Brand New Year means Brand New Adventures!

It's New Year's Eve and I have been thinking about all the new and exciting things we have experienced in the last year. There is never a dull moment when you are out-numbered by the children in your house! The kids have grown and changed so much this last year. Even though it is happening right before our eyes, it it often overlooked. Just when I think I have them all figured out they go and pull the rug out from under my feet. How many times have we foolishly thought we knew who our children would grow up to be only to be wrong in every way!

Here are some of the things that happened in our home in 2006:

~Riley grew taller than his Grandma Deana
~Niko discovered her love and talent for basketball
~Esme' started giving me driving tips from the backseat!
~Riley entered Junior High
~Esme' no longer needs fashion tips from her Mom
~Our Baby-on-the-way was conceived
~Niko officially became an 11 year old pre-teen (yikes!)
~Esme' has become an extreme artist, drawing all the time! But we have only had one wall mural by Esme' this year (in pen *sigh*)!
~We got some home improvement projects marked off our to-do-list- The exterior of house is still, however, the ugliest yellow I have ever seen! Maybe 2007 will be my year to change this...

Here are some things we look forward to in the New Year:

~Our new Baby this Spring!!!
~Esme' will make the transition from the baby of the family to BIG SISTER, while I will make the transition to MINI-VAN DRIVER (scary!)!!
~Tony and I will spend out 9th year together
~Niko will enter 6th grade, her last year in grade school
~Riley will turn 13! Officially a teenager!
~And, hopefully, some new exterior paint is in our near future!

Happy New Year, and I hope it is just that... HAPPY!

Calorimetry from Knitty~

I knitted this headwarmer so I can have my hair up and and wear a hat at the same time. It is so warm and soft~ I used Paton's SWS in Natural Earth.

Here is the back where it buttons~

And the front!

Niko's first hat!

Niko knitted this hat on the Knifty Knitter looms for her Girl Scout gift exchange. It is dark pink and off white and beige yarn, but from a distance it looked like a candy cane. She was so proud. I almost expected her to come home with it after the party! She really didn't want to give it up, but I assured her she can make another just like it for herself! I think there is a future fiber lover in her! YAY!

Esme's felted hat~

I knitted this felted princess hat for Esme' a few months ago but saved it for a Christmas gift. It was perfect timing because she has recently become obsessed with anything princess or ballerina related! She wants to be a princess next Halloween so this will be a great addition to her costume. That is if she is still interested in princesses by October...

18 week Belly Bump!!

This picture was taken at 18 weeks. I am now almost 23 weeks along, so I will have to post a new belly pic next week! Baby is growing great and very active!