Ellie’s favorite thing in the entire world is her “baby bear.” Because she enjoys hers so much, she has assigned bears to Keegan and I. We are responsible for having them at all times. If I’m headed out with friends, I am instructed to take Mama Bear with me. So, when my parents were here for Thanksgiving, my mom was assigned “Nina Bear” for the day.

My dad retires in a couple of days. Here, he is swinging Ellie, and they are giggling their faces off. I was able to attend his retirement/holiday party where a few people talked about how much they appreciated him. Hearing his co-workers speak about the career he’s built was one of the coolest moments I’ve experienced. I don’t think I could be any prouder.

Ellie is getting better at hiding. This is one of her outdoor spots. If you play hide and seek with her, you didn’t hear about this one from me.

This is Julie, one of my favorite people. She and I went out for a long overdue night of dancing. We discovered our moves were still intact, though it took some 90’s rap to find our rhythm again.

For many years, some of my friends have hosted a special evening called “Fancy Schmancy.” As you can see from the picture and name, we all get dressed up. The plans for the party are always a secret. This year, we had an Amazing Race style scavenger hunt. It was a blast.

Growing up, I used to decorate sugar cookies with my BFF Jamie (my now sister-in-law). It was something I looked forward to every year. Now, I get excited to decorate them with Ellie.

We hosted Christmas at our house and had family trickling in over several days. I wasn’t sure who would be there Christmas evening, so instead of a big dinner, I made a variety of apps. Somehow, three of the four had bacon or pancetta in them……

Santa brought Ellie a Little People Jasmine. The first thing she did was gather all her other “gwirls” and introduce them to her. This is the carriage or “pink car” she got from us. Needless to say, it and the Aurora dress were a hit.