Nana Comes to Town!

Okay, so the title is play on "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," but when you are two a visit from Nana is just as exciting!

Nana came to visit the day after Christmas and got in just in time to beat the worst of a storm that could have made driving quite unpleasant. Nana brought Lucy a very special gift - an adorable red & white play kitchen. Lucy just loves it!

Nana stayed through the week and Aunt Amy, Uncle Bill and Quinn joined us for a couple of days. It was so nice to have family around for such a fun visit. Lucy was so excited to have Quinn to play with and Nana to dote on her - what a lucky little girl!

Christmas Morning!

This Christmas was quite exciting for both Lucy and the two of us. It is the first year that Lucy gets the idea of what is going on with Christmas. She understood that Santa was going to stop by and leave her special gifts and that we would all be celebrating together. She also had a visit from a very special elf, Ellie, during the month of December. Every night Ellie, the elf on the shelf, went to the North Pole to report to Santa whether Lucy was being naughty or nice. In the morning she would return and find a new perch. Lucy anxiously looked for Ellie every morning and was quick to report when she was doing a good job. So, she couldn't wait to see what Santa brought, but was also sad to say goodbye to Ellie, who returned to the North Pole with Santa. (Don't worry, she'll come back next year!)

Lucy did a great job opening her presents despite her complete excitement. She got some puzzles, tub crayons, a cool Hess truck with tractor inside, a shopping cart, accessories for her baby dolls, match box cars and, of course, some new books!

Kenzie arrived a little later and joined in on all the fun. I love the picture of the girls in their matching shirts from Kenzie. What a great idea!

Holiday Happiness

We all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Eve celebration at the Nolan's house. Aunt Amy & Uncle Paul were wonderful hosts and the four little cousins had so much fun between having each other, the attention from everyone, the presents and the special chocolate treats from Nana.

Lucy was thrilled with her BIG Piano from Nana; her fun zebra back pack and a book from Aunt Amy, Uncle Paul, Zoe & Ella and her Aquadoodle mat from Aunt Amy, Uncle Bill and Quinn. Looks like she did pretty well to me!

I'm Dreaming of Pink Presents

Tonight on the way home from work Lucy informs me that it is Christmas time and Santa Claus will bring presents. I ask her if there are any special kind of presents she would like. Her response: "My want Santa Claus bring pink presents." Good thing there will be a few pink things under the tree this year!

Island Girl!

Vacation time! The Saturday after Thanksgiving Brian, Lucy and I all set out for a much needed week in St. John for some fun & sun. This was our third time to St. John, but Lucy's first. I must say, the trip is a little different with a soon-to-be two year old in tow. Much more running around, and much less relaxation! But it was well worth it to have a wonderful family vacation. Lucy loved it though and her phrase of the week, said with arms raised above her head, was "Island Girl!"

Just getting to St. John is an adventure in and of itself, filled with varying modes of transportation! We drove by car to satellite parking, took a shuttle to the airport, flew by plane to Charlotte Amalie in St. Thomas, took a taxi to the ferry dock, (a stop at Tickles for nachos) took a ferry to St. John and then an iguana (golf cart) to our villa! Whew, that was a lot of different ways to travel all in one day! Lucy was a great traveler, though it would have been nice if she slept on the plane...

The trip started out just the three of us, but mid-week Aunt Amy & Quinn joined us! We went to several delicious restaurants - having Lucy along forced us to check out some new, kid-friendly places. Boy were we glad we did. We discovered some new places that were fabulous and we still headed to the more casual favorites. Amy & Brian had margaritas the size of their heads (see photo below) at Margarita Phil's.

We went to Cinnamon Bay twice to enjoy some beach time. Luckily for us, Lucy was afraid of the waves, so she was a good girl and stayed close by. There was a mangrove right near the beach with water flowing to the bay, so she was happy to play in that water toting her "rockies" and coral back and forth and filling a bucket with sand.

We opted not to rent a car this time, instead taking taxis into town and out to eat. This actually worked out great and, in the end, seemed to save money. Lucy loved the open-air taxis that shuttled us back and forth to Mongoose Junction and the Cinnamon Bay. They were red and most had murals painted on them. I think she was secretly a bit afraid, but didn't want to admit it, so instead she said that her baby was afraid and she had to hold on to her tight. She informed us many times that the "taxi is a bumpy ride." If you have ever been to St. John, then you already know that the roads are windy, hilly, narrow and not the best paved around. These are some of the reasons I was glad to stick to paid transportation!

Our villa had an amazing view as it was up on a hill overlooking water. We really enjoyed our balcony, and spent many nights out there after the girls went to sleep. I will admit, the walk UP the hill is a bit exhausting, especially during the hottest part of the day.

One of the best things about this trip was definitely spending time with Amy & Quinn. We were all so glad they could join us. The girls got tons of quality play time and had a pint-sized companion with whom to explore. I also got a chance for quality bonding with Amy!

Okay, so I have gone on enough about our fantastic island adventure in paradise! Here is a sampling of the way-too-many pictures we took:

Two is Terrific!

Happy, Happy Birthday Lucy Girl! It is hard to believe that Lucy is already two years old. The past couple of years seem to have flown by at lightening speed. I know, all parents say that, but it really is true. Lucy is amazing. She is the epitome of her name - light. Lucy has brought so much light and happiness into our lives. She is spunky, outgoing, chatty, fun, cheery, bright and adorable. Don't get me wrong, Lucy can also be stubborn, cranky, whiny and picky - but hey, who isn't sometimes?

I cannot believe all that Lucy has learned and discovered this past year. She has an amazing vocabulary - more words than I can count! She is great at puzzles and loves to put them together. Miss Lily at school says Lucy does puzzles she has never seen a toddler so young do. She is friendly and flirty with folks everywhere we go. But most of all, she is our wonderful little girl and we are so happy to have her in our world.

I hope that Lucy's third year is even more fun and exciting than the second. We can't wait to share it with her. Here is a retrospective of Lucy during the past year, one picture from each month. They are among my favorites - some you've seen and some you might not have... Enjoy!

My Very Own Trike!

Lucy is very interested in bikes. She points out bikes in the neighborhood, bikes on the road while we are driving and bikes on television. Lucy has also tried to get on bikes belonging to the bigger kids in our neighborhood. So, you can imagine Lucy's excitement when her Nana gave her a pink Radio Flyer tricycle and helmet for her birthday! Lucy couldn't wait to try it out on the driveway. By spring, those little feet should reach the pedals without any trouble and she will be riding away!