Merry Christmas!

Dear family and friends,

Merry Christmas!  All is calm-ish and bright here in Northern Virginia.  For the first time in years, we haven’t had any major changes come into our life.  After the big move/job change/birth of Amy in 2014, we are all thankful for the calmer year.  

This year has been filled with park days, splash pads, walks, bike rides and trips to the library.  We are settling into our new home and have spent much of this year organizing and painting.  Heber and I celebrated our 10^th wedding anniversary with a trip to Outer Banks.  The highlight of the year was heading out to Utah to visit family and friends over Easter. 

Heber continues to his work in digital forensics trying to help catch the bad guys. One day he and his coworkers were working on a project together and another coworker stopped by and asked “Hey, did any of you help catch a bank robber today? Because, I did!”  He is a wonderful and supportive dad who wrestles with the kids and reads them stories at night.  He joined Toastmasters International, a public speaking group.  He often comes home with a ribbon for best speech of the night.

 Gentri kept the house together and everyone alive, which is a feat worth touting!  She was able to visit her dream bead store, Ornamentea, in Raleigh, NC during a quick weekend trip.  She visited Chicago.  Over the summer, she took a flameworking course that led to some beautiful new beads and knobs.  She learned how to fuse metal and added a new small torch and rock tumbler to her studio.  She continued to serve with the Activity Day Girls (8-9 year olds) at church and spearheaded a three day summer camp.

Leo turned four and is still our joyful and enthusiastic guy who loves the color blue.  He spent the first part of the year attending a joy school (with mom helping to teach) and then started at a traditional preschool in the fall.   He is most excited about space and planets and can identify each one and share details about moons and atmospheres (can you tell how proud we are).  He loves to wear shorts, wrestle and play with cars. 

Amy, at nearly two, is our determined and spirited red head.   She loves to run and to dress herself.  She loves her mom and is her constant shadow.  She talks all day long and we are starting to actually understand some of it.  Our girl is fearless and especially likes to play at the park.  She decides that she is going to do something and goes right for it even if it’s the big slide at 16 months old.  Baby dolls are her favorite.

We are so thankful for you all in our lives. We hope that 2016 is a wonderful year.  We wish you the happiest of holiday season!

Love,

Gentri, Heber, Leo and Amy Green (or as Leo says, G-R-two Es-and an N)

Amy Speaks! Or Something Like That...

This morning, Amy grabbed a horse and a cow from her little farm.  She brought them over and said, "oof, oof," over and over again.  She was barking like a doggie.  It melted my heart because this is the first thing she's distinctly said. 

This motherhood thing is so fun (well, except for that part when everybody threw lunch on the floor), but still. 

Amy's First

 

 Amy turned one.  Our girl is one.  I can't believe that it has been a year already.  I have loved watching her grow, how she has started coming into her own.  This year has passed by in a blink and suddenly my 6 pound newborn has become a cruising, crawling one year old. 

 

She is such a joy in our lives.  I can see so much of her personality starting to come out, her quiet determination and curiosity.  I can't wait to see how she will change and come into herself.  Our little red haired girl is one!

It's been a joyful (and absolutely crazy) year.  She has taught me so much and changed me deeply.  Having a second child is so much different than having one and it has been a year of trying to figure out how to do it all. 

We have a special bond, Amy girl and I.  I am so thankful to be her mom, even when she didn't sleep for months. 

We threw a little party to celebrate her first year.  A party makes it feel like a special occasion.  We served waffles, eggs and coconut syrup.  Her cake was topped with raspberry frosting.  She tentatively liked it but didn't go too wild.

Amy Stands Up

Oh how life is changing here....

 

 

Our little Amy is moving all around, exploring and finding all sorts of shenanigans to get into.  And she is just loving it.  Just tonight she stood up all by herself.  She is growing up.

I'm off to dig out the baby gates! 

White Noise

I have a lot of ideas about parenting, about what to do and how to make things happen.  Slowly I'm breaking down.  It's true. 

Amy is not a stellar sleeper.  By not stellar I mean, doesn't want to nap unless she's right next to me and wakes at night.  A lot.  Especially with all of the moves and different sleeping situations, there were some nights in the hotel where she was waking 5 or 6 times a night. 

I have tried to do sleep training but there were limitations with our two bedroom condo and a hotel room with people all around.  To some extent, we had to help her sleep, no matter what. 

I have been weary.  Which I think is beyond tired.   I'm not complaining, I just think this is probably a part of parenthood that I should remember that I survived.

Things have been gradually improving as we get more and more settled in.  But this week, a huge change came.  I broke down and started using white noise.  It was one of those things that I didn't want to use because she should learn to sleep without it but now, I'm a believer.  She is napping!  She is falling asleep at night!  She is sleeping!!

A few more nights of this and I might actually feel like a person again. White noise.  Best invention ever.

Sitting Up!

Our Amy is sitting up!  We don't know who is more proud, Amy or us.  She's become a new baby this week: sitting, rolling like crazy, reaching for everything.  We can already see that she is a determined little one that goes after what she wants.  She became such a big girl in the last couple of weeks. 

Amy's Blessing Day

Today was one of those special days, one that I will remember for the rest of my life.  We blessed our Amy in Sacrament Meeting.

Amy with my sister Carly.  They share red hair.

We were so lucky to have family from both sides join us to witness this day.  You know the book the "Five Love Languages?"  Well, one of mine is showing up, being there and supporting.  It made my heart burst to know that there were our people there to participate in this special day.

The Green family

Lawrence side of the family

We rented a the building at the Willow Park Zoo for the luncheon because there was no way we could fit everyone into our condo.  I could only wish that the weather had not been the blizzard conditions so that the kids could have gone outside to the playground but life just isn't perfect. 

Mom L made the dress for me.  Much of the dress is made from the leftover fabric and lace from my wedding dress.  This made it all the more meaningful and unique.  She even embroidered her name into the bodice.  My sister, Carly, found the little shoes.  I am hoping to take more pictures of her in the dress this week.

I've been starting to recognize personality and character from Amy.  She is a calm little soul and so special.  She was quiet and content the entire time.  Even as many of the family members held her (and you know that it's hard to be passed around), she just slept or quietly watched the person. 

It was a truly special day and it was so nice to celebrate our Amy girl. 

Amy's Birth Announcement

 I finally Amy's birth announcement put together.  I looked and looked for a design I liked and couldn't seem to make any work.  This is one of those times when it's bad to know what you want.  I'm happy with how it turned out though.  It seems to fit our little Amy girl. 

Life Lately in January

I realized today that Amy will be a month old in just a few days.  Somehow it seems like yesterday I was giving birth and an eternity too.  We've been living a very quiet life here.  We stay home followed by staying home with an occasional frosty run thrown in.

 I've been thinking back to when Leo was born.  It's all a bit of a blur, but I do remember that it was hard.  So many new things to learn, to worry about.  I was so tired.  This time is different.  I'm still working on how to address the needs of two children as well as my own but I think we are coming along (even if I don't put on makeup until about 3:00 every day).

Amy is a sweet, content baby.  She eats and she sleeps, a lot.  She is a calm little soul who likes to flex her feet all the time. We feel so lucky to have this sweet little person in our family.

And now, some pictures of life lately and about 15 pictures of Amy.  We just love her.

Our outing to Hardware Ranch.  We all needed some fresh air and sunshine.

What our life really looks like.

Leo and Heber heading to church.  Leo recently moved into senior nursery.  Big deal.

Visiting dad's work.