Christmas Letter.

Hello all!

Our Christmas cards went out this weekend, and I am getting word that they have hit mailboxes all across the country. So I assume that a few people saw the blog address and are new visitors. And I assume the rest of you faithful readers will continue to read the tripe I post here, in order to get to new picture and videos of Ellie Beans.

But first! Here, the traditional Christmas Letter, in blargh format:

Timothy Joseph:

Tim continues to enjoy his dream job, making the video games. He also likes to eat the freshly baked cookies that the cafeteria offers every day at 3, and the free booze that is proffered every (other) Friday. That's right, not every Friday. Every other Friday. It's like a prison camp. His project is still top secret and a long ways from hitting the market, but he is working hard. He got a promotion this year and now has minions of his very own. He still takes my phone calls during the day though. And lets us come for cookies. In his free time, he has been wiping baby butts, doing bath time, having Thor sleep on his feet, and PLAY the video games. He will be 32 next week, and is as handsome as ever, with his giant sideburns.

Meg Marie:

I have enjoyed my full time job as head baby feeder and butt wiper over the past year. I keep busy with a great group of mom friends who I walk with a couple days a week (one group on Monday and Wednesday nights, one fun friend on Tuesday and Thursday mornings!) and am so grateful that all four of Ellie's fabulous grandparents live within a half hour's drive. I feel like I've got my mommy sea legs under me, and I really enjoy having a toddler.

Elizabeth Rosemarie:

Ellie will be 14 months in a little over a week. She is walking full time now, and has a few words, mostly related to cats. Her favorite food is Cheerios, probably because she can get the container out of my diaper bag, open it, and wander around like a dude with a bag of Doritos, stuffing them into her mouth. She continues to enjoy her swimming lessons, and get so cutely excited when she sees one of her grandparents, or one of her little baby friends. She gets better every dang day (except for the days when she is cutting teeth. Then, not so good.) She is a bratty little princess and sleeps in her mommy's arms for naps, and alone in a queen sized bed at night (with a bedrail.) Thank goodness our crib was a free hand me down.

Cat Friends:

Ever since half-stray neighbor cat Jonesy became a full time inside cat, our two have spent less time fighting each other for no reason. Neither of them are too hot on the baby - Lulu has gone on cat prozac since early spring, and Thor runs if Ellie so much as looks at him. But they still snuggle with us at night -it's our favorite form of cosleeping.

Our Lives in General:

We did not go on any vacations this year, as traveling someplace with a baby sounds like more of a chore than a vacation. But Tim and I, with the help of our lovely parents, managed to get away for pretty regular date nights throughout the year, and still like each other quite a bit. Ellie did manage her first plane flight, to visit her Grandpa Howie in May, and is looking forward to spending the Fourth of July with everyone in Door County this coming summer. She should be a world of fun as a full blown toddler on a plane. We did not do any home repairs, but yearn to have a new kitchen someday. SOMEDAY! Basically, we did not do anything super fabulous this year, except watch our awesome daughter become a totally fun little girl.

The Question People Love to Ask:

Yes, we are going to have another baby someday. If it happens tomorrow, we'll be thrilled. If it happens in two years, we'll be equally as thrilled. And honestly, if it never happens, we pretty much adore Ellie with every fiber of our beings, so that would be pretty okay too.