Happy New Year!

We say goodbye tonight to the best year of our lives!  It was a wonderful, magical, happy year filled with more blessing than we could have ever imagined!  Knute says "except I would have liked to hunt deer more..."  :-)  Besides that though, our best year, because of our special gift - Hana! 
Happy New Year to all!

Well, for some of us 8:25 pm is WAY too late!

Hana's First "real" Snow!!!

It's snowing... we're supposed to get 8-12 inches actually in the next 12 hours, so we thought we'd show it to Hana before it got too deep and cold (high of 10 degrees tomorrow!)  Yikes!  She liked it until she fell backwards and couldn't move! :-)   Thanks to Kim (and Eliana) for the GREAT snowsuit hand-me-down!  Now that Hana can walk, I think she'll use it a lot.  Well, if it keeps snowing or "being cold" I mean! 

Now we just have to buy her some gloves!!!!!  Socks worked for today though!  :-)

Happy snow!

Hana's First Christmas!!

What a wonderful first Christmas for Hana!  Last night (Christmas Eve) the entire family (even all her cousins) went to church at 5 pm and there was wonderful music and Hana got to see it all.  After that we went to Aunt Ann & Uncle Leif's house and had a (huge) meal and then opened presents!

Today, after opening more presents, we went back for another wonderful (and huge!) meal and more family time!  Hana had a great first Christmas! (But I'll have to add more later!)

Out baby-safe "Dr. Seuss" Christmas tree!

Hana's first Christmas morning!

Tearing into it!

Our new hats (and my scarf).

Of course, bucket "hat"!! 

Hanging out with her cousins!

Hanging out with Britta!

Hana walking like a Pro!

Tonight Hana (who is walking more and more like a pro!) was walking around holding on to her daddy's (large/heavy!) tennis shoes!  It's amazing how quickly she's coming along!

Last weekend before Christmas!

Good thing we finished our Christmas shopping last month because the stores were crazy this weekend!  Yesterday, we had brunch (a belated birthday gathering for me, they said!) with the Keeley's and Brown's!  It was DELICIOUS as always and fun!  Hana got to play with her "big" friends Elaina and Audrey and also chased around Scarlett and Wilson!  A fun time had by all!
Today we put up our 5 foot Snoopy!  I actually blew it up in the living room first. Hana thought it was great for about 15 minutes... then she wasn't so sure about it!  Once he was in the yard though, she was quite happy again!  I actually finished wrapping all the presents today too while Knute was out at the Big G Ranch.  (They got one duck....) 

Ellie and Audrey

Playing with Audrey's dolls

Cake time!  (Ice cream cake-pie-with Oreo crust - YUM!)

Also, I LOVE thhis picture of Knute and Hana!!!

Thanks Irene!

Hana with Snoopy!

(Soon to be known as "SnoopyClaus"!)

Santa!

Well, we're not sure about this...........   But the pictures are funny!

Not sure about Santa!!

Her favorite buddy!  (Thanks Aaron!!)

Video of Hana "practicing" her walking!

I just thought I'd post a short video that Knute took today of Hana walking!

FIRST STEP(s)!!!!!

Hana took her first "official" steps tonight!!  We were in the kitchen and she was playing with the trash can and then walked away!  Then I ran to get the camera (of course!!) and we put her by the refrigerator and she took several more!!  I am sooooo excited!  Can you tell?  :-)

Walking...

Maybe......

Ok, let's go again!

a wobble....

wait... wait...

and a "save"! 

Yippee!  Didn't fall!

And a round of applause!

11 months old!

Hana is now 11 months old and more fun every day!!  She "talks" a LOT now and has definite meaning with many of her "words"!!  She is sweet as ever and her laugh (and other new sounds!!) crack us up often!

Knute had hernia surgery on Friday, so I've had another long weekend with (and taking care of) my two favorite people!   Knute is healing well and feeling better.  He was even up for Karina's annual holiday party last night.  This year we got a bunch of scratch tickets (some were even winners!!) and a board game!  Looks like fun!

One exciting thing that happened this weekend was that Hana learned how to go down (the carpeted) stairs from the 4th to 3rd levels in the house!  She goes backwards and did a great job!!  We still don't let her (well, we pull her away from the lower set) of wooden stairs.  They are still too slick.  Maybe when she's a little bigger and/or learns how to walk!  We'll see how it goes!
Here are some pictures from the last few days!

Random morning cuteness!

She found a new way to play with (on!) her favorite toy!

With her "safety helmet" of course!  She is so funny with that thing!!

11 months old and STILL HATES her baths! 

Although we just tried the kitchen sink and she actually hated it "less" we think...

But the tears still lasted a while!

Standing with "no hands" a lot now!  Close to walking!!

First tooth is finally visible w/o magnification!

Soup night - Early Christmas!

Last night we all went to Karina and Marvin's for the amazing soups and "early Christmas" with Grandpa and Grandma!  There were 3 soups - lobster bisque, butternut squash and creamy chicken and wild rice.  All three were superb!!  Then Grandma and Grandpa did their gift exchange (they'll be in CT over Christmas) and gave the grand kids many presents!  Hana seems to like opening things!  (And was given many wondering presents!!) 

Hana favorite bear!

Knute, Ann & Leif

Karina yummy cake (for me, actually)  :-)

OMG!  40!  I can't believe it!

Jane, Glenn & Britta

She's such a ham!

Britta, Sonja & Solveig

JK, Erika, Maren & Kelsey

Knute, Karla, Glenn, Karina & Leif

Hana opening her kids Nativity scene.  Fun!

Hana's new Luther hat!

Flying with grandma!

Hana learning (practicing) how to go DOWN stairs!!

One last visit before they leave town!

Checking each other out, as they do!  :-)