Can it be?

How is it possible that my baby girl is now ONE YEAR OLD!? I am convinced that time continues to speed up on me! Good in one way (won't it be nice to be done with school!) - not so good in another (where did my baby go?) We had a fantastic time celebrating Brooklyn's 1st Birthday. It was a very exclusive event - just our little family of four - but we enjoyed it! Here are a few of the highlights... 

Opening Presents - Always read the card first!

Of course a lot of help from big brother.

So much fun stuff! Cameron enjoyed the presents yesterday - Brooklyn has loved them today...It takes her some time to warm up, the little chicken! :)

Time for some cake!

First Taste...

Let me show you how it's done!

Yummy!

BIG Bite!

A Delicious Mess!

All Clean!

We couldn't be more in love or more grateful to have this little sweetheart in our family!! She is an absolute joy! 

Happy Birthday Beautiful Girl!

Skaters Have The Best Figures

After skating competitively for 8 years and then coaching for 4 years...we somehow managed to move to one of the few places in the United States without a skating rink! I've really missed it, so last weekend we made the drive to Mississippi for a quick session. It was SO MUCH FUN! It felt great to be in my skates again. I even managed to try a few jumps.

I definitely did a good amount of this...

But, there were some smooth landings in there too...

They didn't have skates small enough for Brooklyn, but we were able to get Cameron on the ice for a little bit. First I took him for a quick round with just his shoes on. I promise he loved it...despite how scared he looks in this photo. :)

 Then I even talked Adam into strapping on some skates! Cameron had a blast and by the end was really getting the hang of it.

What a super fun day!

Arranged Marriage

Check out the cutie that Cameron has fallen for! We couldn't be happier and have already talked to her parents about an arranged marriage! :) Cameron talks about Alli constantly! Here are just a few of our recent conversations.

Cameron: Dad, give mom her first kiss! (Of course he did!)

Cameron: Now I need to have my first kiss!

Mom: Okay, who do you want to give you your first kiss? (I thought he would say me!)

Cameron: Alli!

Cameron has recently been interested in our wedding pictures and asking a lot of questions about them. Here is what he said to me the other day at breakfast...

Cameron: Mom, here is the plan...You will marry Daddy in the temple and I will marry Alli in the temple. Then I will dance with Alli, and I will hold hands with Alli. 

I wish you could have heard his voice when he said this - it got so low and shy when he talked about dancing with her and holding her hand! So cute!

Now all we have to do is hold them off for 20 years or so! :)

Officially a Volunteer!

Well, I finally got my Tennessee Drivers License! 

Here is the exciting event in numbers...

• 7 = Months it took me to notice my UT license had expired!
• 6 = Total hours of wasted time!
• 1 = Questions I missed on the written exam.
• 2 = Very talkative/slightly frightening men I sat between in the waiting room.
• 3 = People I watched fail the road test while I waited for my turn!
• 15 = Minutes my actual road test took! No kidding - she found out my situation and didn't even make my go all the way around the block!

Oh boy, what an adventure! I am so glad to officially be a legal driver in the Volunteer State! :)

Did they find you?

We have combined family traditions from both families and Jack Frost and The New Year Fairy (Or, as Cameron says, "The Fairy Tale Lady") came and put treats and presents in our shoes last night! Jack Frost has always come to Adam's house, and my family altered a German tradition and set our shoes out for the New Year Fairy. So, lucky us - they both found us this year! :) Cameron was so excited and picked out all our shoes to go under the tree - he even chose his slippers that Great-Grandma Rudd made him. :) We are excited to continue on these fun family traditions. Maybe next year they can find you too!

P.S. A big THANKS to Grandma & Grandpa Rudd for letting Jack Frost know where we live! :)