Hello 2011...

What a year it has been...the best year EVER in my book!  I was so ready to be a mommy and I honestly can say that I'm in the perfect place.  My heart is overflowing with LOVE, so much love, for our little Miss Marley.  She is a complete joy and lights up even the dreariest of days!  I know our journey through parenthood is only beginning...and we have much to learn, but adding Marley to our family this year has made us feel complete!  She is something to look forward to each and every day, a smiley face in the too early morning hours, a bubbly baby full of energy all day, and a sweet, cuddly girl at night!  We couldn't be happier!  

Marley's newest shenanigans...
1.  Walking!
2.  Waving bye-bye and clapping (she really hadn't mastered this until now)
3.  Talking, talking, talking...she says da-da, ma-ma, pu-pee (puppy), si-sa (Sasha), us-ahhht (what's that), uh-oh, ummmmm (yum), and hi!!!
4.  Drinking whole milk out of a sippy cup during the day!  We eliminated the daytime bottles and are down to nursing 2 times per day, at bedtime and in the morning.
5.  She holds the phone, think forearm to your ear, and say's "hi"!!!  Great...I'll probably have to get a cell phone for her when she's like 10 at the rate this world is going!

 This will be a busy year for our family, I am sure!  We are looking forward to 2011...vacations are planned, one to Mexico in February, and another to Florida in late October.  We wanted to take Marley to the beach before she turns 2...might as well take advantage of the "fly for free" rule while we can!  Travis turns 30 this year in May and I'd assume we will spend lots of time at the cabin this summer!

Now that we have a family (not like we weren't a family before, but now that we have a child) we've re-evaluated some of our future plans...2011 will be the year of our 2nd story addition!  We've wanted to build a 2nd story on our house for quite some time, but space was never an issue with just the two of us.  Now, we realize we need more space....more space, more space!  And we've got a game plan for accomplishing this addition in 2011.  Yahoo!  The 2nd level would be home to our MASTER BEDROOM...OMG!!!  A walk-in closet....even bigger OMG!  An office for Travis, as he'll need to get a bit more serious about helping his dad run the business :)  A gorgeous master bath...think huge walk-in shower, double vanity's, the works!  And a little room connected to the office, maybe by beautiful french doors, that can be used as a nursery for more Severson babies in the future!  Ahhh...we've been dreaming about this for so long, and no doubt the project (mainly the finishing) will take quite some time, but it is nice to think that we can have it underway!  So...priorities, priorities!  We'll be tightening up on everything so that we can make this happen, as we realize more and more we spend all of our free time at home!  And we will continue to do the same as our family grows!  Might as well make our house the place to be!

Happy 2011 to all of you...my friends and family that read this blog.  I don't think it's many, but I write more for myself!  It's kind of like journaling, no?!  May you and your families be BLESSED this New Year and always!

XOXO-
Stevie

Publish Post

I HEART CHRISTMAS!

Here and gone already!  I can hardly believe that Christmas is over.  Time to start thinking about taking down all of my holiday decor, packing it up for next year, and sorting through the mass of toys Marley got from relatives!!

We had a very good Christmas!  Lots of time to catch up with family, good food, a bit of time off of work...what more could you ask for.  Not to mention, at this time of year in particular, we were able to reflect on how blessed we are.  We have each other, a roof over our heads, a healthy baby girl (who is walking...yipee), and so much more to be thankful for!  Thank God!


I'm not going to post a million pictures of our Christmas, but here is the link to our "Marley's 1st Christmas" album on my facebook page:


http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2094967&id=1457780313&l=2d3502299f


Feel free to check out the photos we took of Marley and family in December!  In our house, there really is no resting until after Marley's birthday!  Preparations have been made and I just need to finish a few party details!  Marley's Minnie Mouse themed birthday party is set for January 9th...brunch at our house!  I'm so excited!


Wishing you and yours a happy & healthy 2011!!!


XOXO-
Stevie

My Favorite Time of Year!!

