A summary...

January Days

Maya styling Daddy's hair

Daddy capturing the moment after meeting with his stylist.

Maya and I enjoying a warmer day outside.

We have been preparing to move into our house this month. We have been packing and working and cleaning and all of that kind of thing. Our move-in weekend has been pushed back a week, and we are actually relieved. With running back and forth to the schools in Laurel and trying to get packed and ready to roll, the extra time is a blessing. We were also scheduled to move on super bowl weekend, which was kind of a bummer since the Packers made it! So, instead of the weekend of the 4th, February 11th at 4:30pm we will become homeowners again. This is our third house- you know what they say- third times the charm! I cannot wait to post pictures of the finished product. They had the kitchen nearly complete yesterday and it is adorable!

Our Soon-to-be Home!

We discovered this house in a neighborhood that we love this fall. It was being built as a spec house. We are so excited we cannot actually believe it is happening. I won't believe any of it until the builder gives us the key! Lucky for us that is not too far off! The floors are being put in and the carpenter is trimming the inside this week! We should be closing somewhere around February 4th!! For those of you living in the area, the house is located in the Josephine Crossing subdivision south of the Holiday Inn (Mullowney Ln.) For those of you that live in the Madison area- our builder has a similar style to Veridian homes there. This house will be like no other home we've lived in! Both homes that we have owned in the past were roughly 100 years old and BOTH had trap-door basements. This house will be brand new and no trap-doors that we know of!!! The best part about the house is the community of the neighborhood! We just can't wait!

Santa Is Comin' To Town

Santa came to visit yesterday! Maya was very surprised! Still, she is a girl who knows how to be prepared. She had just made paintings for the Jolly-Old-Elf hours before! She happily gave him his gifts and whispered in his ear, "Could I have treats and toys please?"

The Gingerbread House

These are a few of Maya's Favorite Things...

Playing in the snow...She just loves that snowman. After hugging him she said, "Oh! Snowman you so icy. I not icy. I warm."

Maya and her cousin Eli discovering hor d'oeuvres Thanksgiving Day.

Maya and Eli discovering that, when one is two-years-old, instead of helping with dishes you can help by keeping yourself occupied :)

Maya had to make sure her hair was fancy before we could decorate the Christmas tree last weekend!

Maya has many favorite things. She told me today that her favorite color is blue and her favorite shape is a "green circle." She also has a couple of dogs in her life that are her favorites, Lucy and Ruby. Maya's current favorite book is, "If you Take a Mouse to the Movies." As a result, we have made homemade ornaments and popcorn strings to make our Christmas tree "beautiful" just like the mouse in the story. Maya has also fallen madly in love with the movie "Cinderella". She regularly calls "Prince" on her play phone. The conversation (I only hear one end mind you) goes something like this, "Hello Prince? You there? What? Cinderella need her glass slipper? It okay, she find it. Don't worry. I will tell her to find the other one. Okay, bye Prince." She is so helpful :)

We have much to look forward to this coming year! Mark is working hard in his first year of teaching and is so talented! He was invited to the state capitol to assist in planning for the state science curriculum for kindergarten. What an honor! He wowed them, naturally!  I am nearing my last finals and will be student teaching in January. We are also in the process of buying a house! It seems we are often dealing with multiple changes in a short span of time. All of these changes are good, though, so we are counting our blessings and full of excitement for the end of this year and the beginning of a new one.

Leaves, Pumpkins, and our very own Curious George

 Playing in a pile of leaves at Nana's!

 This big pumpkin at the Johnson's farm captured Maya's attention right away.

 I've got this guys!

 Some of us bringing pumpkins in from the field.

 Grandpa and Maya

Maya and her cousins, Jack and Eli, resting after picking pumpkins.

 Pulling out the guts!

 Daddy is working hard to get our Jack O' Lantern ready.

 Maya helped sort the seeds out!

 The seeds getting washed up and ready to be baked.

 Maya colored the pumpkin's "hat" while Mark carved the face.

 Trying on the costume in preparation for next week

 Our very own little Curious George!

 Pouty little monkey

 And now we find The Man with the Yellow Hat!

Ahh, The Man with the Yellow Hat and his dear friend Curious George! Looks good!