Party Time Pictures

Almost a month after the fact, I finally was able to find the time to post some pictures from Mallory's birthday party. The party was on January 8th and was a lot of fun. We finally got to give Mallory the kitchen we bought her that was has been sitting in the garage with a Cleveland Browns blanket draped over it (I know, we are so discrete) since November. She loved it. She is constantly cooking in her kitchen and making us a variety of meals to eat. Just yesterday I had a piece of toast, ketchup, Juice in a bottle, with some mixed veggies. Delicious. She also likes to inform us about how "hot" the oven and stove top are, so we must be careful when in close proximity of the kitchen.

In addition to the kitchen, she got a lot of very wonderful gifts from everyone at the party. Clothes, toys, dolls, and doll accessories galore. I think that I could probably open up a dolls only toy store and make a pretty good amount of money with all the stuff she got. Two birthdays gone, and many, many more to go.

Little Beethoven

For your listening pleasure, I present to you Mallory the Pianist and her amazing rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." Enjoy...

Mallory is Two

January 2, 2011, Mallory turned two years old. TWO YEARS!?!?! Where did the time go? Although her party wasn't scheduled until Saturday, January 8th (pictures to come) we felt it necessary to do something special on her actual birthday. Being that it is winter...and cold...we found ourselves struggling to come up with ideas on where to go or what to do. That is when Marc suggested Chuck E Cheese. Great! I totally forgot about Chuck E Cheese and remembered loving it as a child. Decision made.

After a call to Grandma and Aunt Lori, we had plans to meet at Chuck E Cheese on Sunday, January 2nd around 9:30 AM. Mallory really enjoyed herself. The games and rides were mostly geared towards her age and the excitement appeared to be almost overwhelming for her. I, on the other hand, was quite disappointed. I remember a band of mechanical animals that sang and danced - not anymore. I remembered fun ball pits that seemed huge to my little eyes - not anymore. What happened to Chuck E Cheese? What happened to the staples that in my mind made it so magical? Regardless, I suppose the day wasn't about me. So, I sat back and watched my daughter in awe of all the amazing toys, slides, and rides.

After Chuck E Cheese, we made it home without falling asleep in the car (score) and went down for a nap. Waking up several hours later, we spent the evening playing and dressing up. My princess was beautiful in her pink sparkly gown and made sure to tell me so. "Momma! Princess...Pretty" followed by a very over-exaggerated spin.

I couldn't help but remember the day in the hospital when Mallory decided to join us and make us a family. The excitement and wonder of that day will never leave me. I am so happy and proud of my little girl and so far she has grown into a smart, clever, sweet, and beautiful little lady. Even though it is our first time being parents, I think Marc and I have prevailed thus far. Of course there have been mistakes, but all in all I am very proud of the little girl I get to wake up to everyday and although it saddens me to see her grow so fast, I welcome the little lady she is becoming. Happy Birthday Princess. Mommy and Daddy love you.

Getting Ready for Santa

This year, getting ready for Christmas I had a special little helper that made the season even brighter. Mallory was very confused by all the crazy decorations at first, but eventually loved seeing the house lit up in all it's glory. She insisted on helping me hang the garland and put out all the little decorations around the house.

Trying to introduce her to Santa and what he does wasn't the easiest task. She often looked at me puzzled when I explained that he would be bringing her presents. She did get to the point where she recognized who he was and would repeat "HO, HO, HO" every time she caught a glimpse of him. Unfortunately, Santa could not compare to Frosty this year. We bought the Christmas collection on DVD and Frosty quickly became Mallory's favorite. This obsession got to the point where she would ask to watch it immediately when she got up in the morning. She couldn't quite get his whole name down though - "Frosty the Snowman" became "Frosty THE MAN" which was quite comical. I laughed every time I heard "Momma, Frosty the Man?"

Going to pick out our Christmas Tree

Bernie & the Bonfire

On Thanksgiving at Grandma & Grandpa Sach's this year, we had a very special treat. We all gathered around the huge bonfire outside after dinner and enjoyed the warm air and nice evening. It was chilly, but we were complete with hot cider to keep us warm. I was nervous about Mallory being around the big fire as she never has really been in close proximity to fire, let alone a bonfire. To my surprise, she was very good and kept at a safe distance. In fact, her lack of interest in the fire was very surprising, but appreciated. That lack of interest may have been the influence of Bernie. These two have developed a special bond that I don't quite understand. This gigantic Bernese Mountain Dog follows Mallory around like she is the greatest thing in the world and in turn, Mallory is always looking for him when we are at Grandma's, pointing out the window hollering "Bernie! Bernie!" So, it wasn't a big surprise that most of the time outside by the bonfire, Mallory and Bernie were running around playing. This was quite entertaining for Mallory, considering the crazy belly laughs that could be heard through out the yard. The gentle giant and his little friend.

Ivan's 3rd Birthday

Way behind on the blog...a lot has happened, a lot of things to post, starting with little man Ivan's 3rd birthday. It is so crazy to me that this little boy is already three. Where did the time go? Ivan was the first nephew I ever had and is one of the most amazing little boys. He has so much wonderful energy and has turned out to be such a nice and caring little man.

On his 3rd birthday, complete with Robot theme, he embraced all the people there celebrating the joy of his birth. He played, ate cake, and tore through his presents at a rapid pace. He is so happy and full of life, it is almost tiring to watch him sometimes :) I know that Mallory adores her cousin Ivan, always asking "mommy, I-an?" as she points at all the pictures of him around the house. Thank you Ivan for being such a good big cousin for Mallory and such a good little role model. I know she looks up to you and enjoys every moment with you. Can't wait for many more birthday's to come.

Saying Goodbye

Saying goodbye is never easy. No one said it was and I never expected it to be. But regardless, when the time comes to actually do it, it is always such a battle and such a surprise that it truly is that hard. The pain of losing someone you love is by far the worst pain I have yet to experience and saying goodbye to Papaw, was no exception.

Saturday, December 4th, we lost Papaw after his courageous battle with cancer. Typing that, here in this blog, is just as hard as saying it out loud. I can't seem to find the words to describe what Papaw meant to us and what he meant to Mallory. It wasn't something that could be told, only really seen. The expression of excitement and joy that lit up in Mallory's eyes when she saw him always made us smile. His friendly face that constantly had a smile, warmed a room and attracted his Grandchildren like a moth to a flame. They adored him. Both Ivan and Mallory would race to him the moment they saw him and leap into his arms. He would hold them close and ultimately make them giggle and cause them to just come back for more.

He had an amazing heart that made itself very known through difficult times. Over the past several years, the family has been faced with some very difficult situations and Papaw always stepped up to the plate and offered the kind of support that could move mountains. He fought so hard for everyone he loved and for that, I admire him. Through out the entire time I have known him, he has always been such a kind heart and was always thinking about others and taking care of others. When the time came to take care of him, we all tried to help in any way we could.

He fought. And fought. And fought. But suddenly, he couldn't fight anymore and it was time to say our goodbyes. I am so thankful that Marc and I had the opportunity to sit with him in his hospital room and tell him how much we loved him and how much we admired him and how much we cared. We also told him how much Mallory loves him and how he was such an amazing and dominate part of her life.

To you Papaw, we promise that we will keep pictures around and talk about you often. Although Mallory is only one, we will continue to remind her of her amazing Papaw and the unconditional love you had for her. We will tell tales of your triumphant strength and everlasting memory. And we will make sure that she knows you are happy and in a better place with no suffering or pain. We will keep you alive in our hearts.