Winter Wonderland

It's hard to believe that we've had a significant amount of snow twice in less than 3 weeks...

We didn't get a chance to really enjoy the snow at Christmas because we were busy preparing to host the Norton family Christmas...too much cleaning had to be done!

Last night, I was afraid we weren't going to be able to enjoy the snow this time around because Arden decided to come down with the stomach bug, but thankfully it seems to be a mild case and she is all better now :)

This is what we woke up to this morning:

We think we've had around 8 inches of snow so far. Flurries are still falling occasionally, but I don't think we will have much more accumulation. However, it's not supposed to get out of the 30's until the weekend so it looks like the white stuff will be sticking around for awhile!

After we all bundled up, we headed out to enjoy the snow. In the past, Arden hasn't been too thrilled about playing in the snow. After just a few minutes she is ready to head back inside to be warm and cozy (she's my kind of girl!). She lasted a bit longer this time around, but still wasn't too interested in playing and preferred to be carried everywhere we went.

Building a snowman with Daddy!

Murphy had a blast playing in the snow! It was hard for me to get a picture of him because he was so busy playing!

The finished product...pretty good if I do say so myself :)

Enjoy the snow...and enjoy all the extra family time God has blessed you with. I know we will!

Where has the time gone?

I love Christmas....it's my favorite time of year!

We had a blast watching Arden discover the joys of the season....

Santa, toys, candy, and even snow!

I can't believe it has already come and gone :(

As much fun as it was, and I know it will continue to be--

Our prayer is that Arden and Tucker will grow to know and love the true meaning of Christmas

and will enjoy giving so much more than receiving!

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We had a wonderful Christmas spent with family. Of course, I took very few pictures and left that to my talented sister who owns a "real" camera! So....until I get a copy of all those pictures, enjoy this shot of Arden and Silas on Christmas Eve. They were waiting oh-so-patiently to open their presents!

I can't believe how fast they are growing--can someone please slow things down for me?!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

Tucker in 4D

We had our 4D ultrasound today and learned a few things about Tucker...

He loves to sleep with his hands at his face...

He doesn't wake easily...

and is pretty stubborn, just like another little VanZoeren that I know :)

There are 58 images on the cd we received; I'm pretty sure they are all the same, minus the diaper shots she got! Even though Tucker wasn't very cooperative today, it was so exciting to see him in 4D! I tried to find a 4D picture of Arden that was similar to one of his, but I had a hard time. Feel free to check out her pictures here and see if you think they look alike!

I wish I could say Arden enjoyed the "photo session" as much as we did, but I don't think that was the case. Unfortunately, we think Arden got a little too hot on the ride over (she was bundled up so much since it was only in the 20's today!) and got a little carsick. She was very fussy when we got there, fell asleep for a bit, then woke up and immediately got sick :( She tried to tell me in the car that she was hot, but there was nothing I could do besides turn down the temperature. Thankfully, she was fine after the little incident---maybe we are done with being sick for awhile!

Back in Action!

Yes, I've been a blogging slacker.

I apologize.

I can't promise I will do a better job, but I will try.

And yes, I know you've heard that before :)

ANYHOW...the last 3-4 months have been so busy for us! We spent almost a month at the beach, took two trips to the hospital with Arden, she started school, she spent 10 days with her grandparents in Michigan, Geoff surprised me with a trip to Washington DC for my 30th birthday, Halloween, celebrating birthdays, and most recently--Thanksgiving! Not to mention all of my Dr. appointments, re-arranging rooms to get ready for Tucker, picking out a nursery design and fabrics...I could go on and on. I realize things are not going to slow down for us anytime soon but we are still trying to enjoy every day we are blessed with!

I've done a couple of separate posts with LOTS of pictures so keep scrolling to read those.

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving and are enjoying the start to this holiday season!

Turning 2!

It's hard to believe that our baby girl is already 2! It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital. Arden has brought so much joy to our family--we are so thankful God chose us to be her parents and blessed our family with her. There is nothing sweeter than hearing her laugh, receiving her hugs and kisses, and watching her grow into a beautiful little girl. Arden Leigh, Mommy and Daddy love you so much. You are the light of our lives and everyday with you is a blessing from God. Happy Birthday sweet baby girl--we love you!

We had a combined birthday party with Silas earlier this month. Arden's theme was Toy Story and Silas' was Mickey Mouse. We had a great time with our friends playing with play dough, finger painting, and coloring :) Thanks to all of our friends and family who came--we love you all very much and you have a special place in our hearts!

Lyon Farms and Halloween

The pumpkin patch was a huge hit with Arden and Silas. They had so much fun playing in the corn pits, seeing all the animals, and of course, picking pumpkins! The only negative was that we went late on a Friday afternoon and it got chilly very quickly. Next year we will make sure to go on a warm Saturday so we can make the most of our time.

Trick-or-Treating (or as Arden calls it "Tricky Tricky") was a blast! It was so fun to see them dressed up in their costumes and actually participate in the festivities. Silas was interested in trying to get into people's houses while Arden definitely wanted to make sure she got her fair share of candy :)

Beach 2010

For the past two years, my parents have rented a condo in Gulf Shores for a whole month. This year, we all spent the first week together (minus Uncle Nae-Nae who started his new job that week!) as well as Labor Day weekend. During the weeks in between, Arden and I were lucky enough to spend time there with Nonna and Silas. It was great to be able to just relax and enjoy time together without driving back and forth every weekend like we did last year.

Arden and Silas had so much fun! Silas was a fish from day 1 but Arden took a little time getting used to the water. It didn't take long for her to adjust though; by the end of the first week she was having a blast with little man! They definitely reversed roles when it came to the sand--Arden loved it from the beginning; Silas....well, let's just say he's not a fan :)

I could have posted hundreds of pictures but I didn't want to bore you too much. Hope you enjoy a snapshot of our trip. Thanks again to Nonna and Tuck-Tuck--we truly enjoy our family vacation every year!