The Zolad Family

Sorry it has been soooo Long!!

2009-09-27T15:29:00.001-07:00

Well, the Zolad family had a very fun and very busy summer!!

We started out the summer with a few projects...staining the deck, planting and re-mulching, new shutters, new lights, painting, etc....it seemed endless.....but, I think we are done for a little while now!!!!

Abby had her "summer of growth" as we call it. All of her shirts and pants from last fall are too short for her. She says "mom, I am having growin' pains, so I am getting much bigger". Abby is such an awesome kid! She amazes us every day with a the things she says and does. Her new prepositions include "actually...." and "otherwise...."
She is in Pre-2 at school and is loving it. They actually (hmmmm wonder where Abby gets it from) give them homework assignments.

Abby had a fun filled summer...hanging out at Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Joe's at the lake, numerous trips to the park, going to the zoo with Daddy, the state fair, lots of summer birthdays with her friends and family.

Mike just got a new job and is back in the food broker industry with Venture Marketing. He has only been there 2 weeks and is right back in the swing of things with the fall food show season! The relationships and the hands on work were really missed, so he is looking forward to this opportunity. Mike had his annual Man's Day event in July and the guys had a blast, he worked very hard doing home improvements this summer (my little handyman), he had an opportunity to volunteer at the PGA this year and is looking forward to doing it again in Kohler, WI next year with his dad. Mike has maintained his 115 pound weight loss since last November. He weighs in everyday still, which keeps him accountable.

I am busy, busy, busy at work. With several federal and state mandates that came into play this year, I am working on a very large project that must be implemented in 2011...it is really hard to do the day to day and play out 2 years in advance. planning. It is definitely project management at its finest!!
With some of the projects that I have been assigned at work, I decided to continue my education and go back to school for my Master's in Business Administration this fall. I will be very busy, but with the support of my husband, anything seems possible! For my stress relief, I continue to run, do Pilates and Yoga and I am also just starting Kettlebells.

On a VERY HAPPY note, we found out in August the Mike's mom is cancer free. She had been receiving chemo treatments for colon cancer for the past 6 months. We are so blessed to have her spend many more years with us.

Well, goodbye for now....hope to write more often over the winter months.

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Family

2009-06-02T19:14:00.001-07:00

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Abby's First Twins Game

2009-04-21T08:07:00.000-07:00

What a great memory!!

Abby's 3rd Birthday!

2009-04-19T16:26:00.001-07:00

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"You Say Its Your Birthday"

2009-04-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

It is Abby's 3rd Birthday today!!!
She woke up with a smile on her face exclaiming "it is my birthday today", "I am the birthday girl". What a big girl...my goodness how time flies!

Abby opened her gifts from mommy and daddy this morning. She got a kids sprinkler and a pink guitar. Once the guitar was tuned (thanks honey), Abby played Happy Birthday to herself.

We are going to Abby's first Twin's game (and mine) tonight. We all have Twin's shirts and Abby's teacher (a huge Twin's fan) is getting her dolled up with red and blue ribbons and tatoos.

I will have pictures up of all of the birthday festivities tomorrow. Mike and I were talking last night that it was just like it was yesterday when Abby was born. The weather was beautiful on that day and it is today too...brings back great memories. We are so blessed to have such a happy and healthy little girl!

Easter Festivities

2009-04-07T18:51:00.000-07:00

Abby is really into Easter this year. We decided to decorate eggs and as you can see she wanted to do this all on her own. She talks about leaving carrots for the Easter bunny before we go to Milwaukee. She also requested that the Easter bunny bring new bubbles in her basket.

From the Mind of a 3 year old!

2009-04-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a conversation that we had on the way to school this morning:

"My grandma and grandpa take me to the Como Zoo"
"Yep, they took you there last summer"
"I rode a horse with my grandma"
"Yep you did that at Halloween time"

"I want to dress up like a puppy"
"You do? We will need to make a costume for next Halloween"
"Yeah!!"
"Miss Anna's puppy licked my face"

Pause

"Mommy, it is officially springtime"
"Yep, it is."
"The rain is going to make the flowers come"
"Your right honey, the rain will make the flowers come"

Abbers

2009-02-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

It's been a While!!

