Happy New Year!

Well...

we have our party hats on,

gathered on the couch...

waiting to rock in the New Years

with Dick Clark from Times Square.

This is going to be the best one yet!

Check out these party animals!

Happy New Year everybody!

First Trip to Country

A Kennedy holiday tradition, either Thanksgiving or Christmas,

we went to "the country" with Grandma & Pop Kennedy.
We decided to take baby girl on her first

off road ride in the country Saturday.

Emily's too.

The weather was nice enough to put the top down,
Destination: "Gosh Almighty Road".

(No kidding...there use to be a wooden sign

with that written on it, nailed to a tree at the end.

The sign is gone, but the road, or lack there of, is still there!)

Sophia stressed out as you can see.

She loves to ride and sleep in the Jeep.

Uncle Hal & Emily were in the back seat with her.

(Photo by Hal, good job)

Put sunglasses on to block some wind
Example of one of the best other roads,

forgot to photograph Gosh Almighty!

Pretty creek view from one lane little rusty bridge
About to drive over bridge...
Another up there tradition..."Red's Catfish Cabin".
We stopped for some fried catfish, french fries, fried cheese sticks,
fried hush puppies, fried onions...There is a theme there.
Fried.

I guess because Sophia is only 2 months old, we took it easy.

There isn't enough mud on the Jeep to make it really count!

Christmas Eve

Here is a family portrait on Christmas Eve in front of our tree. We had just returned from Mass. Sophia was a champ during it...only had a few things to add aloud! :)

Best part of having stuff...

I have found all my Christmas decorations. Louie is so excited! Merry
Christmas eve!

If she could talk...

"I can't put my arms down!" early morning stuff run to beat crowds.
It's 34 degrees out there. Brrrrrrr!

Baby love

Nothing says Christmas...

Like a leaf blower! Santa came early to our house. Steve in action on
the front yard. :)

Glue guns

So I'm giving Shelby grief about her owning a glue gun...how graceful
she is in general, shouldn't me allowed to buy one etc.
First squirt of hot glue, when I use her glue gun, lands straight on
my pinky finger! Sporting a nice blister. Payback for running my
mouth. :)
(Blue dot on tip of my ring finger, mechanical pencil incident from
eighties!)

Road Trip!

Girls weekend in Birmingham! When I ask Sophia if she wants to go
shopping...she smiles really big like this. That's my girl!

Power Shopping

Went to Tiger Town today for some serious shopping. We were styling! :)

It really exists...

In the movies, Norma Ray & mentioned in Sweet Home Alabama...The
Golden Cherry Motel really does exist in the sister city to Auburn,
Opelika. Pronounced "O-pah-like-a". I would not recommend booking your
next vacation here...ever. Scary little dive motel...really scary!

Pictures from this Weekend

Me, Mark, & Amy...man I look short

Steve, Sophia, Catherine, Mom, Dad, Louie, & me

Ceiling fans

Sophia loves to watch our fan at home. While in Lowes looking at
lighting options...stopped under the display of the suckers. She was
in hog heaven!! Cracks me up.

Movie!

Amy & Catherine were in auburn this weekend to celebrate Christmas.
Saturday, Catherine took me to the movies! We finished off a large
popcorn, drinks, & nerds rope candy. Ugh. Saw "Bolt" in 3D, had a
great time.

Steve's Ski Trip

Steve went out to Park City, Utah with his brother

Hal and his girlfriend Emily November 24-26, 2008.

(Yes, Sophia was like 3 weeks old. We survived.

Steve hasn't been out west to ski for YEARS.

I know he loves it, so I encouraged him to go!)

Their flight was out of Atlanta very early in the morning.

Sophia & I drove Steve up there where he met up with Hal & Em.

Made them take the dorky group shot before photo.

Good thing! It's the only one of the three of them.

Following photos are provided by Hal...

Steve killed our little camera on the trip out.

Intentional...premeditated...not sure. :)

(Steve is asleep...so I'm going to make up lame captions)

Pretty snow covered Utah mountain...where they might have skied.

Steve and big bear...which is the bigger bear is the question...

Top of the black diamond...that is Steve

about to go over the edge.

Spraying snow, looking like champ.

At the bottom, all huge smiles...

and that is why I wanted him to go.

He needed to cut up and have a good time

outside the fish bowl.

Beautiful view

The wipe out scene photos

I did get to hear this story...so I know sorta

what's up with these pictures.

Here is the photo without the cheesy lines

With the explanation lines...Steve apparently ate it.

His skis stopped and came off at straight line,

but he kept going.

Face planted at the "x"...painful to ego and body!

It was so bad that Hal about ate it there too when

Steve took him up there to see the spot!

Ahhh...beauty.

Looks flipping cold.

Good time was had by all. No broken bones...just sore and stiff like the tin man!

They stayed with cousin Kate & her husband Todd in Park City.

Steve can't wait for Sophia to hit three years old.

Said he was going to take her to learn!

Love Hats

This was a gift from Cerro family & I love it on her! Cracks me up!
(She's doing her best Zoolander face)

First Fire!

We are now sweating it out...but Steve had to play with our fire
place. Smoke went up the chimney, good draw, score!

Animated Rudolph

In store shopping, showed this to Sophia. She smiled and cooed at
it. :) too cute!

House Lights (cont.)

After looking at the Dogwood all by itself wrapped in lights...

we decided(me) that there had to be more lights added.

Sophia giving me silent moral support from the kitchen window.

(She loves to watch me cook, or what I call cooking, from this bouncy seat)
Here is the front of our house...
I'm thinking life sized nativity on the roof tomorrow.
It looks so dark up there...

Santa!

This is a picture of picture because Santa's helper bans camera use in
Santa's workshop! Cheap fat man. Anyway, Sophia's first visit with
Santa...she didn't cry. Maybe next year?

Sophia's Baptism

Saturday at Saint Michael's Catholic Church

Grandpa Hosemann(my dad)

Sophia did well. No crying or loud bodily noises

she is fond of making.

Few spits of the pacifier, great saves by all.

Fr. Sofie, Sophia, and I

Sophia's godparents Al & Shelby

Karen, Steve, Van, Sophia, and I

Ashlyn, Shelby, Emery, & us

The chapel windows...St. Michael the archangel were

put in when Fr. Sofie was pastor
Carolyn and us

Grandma Hosemann(my mom) and us

Sophia's cousins

My brother who took almost all of these pictures!

Thank you for running to get the camera.

After the baptism, we all headed over to Niffers for lunch.

"Great" Aunt Katy

Hanging out with Grandma Karen