ABCD. . .

Bella is getting so good at her alphabet lately - we're so proud of her. She loves to sing along to the song and is even starting to recognize several of the letters. She has an alphabet puzzle and she'll bring me a letter and tell me what it is. Sometimes she just blows me away! She can also count to twelve (after that she jumps around from 14 to 16 and back to 2 again).

The weather has been cold so we've been indoors. I'm starting to run out of indoor activity ideas. We've been doing a lot of coloring this week and I've been taking lots of random pictures as I continue to learn my new camera.

I left the room and came back to find that Bella had emptied all of the books out of the basket and then got in herself! The house has been a little extra messy this week as Bella has decided that it is much more fun to play with something when it is all dumped out on the floor. Case in point: crayons. I suppose the books above are also an example. Add a little bit of plastic food, some flashcards, and puzzle pieces and you'd be surprised that we only have one child in this house.

More random pictures

Bathtime!She got some new bath paints and crayons for Christmas which have been a huge hit in the tub!These bottles go to the doll she got while we were visiting with Andy's sister and her family. The milk bottle is 'Tyler's milk' and the juice bottle is 'Jacob's juice'. She still remembers how much fun she had with her cousins over Christmas. Snuggling on the couch during the Packer game tonight. We were sad to see the Packers lose. They came so close.

Christmas Eve Day

Christmas Eve

Back in Jersey

On Thursday morning, we started the trek back to our home in New Jersey. Things were going pretty smoothly until we got pulled over in Indiana. How fast do you think we were going? 10 miles over? 15 miles over? Nope. Try three miles over. We got away with a warning and an order to adjust our speed. I guess we'll be extra careful next time we drive through Indiana. Shortly after being pulled over, it started to rain. The rain continued through the night and it really slowed us down; so we decided to stay the night just outside of Pittsburgh. Bella was happy to be out of the car. We started our homestretch on Friday morning and arrived at our house around 2:30pm. Our bags are unpacked, the laundry is done, the Christmas decorations are down, and there is food in the refrigerator. We're officially settled back in.

For Christmas, Andy surprised me with the camera I have been eyeing up all year! I still have a lot to learn, but here are a few of the photos I have already taken with it.

Bella at my parents' house I think that Andy looks so 'pastoral' in this photo
Another photo at my parents' houseI took a lot of random pics of things around the house in an attempt to learn more about this camera. The focus here is on the berry next to the apple. Bella sitting on our bed***Exciting news! Our nephew, Charles Curtis Meade, was born this morning at 2:14am! He weighs 7lbs. 7oz and is 21 inches - the exact same size as his older brother, Jacob! Congratulatiosn to the Meade family!

Christmas Recap

On Christmas morning, we packed up the car and headed out to Wisconsin. Fifteen hours later, we pulled up in my parent's driveway - very grateful to have arrived. Out of the whole trip, Bella only slept about 45 minutes. Thankfully, juice boxes, suckers, and a portable DVD player kept her mildly entertained.

Here are a few pics from the Benetti family celebration.

Bella and Auntie MaryMy new sweater! I can always count on one my sisters to keep me in fashion.Auntie Jodi and BellaTaking care of her new baby.My dad and KristenLori and her boyfriend, Ryan. Bella enjoying all the festivities!Starting to get a little tired.Auntie Lori and BellaBella's silly faceNext stop: Kilps Home

Bella opening some more presentsNice group shot!Playing with Uncle TomNext stop: Meade Home

Since Andy's sister, Laura, is due to give birth any day now, they couldn't make it down for Christmas, so we went up there. Bella had so much fun playing with her cousins, Jacob and Tyler!

Fun in the snow! We haven't gotten any snow in New Jersey yet, so it was nice to see some (for about fifteen minutes and then we went in because it was cold).

More present time! Here is Jacob opening up his gift from us.The boys helped Bella with her gift. Snuggling up with her new babyJacob and Tyler took such nice care of the doll. They're definitely going to be great big brothers!

Bella liked feeding her too.

Three little monkeys jumping on the bed!Tyler-Man!We ventured out to McDonalds one afternoon for some lunch and playtime!The slides were definitely a big hit!Play-doh time! Here's Jacob with one of his creations!Bella hard at workGetting scooped up by Daddy/Uncle AndyBack to the Kilps Home:

Bella giving Grandma a hugGrandpa feeding Bella some ice creamCute photo with the grandparents!Tomorrow morning we're heading back to the Benetti home for a couple of days and then we'll head back to New Jersey Thursday morning. The trip has sure gone fast. I'm feeling a little sad about leaving. . . hopefully I'll be more ready in a few days.