New Floors!

Here are some before, during, and after pictures of our floor construction. We are so grateful to our family for helping with cleaning, moving furniture, housing Nora and I while the project continued on, putting down floors and putting back baseboards, moving the furniture back in, etc, etc. We couldn't have done it on our own, and feel so blessed to have such wonderful support. Thank you!

Kitchen Before

Living Room Before

Under layment on top of slab

Halfway there!

The work crew!

Master Bedroom After

Kitchen After

Living Room After

We love our new floor!

Stationery card

Modern Wreath Christmas Card

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Playing at the Park

Here are some shots of Nora playing at the little park in Patrick and Emily's neighborhood over Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for the bits of warm, sunny weather even in November and December that let us get outside to play!

Counting

Halloween!

Nora loved dressing up as a cat for Halloween (thanks to a timely hand-me-down from Reese). She even enjoyed chasing her own tail. However, the highlight for the month of October was our neighbor's blow-up decorations. A tall, skinny ghost and a stack of pumpkins. I can't even begin to count how many times she said "Punkin'Ghost!" She would wake up and want to check out her window to see if they were there (since they were deflated during the day). And she would get so excited when they went up every evening.
Additionally this Halloween we discovered that Nora has inherited her mother's cravings for seasonal candies. Hopefully Nora can avoid becoming the addict Mary Grace is!

Playing Catch-Up

I have been painting kitchen cabinets. For a month. Nora is more toddlerish than ever, and is currently destroying all in her path in our bedroom, where I am typing. Also I am 22 weeks pregnant with a baby boy. Are those good excuses for lack of posting? Nope, I didn't think so! Here are some pictures as we try to catch up from our lack of family blogging!

New milestones:

• 12 teeth!!!
• She says lots of words and is beginning to combine them. For example "Daddy home." "Help you?" "Whoa, Nora" and "Siwwy dirl" (silly girl).
• She can point to and name the letters in the alphabet and count to 10.
• She can destroy a room in .5 seconds
  

Summer Fun: Fountains

Well, we have had a great summer, and did not spend too much time blogging about it :) Though a full 2 and a half months in between posts seems excessive - sorry!
Here are some pictures of Nora and Reese in the fountains at Maryville College, and some of Nora at a birthday party at a splash pad in Knoxville. She had so much fun splashing around - as you can see, she is not timid about getting her face wet!