Happy Birthday Luke!!!

Kate is always looking out for me.  She is making sure I don't burn myself on my candle.  She is such a good big sister.

And then she helped me blow out my candle.  (Only because I am too little.)

Digging in.  This is my first taste of cake and kinda like it.

And then Kate helped me eat my cake.  (She is so helpful.)

Today marks the one year anniversary of the day I arrived in this world.  My first year has been full of fun and love and living it up each and every day.  I am still a mischievous little devil; I would much rather play with dangerous things than toys.  My favorite "toys" are the dogs' bowls and Iphones.  I will eat absolutely anything.  At Thanksgiving, Mom gave me sauerkraut and I kept opening my mouth for more.  (I am half German after all.) I still cruise around holding on to things, but I haven't taken any steps; too scary.  I have learned to be gentle with my puppy dogs.  I like to crawl up to them and pet them and sometimes lean in to give them kisses.  My sister is still my favorite things around here though.  She makes me laugh and she has taken to carrying me around the house which is HILARIOUS to me.  I wave good-bye when people leave and I am working on my first words (which makes you wonder, I'm sure, if I can write so fluently and descriptively in this blog, why can't I even utter the word "Daddy" aloud? )  Well so far there are lots of "Dadadada"s and "Nininini"  and "Mamamama" but nothing consistent just yet.  Thank you all for being with me this first year of my life.  We've only just begun!

Giving Luke a lift

"I am so strong."  This is what I say as I carry my brother around everywhere and say, "Come on buddy; your big sister has you!"  This is just the beginning of a beautiful thing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chuy's Christmas Parade

Think I'll just take a break.

Superman!

I love these balloons!

Laura, Amy and Bailey, Maria,  Mom.  That is a lot of blonde hair on one couch!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cousins!  (L to R): Luke, Lucca, Rocco, Maddie, Hannah, Mason, Miles,  Bailey,  Mateo, Miller,  Riley,  Benjamin,  Kate (pouting)

Ready to watch the game.  

Bailey and I watching Star Wars.

Dad, Luke and I in our game day gear.

Up past my bedtime for the Aggie game and completely loco because of it!

Lukey with the girls.

This Thanksgiving was one in which we were aware of all we have to be grateful for.  It was Luke's first Thanksgiving which marks his last first holiday since he was born 5 days after Thanksgiving last year.  It was also the first year I really got what Thanksgiving was all about.  All weekend I told Mom and Dad, "I am thankful for my family: especially Mom, Dad, and Luke because I love you all in my heart in the whole wide world."  We spent 2 days in Del Rio with my cousins and had so much fun!!  Of course my good friends Bailey and Benjamin were there (I always tell mom, "Cousin friends are the best friends."  But Mason, Miller, Miles, Mateo, Hannah, Riley and Maddie were also there, along with Bailey and Benjamin's cousins on Uncle Ben's side, Rocco and Lucca.  I already miss them all.  We played lots of fun games in the backyard and pretended that the dry sauna at Unc and Dotty's house was our clubhouse.  That was the most fun.  On Friday we headed back home with Popo and he stayed an extra day so that he could go to the Christmas parade downtown with us.  It was cold and rainy but I still enjoyed seeing all of the balloons.  And then Dad and I got to run out into the street and throw a toy that we brought into the back of a truck.  It will go to a little boy or girl who doesn't have all of the fun toys that I have.  That makes me sad.  But hopefully the dumptruck will help make his or her Christmas more merry.  Now that Thanksgiving is over, we are getting ready for Luke's birthday and then Christmas!  What a wonderful time of year.

My First Haircut

Well it finally happened.  At the ripe old age of 3 years and 9 months, I finally convinced my mom to give me my first haircut.  I was so good.  I just sat still while she trimmed almost an inch off of my beautiful golden locks.  I feel lighter already!

Halloween 2011

Gigi and the happy lobster.

And we thought he couldn't get any cuter...

The stinkers with their Gigi

Kate just loves Alice.

Trick or treat buddies:  Hollis, Alice, Kate and Luke

Pretty girls.

Alice and I had my dad laughing it up!

Trying on Lolo's witch hat.  

Mom puts her yoga to work getting Luke into his lobster.

No more trick or treating, please.  Just let me sit in Luke's stroller and eat my hot dog.  I'm pooped.

This year I got to pick both my costume and Luke's costume.  I decided I would be Ariel, and I would be completely authentic with green eyes and RED hair.  And I chose for Luke to be Sebastian, but we couldn't find a crab costume anywhere, so instead he was my lobster friend.  Since this was the first time I have ever sprayed my hair, Mom and Dad spent lots of time preparing me for the fact that I might have pink hair for days, but I didn't care...I was up for it!  When I first saw myself in the mirror with that stop-sign-red hair, I thought I had never looked more beautiful.  Unfortunately it has already washed out and I am back to my blonde self.  Luke didn't seem to mind his lobster suit much and I loved to play with the eyes on the costume.  We spent Halloween with the Jefferies again and had so much fun.  Alice was a butterfly and Hollis was a pumpkin.  We trick or treated and then headed back to their house for a big fun block party with pizza and cupcakes.  Happy Halloween!!!