*Ruth turns 1!

We celebrated Ruth's 1st birthday this weekend!  It was a small little party with just the Kims and the Mukaayas - people who light up her face any time they come over :)  She is a social little thing and had a wonderful time with all the excitement.  More on the birthday girl herself later...

cake!

 friends!

 She loves to lift "heavy" things like this.

Edie wrapped up her leap pad for Ruth : )

She has started climbing stool and chairs and was so happy with herself here being able to see the counter!

 we decorated during her nap - she was so excited about the balloons and streamers - "ooohhh!!!"

 help with the carrot cake:

Vera and Edie are over the top in love with their baby sister and planned and talked about her birthday for months. Their cards and gifts were so sweet.

chaos:

chip read:

My dad lent us his nice camera a few months ago.  I've had fun playing with it but had no way to share the pictures until now. I am quite computer/camera illiterate and hadn't even heard of a chip reader - well now we have one :)  Here are some random pictures I took this Fall...  

This is what Edie does ALL day to Ruth, drives me -and Ruth- crazy!! :)

multi-tasking:

our tiny Christmas tree: 

Dad playing Barbie:

Edie and her new little friend from church:

Edie reluctantly trying on an old knitted sweater. I tried to bribe her to keep it on - no luck.

dance show:

*chip read part 2

making pickles:

enjoying the sun:

pre-crawling:

Ruth obviously LOves Trixie, our bunny:

from our deck:

Vera started violin this Fall, something she's always wanted to do. It's harder than she anticipated but she seems to like it still!

Edie's 4th birthday: 

 Even walking by this door makes me happy, the light and colors are so beautiful.

cute little bottom:

Edie's typical camera smile:

our little friend Isaac:

*momentitos

Some moments I want to remember::

Edie lying on the ground coloring - the Beatles' "Blackbird" came on Pandora and she said out loud in a heartfelt way, "I love this song."

Vera, home sick today, offering to read How the Grinch Stole Christmas to Edie on the couch.

Ruth, almost 10 months, trying out language over the last few weeks - it's so amazing!!! I told her today to say "up!" and she's been saying "ptttt"and or just smiling like, I know you want me to say it but I'm not gonna :)  She also calls me bababobobo which is slowly evolving into mamama. It's so sweet and seriously adorable, I can't stand it.  One night when I went in to feed her in the wee hours, she was standing in her crib saying bababa and then when I picked her up she kept saying hahh hot! and holding up her little hands.

Edie's expression the other night when I read her Where the Wild Things Are for the first time ever - priceless!

*

The little girl who I watch throughout the week invited us to her hearing clinic's annual family fun festival a few weeks ago. It was really fun for all of us, and neat for the girls to see all the different kinds of people and kids who are deaf and have cochlear implants. I even signed a little with a dad there! [I knew it pretty well in junior high and then remember some from signing time :)]  Anyway, I won't share pictures of our friend since I don't have permission, but here's some of my girls and their amazing face paint! I've never seen such talented face painters or balloon artists!

here's the 3 of them a different day at the science museum - what a gorgeous view from the cafeteria of the Charles River, I love it!