Merry Christmas to all!!!

We hope all of you had a very merry Christmas!! We told Samantha that she was a very lucky girl because her first Christmas lasted 4 days! The temperatures here were nice & chilly & we had a couple of days of snow but it was a fast & furious week for sure! Hope you are in for a long post! (It's okay if you just look at the photos!!)
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Arts & Crafts!

We began by doing arts & craft time with the 3 of us. We decided to make 3 plaster ornament molds of Sami's feet; one for each grandparent(s) & one for us.

The mission: plaster mold ornaments of Sami's feet!

Plaster poured & Sami is naked & ready!

Mom do I have to???

One left to go- this isn't too bad!

Done!

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On the first day(s) of Christmas... (Christmas Eve)

On the 19th My Aunt Carolyn, Uncle Mike & cousin Cathy came into town. Then on the 20th my cousin Jen & her 2 boys, Kaleb & Noah joined us. The lot of us were quite busy. We went shopping- what a day!- and tubing & sledding & cooked up a storm! We ate dinner with them on Christmas Eve.

Samantha on her first gondola ride. Her ticket has her name on it!! (Yes it was free.)

My folks & little brother!

Uncle Mike, Noah, Aunt Carolyn & dad.

Jen, Kaleb & Cathy.

Noah rode up the hill inside the tube!

Aunt Carolyn & Uncle Mike.

Chris, dad & I.

Samantha sleeping peacefully!

Jen & her tired boys!

The guys doing dishes!!

Everyone took a turn at the Wii.

Jen & Cathy helped Kaleb & Noah create a gingerbread house.

Samantha even played with Uncle Chris! (The doll that she is playing with was a gift from my grandmother- it was the doll I played with at her house when I was little. Thanks Meme.)

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On the second day of Christmas... (Christmas Day)

On Christmas Day we woke up & did stockings & gifts between the 3 of us. Samantha paid attention to her daddy as he opened all of her gifts; she quickly got tired though. As she was taking her nap, Lance & I got to check out our gifts & then it was off to the Patinos for dinner & games with the Thomas family. (Thanks to my husband for my Photoshop Elements software & winter jacket & he got decoys)

Samantha digging into her stocking.

Checking out some gifts.

A bottle from dad.

Sitting among dad's decoys!

I remember you guys!

Aunt Shelly

Gift exchange. (Thanks for the peace sign Mike!)

Sami played with Uncle Fred.

Aren't I cute?!

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On the third day of Christmas...

We spent the 26th with my parents. Lance went hunting in the morning & then we all went to their new house in Elizabeth- looking good!- and the exchanged gifts with them. (I don't have these pictures just yet so here she is enjoying the gifts!)

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On the fourth day of Christmas...

Linda came to town the 27th & 28th to spend Christmas. The 3 of us spent the morning together then headed to Norma's house to hang out with her & Linda. Wow...4 days of Christmas...what a luck little girl!!

Aren't I cute in my Christmas dress from grandma?

Sami & grandma


Sami & dad.

Opening gifts with grandma.

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5 months old!
I realize that we accidentally skipped her 4 month post (which occurred at Thanksgiving) but here are her 5 month photos. Happy 5 months little girl! She is grabbing for things now- her spatial awareness has increased greatly & she is getting much better at sitting! Sami is also much more tolerant of new people- she let Uncle Chris play with her & Uncle Fred hold her! Also we are laughing for real now!

Playing with deer (4 1/2 months)

5 months old!

A video of Samantha laughing. I coughed & she thought it was funny so I kept doing it!

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Teaposies

These are too awesome!

Just becuase...

Here's some photos of Samantha from the past week. We hope you are all doing well & enjoying the winter weather! Merry Christmas & safe travels!

Isn't this the cutest little sweater dress?

This outfit is adorable. There is a front pocket that has a gingerbread girl- she's attached by a string. Sami saw it as a chew toy! Within 20 minutes it was soaked clear through!

Samantha took a break from the stuffed gingerbread girl to play with her reindeer.

Also notice how we are beginning to "tripod"!

Just playing around.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

On a roll!

So back on Friday, November 21 Samantha rolled over for the first time!! She had been trying quite a bit & was getting really close so we grabbed our camera & actually caught her first roll on video! Here it is.

Since then she has been a rolling frenzy. She does it mostly for fun or boredom because she knows we'll cheer her on. She hasn't yet figured out that she can use it as a method of moving around. Her newest trick is arching her back; she has been doing this almost continuously for the past few days. At first I thought she was in pain but the ear to ear grin said otherwise. She thinks that she is very clever when she does it & gives you the biggest smile & giggles!
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From the mouths of babes.

We are at the point now where everything goes straight to the mouth! (Actually we've been at that point for a while but now Sami is grabbing things to put into her mouth; before it was just her hands.) Here's a quick video of Samantha putting her own pacifier in her mouth. What a talented little girl!

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My first tree!

On Sunday we picked out a Christmas tree & last night put out our decorations & "dressed" our tree. (We packed quite a few things that we "wouldn't need soon" back in March to get ready for our house to go on the market. This included our Christmas decorations. So we've only found half of them & all of our ornaments are included in the half we haven't yet found! So our tree has the few ornaments I've bought this year & those we've received as gifts; about 10!)

At the tree lot, looking for my first tree!

Here it is!!!

Helping daddy with the lights.

Helping daddy put our angel on the top.

Me & mommy showing off my first tree!

Playing with daddy after all of the hard work! (She was kicking her feet against his hands & 'scooting' up his chest. She was having a blast!)

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High Roller!

Samantha is now the proud owner of a high chair! Yep, it's getting to be about that time!

She looks so tiny in the chair!