Photos from December, Part 1

We'll be uploading some photos here in the coming days- we've had a number of adventures since the beginning of Christmas, including Holidays on the Central Coast.

Here's the first batch- Grandma and Grandpa Shike's visit, Mihret's first trip to the ocean, and the baby dedication at church.

Mihret, Pacific. Pacific, Mihret.

Teachable Moment at Westward Beach: "And those are surfers... we also call them 'shark bait'"

Happy Family (not that one)

Mihret enjoying time with Grandma and Grandpa Shike

Happiness is...

...a New Hairdo

...Helping Mama Pack Christmas Gifts
(Remember, we went to get her. She did not arrive in the mail)

...Jumping in the Jumper (We'll let you know if she thinks of something else to do there...)

...Pulling Mama's Hair ('cause Daddy doesn't have as much)

...Being a duck
(Seriously, we think "duck" will be her first word. She already says "duh..."
Which makes sense given who her daddy is)

Mihret's Baby Dedication

Pastor Kerwin introducing Mihret to the congregation
(She may look terrified, but she didn't cry!
Pastor Kerwin's no-cry baby dedication record is still intact.)

Pastors Madelyn and Kerwin Manning, our family, Grandpa and Grandma Shike
Mihret is wearing a traditional Ethiopian baby outfit
Terry is wearing an authentic Oregon sweater

Caption Contest

With Grandma and Grandpa Shike visiting this past weekend, you know there had to be a lot of photos of the experience... Perfect opportunity for the first ever "Caption Contest". Here's the picture-
So... take a couple of seconds to go to the comments section and submit your best idea for the title of this photo, what's running through Mihret (or grandpa's) head, or any other witty thing that comes to mind (be nice- that's my daughter and father in law).

We'll announce the winner around the first of the year; the winner will receive whatever we decide after we see what Christmas stuff deserves re-gifting.

Good luck!

Guess what day it is?

Yup- Tie Dyed Friday!!

And no, this does not constitute child abuse...

Grandma Box

When I (Carrie) was growing up, my Grandma Fuenning would send my brothers and me boxes for our birthdays and Christmas filled with treasures from her favorite store (i.e. the Goodwill). It was the highlight of the holiday season when the UPS truck would stop by our house to deliver the huge box of goodies from Grandma. It didn't matter that most of the things in the box were used and that some of the toys or games were missing a few pieces. We felt like the luckiest kids on the planet because we got to open SO MANY presents!

As we got older, Grandma replaced the Grandma Boxes with birthday and Christmas checks (also favorite!). Still, every now and then I get a longing for a sweet, wonderful Grandma Box because they are filled with so much love. And besides that, you never know what kind of treasures you might find amongst the 25 cent t-shirts.

A couple weeks ago I was having one of those moments and was thinking with a little bit of sadness that Mihret would probably not ever get to experience the joy of a Grandma Box. So you can imagine my delight when a Grandma Box arrived in the mail for our daughter!

All for me?

Grandma had filled it with all kinds of treasures for our little sweetheart: a beautiful purple dress, two already well-loved dollies, a fascinating rattle, a fun book about a teddy bear fireman, and a clown playmat. And best of all, I got to see my daughter's eyes light up as we kept pulling treasures out of the box.

Sweet Dolly

Thank you, Grandma! Once again, you made us feel very loved!