Olivia- One Year Old 

Olivia and Santa 2004 

Family Christmas 2004 

Olivia's list of Words and Accomplishments

Words I Can Say

• Momma
• Daddy
• Bye
• Hi
• No
• Yeah
• Maw-Maw
• Paw-Paw
• Poppa
• YaYa (Nonna)
• G (Grandmother Carolyn)
• Kyle
• Fish
• Santa
• Sadie
• Ball
• Eat
• Pig
• Kitty


My (Olivia) Favorite Activities

• Running
• MC Hammer Dance
• Sliding
• Playing in the sand box
• Playing in leaf piles
• Licking like Marnie (dog)
• Rolling a matchbox car or ball with Marnie
• Giving Marnie treats
• Opening and closing doors
• Playing in my play house
• Doing laundry with mom (removing items from the washer)
• Singing in my microphone
• Eating!!! Especially Cheese and Graham Sticks
• Flipping through books
• Brush my teeth

Holiday Happenings

Happy New Year to All!

We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year.

We started the Christmas holiday with Matt’s Dad and step-Mom. We had a wonderful time at their home. We celebrate Christmas on December 23rd with them every year. We deem the night “Holiday Extravaganza!” We had a wonderful time. Shawn and his fiancé Bailey, Marcia and Erin, and Alysa and Kyle were all in attendance. We had a wonderful time opening gifts and spending time together. Some of the most interesting gifts of the night included a coconut bra, a 6-hour CD of the Pope reading the rosary, and a DVD about David Hasselhoff.

On Christmas Eve, we were able to have a nice quit lunch with Matt and Amy Castleman at Cracker Barrel. We had a wonderful time. Thanks to Marcie volunteering to keep Liv, we were able to eat without someone screaming “EEEEEAAAT at the top of her tiny lungs.” We then went to their home. Amy has an awesome collection of nutcracker figurine displayed. Again, thanks to Marci keeping Liv, they were all intact when we left.

On Christmas Eve night, we had Christmas at the Epplings. Marcie, Erin, Alysa, Kyle, and the star of the night Grandmother Carolyn were are there. We had a great time with the kids opening gifts and hanging out. Marcie made white chili and broccoli cornbread. (Marci, if you read this, I need the recipe so I can post it for others. It really was delicious.) Olivia ate a ton of the broccoli cornbread. I think she ate more of it than the rest of us combine. All the time she ate she would yell her “EEEAAAT”. For those of you that have seen her eat, this is even worse than the constant “MMMMMMM” sound she usually makes while she eats.

Olivia, Matt and I spent the night at Grandmother Carolyn’s on Christmas Eve. Liv slept great so Matt Carolyn and I were able to have a great time visiting. On Christmas day we had the Gaddis traditional Christmas Breakfast. The breakfast consists of muffins, smoked ham, sausage, bacon, eggs, and the famed biscuits with Chocolate gravy! The gravy is delicious. At one point I counted about 30 people Carolyn’s house. We were packed in. We played dirty Santa. The girl’s game was very polite. We all liked the gift we opened and there was minimal trading. Not so for the guy’s game. A dart board was the hot item and I have never seen so much trickery and cheating in my life : )

Around 11:00 we packed up Olivia and headed to Nonna and Poppa’s home for Christmas day. We had a wonderful time with them. Liv renamed Nonna to YAYA. That is in all caps because Liv can only say it at the top of her lungs. She loved climbing mom and dad’s steps and peaking though the bars and yelling YAYA, YAYA for her Nonna to come and see her. Jeremy and Amber joined the party around 5:00. We had a blast opening gifts. After all of the gifts we received this Christmas, we are set for all of 2005! The best part was watching Olivia ooowww and aaahhh over her presents. Dad grilled out some delicious Omaha steaks and mom had a bunch of side dishes prepared. It was great. After dinner we played a highly competitive game of 90’s Trivia Pursuit. Matt and I had the victory because the Booty Monkey was on our side. : )

The next day, Liv and I visited Rachael Dooley and her family. She is looking wonderful! I am so excited for the birth of Baby Girl Dooley. That night mom and dad kept Liv while we went out on a date. Yes, a date!!! The first one I can remember since Liv was born. It was wonderful.

It really was a wonderful holiday season. Matt and I are so blessed to have such a wonderful family. I see these shows on TV about coping with holiday stress and your family and I realize even more how blessed I am. We had nothing but peace, joy, and Christian fellowship during the holidays. No, our lives are not perfect, but God has blessed us so much with great family and friends that no matter what we do face, they will be there to walk through it with us.

Thank you all for such a memorable Christmas!

Humidifer Story

Humidifier

Well, if you are reading this blog, you probably already heard this story, but here it goes again.

We had our wonderful friends the Underwoods – Brian, Aimee, and Luke over a few weekends ago. (We made Sushi and Pad Thai- It was wonderful) I moved a humidifier that is normally in Liv’s room to sit on a toy box in our guest room for Luke. When the Underwoods left on Sunday I did not move it back and she would go in the room and look at it and look at me as if to be thinking, “This does not belong here where I can reach it, it should be up high where I can not pull it down.”

On Monday morning as I was getting dressed for work, I noticed Olivia was being sneaky and leaning against the wall and looking longingly at the humidifier. You see; the humidifier is a Taboo item. She is not allowed to touch it. With it so close within her reach, how could she not pass up this opportunity? Being the mean mom I am, I waived my finger at her and said, “Olivia! No, no, do not touch that humidifier.” Liv looked at me and seemed to be thinking; how can I still get away with touching the humidifier? So, Olivia extended her pointer finger and slowly inched it towards the humidifier. She touched it softly and quickly and had a look of pure glee on her face. A second later she scrunched up her face, took her other finger and waived it at the finger that touched the humidifier, and scolded it by telling her finger, “No! No!” Smart kid. How could I get on to her after that!?!?!