Trying out her new wheels...

With the sun peeking through the clouds Emma decided it was a great time to ride her new bike that has been sitting in our house since Christmas morning. I rolled it down our hill, she hopped on, and took off like a pro! We do need to work on I look in the direction that I am riding, as she about took out a few garbage cans.

Bringing in the New Year

We had a wild and crazy New Year's Eve with the Warthens! Wild and crazy for us is a night out with the kids eating good food and then the ladies destroying the guys in some fierce board game competitions! It was the perfect way to say farewell to the past year and hello to a new one!

Best buddies-Emma and Claire Camden is ready to party-bring on some more steak fries!
What a pair!

Camden relaxing in his new Elmo chair.

Claire and Emma had a New Year's sleepover.

What a great start to '09

Chris and Camden cheering on the Hawkeyes to victory in the Outback Bowl

A Great '08!

Can another year be over with already?!? It was bittersweet looking back at some pictures from this year. My #1 girl is nearing the big 4th birthday and my #1 boy is definitely not a baby any more!!

Enjoy a picture of the Kasparek kids on the first day of 2008......and the last day of 2008

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is Camden's priceless reaction to one of his gifts. For those of you on Facebook...Chris has added this and a few more to his page.

A Holly Jolly Christmas

Christmas morning was as exciting as I expected. Emma and Camden are at such a fun age! I loved that they were thrilled with the simplest things like bubble bath and electric toothbrushes.

Santa brought Camden a fish... ...and a bike for Emma!
Camden's WOW present from Babi and Pops.

Dress up clothes were on the top of Emma's wish list...

Presenting Belle!

We spent a relaxing day playing with all the new toys. Chris is teaching Emma how to play pinball.

Emma and I playing Cranium Cariboo

Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve started off before dawn when Chris had to trek off to work in the snow. He ended up working all day :( The kids and I spent the day hanging out at home. Emma and I made cookies for Santa in the afternoon. Chris did make it home and we got ready for Christmas Eve Mass

The Kasparek ladies...
The Kasparek gentlemen...

Our photographer, Emma had to make sure we said, cheese!

What a blessing!

Chris read The Night Before Christmas

Our little angels...

Christmas Eve Mass was beautiful! Here's Emma fast asleep!

The Storm of the Century!

Well, that might be stretching it a bit, but this weekend definitely brought an historic snow storm to Western Washington. Seattle weather = rain. In fact last winter when we got a few inches of snow all of our neighbors and friends said, This is rare for us. We usually don't get snow like this!
Last week when my extended winter vacation began I thought it was pretty cool. Today, 9 inches later, I'm ready for life to be back to normal. :) I know, I know, I grew up with this weather! Iowans can handle the snow...my verdict is still out on Washingtonians.
I'm yearning for my newspaper (which hasn't been delivered in 2 days) and for my trash to be picked up (which has been sitting in the driveway since Friday). Snowplows come few and far between, so maybe be next week our neighborhood will be plowed out. Thank goodness for 4-wheel drive!
Poor Chris was on the phone last night dealing with the majority of his employees saying they could not come into work today. He was up and out the door at 5 a.m., picking up some of people, and delivering them to the child development and school-age care centers. He wanted to treat them all to pizza for lunch today and had a very hard time finding a pizza place that was opened!
I must say that I am excited to have a white Christmas this year. For a place that doesn't see much snow, we'll be 2 for 2 in the white Christmas department! ;)

When the snow is falling, what better thing to do than cuddle up on the couch and watch Sesame Street Christmas?