Santa's a mailman

We have a really friendly mail carrier that dresses up as Santa Claus every year on Christmas Eve. This year we waited anxiously for him so we could get a picture. Noelle was very excited, but got a little shy when it was actually time to get near him.

Deck Time

Here is Brad and the girls enjoying the deck during our warm Saturday. It's hard to tell who's having the most fun in their mixed-up game of chase/bumper cars. Actually, I might be having the most fun watching my wonderful family enjoy each other.

"Out-of-Whack"

Noelle's phrase of the week is "out-of-whack."
She informed me that the movie Cinderella is "out-of-whack" because of all the "crazy mice" in it. She also said she would be "out-of-whack" when we go home for Christmas because she would be so excited -- This is probably a very accurate statement.

Sadie's First Steps

On Saturday, Sadie celebrated her 11-month 'birthday' and took her first steps. Now, 2 days later, we caught her on film so we can share it with everyone. Go Sadie!!!

Obsessed with Lowe's

Judging by the title of this post, you may think I'm talking about Brad, but no, it's about Noelle. Lowe's is her new favorite store. We've been there a lot to get everything from a grill cover to a Christmas tree, paint to switch plates, deck boards to lightbulbs. Brad has enthusiasticlly informed her that Lowe's has EVERYTHING.
Noelle is now our Lowe's list keeper. She informed us the other day that we need new blinds in Sadie's room. (This is true since Sadie so graciously ripped off a small section.) Noelle continued by saying "We need to buy them at Lowe's. Lowe's has EVERYTHING."
The next day we were debating whether to go get a pizza from WalMart or Kroger. Noelle voted to get it at Lowe's, "Lowe's has EVERYTHING."
The best Lowe's endorsement came when Noelle was playing with her Fisher Price Nativity set. She was reinacting a very extended version of the Christmas story. My ears perked up when I heard her say, "And the donkey went to Lowe's to get some food for the trip."

2nd Generation Dress

Here's Sadie in a dress that I wore my first Christmas and Noelle wore for her first Christmas. I forgot to pull the collar out of the dress since I was I was trying to keep the "photo session" short, but you get the idea.

"The most beautiful house on the street"

I asked Brad to take a picture of our house all lit up for Christmas and while he was taking the picture, we got the high praise that we have "the most beautiful house on the street." This of course made Brad and me laugh since our house if very plain and we've never been fond of the exterior color-scheme (especially the orange shingles...who came up with that idea?). So while Brad was outside a couple drove by, then backed up to tell him how beautiful they thought our house was. It made me smile and I ask Brad to tell me the story everyday, so I can feel good about our house. It just goes to show what a spotlight can do...and a lot of darkness!

Our new deck

Here's our almost-complete deck. Brad did such a great job and I love looking out the kitchen window to see such a nice space, with trees behind. The tall posts on the one end will have 2 beams attached for an arbor. In the Spring we'll hang plants and a hummingbird feeder from there to make a non-offensive privacy 'fence' between us and the house right next door.

Our Blue-Eyed Girl

I noticed Sadie is not getting much blog-time, so I thought I better post a picture of her. She's 10 months old and can move fast. She seems close to walking, but we'll see how long it is until she takes her first steps.

Applesauce Making

It's a tradition in my (Janelle's) family to make applesauce every year - or just about every year. My parents visited the weekend before Thanksgiving and brought 2 bushel of apples from our hometown of Winchester, VA. We spent Saturday morning making some wonderful, fresh applesauce. Noelle was a big help and happily joined in the work.

We Have a Nephew

We're so excited!!! Brad's brother and his wife had a baby boy earlier this morning - Ethan Bradley Spence. We won't see him until Christmas but we're looking forward to getting pictures soon.

A Little Piece of Heaven

Brad has been diligently working on a new, expanded deck for our house. As of today, he is 98% complete and we all enjoy using our extra outdoor space. One of Brad's dreams is to sit by and smell like a campfire all the time. Here he is enjoying his partly completed deck (this picture is a month old), with a fire and a doting daughter. Does it get any better then this?

Halloween

Here's our little bumble bee from Halloween. Noelle, who was terrified of strangers 6 months ago, was more then willing to flash her charming smile and say "trick-or-treat" to dozens and dozens of strangers. We're still eating all her loot.

Here's a fairly recent family picture taken in John Bryant State Park in OH.

The comencement

We have realized our great neglect to keep up with technology, so today we launch our blog and hope to save ourselves from the pit of "30-something and out-of-touch-with-the-world." I can't say our blog will be anything amazing or revolutionary, but it should chronicle our life and let you know what's happening with the Spences in Covingtion, KY.