We Are Thankful

We would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! This year, we are in St. Louis with the Heidemann's. What a wonderful visit we have had!

Jack is especially thankful for all of the playtime with his cousins. He is also especially thankful for his Grandma and Grandpa Heidemann who are wonderful to him in so many ways! He also especially thankful for his new "Twas the Night Before Christmas" book and new adorable little backpack. The backpack will come in so handy during church when we need the help of some toys to help us get through the mass without having to be taken outside:)

Thanksgiving is a time for reflection.......a time to look at your life and count all of your amazing blessings. I am so fortunate that my life is filled with so many blessings....the list would be endless. But, I would like to mention my top 3 blessings this Thanksgiving. 1) Family, 2) Family, and 3) Family.

I would also like to send all of our friends and family the following message during this day of thanks.....

"Again this year, each of you have, in ways large and small, impacted our lives, making them richer and better.

It’s been a challenging year for many, but one which has served to remind us all of what matters in the end: friends, family, and our regard of and responsibility for each other.

Whether we see you daily or are just now back in touch after many years apart, all of you have given us gifts for which we are profoundly grateful.

So our message this Thanksgiving is simple and hopefully one we’ll continue to share for years to come. We are truly thankful for the blessing each of you are in our lives, and we hope and pray for another year of health, happiness, friendship, and joy for each of you and your families.

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

Love,

Jay, Erin, Jack, and Ralphie Heidemann"

Here are some photos from our Thanksgiving weekend.

The Heidemann cousins decked out in their Christmas sleepwear (minus Will because he was napping!)



BATH TIME!!!!

Jay with Jack and Will...so cute!!!


The boys pushing strollers around the house!

Deckin' The Halls!!!

As most of you know already, Christmas is absolutely my favorite time of the year!!! There is just something about it that makes my heart so happy. The spirit of Christmas can never come soon enough....or last long enough! Christmas is special in so many ways. This year, Jay and I will be celebrating our second anniversary and our precious baby boy. Every day that Jack is in our lives is a gift from God, but I am especially thankful for all of my blessings during the holiday season. This year is also very special because we are awaiting the birth of our new niece or nephew. He or she is expected to arrive on Christmas day! What a wonderful gift that would be!

We normally put up all of our Christmas decorations during Thanksgiving weekend. But this year, we are going to St. Louis to celebrate Thanksgiving with the Heidemann's! So, our whole family got a head start and decked the halls of our entire house (and outside too!) last weekend! Mommy and my little helper put up all of the inside decorations as well as the tree and lighted garland while Daddy and Grandpa Harris took advantage of the beautiful weather and strung the outside lights. So, we are all set to celebrate the season!

Here are some pics of the little helper "assisting" me with the tree.....again this year, Jack was fascinated with the lights! In my opinion, there is absolutely nothing that says "Christmas" more than the look in a child's eyes.....

Our Daily Routines....

Wake up, change diaper, change clothes, eat breakfast, play, eat lunch, take a nap (hopefully!), wake up, change diaper, play, play some more, go for a run/to the park/shopping, change diaper, eat dinner,

BATHTIME,






watch Blues Clues (sometimes b/c Mommy does not like too much T.V. watching!), read a book, change diaper, warm up milk, listen to music (lately Christmas music!), drink bottle, go to sleep.....

THEN WAKE UP AND DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN....WHILE LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT!!!!!

14 Months Old!

Jack is 14 months old today! We started off our day by taking pictures of Maddie and Joey Star for their Christmas card this year! While we were taking pictures of Maddie outside, we realized what a beautiful day it was going to be! Jack and I try and get outside (whether we go for a run, to the park, walk Ralphie, etc) everyday. Since it is already Nov. 15th, our days outside will be numbered until the spring! But not today......we were blessed with wonderful warm Nov. air! So, we took FULL advantage...we went for a walk AND to the park....and I snuck in a quick 14 month old mini photo shoot to our fun outdoor day as well!

Here are some pics of my 14 month old Little Man from our day outside. I say this every month on the 15th, but seriously, where does the time go??!?!








Seriously, poor POOR Ralphie having to deal with his brother, Jack, all of the time!!! Thank God, he is such a sweet dog!!!

Jack LOVING Mommy's video camera.....so curious, that Little Man.....


My Little Clapping Machine.....

Congratulations to Brian and Colleen Cullen!

After a full decade of dating, my dearest G (Colleen) and Lonnie (Brian) finally got married last Sat., Nov. 7th. I was so happy and honored to be a bridesmaid and share in their very special day! The greatest part about the entire weekend was having the opportunity to see so many friends from Dayton that we have not seen in so long. Jay and I often talk oh so fondly about Dayton while we reminisce about the good ole days. We always agree that one of the most wonderful things about Dayton people is that you may not see someone for years (literally 10 years in this case!) and still be able to pick up exactly where you left off. Everyone is so social and always happy to see a familiar face. It was absolutely wonderful to see so many friends and get caught up on their lives.

What also made this past weekend so wonderful was that Jack had the opportunity to spend some quality one on one time with Grandma and Grandpa Heidemann. We are SO VERY GRATEFUL to them for coming to Chicago to care after our Little Man for the weekend so that we could celebrate with Collen and Brian in Cleveland! Jay and I received a report from Grandma and Grandpa that Jack was absolutely darling the entire weekend. He went for several walks, watched his new Blue's Clues DVD's, snuggled with his new VERY OWN little pillow, and even played catch! Jay was happy to hear that he was practicing his throwing skills since we think Jack is going to be left handed...and Daddy has very far fetched dreams of his son one day becoming a left handed pitcher for the Cardinals....hmm, we will have to see about that:) Thank you so much Rich and Jan! Jack just adored seeing you and he cannot wait to do so again in 2.5 weeks for Thanksgiving in St. Louis!

We are so very fortunate to have such wonderful friends and grandparents in our lives. You all made this weekend so special!

Here are some photos from Colleen and Brian's wedding in Cleveland.

The 306 Kiefaber girls....we have not changed a bit!




Some shots from the Church Rehearsal and the Rehearsal Dinner......



My loving Hubby....