2009-02-11T14:52:00.000-08:00

I know, I know...I haven't been the best at maintaining this website! Life is really crazy right now!

Mike and I are still happy to be employed and will continue to bust our rear ends so we can show our employers that we are essential!

Mike is maintaining his 115 pound weight loss and he is more active than ever. He recently started lifting weights again....he jokes about how it has been at least 10 years since he has done squats....Mike continues to travel for his job, but that has decreased as the demand for business has decreased.

I am still loving my job. Everyday is a new day especially in preparing for this legislative session. We really have to be on top of things this year with the deficit it is hard to come to terms with the fact that there will be cuts, we just don't know what they will be yet. I am currently training to run a half marathon in October. I have taken up a training method called ChiRunning which has helped me tremendously with my posture and focus with the ultimate go to be this long-distance run (13.1 miles).

Abby is AWESOME!!! There are moments when the terrible 3's start to show, but overall she is a really good kid. She cracks us up on a daily basis with some of the things she says and does. Her new thing when she is in a time out is to say "mom you are making me sad"....she just loves to pull at the heart strings when she knows she is in trouble. She also is really into playing "I Spy" in the car and Hide and Seek at home. Abby loves to color and practice writing her name...she is starting to get the letter "A" down. She is in music class at school on Thursdays and is going to be starting a swimming class in March with her daddy. We still make it a point to bake on Sunday nights so we can bring treats in for my co-workers. Abby loves to stir and of course lick the beater!! Abby can say her full name and you all know this is a tough one, she knows the state she lives in and that Grandma and Grandpa live in Wisconsin. She is now working on what city she lives in....this is hard to explain....kind of like your grandma is my mommy.

Friend's Christmas

2009-01-06T18:54:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas with our close friend's the Buxengard's and Paulmier's over the weekend. We got together with the kids and they exchanged their presents (everyone got such awesome things!!). Then, we got babysitters and the adults went out for the night. We were thinking about the last time we all got together without kids and it was July of 2006!!!! Much needed night out with friends!

Christmas Time

2009-01-02T14:40:00.001-08:00

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First Santa Sighting

2008-12-12T18:54:00.000-08:00

We went to Color Me Mine and did ceramic paintings (an ornament and a Santa cookie plate). We also had a special visit from Santa...at first Abby was being shy, but warmed up after a while and went right to Santa to sit on his lap.

Girl's Night Out

2008-11-23T12:02:00.001-08:00

2008-11-02T11:01:00.001-08:00

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2008-11-02T10:41:00.001-08:00

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Action Shots!!!

2008-10-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

We ran our first 5K a couple of weeks ago and got action shots of the run. Very cool!

Are You Going to San Francisco?

2008-10-14T19:18:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to San Fran! Mike and I had so much fun and our days were packed with all sorts of sight seeing....chilling out at an Irish Pub, Fisherman's Warf, Alcatraz, Wine Tasting, Muir Park and a lot of walking!!!!

Here are just a few pictures of our fun. I will do a smilebox with the rest of the pictures tomorrow.

Thanks again to Grandma Kathie and Grandpa Joe for taking care of Abby while we were gone! She had a blast too!

We did it!

2008-10-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

Mike and I ran our first 5K as part of the Twin Cities Marathon this Saturday!!! We feel very accomplished and are already talking about a possible 10K next year! Our goals were to run the entire race and do it under 40 minutes and we were both successful. We are planning on celebrating our success in San Fran...we will leave this Saturday.

Mike is officially down 106 pounds and Leah is down almost 30! We feel great!

Family Times

2008-09-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

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Kaelee Rose

2008-09-02T17:10:00.000-07:00

My sister had her baby! After 30 hours of labor...baby Kaelee Rose was finally born! She was 6 pounds 12 ounces and 19 inches long. A perfect little bundle of joy! I was able to be there for pretty much everything and it was an amazing experience!

