happy new year

We've spent our New Year's Eve making panicked phone calls to my PICU nurse sister.   Poor Elise had a high fever this afternoon which we finally got under control around bedtime.  It was up to a scary 104.4 but it was back to 99.5 when she went to bed.  She is being constantly medicated per Nurse Lauren's instructions.   She was so sad.  We watched Tangled twice in a row and she didn't move a muscle.  Poor thing.  

I have a random bunch of pictures on my camera from healthier days...

It snowed!  And her size 18 month snow-pants still fit!

She took her mittens off and wouldn't put them back on.  Then she fell down and we were done.  :-)  Here she's saying "Daddy sit right here..."

She loves her new dollhouse and needed a band-aid on her chin because she 'bonked it"...she put the whole family in there like that after each one hopped carefully up the stairs.

Little weirdo eating raw onions when I was making dinner.  She ate several of them and kept saying "so good". 

And I shall call this video -- Soft Titty.  This is her favorite song that she sings all the time now.  She does know Jesus Loves Me and ABCs - but really only sings Soft Kitty.  Awesome.

Christmas at the Lake

So Elise had a pretty good Christmas.

Actually - we all did.

My dad's Christmas wish was for everyone to sleepover at the lake.  So Christmas morning we woke up and headed out for a couple days.  We had an amazing breakfast when we got there and pretty much didn't stop eating for two days.  I need an intervention.  

We were all completely spoiled.  Elise's favorite things were this dollhouse (how many people does it take to assemble a Fisher Price dollhouse??)...

And this massive princess art kit from Auntie Lauren & Uncle Carl.  

They taught her how to do this...

(We had to explain this is a 'Christmas only' activity and the markers are on a very high shelf...)

Another favorite present...matching pajamas!!!!  We changed into these immediately and were so comfy the whole day.  Which was really convenient considering all my pants are way too tight these days...

Cool Lauren...

Merry Christmas from the Kloostras!

happy christmas eve

 We spent Christmas Eve with the Gootes.  Elise refused to eat any of our delicious dinner but saved plenty of room for ice cream and cookies. 

I had to get this one while we were praying.  She concentrates so hard...

Elise made out like a bandit.  One of her favorite things was the bag Auntie Sarah brought her present in...

Delicious ice cream...  

Thank you to our wonderful Goote family!  We love you! 
 Or Elise says "I yud you!"  

the critter barn

We had the best morning.  After their usual Saturday morning donut, Nick, Elise, and Grandma and Grandpa came to pick me up and we took a trip out to the cutest little barn in Zeeland. 

This place is awesome and totally free (they accept donations).   They have a live nativity during Christmas, and tons of kitties, bunnies, baby ducks, baby chicks, sheep, goats...everything.  

Bunnies!  Just sitting out on these little stands. 

Tons of very friendly kitties that Elise loved to brush.

Baby ducks!!!

Baby chicks!!!

Baby bunnies!!  Seriously this place was so cute.

This is a real sheep.  It was very very friendly and kept nuzzling people.

Sweet live nativity.  Mary came down by all the kids and was asking if they wanted to see her baby.  (The baby wasn't real...)  Elise looks at these pictures and says "Mary holding Jesus..."

She kept shoving hay at this sheep and saying "more nummies lambie - so nummy!" 

Lots of chickens laying eggs.  This kind of grossed me out. 

They held a baby duckie!!

They had a special little area where they all these little bunnies hopping around and you could go in and hold them.  Elise thought it was super awesome.

We are definitely going back! 

christmas past

I scanned a few Christmas-y pictures of when we were little. Mostly I was looking for any where Elise looks like anyone on my side of the family - but she's a Goote through and through. :-) That's okay though - they're cute as can be.

That little Santa thing is the best.   It holds candy canes and has been around forever.   I'm pretty sure my mom painted it.  Also - These are the cutest dresses and wish I still had them!  

Same age as Elise.  No resemblance whatsoever.  :-)

Doesn't everyone love our matching choker necklaces and ruffled shirts with vests?  

I'm kind of dying to recreate this one - it would involve me grabbing Aubrey's boobs, side ponytails, my mom in a french braid and popcorn strands on the Christmas tree.  

I love Lauren in this picture.  She's the sweetest.  And it looks like Aubrey was bribed with a candy cane.  Also, I'm wearing a fanny pack in the family Christmas photo - I wonder what I had in there...

I wonder if Lauren would want to re-create this photo this year?  Bahahaha...

soft kitty

Elise singing her her new favorite song.  Enjoy.  :-)

Also - for those not familiar with the hilarious-ness that is Soft Kity - here's a clip from the Big Bang Theory. Some people (ahem - my mom) don't think this show is funny, but we love it.  :-)

so it begins...

...the first Christmas present.

We had the Kloostra Christmas party tonight at my parent's.  We got there a little early and Elise got to open one special present before everyone got there.  

"go Ama"

["here you go, Ama"]

This took awhile.  Then we started to help. 

A fairy princess set!!  Wings, a crown, a flower headband, a skirt and a wand.  Thank you Grandma & Grandpa.  And Ebay. 

Just admiring herself and her new outfit...

She wanted to go play downstairs.  She likes ping pong and foosball - with Papa.  "just Papa" she says.  I went down to peek and they were having a little tea party. 

She got to open some more presents tonight too.  She got Finding Nemo and pack of princess chapsticks.  And a giant book of stickers, a super cute dolly, and a giant puzzle.  So fun. 

All she really cared about was the chapstick. 

And Grandma's drink.  "so nummy" she would say.  She'll sleep really good tonight...  ;-)

Christmas is here!  

Also - this happened yesterday.  She "bonked" her nose. 
 And needed a band-aid before it was "all better".  

"santa so nice"

Today we decided to go visit Santa.  And local people - do you think the Rivertown Santa is a little creepy?  And he doesn't even wear the red and white outfit!  He wears some weird red pants and a green shirt with suspenders and no hat!  Yeesh.  So we went to Woodland for a much nicer looking Santa experience.

She willingly sat on Santa's lap!  We got kind of a half smile.  And Santa said she was sweet.  And then he gave her a candy cane.  Made her day. 

Best picture yet!

To recap:  Here's 2010:  (5 months old- awww!!!!)

And 2011: (1 1/2)

 

See??  Isn't the 2012 Santa way nicer looking?   

We rounded out our day by making cookies.  I have a neighborhood cookie exchange so I of course had to make them.  Yay for cookie dough.  I had everything all ready when she woke up from her nap so she could put it all in the bowl and "help" by stirring and licking the spoon.  

Delish.  And I only snuck a couple bites....