I Love Being One!

Lizzie loves being one. Not that she wasn't already a really happy baby...but since her birthday on Tuesday, she has been extraordinarily happy all the time. Smiling and giggling at just about anything.

Of course that could have something to do with the chocolate birthday cake we are still finishing off...

Being one is such fun!

Birthday Cake Videos

Lizzie's First Birthday!

I can't believe Lizzie's already one! The past year flew by fast. Since y'all couldn't be with us to share the fun, here are the top 10 photos from her big day.

Number 1:

Lizzie enjoyed her first Happy Meal. We met Daddy at church with McDonald's for lunchtime. A moment after this picture was taken, she dumped the sweet and sour sauce all over the side of her chair and the floor. She was very pleased with herself!

Number 2:

First birthday cake of the day...actually a cupcake with a Winnie the Pooh candle stuck in it.

Number 3:

Ready to eat two of her favorite dishes for supper...broccoli and orange jello with bananas.

The stages of chocolate cake consumption:

Number 4:

The shove-as-much-as-possible-into-your-mouth maneuver.


Number 5:

The how-do-I-get-this-stuff-off-my-hands maneuver.


Number 6:

The messy-but-happy cake face.


Number 7:

The get-this-stuff-off-me-NOW face.

Opening Presents

Number 8:

Peekaboo! I see you!



Number 9:

This little piece of paper is so fascinating...present? What present?



Number 10:

And finally....I'm ONE and I'm ALL DONE! (and ready for a bath...)

December and Christmas

Here are our favorite photos from the end of the year.

The girls showed a silly side one evening at home in early December. Lizzie and Emma attacked Daddy while Abby played dress up.

Ready, Set.....

Attack!!!

Pbththththth!

Look at me, Daddy!

I think this would make a great clown face!

I directed the children's Christmas program at our church on December 14. I'm standing on the far left side of the picture in the red shirt. There were 19 kids under age 9 in the program.

Emma is Mary and Abby is one of the wise men. Can you spot them?

Our family posing together at church after the service.

Our favorite Christmas moments:

Abby opening her present from Auntie Megan and Uncle Mark.

Emma didn't know Mommy and Daddy knew she "always wanted" a laptop just like Daddy's.

Lizzie matched her new dolly which she named "Weesha."

Cousins posing under the Christmas tree at church.

My favorite man and his little ladies.

Long Time, No See!

You are probably wondering what on earth happened to our family. Did we simply fall off the face of the earth after the beginning of October? No...but we have been incredibly busy. In this post, I will update you on our late fall going's on as briefly as I can. Here goes...

Mid-October we made a trip to Kansas City to attend my cousin Derek's wedding. It was a fabulous outdoor fall event filled with family and lots of little cousins.

Grampy, Grammy and Great Grandma Haglin with all the little cousins.

Our family.

All ten little monkeys, I mean cousins on a bed in the hotel after the wedding rehearsal.

Our girls with their other cousin Adelle at a McDonald's in Iowa Ctiy on the way home.

Late October, I began directing our children's Christmas program on Wednesday evenings at church before our AWANA program. I also direct Puggles (an AWANA program designed for 2 year olds and pre-Cubbie 3 year olds).

My Puggles watching Boz.

The girls and I went to Michigan for Halloween festivites and had fun visiting with Steve, Elissa, Makenna and little Delaney.

Emma (calico kitty), Makenna (clown), Delaney (sleeping pumpkin), Lizzie (sitting pumpkin), and Abby (lady bug)

Lizzie, my little jack o' lantern, with the other jack o' lantern.

Lizzie enjoyed her first real snow experience on November 17. A day later, she pulled herself to stand for the first time.

Lizzie in her snowsuit.

Sisters playing in the snow.

Lizzie standing by herself. She was very proud.

Doug went to SBL in Boston the weekend before Thanksgiving. The girls and I saw him off.


We celebrated Thanksgiving at our house this year. I prepared a mini-feast for our family. We had a good holiday, but it was a little weird to not visit any family.

The feast.

Emma poses for the camera before we ate the BIG MEAL.

Abby shows her creativity by making a "Gi-nourmous" sausage, cheese and cracker sandwich.

Next post, I will update you on December and Christmas. Hope your having a happy new year!