Ladies Day

2008-08-27T12:18:00.003-07:00

I got together with girlfriends this weekend...this was a long time coming!!! We had a blast camping, tubing, partaking in tasty beverages and just getting a chance to sit around the campfire and talk. Thanks for the great weekend ladies!!!

2008-08-27T12:18:00.001-07:00

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Fun at the Beach

2008-08-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

We finally got a chance to get to the beach this summer!! We have been so busy with other activities every weekend and have taken advantage of our zoo membership, that we haven't taken time to play in the sand! Abby is such a blast! We made a castle, but it fell (or did Abby push it down??) before we got to take a picture.

Alison's Baby Shower

2008-08-04T15:37:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a while since I posted...we have been very busy!! My sister had her baby shower (baby Kaelee is due September 18th) this weekend. My dad made her a cradle for the baby, it is beautiful....I didn't take any pictures of it though :(

I can't wait to be auntie again. Abby is so excited for her baby cousin!

2008-07-14T17:39:00.000-07:00

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Man's Day 2008

2008-07-14T17:15:00.000-07:00

Well, my husband has been planning his annual Man's Day event for the past 8 months or so and the day finally arrived! I stuck around to see all of the guys in the early morning and then Abby and I were out of here for the night after that! The guys started the day off by paint balling and then they took a bus to Caterbury for the horse races. By the sounds of it and the fact that Mike did not want to get off of the couch all day yesterday....fun was had by all!
For some reason the pictures won't post so I am going to do a Smile Box.

4th of July

2008-07-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

We went to my parents over the 4th and spent time with friends and family. The kids had fun going on the boat, swimming and watching fireworks at the end of the night. Lots of great memories....

Too Cute!!

2008-06-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

My friend Jill from college came over last Friday with her son Gage. Abby and Gage are only 3 months apart and they had a blast together.

The other pictures are of Abby eating a cupcake made by our favorite neighbor Lucy! As you can see she enjoyed it thoroughly!

Taylen's Birthday

2008-06-26T18:50:00.001-07:00

We went down to Sheboygan to our niece Taylen's 5th birthday party! I can't believe she is 5 years old! I can remember waiting for her to be born. I had a pager at the time and I kept waiting for that page from Mike in anticipation for my first niece of nephew.

We also went charter fishing. Mike and I had never been charter fishing before, so it was a really fun experience! As you will see in the pictures, both Mike and Karin look like they got the bigger fish, but I really did :)

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Fun at Grandma and Grandpa's

2008-06-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

These were taken a few weeks ago....sorry for the delay in the post. The pictures were coming out blurry.

Rollie Pollies

2008-06-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

Abby has been in a tumbling class for the past 10 weeks and is LOVING IT!!! Her Gamma and Bumpa C. came with a couple of weeks ago and had a blast! We will be taking another 10 week class over the summer.

Check out the RP website:
http://www.rpwoodburymn.com/

American Idol??

2008-06-04T17:44:00.000-07:00

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Weekend Project

2008-06-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

Well, after a couple of years of talking about it we finally decided to put in a patio!! We were looking into doing brick pavers, however we had a budget we wanted to stay within and found a great deal on hiring out someone to do cement stamping. The contractor came on Friday and were finished by 2:00. It was great! The pictures really don't do it justice....
My mom and dad came to take Abby on Friday after work so Mike and I could do a project of our own. We decided that if we have a patio, we need something nice to look at besides the big hill in our backyard. So, we decided to put a big retaining wall around one of the trees in our backyard. One would think this would be a simple project, but it really is a lot of work. We had a goal of getting the base for the retaining wall done on Friday night, which is the hardest part. We were outside until dark (9:30) and got the base done. Then we had a nice date night and went to an awesome Sushi place in Woodbury. We got up early the next morning to go to Farmington to get some free (off of Craig's list) rocks to use as edging for our front yard (another project, another weekend, you will see more pictures!). Once we got home it was back to work!! Without too much swearing and counting to ten, we were done with the project by 3:00 and were up to mom and dad's to spend time with them and Abby by dinner! I love these weekend projects, we really feel accomplished!

