Church on Christmas Eve

The 4 pm service at church was child oriented so both girls sat with me while Gene played in the band. Mena enjoyed it and Maggie did well. Here Mena is standing next to a Christmas banner and then we asked our friend to take a family picture while we sat by the flowers. Mena took me very literally that she was supposed to sit by the flowers. We had to specify which flower for her to sit by so she was with us in the picture!

Hogan Christmas

On Christmas Eve, Grandma Hogan and Aunt Debbie came to wish Daddy a Happy Birthday and all of us a Merry Christmas. In the first picture Grandma is playing with the girls. In the second picture Daddy is holding Maggie while we enjoy fruit and dark chocolate. The third picture is Mena opening her new dress. The forth and fifth pictures are of Daddy and Mena figuring out how to put the penguin slide together and then Debbie, Daddy, Grandma, and Mena watching the penguins slide around. In the sixth picture Maggie is opening her new clothes. The last picture is of Mena and Maggie watching the laughing monkey that Maggie got. The monkey randomly rolls to the right or the left while laughing when it senses motion around it. Maggie wasn't too sure what to think of it at first, but she kept moving closer to it and laughed with it. Mena would move close when it stopped and then jump back when it started laughing and rolling again.

Salome

Our cat no longer hides from us. She is good with the girls--very patient with all their ways of showing excitement and love. I appreciate the fact that Salome doesn't jump on any of the kitchen counter tops or the table. She only jumps up on the soft furniture.

Playhouse

The girls were in the playhouse in the backyard so I opened the window to take a picture. Mena yelled, "No, mommy!"  Maggie adores her big sister!

Daddy Time

Cuddling with Daddy and watching ESPN.

Gone to live with Jesus

Here Mena is telling Aemilia good-bye. I'm not sure that Aemilia ever was a healthy guinea pig. She just wasn't as vocal as my other guinea pigs and she never ate fresh fruits and veggies like my other guinea pigs. Then her eating and drinking dropped way down. I took her to the vet and he said she had pneumonia. I hand fed her apple juice with the medicine and attempted to hand feed her canned pumpkin. I couldn't get her to take much of either. The night I couldn't get her to drink more than 2 ml of apple juice I knew we had to make a decision. I talked to the vet and then talked to Gene. I just didn't want Aemilia to die a slow death that we had to watch here at home.

I told Mena I was taking Aemilia to the vet and he was going to send her to live with Jesus since she was so sick. Jesus would take care of her. Mena responded, "With Grandma Frye with Jesus?" I said, "My Grandma Frye, your Great-grandma Frye, is in heaven with Jesus." "She take care of Aemilia?" I may have lied to Mena, but I said, "Yes, Great-grandma Frye will help Jesus take care of Aemilia since she is sick." "Where is Jesus?" "In heaven" "Where is heaven?" "A long ways away." "oh." So hopefully Grandma Frye isn't cringing too much in heaven over us sending her a guinea pig! When I got my first guinea pig she told me I couldn't bring "that rodent" into her house :)

Maggie's 13 months

We noticed on December 3rd that Maggie's 8th tooth had broken through the gums. Maggie is now walking all over the house and even carries toys around with her. Maggie has learned to make the kissing sound. She'll give you a kiss if you ask and she'll make the sound when she wants you to give her a kiss. I really like how when I pick her up at daycare and give her a hug, she'll start making the kissing sound now!