Audrey loves Betsy. We call her "Girlfriend" most of the time.
Audrey loves to give her girlfriend kisses.
Girlfriend has lots of drool stains because of this.
Betsy is well loved.
Betsy's also our most asked about toy.
Betsy is a Tiny Eyes creation designed and handmade by the (incredibly) talented Dee. Dee is an amazing woman (a total babe) and a friend of mine! I highly recommend that you check out her blog! It's one of my top faves.
(Just gave Betsy a kiss)
(Note the slobber... I mean... "Kiss" from Audrey.)
I wanted to play along with Wardrobe Wednesday but never had the guts! I found this dress yesterday during an impromtu visit to the thrift store. Normally I would alter the dress a little, but I love it just how it is! A new dress for the New Year!
This little dress is great for casual wear paired up with boots. For a fancier look, pair with heels and a pretty up-do.
This New Year's we spent some time on the east coast with friends in the little beach town of Opotiki. It rained and rained and rained. The roads leading out of Opotiki were flooded over twice! We spent a lot of time in doors playing card games and I even played charades (after a glass of celebratory New Year's wine). To my surprise and delight, it's actually a lot of fun! Although don't expect me to be playing in front of a large group of people. I still get stage fright.
On our very last day we were there, miracle of miracles, we saw a tiny spot of blue sky peeking through the clouds. We all ran outside to witness the sky. By mid-morning the sky was completely blue and the sun was shining. We decided to stay an extra day and made a mad dash for the beach. Me and Phil went earlier in the day (without baby) and later in the afternoon took Audrey for her first experience with the ocean.
She loved it! She was kicking the waves and concentrating so hard on the soft sand under her tiny toes. It was a beautiful moment and I'm glad we were able to capture it on camera. I think I will always treasure these photos.
Audrey's first day at the beach.
It was the perfect ending to our New Year's holiday.
Phew! It's been awhile since I've been around these parts. And with very good reason. Over the holidays my husband had almost three (count em! three!) weeks off of work. We spent some quality family time together and we generally unplugged from the internet for a bit. It was really really wonderful.
Though I do miss the blog.
The holidays are a funny thing for me now being in the southern hemisphere. Christmas is in the summertime for one. It just seems... odd. But we put up the tree and played Christmas music anyway. Audrey kept trying to eat the tree and the ornaments.
I was a bit sad and homesick when the holidays started. It's the time of year where I miss my family and miss our family traditions. But over time I realized that we are a new family, with new traditions. And we are creating memories that will last with our own children. And I got really excited for all the Holidays to come. I am so blessed to be a part of this little family.
Christmas Day we went over to Phil's Aunt's house and had a big family get together. It was warm and sunny so the little ones went for a swim in the paddling pool.
I didn't bring Audrey's bathing suit or a hat, so I tied my scarf around her head into a makeshift head covering so she wouldn't burn. So cute!!
Over the Holidays Audrey has been growing and changing so fast. She has started crawling and she is quick as lightning! I'm chasing her all over the house as she chases what ever catches her fancy. It's busy work!
I'm learning, even more so, how important it is to soak up these moments in time before Audrey is grown and changed forever.