Weekend Fun

2008-05-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Mike and I went to a wedding this weekend just the two of us while G and G Z came up to stay with Abby. Our friend Ryan's sister got married in Mabel, MN, so Mike decided to surprise me by renting a convertable for the drive down (I knew he was looking into it, but I didn't know for sure if we would have one). We had a great time, but unfortunately I didn't take any pictures!!! I was so busy talking and having a good time, that I didn't take time for pictures!! This is the first time that Mike and I have hung out with our friend without any kids for a long time.

We did however take a couple of pictures when we got home of us as a family, me and Mike and Abby with her grandparents.

Baking With Daddy

2008-05-19T18:41:00.000-07:00

Abby and Mike have started a Sunday evening ritual of baking treats for me to bring into work on Mondays. They have baked bars, cookies and banana bread so far. They absolutely love this time together. Mike says that he is passing on what he learned from his grandma Z. Abby is learning the "rules" of baking, measuring, following the recipe, etc....as well as a lot of patience (that I am afraid I don't have when it comes to baking, so I am glad that Mike does!!)

Other than that we are busy getting geared up for summer events. Mike and I just booked a trip to San Fransisco in October!! We are able to afford another trip this year thanks to flight points we earn on our check card and the points Mike earns for hotels when he travels. Also a shout out to President Bush for making this trip possible :)

Good-bye Crib....

2008-05-04T18:58:00.001-07:00

Hello Big Girl Bed!!!

2008-05-04T18:52:00.001-07:00

Abby is growing up so fast! We've officially moved her into a big girl bed. At first we were nervous about the transition, as we always are and Abby always amazes us with her flexibility! We weren't going to put her in her big girl bed until Saturday at naptime (that is what the books said), but she was so excited on Thursday night (we had it delivered and set up before the weekend), that we said what the heck, let's try it. She went down just like she always has (great!) and didn't make a peep all night long. She surprised us yet again with the ease into this new phase in her little life.

What a big girl!

Abby- 2 Years

2008-04-20T18:29:00.001-07:00

2008-04-20T17:08:00.000-07:00

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABIGAIL KAE!!!!

2008-04-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

It is Abby's 2nd birthday today! She has been so excited about her birthday. Since Mike's birthday is in February and my birthday is in March...birthdays are all the rave at our house. All we have been hearing for the past few weeks is "Abby's birthday party". We are going to school today to have a celebration and then out to dinner tonight--she requested french fries for dinner.

This weekend we have family and some close friends coming to celebrate. I will post pictures of the big event (s).

2008-03-30T17:14:00.001-07:00

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Easter

2008-03-23T19:07:00.001-07:00

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My Cousins

2008-03-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

We met up with the Zolad's and the Bulkow's at Jellystone Park in Warrens, WI this weekend. It was a weekend to celebrate March birthdays and just hang out and have fun!! The cousins had so much fun together (as always). Abby is able to do more things with Brock and Taylen now and they absolutely adore her! Grandma and Grandpa Z had fun all around (like Sue says being with the grand kids is her therapy). Well, having the grand kids with you is our therapy too!! Thanks to all for a great weekend!

2008-03-03T19:04:00.001-08:00

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Weekend Fun

2008-02-24T17:31:00.001-08:00

We started out the weekend going to Disney's Playhouse Live on Friday night. Abby just loved all of the characters her favorite Saturday morning t.v. shows (Little Einstein's, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Tiger and Pooh and Handy Manny)!!

Abby sat still the whole show (got a little antsy right before intermission) and was singing and dancing along to all of the songs (and so were we!!) "Hot dog! Hot dog! Hot Diggity Dog!"

On Saturday we got together with the Buxy's and Paulmier's. As you can see the kids always have a great time when they are together. It is so nice with the 3 bigger kids to just let them play (they play very well together).

