Christmas Morning

I hope you had a Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a great 2009! Our family had a wonderful Christmas and Santa brought me some great presents. I must have been a good girl this year. Keep your fingers crossed for next year... I've had a couple 'time-outs' already this weekend!

Big Bear Sledding

Our family went to Big Bear Lake today and did some great sledding on our way up the mountain. The weather was perfect, it snowed yesterday and cleared by the time we got on the slopes. It was my first time sledding... I LOVED it! I couldn't stop giggling! The whole day was so fun for everyone.

Working on the Bronco

Last week, while mommy was getting some Christmas shopping done, I helped daddy work on the Bronco. I need to log some hours in to ensure the keys are handed over to me in 14 years. I worked on the steering column and then headed underneath for some other work. I loved spending time with daddy and enjoyed getting my hands dirty.

Southern California Snow

What do children do who live in a place where they see no snow? The city ships in 25 tons and drops it by the waterfront. Once the truck pulled out the kids went wild, there were snowballs flying everywhere. Mommy got hit by some while manning the camera and I ended up with some on the top of my head. I had freezing toes and fingers from playing so it was great fun.

Christmas Cookies

Auntie L came over last night and today we decided to make Christmas cookies. Actually, I went down for a nap and woke up to a kichen filled with them. It makes for a wonderful snack after a good rest. The iced cookies were my favorite. The icing ended up all over my face, shirt and somehow made its way on Max's back.

Deck the Halls

We got our Christmas tree and decorated this weekend. We're all in the spirit! I didn't have much interest in choosing the tree but do love playing with the ornaments. Mommy is being selective with which make the bottom half of the tree this year. I like to pull them and don't quite understand that they may be stuck on a branch. It's all a learning curve.

Daddy's Promotion

Daddy had his promotion ceremony today so mommy and I got all gussied up to be a part of this special occasion. There was a room full of people to celebrate with us, daddy said a few words, repeated his oath and mommy helped to pin on his new insignia. He's now a Major! I was patient during the ceremony and for a few pictures but when mommy took the camera out at lunch I had had enough. We are so extremely proud of daddy and appreciate his dedication to his family, our country and the Marine Corps!

Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving, we went to Nashville and had a great time. Some of the highlights were helping Pop feed the birds, going to an ice show and flying down an ice slide, visiting with relatives and eating cake at my birthday party, and, generally, being the center of attention. All this excitement plus spending time on an airplane made for a wonderful holiday!

Two Years Old

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday! Mommy and I met daddy on base for a snack and fun at the playground. This resulted in a very productive naptime. We all went to Chuck E. Cheese for some dinner, games and rides. With all my options, I was most excited about swiping the token card through the slots on each game and watching the balls come down the alley when mommy and daddy were playing Skeeball. The day ended with some very thoughtful gifts, candles and cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, Marine Corps!

In celebration of the 233rd birthday of the Marine Corps yesterday and Veteran's Day today, mommy and daddy had a big night out last night. Usually they attend a Marine Corps Ball every year but since daddy's stationed with the Navy, that wasn't an option. Instead, they got a stretch limo with all the Marines they could gather and headed up the coast to Santa Barbara. The bond that connects these men is quite amazing! Needless to say, the locals had all sorts of questions as they headed down the streets, taking over one bar after another.

Surprise for Grandpa!

This week mommy and I flew to Colorado to surprise Grandpa Boven just for fun. He was so surprised he was actually speechless. We did all sorts of fun things around town! Grammy wanted to celebrate my birthday so we had a special time of opening gifts. The FisherPrice Noah's Arc was packed so well that it took us a while to get all the pieces out of the box. I am really excited about my new toys! Even though I missed Max and daddy, I was so happy to spend with grammy and grandpa.

Happy Halloween

We went to a fall festival tonight instead of trick-or-treating. There were many jumpers, food and bowls of candy. I had a great time in the jumper with my friend Phoebe. I didn't really want to leave at the end of the night so Mommy had to bribe me with a tootsie roll. It took me the whole ride home to figure out how to get that from sticking to my teeth.

Happy Halloween, I hope you had many more treats than tricks!

Santa Ana Winds

The Santa Ana winds bring extremely hot, dry weather and winds that can only be described as standing in front of a hair dryer. The downside of this is definately the high risk of wildfires. But, in the Blackford 'glass is half-full' thinking, we found the upside of this severe weather. I grabbed my swimming suit and mommy and we unrolled the hose in the front yard. Running through the sprinkler has an extra appeal in mid-October.

Pumpkin Patch

We headed out to pick our Halloween pumpkins today and we hope to carve them in the next few days. Daddy explained the basic premise of choosing my pumpkin from the large selection in front of me. I came up with a game plan and headed out into the pumpkin abyss. Instead of choosing one and sticking with it, I decided it would be more fun to imagine they were footballs. I would hold them for a second and then throw them down like I had just made a touchdown. Thankfully, there were no piles of seeds left behind. We ended our visit with a hayride which took us around the farm and past some horses, chickens, goats and a donkey. Great fun!

Santa Barbara Zoo

We went to the Santa Barbara Zoo on Friday. Although my stroller was close by at all times, I chose to walk for most of the day. We saw many different animals, rode the zoo train and even fed a giraffe. Then we went down to the pier for lunch. It was quite an exciting day and I didn't last long in the car before my eyes got too heavy to keep open.

Peace and Quiet

There is no other time in Max's day when he relaxes more than when he hears, 'it's bathtime'. This means I'm headed off to start my bedtime routine. He quickly jumps up on the big chair in the living room and breathes a sigh of relief. He made it through another day of 'love' from his little sis. You can see how exhausting that can be!

Make-up Mishap

I am generally content to harass Max or play quietly while mommy's in the shower but this morning was a bit different. She has a green concealer stick that looks like a tube of lipstick. I haven't been able to open it to this point but I really made up for lost time. You can't see this but I also added some stripes to the bathroom area rug. Mommy must not have been too upset because she made me sit still while she ran downstairs for the camera.