Christmas

We had a very nice Christmas at our home. Santa (aka my parents!) brought EJ a big stuffed horse and he had lots of fun playing with his new toys and books. It was nice having my parents in town and spending time with them.

Here is Eric sharing a Christmas morning cinnamon roll and kiss.

EJ passing out presents to Grandpa and Grandma.


Eric's new hunting hat! You can't have too many hats and gloves in Nebraska!

Christmas Hugs with Mommy.

Not a very merry moment on Christmas. EJ didn't like the hat and didn't like waiting for the turkey to be carved and served. Poor little guy was not happy but he rebounded quickly. What a trooper and oh so cute in his red bear vest!


A picture by the Christmas tree with Grandma and Mommy. Many thanks to my mom for all the help decorating for Christmas and packing away the decorations so we could get out of town. I couldn't have done it without you!

2008: A Reflection

It’s hard to believe 2008 is coming to an end. Eric was sweet to write the Christmas letter insert while I was in New York but I wanted to reflect a little more on our year.

As you all know, EJ was the highlight of my year. Cognitively I knew that being a parent wouldn’t always be easy but I never knew how sleep deprived I would get. You never catch up. Somehow I got a kid who wakes up at 6 am no matter what. I’ve tried to adjust his schedule but he will not have it. So, I adjust…and complain about it. :-) The redeeming thing is that EJ is a lot of fun in the morning. He loves to snuggle (for a few minutes at least) and it’s great to talk with him over breakfast and put puzzles together.

His vocabulary is developing nicely and he knows many signs which provides a great way to communicate. For example, he lets me know when he is hungry, tired, or needs help. His favorite word continues to be “ball” followed by “balloon,” “Elmo” and “done.”

A definite highlight this year came when EJ started to hug and kiss. Words can’t adequately express the joy in my heart when he puts his head on my shoulder and gives me a squeeze. His kisses can be pecks or licks but I take what I can get!



This year was very full and fun-packed year for our family:


Sports: First baseball season at Nebraska, first football game, lots of making baskets in the Fisher-Price basketball hoop in the family room, swimming all summer, and learning how to run and tackle.

Travel: Lots of trips with the baseball team, trips to Colorado, first trip to the beach, lots of visits from friends and family.

Many firsts: crawling, walking, teething, eating, talking, and a first birthday.

Other fun things: daily bath time, being Nemo for Halloween, watching Uncle Andy’s team play in the NCAA tournament, playing with friends, meeting Sammi the day she was born, playing with all the grandparents and EJ’s dedication ceremony.

While we have a lot of fun memories, 2008 was a trying year for many. Our country's resolve continued to be tested through the collapse of the stock market, never ending political ads/election, the bailout, and High School Musical 3.





On the other hand, Michael Phelps made our summer exciting when he dismantled the Olympic record books, Nebraska beat Colorado in a wild football game, and Madonna is back on the market! We may be in recession but People Magazine subscriptions must be higher than ever. This crazy year made for a lot of media consumption.



Speaking of media, I calculated how many emails I sent and received for the five classes I taught this fall. The number was a staggering 1542. This number didn’t even include personal emails. After setting the calculator down, I was reminded of a Nov 2007 devotion by Renee Miller. She said, “It can simply be too much. Life, that is. Work, people, the media, the noise, the demands, the stress can squeeze out the energy and enthusiasm that should characterize the wonder all around us. We feel life has become like an old, lumpy, overstuffed chair that has long since lost its ability to provide comfort. We search about for an escape, a change, a way to turn the craziness into some semblance of order and peace.”

I can certainly relate to this so I am going to shutdown the laptop, turn off the TV (minus some Christmas-themed movies) and take a break from technology for two weeks! So, minus some Christmas pictures, this will be the last post of the year. You will find me looking for a place for EJ to sled, reading books, baking (maybe), sitting in front of the Christmas tree with hot chocolate and most of all spending time with precious friends and family. May you find some time to do things that fill your heart and make you happy this holiday season!

Thank you to all our friends and family who keep up with the blog. We wish you and your loved ones and very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

All images other than personal photos found on Google Images.

Brrrrrrrr!!!!!

It's been freezing (literally) here in Nebraska. We got our first snow of the season overnight and we were excited to try our Christmas present from Michael and Carol...a snowblower! While both Eric and I tried it out, EJ stuck with the good 'ole shovel. Eric was super sweet to do our neighbors snow too. I think he was having fun but we do owe them for all the times they took care of our house last year. Being from Dallas, they knew we wouldn't have all the necessary Nebraska snow removal tools. Next thing on the agenda...finding a sled for EJ!!!!! Let the winter fun begin!

Eric's New Hobby

Moving to Nebraska has opened the world of hunting to Eric. It seems like most of the men we know here like to hunt. Right now it's bird season (I think that's what they call it) so we went to North Platte for Eric to hunt with our friend Paul. They had a great time and Paul got these pics of Eric at the blind and then there is a shot overlooking the lake.

