Play time with Abby

Abby turned a whop'n 15 months old on Saturday.  Here's what she's up to these days.
She started walking in November.  Now the only time she's not walking is when she's eating (and even then...) reading a story, or sleeping.  It seems like she's always walking around with something or other in her hands (a book, the remote, a cell phone, a spoon...).

 Abby loves story time. (Pictured above is Grandma Leavitt reading her Good Night Moon.)  She especially likes to take the story reader's finger and point to the pictures with it.  Silly girl.  One book we a reading right now is Baby Signs.  She loves the pictures of the babies making signs.  So far she has signs for "All done,""Up," "Christmas Tree," and "Hat."  For anything else she wants she just points to it. She isn't using any words so I'm hoping the signing will help.

Another thing Abby is getting really good at is stealing mommy's glasses off her face.  I try to stop her, but to the detriment of my poor optic lenses she is getting pretty quick and sneaky about it.  Maybe I should get contacts again.

 Abby loves playing in the kitchen...perhaps even more than she likes playing in her room were all her toys are. 

 She's like a "magnet" to the refrigerator. 

 And ever since she's learned how to access all those fun "toys" in the cupboards............

 ...my kitchen has never been quite the same.

I think she likes this wooden spoon  more than any other toy in the house.  Maybe I should decorate it for her.  It's not like I get to use it now anyway because it's either in the dishwasher, being pulled out of the dishwasher by excited little hands, or on the floor.

Christmas Vacation

This year all 5 of Brian's siblings and their families (14 grandchildren included) made their way to Boise to celebrate the holidays. Boy what a blast! We all pitched in fixing up Diane's house, cleaning, and cooking mission meals.  We had fun playing racket ball and swimming at the YMCA and ice skating at Ice World.  At home we played Christmas Carols with chimes, the Grinch game, and of course we had a big indoor snowball fight with marshmallows. Too bad most of us got sick from being in such close quarters with each other.  However, we felt so blessed to have everyone together again.  T's family flew in from Alaska and Cam's family flew from Michigan.   I didn't get pictures of everything, but here's some of the fun ones I do have.

 Abby having a great time learning how to climb up and down Uncle Ben's stairs over and over again.

 This pretty little dress is actually a 3T skirt Grandma Tanner bought at Moni's boutique.  I just untied the bow and tied it around her neck to hold it up.  Way cute!

 The kids' table

 All of T's kids, including Maddy here, seemed to love carrying all the babies around.

 Christmas Dinner

 Time to act out the Nativity!

 John reading his part

 Drew playing a shepherd.  Is that PVC pipe really supposed to be sheep?

 Lizy and Brinley playing the angels

Essie was a great big baby Jesus, Sass was Marie, and Maddy was Joseph

 Brian, James, and Jake playing Wise Men

 Snowball (marshmallows blown through PVC pipe) fight!

 All the moms got pj's from Aunt Merilyn.

 Abby was feeling sick and just wasn't that interested in opening presents.

 Abby mainly got books....

 ....and dolls.   Just perfect!

 Cam and John's family

 Excuse me folks, I'm hungry!

 Gracie and her dad Steve

 John and Daniel

 Grandma Tanner, Clara, and James

 Brian heavily protested when he saw the larger size on his new jeans....then he tried them on and admitted they were a perfect fit for his growing belly:)  I told him if he lost weight I'd buy him a smaller size.

 Baby doll from Grandma Cathy

 Well no one really looks all that pretty early on Christmas morning do they???

 Gracie really scored with ALL the Disney princes dolls

    Abby is becoming quite the doll lover herself.  She usually smiles and squeals at them for about 20 seconds before she's off exploring the next object of interest.