Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa!

My grandpa, Gwen's great-grandpa, celebrates his 80th birthday on New Year's Day. Him and my grandma spend the winter in Florida, so they always stop in Morton on their drive there to see everyone for a little late Christmas celebration. This year, Grandpa didn't know that not only my family and the Bates family were there, all of his kids and grandkids were there to surprise him. He is a quiet, kind of low key type man that doesn't like too much attention, but you could tell he was really excited and touched that everyone came. It was a fun celebration...Gwen's very lucky to still have 3 of her great-grandparents around!

Christmas 2011

Gwen was excited for her 2nd Christmas

Gift Opening at Grandma and Grandpa Erwin's

Erwin Cousins

Santa Came!

Bad reaction to Santa

Ralph Christmas...Gwen's cousins and Adam's cousin's kids

Bad Reaction to Mall Santa

Mall Playland with Ellie and Sylvie...she LOVES her big girl cousins

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas!!!

"Berry Piss!"

As I said in my last post, Gwen has really started to talk...well, for the last week or so she has been looking me straight in the eye saying what seems to be "Berry Piss". I know she knows the word "berry" because she loves the food, but "piss"???...that's not exactly a word I use to her or even at all. She kept saying it and I could tell she was getting frustrated that I could not figure out what she was telling me.

The other day we were at the grocery store and we saw a picture of Santa. I said, "Look Gwen, it's Santa. Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!" in a Santa like voice impression. She said right back "Ho Ho Ho, Berry Piss!"

So, if I don't get a chance to see you before the 25th:

BERRY PISS!!!!

Gwen's Lingo

Gwen has started coming up with different words and phrases that are so funny and cute to hear come from her little high pitched voice. Some of my favorites are:

"Oh, hi guys" when she holds a phone to her ear

"Oh no!" when she purposely spills milk from her sippy cup

"Diggy go?" when she searches for Diggy

"Stir, Stir, Stir" when she's eating anything in a bowl with a spoon

"Go Bye Bye" as she puts one of my huge purses on her shoulder

She's getting so big and learns so much every day. I feel like every night when Adam comes home I'm trying to remember all the new things she did or said that day. She's at such a fun age.

In other news, our house is progressing. I haven't taken a picture for a week or so but these are pictures taken in the last few weeks or the progress.

It's exciting to be able to actually see something that resembles a house rather than just a hole now :)