Princess Starla is 1!

Princess Starla celebrated her first birthday on July 22, 2009! We had a great time at the park with family & friends. Dan grilled yummy chicken, burgers & hot dogs. We also had macaroni salad, chips and of course CAKE! Starla really enjoyed her first taste of cake & we had a good time watching our Pretty Little "Cake Monster"!

It is hard to believe our baby girl is already 1 year old. The time has gone by so fast & she is growing so quickly. Starla is so much fun! This year has been a blast & we look forward to many more years of fun & adventure!

Mama... Sweetness to my ears!

Starla spoke her first word on Friday & it was sweetness to my ears. She looked at me and called me Mama. She started out looking at me & saying Ma. This lasted throughout the day & later in the evening she looked at me, lifted her arms to be picked up & said Mama! It was the sweetest thing I have ever heard! Today she has continued to call me Mama... especially when she is upset & wants me to pick her up! Dan has work to do now... he wants her to start calling him too :-) My baby girl is growing so fast! I can't believe how fast the time has gone. She will be a year old soon & it seems like just yesterday that I looked at her beautiful face for the first time. Mama... the sweetest name I have! :-)

"Snowflakes that fall on your nose & eyelashes"

Today Missouri was transformed into a beautiful winter wonderland! The Post was closed today so we all spent the day warm & cozy inside... except for a short photo shoot :) We took Starla out for her first snow day! She was very interested in the falling flakes and was full of smiles & laughs! She actually had snowflakes on her eye lashes (just like the song)! It was so cute!

Dan will be home tomorrow because the snow has been falling all day! It is still falling & I can't wait to see how pretty it will be tomorrow! I LOVE SNOW!!!!!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

My wish tonight is that I will wake up tomorrow to a white winter wonderland! I want a nice thick blanket of real snow... not ice. I would love to go out & play & make a snow family! Oh, the beautiful pictures I could take of Starla.
I'm dreaming of a white Tuesday!

Happy "Half" Birthday, Starla!

Today is Starla's Half Birthday! I took her to have lunch with her Daddy, then we napped & went to WalMart to take pictures! All of the pictures came out so cute & I had a very hard time choosing. I can't wait to get them! She also got to experiment & play with a sippy cup today.

Starla is quite a big girl now. She is sitting up all by herself & is such a happy baby! She loves to lie on her back & play with her "Little Piggies". Dan & I get lots of smiles & laughs... she is definitely our favorite source of entertainment now. We can't believe she is already 6 months old... the time has gone by so quickly & we are having so much fun. Watching or little Star grow is truly our greatest adventure. We love her so much & can't imagine life without her. We look forward to the months that will turn into years with great anticipation & excitement!

Starla's First Christmas!

Starla's first Christmas was a blast! She loves looking at Christmas lights & she had a great time at "Trail of Lights". It is a 1.5 mile trail with over 1,000,000 lights! We went with Joi, Robert, Michele & little Robert. We all had fun walking through the lights & sipping hot cocoa.

Christmas morning was wonderful. Robert & Starla took turns opening their presents from Santa... they both got some great toys! My Mom cooked a big breakfast... yummy :) & then we finished opening presents. Starla had a great time tearing the paper & then trying to eat it. She got her first tooth for Christmas & she wants to chew on everything! Teething has been rough on her & she has been fussy. I feel so bad for her & I wish she would have been more comfortable for our visit in Austin.

Dan & I had a great time eating at all the restaurants that we miss... there is no Chick Fil A, Jason's Deli, Macaroni Grill or good sushi bar here at "Fort Lost in the Woods"! :) We also enjoyed 11 days of beautiful weather... it was in the 70s Christmas day ... nice break from the freezing Missouri weather. It was 6 degrees when we left home.

The drive down to Austin & back home again was so much better than I anticipated. Starla did fabulous... she is not a big fan of the car... most babies love the car but not her. Dan drove & I rode in the back with Star. Sammi slept the entire trip with her head on my shoulder. We got home yesterday evening after a long day of traveling... today we slept in & unloaded the car. Now we have to put everything away... we always come home with so much more than we went with. Starla got lots of toys, clothes & beautiful new bedding from her Tutu (my Mom) & I also had fun shopping! We had a nice visit with family, but are glad to be back home.

We hope that all our family & friends had a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! We look forward to a wonderful new year & all it's adventures! Welcome 2009!