th Birthday

9th Birthday

10th Birthday

And Many More........

Mount Pleasant School Art Show: Year 2

Back on March 13th we attended Mount Pleasant School District's 36th Annual Art Show.  For the 2nd year, Bailey had one of her art projects selected for the show.  There were so many great works of art on display by the students, but for the 2nd year in a row, this work of art gets my vote for Best of Show.

Snow Days

In keeping with the theme of 10 Years of Memories, last week presented the perfect opportunity to reflect back on 10 years of snow days and wintertime fun.

It wasn't until I switched to the world of working on a college campus that I realized how much I missed not having to go to work because of too much snow or bad winter weather.  But last week I received my wish for snow days once again when Mount Pleasant was hit by a blizzard, dumping 18.5" of snow and creating huge drifts which literally snowed us into our house.  The campus closed at 2:00 on Tuesday and all day Wednesday.  Many of the businesses, even Bailey's daycare which has never closed in 23 years, was able to enjoy a snow day.  The picture above shows Bailey surfing a snow drift behind our house which definitely replicated a wave about to crash into our back door.  Although the snow drifts and ice covered roads are somewhat inconvenient in traveling normal routes, I like to think of it as an opportunity to slow down and enjoy Mother Nature. 

Bailey's first snow day in Sumner

She's fallen and can't get up (which she did not think was much fun at all at this age)

Playing in the snow during another big snowfall in Sumner

After moving to Mount Pleasant and living in an apartment for a couple years, it was a while before we had a yard to play in.  Last winter Bailey made the most of having a back yard to play in and created this snowman which we named Carrots.

This patch of ice provided entertainment for quite a while

Winter Storm 2011

This hill in our front yard was great for sledding.

Christmas 2010 Wrap Up

The Christmas decorations are packed away and our new gifts have found a home so there is just one thing left to do...post some pictures and record the memories from Christmas 2010.

Bailey and I spread out our Christmas giving and gatherings over 2 weeks this year.  I finally wisened up in my old age and instead of putting all Bailey's gifts under the tree and dealing with the nagging of opening her gifts before Christmas, I put one gift under the tree each day leading up to Christmas.  Being somewhat strategic, I began the week with less exciting gifts (clothes) and left the one gift she had been wanting so badly for December 24th (Diary of a Wimpy Kid--The Ugly Truth). 

2010 was also the first year I had not been on the farm for Christmas Eve and the first year that Santa left all Bailey's presents in Mount Pleasant, not at Grandpa and Grandma Seegers house.  On Christmas Eve, we attended the beautiful Lessons and Carols program at Faith Lutheran Church and then headed home to see if Santa had stopped while we were gone.  Bailey's reaction when she opened Wii Fit Plus from Santa was priceless.  It brought back moments of de ja vu when my sister Hope received her green leather jacket and I received a Garfield wall clock from Santa.  All of these moments have been captured on video for our viewing pleasure through the years. 

Bailey and I spent Christmas Day with family: Grandma and Glenn, Kevin, Julie, Grace and Summer and later headed over to spend some time with Darold, Colleen and Lucas.  A week later we headed back up to the farm to celebrate Christmas with Mom and Dad and Hope and Heath's families.  It was another fun-filled Christmas with an added bonus for the kids (old and young); Grandpa and Grandma Seegers finally got a Wii.

As we recooperate from our holiday travels and settle back into our daily routine, we look foward to what 2011 has in store.  Stay tuned for more exciting adventures in the lives of Bails 'n Me in 2011.

Angel in Church Christmas Program

Verse for Church Christmas Program

Very excited about receiving Diary of a Wimpy Kid--The Ugly Truth

What's Christmas Eve without getting your pictures taken in front of the tree

So excited to play with her gifts from Santa

Aunt Hope and Baby Kate

Lauren the Flapper and Alli the Fairy

Austin couldn't wait to dig into his present pile

Graham, the construction worker

Pictures in front of the tree

     

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.