Food, Games & Football

This is Julianna's new favorite expression. It's a wide-eyed look with a finger positioned on the mouth. It comes out mostly around crowds of people and/or strangers.

Maddie in mid-chew.

We had a lovely Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's. All of Chad's relatives (27 of us! and Ava in the oven) came in to celebrate. It was one giant turkey fest! There was lots of eatin', visitin', shootin', and football watchin'. The celebration continued on into Friday with shopping, more food, golf, and games. Here we have Maddie, Grandma, and Jules (contemplating her next Scrabble word and how she can position that "z" on a triple word play while clearing her board).

A Trip to the Punkin' Patch!

Just my size!

We have a little "mom and pop" pumpkin patch in town. It's the perfect jaunt down the road to pick out pumpkins. Jules and daddy tromped through the patch to find the best ones. Though mostly Jules had fun chasing the dogs around the property! (Late October 2006)

Happy Birthday Baby!

The birthday girl as the center of attention. Who me?

Sharing Cheerios with her best friend in the whole-wide world, Maddie!

Now I will sit for pictures thisaway.

Julsie's Little Mermaid (no dairy, no egg, no nut) birthday cake! (Which tasted amazingly like a regular ole' cake! Accompaniments included vanilla soy ice cream!)

Thanks to Uncle JPJ and a large poster in the Wal-Mart deli, Julianna is completely taken with The Little Mermaid. It is so cute how excited she gets when she sees her. TLM is the first cartoon character she has ever expressed overwhelming interest in. Leave it to my little girly-girl to pick a princess, want to wear jewelry, pink shoes with sparkles, and love emptying my make-up bag!

Necka-Veek, Ghebbi, and Non

So lately, everything Julianna says is the cutest! I started listing all my favorite words, sayings, and expressions. Then I realized I was just creating a dictionary of all her known words. I've narrowed down my everyday favorites:

• "Necka-Veek" (Next week, as in "We're going to church next week.")
• "Ghebbi" (Spaghetti)
• "Vheaty-vheat" (Cream of Wheat)
• "Un, two, fee, foe, favie, second, eight, nine, ten!"
• "No atch fuhball da-ee"
• "Salsa peas." (Applesause, please.)
• "Man in-duh Moon? Oh, he not he-uh. He seeping." (She has this obsession with looking for the moon every night with her dad.)
• "Puh-mells good momma. I tase it?" (Smells good momma. I taste it?")
• "Ses and Non" (Referring to Uncle Seth and his friend John, who made quite a good impression on Jules when we were taking them to football practice one day).
• "Neekoo!" (Thank you!)
• "Lep" or "Dep" (Yeap)
• "Frossy" (Her word for a pacifier? The pacifier that she has NEVER taken. But apparently, she says Ava will have!")
• "Eat turkey 'n noo-noos?" (Eat turkey and noodles?)
• "Momma, ut happen 't you?" (Said when I didn't come into her room the first time she beckoned Sunday afternoon.)
• "Hold-too" (Which comes from, "Do you want me to hold you?" So, everytime she wants to snuggle or be picked up- she says it.)
• "I hungee." (I'm hungry. Said whenever she is hungry or she wants to get out of doing what I'm asking her to do.)
• "I luff ewe momma and daddy!" (I love you momma and daddy!)
• "Doe-she" (Lotion)
• "Oh, heavy!" (Said as she put her hand on my large belly last week. Heavy? You don't know the half of it kid! : )

Dress Bup?

Julianna playing "dress bup" at Aunt Nikki and Uncle Jamie's
house. Aunt Ni-ni's blue necklace is her favorite treasure!

A brief photo history...

We love our little house on the prairie, the pond, the rolling acres, and the peace. Chad and I have loved planting and Julianna adores her tall backyard swing. We see all sorts of animals: deer, bobcats, squirrels, rabbits, turkey, of course the country dogs (no leashes out here), the horses across the street, one donkey, and a herd of billy goats.

The Day after Thanksgiving (her first steps)! (2005)

Jeffjacket Clan Family Picture! (Christmas 2005)

A slow walk down our country road. Feeding the horses

across the street is a favorite activity for our girl.

(Early April 2006)

In our front yard with Jamie, Nikki, Seth, Antaun, Kimberlee,

and Madison. Today we annouce we are expecting our second child!

(Easter 2006)

Two Peas in a Pod. My daughter could not be anymore like her father if she tried. Sometimes it's crazy- all the similarities. And the thing is, he called it from the very beginning. Chad knew that first day. He picked out her little personality and defined her to a tee. He reminds me of that from time to time. Then he smiles and says, "You know how I knew, right? Because she's just like me." Must be one of the reasons I love them both so very much! (April 2006)

Jules and I exploring Southwestern's campus. (May 2006)

Jackie, Mike, and I in Texas for Mike's graduation (May 2006)

The girls got curls! (September 2006)

Our Little Bucs Fan!

Thanks to Grandma, Grandad, and Dicky, Julianna is sporting one snuggly Bucs-fan warm-up suit! Chad says she needs one for the Chiefs. Jennifer says her daughter will not be wearing a warm-up suit that looks like a chicken (red and yellow). Chad asks if there is hidden meaning behind the "chicken comment." Jennifer says she's innocent.

Tah-Dah!

Giggle. Hee. This is pretty exciting. My first post. It's a grand opening, a premiere! Hmm, what to say? I think typing these words onto the page is a little like stepping out into the snow early in the morning. You know, before anyone else has stepped out. It's quiet. It's heavenly. Perfectly untouched. You pause to just take it in. Then, you step out, you run around, you fall down, heck... now you're dancing! You move left, then right...jazz hands, one-two-three, can-can to the front, spin a 360, and...freeze. Tah-dah!