Video from the week.

We had a very Merry Christmas. And a wonderful week, in fact. On Christmas Eve we went to Roper Mountain Lights with Grandpa Kruse. This has become tradition for us, 3 years running. We left cookies and milk out for Santa that night. Christmas morning was wonderful. It was fun to see Stella's reaction to all the presents under the tree. She went straight for the dollhouse and really wasn't interested in much else for a while. She received so many great gifts from everyone. Ruby did too! She got a great santa outfit and filled it out well. Thank you all so much. We were very overwhelmed with all the presents. Christmas evening it started snowing here and by morning it was covering the ground. Stella had some fun playng in it and Dad and Grandpa helped her make her first snowman.


P.S. If you receive this as an e-mail, you may have trouble playing the video. If that's the case go straight to our blogspot at http://1krusefamily.blogspot.com

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

christmas party

We had a Christmas party with friends this past weekend.  These are all the people and kiddos I first met at the library 2 years ago. We started out as a 'play group' and have become much more. There are 2 kids per family now and we are all close friends! Both adults and kids.  Stella loves her friends here and is always happy to spend time with them.  Here is Stella with Maya, Tess in the red dress and Elizabeth in the pink sweater. 

                                                   Dinner time with Chase (the host) and Tess

                      Stella's first christmas gift. A bag, shoes, clothes, videos,piggy bank...  She was ecstatic!

                                                     

                                                       Opening Ruby's first christmas gift!

Attempting a group shot!  What a group it is.  With 12 kids 2 and under you can imagine the amount of  effort it took to try to put them all in one spot, facing one direction. 

Back row: (left to right) Janae trying to get Chase in the shot, Maya, Kolby, Elizabeth, Tess, Brady

Front row: (left to right) Abi, Isaac, Connor, Davey, Stella

                        Okay, so Chase is out and Ruby is in.  Stella did a good job of holding her little sister.

Also...This morning was business as usually, Stella playing and me taking care of Ruby.  I layed Ruby down to change her diaper and she was crying.  Stella came over to help, by putting the pacifier in Ruby's mouth.  Good idea Stella!  Well Ruby was not doing a good job of holding on to it so Stella was putting her finger the pacifier to help her hold it in.  Stella quickly tired of this and said (to Ruby), "Hold it in please, I have things to do!"   It was so funny!

Memory...

Wednesday we went to see Cats live!  We had a GREAT time.  I have wanted to see it for a long time, and of course, if you read my blogs, you know Stella is a huge fan.  She watches the DVD of Cats at home quite a bit.  So, Randy and I knew that she would just love this.  And we weren't dissappointed.  While we sat there in the auditorium waiting, we were explaining to Stella that we were going to see Cats live and she couldn't quite comprehend this.  When the lights dimmed and the music started she started to become interested; she recognized the music.  And when she saw the first Cat come out she was amazed.  She looked at us like, "Are you guys seeing this!? This is awesome!" It was the best face!  As a parent, it's those looks that you live for.  It was so sweet and there were several of those faces throughout the play.  Stella didn't have her own seat and had to sit on Daddy's lap and she was pretty squirmy trying to see all the action on stage.  For a 2 year old, I think she behaved and paid attention extremely well.  During the intermission we were able to walk around and stretch for a bit which helped.  After intermission we realized there were a couple empty seats behind ours and so 'Sleeping Ruby' and I moved back there and then Stella and Daddy were able to have their own seats.  Stella clapped at all the right times and loved it when some of the Cats came down the aisles.  She was very friendly to her neighbors even leaning over to say, "bless you", when said neighbor sneezed.  :) 

And yes, Ruby was with us.  She slept the entire time, beginning with the ride to Spartanburg at 4, through dinner, through the play, through the ride home and transfer from car seat to nurse to bed!  She hardly stirred even during the loud parts of the play. And she even managed to sleep at night as well.  Must have been a growing day.  Another good 'Memory' for the books...

from the weekend...

We had an excellent weekend.  And it really helped to get us in the Christmas spirit.  Greenville and surrounding areas have so much to do.  Saturday night was the annual Christmas Parade downtown.  It had been gloomy and raining that day, so we didn't think we'd get to go, but it cleared up just in time.  Before the parade started there was a great group of carolers singing and counting down to the lighting of the christmas tree.  Stella loved the parade and danced a little as some of the bands went by and she would wave to everyone and say "Merry Christmas".  There was a group of dogs that walked that we could pet and that was a big hit.  She did not, however, like the big fire engine's horns.  She would cover her ears and come right up by my leg for a little safety.  Sunday evening we went to a place called Hollywild.  Apparently it is up and running all year as a rescue and habitat for animals both normal and a little exotic. But for the season it has an amazing amout of christmas lights and light display up that you drive through and see.  And as you drive through there is christmas music playing everywhere.  It was so cool.  At one point you come to an open area where there are a lot of different animals just roaming around.  They come right up to your car and eat crackers from you.  There were zebras out there, tons of deer, llamas, and cows.  The cows were humongous and one came right to our window for some food.  Stella wanted no part of that and was adamant about making sure her window was NOT rolled down.   And she quickly handed her crackers over to me as if somehow even having them in her hand meant the cow would get to her.  Randy, on the other hand, had fun feeding the big guy.  After that portion of the hollywild trip there was a place to park and get out where they had a bonfire and hot cocoa and bottles available to feed goats.  Stella really liked feeding them as they were slightly smaller than she was and were behind a fence.  Inside this place there were so many cool animals, camels, hairy cows, reindeer and some others I don't even know the name of.  Stella also saw Santa here and asked him for an Elmo and Abby Cadabby (from Sesame Street)  It was a very nice weekend.  Now if I can just get motivated to put the tree up and decorate the house...

I think she's trying to tell me something

I think Ruby's hungry...

She rolls over!

Ruby rolled from tummy to back a couple times last week (8 wks. old) at Uncle Matt's. Of course, no one saw but me. This week I caught it on camera!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com