Sitting in the Big Tub

Caroline's first time sitting up in the big tub wasn't the big soppy mess I thought it would be. She did have fun splashing a little, but for the most part, she was very subdued. She had the sweetest little look on her face as she watched her feet move in the water. Her chub is absolutely adorable when she's in her birthday suit, and THOSE CHEEKS just get cuter every day.

Totaled

So Ryan calls me one Wednesday evening after church and says "Hey, it's me. I just wrecked the car." He reassured me he was fine but went on to explain that not only had he wrecked the car, but he had actually slid over a small cliff and rolled several times. He had just taken one of the youth group kids home in the Watauga community (bad news), and the roads were very slick from some rain. As he went around a curve, he began to slide and kept on sliding and rolling until he came to rest on a horse farm. We still can't really believe he didn't receive ANY injuries. We're thanking God for that and the fact that we got a much nicer replacement car out of the deal. A big thank you goes out to my brother in law, Mark, who found us a great car.

Christmas 2007

Christmas was a special time this year for many reasons. This was Caroline's first Christmas, so we cherished every moment with her. Some of our favorite memories are:
*Getting our tree and decorating it
We make a night of it by going out to eat after we choose the tree (CiCi's this year was pretty lame but the kids were sooo excited about it , we think we might do it every year.) We come home and decorate it while listening to Christmas music. Then, we drink hot chocolate and watch a movie.
*Christmas Eve at my (Beth's) grandparents' home in Jonesborough
This is what I've been looking forward to every year since I was little. All of my dad's family comes together to eat and open presents. It's a wonderful tradition.
*Christmas morning at home then at Gran's
We stay home long enough to open gifts and relax a little. Then we head to Gran's (Ryan's mom) for brunch, presents, and dinner that evening. The kids love throwing the wrapping paper in Gran's fire place.
*Anna and Luke's homemade gifts
Anna and Luke spent a lot of time making Perler bead ornaments and pictures to give as gifts. You could tell by the look on their faces that they truly enjoyed giving and seeing their presents opened by others.
*Christmas services at Grandview
Our church is such a wonderful place to be at Christmas. We love the season of Advent and being with our church family during this time. We are so thankful for the love of our Lord and celebrating his birth with those we love.

Snow Day

It was a miracle that we actually got out of school for snow. We all (except poor Caroline who had to stay inside) had a great time sledding down the BIG hill in the field at the end of our neighborhood. Anna and Luke enjoyed building snowmen and making snow angels. After playing out in the cold for a few hours, we traveled out to Fun Expedition for some pizza and games. (Thanks Paw Paw for the gift certificates for Christmas!) This was one of the funnest days we've had this winter. We were so glad it happened on a Thursday, because that is Ryan's day off, and he got to enjoy it all with us.

Caroline in a Cart

Now that Caroline can sit up, we thought it was time to let her sit in the cart using our beautiful Kozy Pal cover (thanks Joy). She had so much fun riding through the aisles and reaching for anything that came close.

Halloween 2007

We all dressed up this year for one of our favorite holidays. We actually celebrated for two days. The festivities started at 4:00 as we started trick or treating around the neighborhood. Then we traveled to our church for the Trunk or Treat. The next night, we dressed up all over again to visit Beth's grandparents and sister. This was Caroline's first Halloween. Luke actually only wore a portion of his costume. He made a robot to go over his Buzz Lightyear costume then decided not to wear it. Anna and Beth were both in the cat family and if you can guess what Ryan is, he'll give you a big kiss on the mouth!

There's a First Time for Everything

The Bader family has been experiencing many firsts this summer. Caroline experienced her first bath, which she thoroughly enjoyed. Please avert your eyes as the photographer accidentally included her unmentionables in her bathtime photos.

She also enjoyed her first trip to the park and her first weekend with Gran while the rest of the family enjoyed a trip to Atlanta with Ryan's little league team. Anna and Luke had a blast with Mom & Dad at a Braves game and Six Flags.

Anna and Luke kept Ryan company while he fed Caroline one of her first bottles. Beth is back to teaching ballet a couple times each week, so Caroline enjoys some bonding time with Dad while Beth gets a nice break to dance and make a little cash to boot!

Anna is now a big time first grader, complete with two missing teeth. She is very proud of her accomplishments. She'll be six very soon and is anticipating a great birthday.

Luke is missing his sister and has filled the empty hours by having some play dates with his friends from school. He looks forward to starting at First Presbyterian Preschool after Labor Day, where he will be in a four year old class three mornings per week.

What a great summer of firsts it has been for the Baders. We look forward to many more!