new year's eve day

boring cheese (ya right! this girl looooves cheese). i just wanted to show you how her hair did this weird series of pasted on curls across her forehead. hee hee


quality time with dad & sparky


"oh sparky, you are so funny!"


derek is teaching diedre to feed sparky.


miles came over to play before the New Year's Eve party. here derek was using diedre to chase miles around.


she finally caught him!

more fun with grandparents

diedre got a fat lip :( she was leaning on her highchair and bumped her head on the foot rest and tumbled onto her face with her hands by her belly. it was sad. she is getting comforted by dolly here.


poppa playing with diedre's guitar


playing with the rooster at rocko's diner


grandpoppa playing animals with diedre

boxing day dinner

we hosted a boxing day turkey dinner at our house for andrew, heather and miles, and poppa & diane.


mellenger family cuddle


miles walking towards the camera


miles enjoying his new clothes from us


and playing with the circus truck from us


diedre trying to open up this gift bag from the mellenger grandparents


diedre opening from andrew & heather


its a cool "tuff n tiny" cabriolet car


the kids "sharing" their toys


poppa & miles enjoying a new truck


grandma diane with grandpoppa holding the kids

christmas dinner at susan & bruce's

time for christmas dinner!


opening a gift from susan & bruce


she loved to rip the paper and flap it around like a wing.


here she is playing with the new globe toy


my cousins kristy, juli, melissa and aunt susan

Merry Christmas!

some of diedre's gifts from us


our stockings were hung by the computer with care


diedre opening a gift from marsha (marsha asked if we'd taken any pictures of diedre opening presents and we realized we hadn't, only video, so i began right then & there!)


derek's new jacket from marsha...very slick


playing with her new dolly


noah's ark little people toy. she loves the little animals

derek got me some animals too: the willow tree nativity set! i have been wanting a nativity set for years. its is really nice. it comes with mary, joseph, jesus, one shepherd, 3 sheep and a donkey.

christmas eve.

diedre asleep on the way to the mellenger's christmas eve party at Richard & Bev's.


awake and ready to party. the outfit & toy are from grammy & grampa salmon. derek forgot what to call her new toy so he called it "Christmas Cookie Bear" rather than "Gingerbread Man." our family is so funny with nic names, that the gingerbread man already has two nic names: Ging & Christmas Cookie Bear.


diedre (10 months) & rowen mellenger-brown (8.5 months old, her mother is faith mellenger, my uncle richard's daughter)


diedre laughing it up with rowen's older two sisters, aiden (7 years old) & greer (5 years old)


the four girls together


diedre checking out aiden


just before leaving, alexa arrived with her two kids, danika (4 or 5 years old) & luke (1.5 years old)

our tree.

derek being silly with stockings on diedre's noggin.

too cute to stop

at andrew & heather's

ok. i will apologize in advance for the many many pictures to follow...but my girl is just sooo cute, i couldn't help it!


no, diedre, you are not allowed by the fireplace.


ok, i'm coming to get you!


flying faery


fun times


diedre can walk now if you hold her hands. its really cute watching her figuring out her feet.


g'afternoon miles


oh dear, these kids are too cute!


what a nice cousin


my baby is getting so big


sweet girl


ruby red lips

at aunt deb & uncle mike's

we went to aunt deb & uncle mike's for a christmas lunch. it was really tasty and diedre got to play with a basket of stuffed animals.


my two sweeties

its times like this when i wish i could somehow preserve how cute diedre is to me right now and put it in a bottle for safe keeping. its so exciting to see her grow but so sad because i want her to stay little!