A good Year

Bart & I rang in the New Year last night with some good sushi at Matsu.

Dinner at 6 o'clock & in bed by 10pm.(we only had a babysitter from 5 to 8pm)

good bye & thank you 2008 -

you have been good to us!

A few highlights . . .

. potty training .

. welcoming Stella Jane into our family .

training for . . .

competing in . . .

& finishing my 1st triathlon!

. traveling .

. Eva starting pre-school .

Hello 2009 -

Please be good to us

People always say that New Years Resolutions are meant to be broken, so why make them? I say that it is always good to have goals.

Here they are . . .

• be PATIENT
• pack lunches to avoid eating out
• use positive affirmations "I will" "I can" "I am"
• SWIM, SWIM, SWIM
• live simply

pretty simple . . . lets see if I can stick to it

. HAPPY NEW YEAR .

Christmas Eve - Gillespie Family Party

Janie & Eva

Stella

Christmas Morning

Me & My Girls

Santa brought Stella the book "Stellaluna".

Eva scored a push bike.

She has been zooming around the house . . . can't wait for good weather so we can zoom outside!

OFF TO GRANDMA SUZANNES TO PLAY WITH the COUSINS . . .

Elle & Eva loving life

Stella, loving Nathan

OFF to GRANDMA JANIES TO PLAY WITH MORE COUSINS . . .

After GIFTS it was time for Grandpa Rog to get the 4-wheeler & pull the girls around the farm. Doesn't look that safe . . . but the girls loved it!

Stella has decided that her first word is "Dada". Now Bart is conviced that she is a Daddys Girl!

BACK HOME TO SPEND SOME TIME with GRANDPA MARC . . .

1st more "training" around the house

Eva, Grandpa & Stella

Now that everything is said & done . . . Stella thinks she is a big girl & is ready to start making some messes!!

Now it is time to make New Years plans & resolutions . . .

Tis the SEASON

ZOO LIGHTS

EVA & HER HOT CHOCOLATE

BART & EVA on the "REALLY EXCITING" RIDE

Seeing all the lights was really fun . . . but we missed all of the animals!

"I don't want Santa to come in my house tonight"

On our way home from the Gillespie family party last night Eva was being extra quiet. All of a sudden we heard her whimpering. . .

Eva: "I don't want Santa to come in my house tonight"
And then the bawling began . . .
Rosie: "No problem, Santa does not have to come to our house tonight"
Still Bawling . . .
Eva: "But what about the presents??"

My heart was just breaking, I could tell she was so torn between being scared to death & wanting presents. I am thinking to myself, why don't I just tell her that Santa is just a story. But she would not believe me . . . because she saw Santa and even sat on his lap.
Daddy saves the day . . .
Bart: "Why don't I meet Santa someplace and get the presents and bring them back to the house"
The bawling stops
Eva: "Thanks Daddy, thats a great plan" "Can you take him the cookies too?"

I ask myself this question, Why do we start our children's lives out with a bunch of lies? Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny! People say that it is worth the magic & imagination that it brings . . . but all that it has brought to us is fear . . . hmmmmmmm?

Christmas morning was a hit, Bart was able to meet Santa and fill the stockings. Eva & Stella had a magical morning with no tears & lots of love. And we did it without Santa coming to the house. Who would have thought!

Christmas photos to come . . .

Overcoming FEARS

For the last 6 months Evas has been talking about not wanting Christmas to come because she didn't want Santa to say HO, HO, HO. She has always had a hard time with Santa ever since the first time she sat on his lap when she was 3 months old. So everytime she would bring up Santa, I would try to explain that Santa is about giving and that Christmas is really about Jesus and Family; ya know all of the important things.

In the last couple of weeks she had kind of warmed up to the idea of Santa coming to our house (as long as she was asleep when he came). She even wrote a letter to him, but she did not want to have to see him.

So when Santa showed up at our family Christmas party on Sunday, Eva was really nervous. But after watching Stella sit on his lap and seeing how happy she was, Eva took the plunge and climped up on his lap. She even talked to him!! After she was so excited and NOT scared anymore. I was almost in tears, because this has seriously been SUCH a big deal for a long time!


GG Mary trying to talk Eva into it . . .


Stella - smiley as ever


Eva overcoming her FEARS


SOOOOOOOO HAPPY that she got a candy cane!


Stella wishing Santa had given her a candy cane!


Now she can't wait to make cookies for Santa! Having a 3 year old is so magical . . . I love it!

Sun Valley

We had a wonderful weekend in Sun Valley . . . Skiing, Eating & sitting in the Hot tub! The snow wasn't so hot, but the company was great! Thanks Millers for the invite!

Getting all set up . . .

The "Magic Carpet"

The 1st step

Graduating to the "big lift" - "Daddy, we're flying high as a bird"

Now she's cruising . . .

Eva & Richard hitting the slopes

Our little ski bunnies!

Me & my big girl skier

Richard & Eva enjoying their hot chocolate.

Everytime Eva got done with 1 run she would say "I'm ready for my hot chocolate"!

Hanging in the lodge

Thanks for a fun weekend Heckmanns!

Stella is ready to hit the slopes

Stella just can't keep her hands off . . . And at the end of the day we enjoy a nice soak in the tub!

We even got a photo of Santa . . . wait a minute that is Bart with a frozen beard :)

Off to Sun Valley we go

Eva is ready to hit the slopes with her new ski set up. She is soooo excited. Hopefully we will have some good snow . . .

The Gillespie name Lives ON

Dash Morgan Gillespie
Dec 11 @ 4:58 p.m.


Congratulations Kyle & Brit! Can't wait to meet the little guy!

BFF XMAS GNO

Thanks for a fabulous evening ladies . . . it is always a good time :)

Can't forget to thank Marty & Chris for the gourmet dinner!