This is definitely it...my absolute favorite time of year, though the hustle and bustle gets a tad exhausting.  I LOVE Christmas!  I love that people are (for the most part) full of holiday spirit!  I love the tree, the decorations all over the house, the cookies, the holiday parties, AND the snowstorms!  Each year, as we bring all of our Christmas decor up from the basement, I find myself smiling at all the ornaments we've collected from different places throughout the years.  The snowmen from our first year dating up at the cabin, the REALLY cool Santa Snowman head from Brenna (she got if for me when she was in New York), the black lab reindeer with presents on it's back, which was Sasha's first Christmas ornament, the photo ornament from our wedding, and the snowman holding a big letter M, which was the ornament we bought for Marley last Christmas when she was still in my tummy!  So many fun memories!!  This year, we've added two new ornaments to the collection...one of a black lab hanging in a stocking (sooooo cute) and one of a Christmas cupcake, Marley's very first ornament for her very 1st Christmas!  I'm beyond excited to share my love of Christmas with her this year!!!!!  We've already been dancing to holiday music each night, we've baked our first batch of chocolate chip cookies together, and I gave her a tiny taste of the dough...hey, I know that's a no-no, but live a little!!!  She was so happy!!  Here is a picture of our tree!  Oh, how I love it and how it makes my house smell!!

 Marley's Tree

Besides all this Christmas craziness, Marley is keeping us busier than ever.  She is zooming all over the place and really getting the hang of walking...at least two steps or so at a time.  There are still plenty of falls, and sometimes I wonder if we'll ever have a day without her bumping her noggin on something!  It makes me feel so bad to see those little bruises on her head, but I know it comes with the territory!  She's a daredevil and has no fear, that's for sure.  Marley has yet to show the least bit of shyness around new or unfamiliar faces!  She loves to show off all her tricks for new people and is always laughing, well...unless she sees food and then she does her little nose snort face.  Can you say Miss Piggy?!  This girl is going to eat me out of house and home!

First few steps...

Showing off her top teeth!

Travis and I have been living in this whirlwind of activity for a few months now and are looking forward to things slowing down a bit in January!  Between weddings, Thanksgiving, holiday & retirement parties, and Christmas...we've been swamped.  He's been working a lot of late nights and extra hours with Tom (his dad) recovering from hip surgery up north.  And now we're in crunch time in terms of finishing up our holiday shopping and getting ready to head to the cabin on Wednesday the 22nd.  We'll be spending Christmas Eve in Fifty Lakes, but will drive home on the 24th.  Our plan is to get home before Marley's bedtime so we can make cookies to leave out for Santa, and then in the morning we'll open our gifts and stockings!  Around noon, we head to Faribault to spend Christmas with my family.  Lots of driving for us, but it's always nice to see everyone!  I have taken care of the plans for Marley's 1st Birthday, and we'll be celebrating with a brunch at our house on the 9th.  All the decor, preparations, invites, etc are all taken care of for that!  And once that passes, we'll have a few more weeks and Travis and I leave for our trip to Mexico!  Sunshine, pools/beaches, margaritas, sleeping in!  Ahhhhhhh!  Marley will be staying with Grandma K up north for the 6 days that we are away!  I'm beyond excited and in need of a getaway with the hubby, though I'm a tad nervous to leave her for 6 nights!  I will MISS her so much!!!!


Here are a few pictures of what Miss Marley and Fam has been up to...

Today happens to be our 2 year wedding anniversary!  Happy 2 years to my amazing hubby!  I love you more today than I did then...........sometimes the stars align and make things happen, and I'm so happy/lucky/fortunate/blessed to have you as my husband!!!  Thank you to God for bringing us into each others lives and though I know the road to our wedding day was full of bumps, everything turned out exactly how it was supposed to!!!!  I really believe that!  Here is a new quote that I'm literally IN LOVE with...


"Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for."

Happy Holidays to all of you!  May your days be full of love and laughter!

XOXO-
Stevie