Sunday was a clean house, grocery shop and organize for the week day...Back to work tomorrow.

I am so excited!

2008-02-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

I went on my girlfriend Cara's website today and they put a Hallmark Smilebox slideshow on their Blog. I loved it so much, I had to try it out. I have been trying for a while to post slideshows and haven't been able to figure it out until now. Thanks Cara and Jeremy!!

2008-02-18T14:16:00.001-08:00

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Getting back to Normal....

2008-02-09T11:12:00.000-08:00

Well...I think Mike and I are finally over our high from our Mexico trip..We are already talking about the next trip (Vegas? San Fran?).

Abby is back in the swing of things. It took a couple of days to adjust back to the routine and daycare, etc... She is such a busy little girl! Abby does not take a break from playing, dancing, singing, coloring...it is GO, GO, GO!! Abby's favorite things to do lately are coloring/painting, playing music and/or singing (she loves her music class), cooking (with mommy or daddy or pretend) and playing horsey with her daddy (see pictures).
Another new adventure has been potty training. When we started introducing the potty a few months ago, she was very interested and then that faded. Now she is more interested than ever (even at daycare) and is going potty in on the big potty (wants nothing to do with the little potty chair) at least once a day. Abby gets so excited for herself..."Yay, Abby!!" she says. Everyday is a new word...and it is amazing how she picks up on the meanings. She doesn't just repeat everything we say, she knows what it is as soon as we tell her and then she has it the next time we ask. AWESOME!

Mike is back to traveling for work about once a week. His travel schedule was slow over the holidays, but has picked back up again. This leaves time for Abby and I to have our special time, which is always nice.

I have been busy at work with several large projects, trainings, planning for new policy changes and preparing for the next legislative session. Sounds boring to many...but I love it!

Until next time...

OHHH! MEXICO!

2008-01-27T13:06:00.001-08:00

Well....Mike and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary in style this year!! We have been planning our trip to Mexico for some time now and we finally went on the coldest Minnesota week of the year!

We went to an all-inclusive resort near the Riviera Maya (a different place than our honeymoon). We also upgraded to a luxury package which included first-class seats, an individual ride to our resort (with a tour guide) and other little perks. Mike and I both agreed that whenever we do a trip like this (probably every 5 years) we will definitely to first class (it is sooooo worth it). Our resort was beautiful and the weather was great, between 80-85 every day (with the exception of a day and a half of rain). Mike and I spent much of our mornings and afternoons either having a drink in a cabana by the pool, walking along the beach or having a drink at the swim up bar. We didn't venture out much because we only had 5 nights there and we wanted to RELAX as much as possible. I can say that the only downfall of the whole trip was the Packers losing against the Giants!! You wouldn't believe how many Packer fans there were down there!! And we missed Abby of course.....Although she was on her own little vacation with both sets of grandparents. My parents stayed with her for 3 days and then Mike's parents drove up from Milwaukee to stay with her the last 3 days. It worked out great! Thank you to the grandmas and grandpas!! Before we went on our trip, Abby had tubes put in her ears (due to chronic ear infections) and that was a great blessing because we knew that at least she wouldn't have any ear infections while we were gone. Mike and I also decided that we need to do a mini-vacation every year, so the next trip will be at the end of summer and I get to plan it! We are both revitalized and love each other more than ever...

Christmas with Friends

2008-01-27T12:59:00.000-08:00

Hi There!

It has been a while since I last posted and I will explain in another post. We had our friend's Christmas a little late this year due to our busy schedules and illnesses. The Buxy's and Paulmier's had so much fun together! The kids are a hoot and the get along so well. I posted just a few pictures of the kids. Enjoy!!
Ava- 2 1/2 years
Lydia- 4 months
Grant- 3 years
Simon- 10 months
Abby- almost 2 years

More Pictures......

