Clara's First Christmas

In case you hadn't already guessed it from the "bells" video, or her straining to grab ornaments, Clara was VERY excited about Christmas. And our celebration in Iowa with Heather's family lived up to all the anticipation (and then some).

At home in San Diego, we geared up and practiced wearing our toasty winter gear. We had NO idea what we were in for...

Things were a little chilly in Iowa. (One day had a wind-chilled low of -37 F, and a high of -5!) Blizzards and ice changed our travel plans a bit, causing us to miss the wedding of our friends Noah and Anna (Congratulations, guys!) but we ended up with a few extra days in Orange City with Uncle Pork Chop (above) and Auntie Dee (below).



Clara had a blast with Auntie Dee, who decided she was "maybe even a little advanced." ;)

Checking out dad's winter gear before he takes his turn with the snowblower.

Clara's new games include the wah-wah-wah-wah sound,

high-fives,

and making faces at Aunteenie (ok, maybe that one's not new).

Hooray for Christmas cookies!

I can't move my arms! This is what it took to venture outside. This, and a full blanket over the top.

Nona and Clara had some fun with the frosting.

And Paddy is a pretty funny guy.

Nona the Snow Queen.

All dressed up for Paddy's birthday and Christmas Eve service. Happy Birthday Jesus and Paddy!

First Christmas for the expanded LaForge Family.

Reading "The Night Before Christmas."

Clara waves goodbye to her fans on the way to bed.

Christmas morning!
This flashy number from Santa was a big hit.

Opening presents is hard work. Everybody take a break!

Checking out the goods with Nona.

Duet with Paddy.

Yea Christmas!

The day after Christmas we got out for some fresh air and a tour of Sioux Falls, SD. Here we're exploring the butterfly house with Uncle Sean, Aunt Jessica and Aunteenie.

Scenic Sioux Falls.

Snuggling with Uncle Sean.

The girls' championship gingerbread house submission. It's probably best if we don't show the boys'...




Merry Christmas!

Closing out the old year...

With the new year now upon us, I wanted to share a few fun moments from the end of 2008.

Clara's crib activities now include sitting...




...and standing.

Her preferred eating technique is now the four-fingered stuff.

She prefers a full-sized glass to a sippy cup, with mixed results.

"Hey Mom, I did it all by myself!"

Practicing walking (with a hand-hold) is a favorite. Pants optional.

After Thanksgiving we traveled to Exeter to mourn the loss of my Aunt Janet, an exceedingly kind, gentle and thoughtful woman.

While there, we were warmly welcomed into the home of my dear old friend Adam and his family. Here he is with his daughter Melea, who is a very good role model for "Baby Clara."




We also had great visits with Great-Gramps...

...and Papa. Clara had a great time at Papa's ranch, and probably thought she was at the zoo, with so many animals to watch.

She thought the cows were a little noisy,




but was a BIG fan of the horses.

It was a very special day.

Back in San Diego, we had some great visits from old UPS pals. Brian and Kate were staying in town for over a month, which made for lots of good meals together, and Nick joined us for the spectacle that is December nights.




Clara was glad to meet Susan

and Alex.

And then there was the Christmas tree.

Clara's relationship with this stately symbol of Christmas spirit began as one of hushed amazement and quiet admiration.

Soon, however, most of our visits to the 7-foot tower of bright lights and irresistibly baby-sized toys began to look something like:

We also celebrated San Diego-style at the Wild Animal Park's Festival of Lights. For the uninitiated, this involves strolling around the park after-hours to view Christmas light displays shaped like animals, and a blacklight puppet show, all of which were big hits.

All in all it was a pretty busy December, which left one little monkey very tuckered out.

Stay tuned for more Christmas pictures from snowy Iowa, and New Year's pictures from our New Year's Eve extravaganza (I'll give you a hint: it involved London's fireworks on Youtube at 7pm...)

If you've made it through this whole rambling post... Happy New Year!! Peace, joy and love to you, and I hope we'll all be together soon.