Christmas in the City

I had the great opportunity to spend a few days in New York City with my friend Terri this week. I have always wanted to see the Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Plaza and it was simply magical.

Our hotel was in Times Square and our room looked out over the famous landmark. On my first day there I went to Bryant Park, Rockefeller Plaza, Fifth Avenue, Columbus Circle and Central Park. I walked the whole way so I was plenty warm on the cold winter day. I stopped for lunch at a restaurant at the base of the tree where I could watch the ice skaters.

I did make a mental note as I walked down Fifth Avenue that I spent more time in the Disney Store than at Tiffany and Company...a true sign that my life has changed since having a kid!

That night we went to dinner at Tao thanks to a recommendation and it was the place to be. For someone who spends most of my time in sweatpants these days it was fun to get dressed up and have a girls night out in the city at a great restaurant. After dinner we walked to Rockefeller Plaza to see the Christmas Tree. It is a 72 ft Norway Spruce. Words can't adequately express the astonishing beauty of the tree. It's probably hard to tell from the small pictures but it was incredible.

On the second day I visited my former boss who now works at Juilliard. It was neat to see the school and learn about it's rich history and contribution to the arts. We ended our time together with cupcakes from the famous Magnolia Bakery. After that, I took the subway the Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the famed Angel Tree. It was beautiful. It had eighteenth-century Neapolitan crèche figures reenacting the Nativity at the base of the tree and angels overlooking all the way up the to the top. That night we made our way to Soho and Greenwich Village where we had another great meal and did some people watching.

The next morning we made our way back to Rockefeller Plaza to watch the Today Show. I have watched the Today show off and on over the past 15 years. It was a bit rainy which worked out well because there weren't many people there. I got to see the production up close and I was on the show three different times. Al Roker did one of his weather spots right in front of me! I met all of the anchors and everyone was really friendly. I was surprised at how short they all are...none over 5'8." The best picture I got was with Al so I posted that one. Actor Keanu Reeves was on the show that day and he spent about an hour walking around talking to the crowd, taking pictures and signing autographs. He seemed much more friendly than I would have thought him to be. He was also short and way too skinny. It was a really fun morning for me! Thank goodness Eric Tivo'd it so I could see my Today show "debut!"

You may be wondering how I managed to be away from EJ for three days. It wasn't easy but I knew him and Eric would be having a great time. I appreciate Eric balancing Daddy duty and work so I could take this very fun trip!

Natinsky Christmas

This is the first year that we aren't traveling for the holidays so it's been really fun to decorate and have the grandparents in town. We even bought our first Christmas tree! It felt like -20 degrees when we were picking it out but it was fun!

Grandma and Grandpa Natinsky came for Christmas last weekend. We had a fun celebration! We had quite an outing on Saturday. Our visit to Santa did not go well. EJ was so upset we had to sit with him but it was too late, he was a mess.

Fortunately, everything got much better when we walked through the doors at ToysRUs. EJ (and Michael) were particulary fond of the cars and he tried them all. Grandma's favorite was the Cadillac Escalade but they ended up bringing the Mud Warrior and it's been a big hit! EJ doesn't know how to push on the gas but he loves climbing in and out of it and taking his buddy Mo-Mo (Elmo) for rides.

Thanks to Carol and Michael for a fun weekend!

Turkey Day!

Happy Thanksgiving! We celebrated Thanksgiving in our own home this year...a first for us. It was a fun day with my parents and our friends, the Penlands. You can see EJ with his grandparents, us and "helping" Eric carve the turkey.
We are so thankful for all our friends and family and wish you a wonderful holiday season!

Dedicating E.J.

When we were in Colorado, our pastor and long-time friend, Keita, conducted E.J.'s baby dedication. Even though EJ is more of a toddler than a baby, we still felt it was important to ask for God's blessing on his life and our family. A baby dedication ceremony is similiar to a christening but less formal. It was a touching ceremony and a fun celebration with friends and family.

After the dedication, Chris and Terri brought the new addition to their family over (puppy Chloe) and E.J. instantly fell in love! Pictures above include shots from the ceremony and EJ with my parents, Trish, Chris, Terri and pup. A special day for our family!!

Colorado Friends

We took a trip to Colorado recently and EJ got reaquainted with his friend, Imani. They we so "aquainted" that they exchanged kisses when we were leaving!

It was great seeing friends and many thanks to Nziza and Imani for hosting brunch!

Fall Leaves

The leaves are falling in massive quantities so EJ and I went to Lowe's to get a rake this afternoon. They had several sizes and I saw one that was perfect for EJ, except the handle was too long. We treked over to the lumber department where I had a nice gentleman make a simple cut to reduce the size of the handle. Then we headed home and had a fun time playing in the leaves. I'm not sure how much we actually accomplished but we had fun!