2007-12-30T11:40:00.001-08:00

Christmas Pictures

2007-12-30T11:34:00.000-08:00

Here they are!! Sorry about the delay!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Christmas with Family

2007-12-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

Well...Christmas is officially over. I can't believe how quickly the time went. We had quite the adventure over the holidays with the weather.... Over 15" of snow in some of the areas we were driving through to get to Milwaukee. It took us about 8 hours to get there, but we made it and everyone was so happy that we did.

We spent Friday night celebrating Christmas as a family. We went downtown Minneapolis for dinner and the Holidazzle parade and then we came home and Abby opened her gifts. She was most excited about the a bake set that we got her (she loves stirring things). Mike and I waited until Abby went down to open our gifts to eachother. We enjoyed wine and some good appetizers and relaxed. Mike got a golf club and a gift certificate to a heated driving range (he misses golf so much, at least this will help the itch a little). Leah got a set of wine glasses (they match, yeah!!) and a gift card to Clinique. Saturday was spent with Leah's family and Sunday-Wednesday with Mike's family. All of the activities, gift opening and food (too much) was wonderful! Abby got everything that she wanted and more! She had so much fun this year opening gifts and spending time with her grandparents and cousins. Pictures to come....

Another Santa Sighting!!!

2007-12-20T17:44:00.001-08:00

Abby had breakfast with Santa at daycare on Wednesday. She kept saying "Santa" on that morning and the ride to daycare and then once she got there she was super quiet. We set her on his lap and as you can see in one of the pictures she wasn't sure about it and then she smiled after Santa tickled her. A nice family photo too....

We are leaving on Saturday to start our holiday travels. Leah's family on Saturday and then headed down to Milwaukee on Sunday. It is nice because we are staying in Milwaukee until Wednesday, so it won't feel rushed.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Safe and Healthy New Year!!!

Ear Infection, Pink Eye and Stomach Flu...Tis the Season!!

2007-12-04T18:43:00.000-08:00

Well, we had quite a weekend of illness in the Zolad household. Abby was diagnosed with pink eye (in both eyes) and a double ear infection on Thursday. I took the day off of work to be with her on Friday and she was in great spirits through the whole thing. Friday night, we needed to get out of the house (she was on antibiotics so not contagious any longer) so we went out to dinner. About half way through dinner Abby threw up. I was glad that I had gotten a call from Alecia (a good friend and assistant director at Abby's day care) saying that several kids went home with the stomach flu that day, otherwise I would have wondered what was up...

Poor Abby was up throwing up until 1:00am and then finally crashed until morning. Abby was a trooper for sure and is now her happy and healthy self again. I wasn't feeling well over the weekend either and I was glad that Mike didn't get anything, because he held the house together.

We had plans on Saturday to get together with friends, but due to Abby being sick and the snow that we got (6 + inches) we have to reschedule.

By Sunday, we felt well enough to go on a carrage ride with Santa and play out in the snow. We showed Abby how to make snow angels...she loved it. Today at day care they told me that she was the only kid that was having fun in the snow and she laid down and made snow angels. What a funny kid!!!

Brrrr......

2007-11-29T19:34:00.001-08:00

Wow! Winter is certainly on it's way!!!
I haven't posted for a while, so I thought I would write a little something to update people on what is going on in the Zolad household.

We hosted Thanksgiving for the first time this year. We had a blast and the food was awesome (thanks for all of your hard work honey)! All of the kids had so much fun playing together...they were definately worn out after the pumpkin pie!

Mike and I got up at 4:30am to do some "Black Friday" shopping. We were so productive and got everyone done with the exception of each other. It is a great feeling to know that all we need to do is wrap the gifts, which if you don't know, my husband loves it and he is fantastic at it! We also took our Christmas picture (we only did Abby this year) to send out....We had so much fun doing it this year because Abby has such a personality...you will see what I mean!

On Saturday we went to cut down our Christmas tree. It was cold and windy, so we didn't spend too much time...Abby helped us pick the tree out, so it is PERFECT regardless.

We spent the rest of the weekend decorating the house for Christmas and getting groceries. It was a busy and fun filled weekend for sure!

Happy Fall!!!

2007-10-11T12:01:00.000-07:00