Gifts from North Dakota!

Grandma and Grandpa Scholand sent me some really neat gifts for my first Christmas. They sent lots of clothes, a couple learning toys, and a big lion that I can ride and walk behind. Here are some picture of me with my gifts from the north...


When my legs get a bit longer I'll be able to scoot around on this thing!

I still like to sit in my bumbo and play with toys.

Well gotta go, I think I heard "nap-time."

Winter in Illinois!

After our trip to ND, we had a couple nice relaxing weekends in Illinois before we packed up and left for Florida to see daddy's side of the family. Here are some pictures from the first weeks of December.Can you believe this?!? We saw this house and Dad immediately grabbed the camera out of my diaper bag. Where do these people store this stuff the rest of the year!

We finally got some snow around the 20th of December so dad, thought we better take mom outside to a hill and teach her how to stop on her snowboard. I sat in my stroller at the top of the hill and gave mom some good pointers. :)Mom was happy I was with because, when she got tired she told daddy that I was getting cold so we needed to go in. Silly mommy....

Daddy made me look like a little nun. Is he hinting that he wants me to join the convent???Now he's tickling me!!!

Five Months Old!

This month I will be five months old! Can you believe it?!? It seems like only yesterday mom and dad were bringing me home from the hopsital. When I stop and think about it, I've really changed an incredible amount since July. These days I enjoy standing when someone holds my hands, rolling over, sucking on my thumb, and loving on mom and dad. I'm still very easy-going and mom and dad are pretty happy about that!I still spend a lot of time laying on the floor playing under my arch. Mom puts new toys on the arch so I don't get bored.

I started wearing my new snowsuit this month. It's very soft and I don't mind wearing it.
Aaaaawwww..... this is soo nice.

Thanksgiving Time!

We recently took a trip up to North Dakota for Thanksgiving. We got to spend a whole week up there and boy did we ever have fun. We left Peoria on Friday, November 20. After about 8 hours in the car we were happy to get to Danny and Laura's in St. Cloud. We spent the night there and the hospitality was awesome! In the morning Danny made us all breakfast and after we finished eating and visiting we were back on the road; I was on a mission to Grandma and Grandpa's house!

The next day, Sunday we ran some errands and went to church in Grand Forks. On our way back to Buxton we stopped in Reynolds so I could give great-grandma Lottie some kisses. I was getting pretty tired so we only stayed for a few minutes. Just as we finished unloading the groceries at the farm, Beth and Stella came driving up. It was so great to see the girls and I'm so grateful that they always make time to visit and hold me when I come for a visit. That night mommy and daddy went out to eat at their favorite restaurant with some friends for Sammy's birthday. I had a good time with Allison and grandma Connie. I had such a great time and it sounds like mom and dad had a blast as well. They were gone for about 6 hours and that was the longest I've ever been away from mommy. Boy was she happy to see me when they came home! The rest of the week flew by; we stayed very busy visiting with family and friends. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip!

I sure do miss playing with Beth and Stella....
Stella and Andy have been working hard on their house and before everyone went to Mexican Village for dinner Stella gave a tour. I can't wait to see the finished project when I come for a visit for their wedding!
Everyone had such a great time wishing Sammy "Happy Birthday."
We took a trip to Fargo on Monday and on the way we stopped to visit our good friend Mildred Hesby in Halstad. When we got to Fargo we went over to Melissa and Reid's house. They moved from their apartment into a brand new house in October and I was so happy to get the tour. They even let me take a little nap on their bed. :)
Dad and mom said they were most thankful for me this year!Here's a picture of the Scholand's just before we got in the car to drive home. The fresh air felt really nice before the 11-hour car ride. I did really good though and mom and dad are always impressed with how well I travel.
Thanks for everything grandma and grandpa!
Danny and Laura were able to come and stay in Buxton from Wednesday- Sunday. I had so much fun with them and I hope they'll come to Illinois for a visit real soon. :)

As you can all see, I have A LOT to be thankful for this year. God has blessed my family with a great abundance of love. Thank you everyone for making my family's week in ND so special; I miss you and can't wait to see you again.

November

November was a great month; I saw my first Christmas tree, rolled over for the first time, went to a hockey game, and went to North Dakota for a whole week. Here are a few pictures from last month.

November 7th and 75 degrees?!? We went for a long walk on Saturday and a nature hike on Sunday. Can you tell that I love riding in my stroller? We might have to replace the tires with skis so I can cruise through the snow this winter. :)Here I am getting ready to roll over!Check out my big muscles!! I had a checkup and the doctor said I'm still perfect. I weighed 14 pounds 1 ounce and moved up to the 59th percentile for my weight. I am 25.6 inches long and that puts me in the 91st percentile for height. I also had a couple shots this month and I did great. Dad thinks it didn't hurt as much since I've thickened my thighs considerably.
On November 13th we went to a Peoria Rivermen hockey game. It was my second game and we had a great time. This was just as we were leaving for the game. Dad and I are waiting for mom to get ready for church in these pictures.
What do you think of my new dress Grandma Connie sent me?
Can you believe I'm already 4 months old?!?!

I still love my Bumbo seat that aunt Beth gave me! I sit in it and we read stories or we'll put it in the kitchen so I can help mom make supper some nights.
I'm practicing for our trip to Buxton!