Christmas visit to see Great Grandma Sophie

 Great Grandma and Quinn checking

each other out!

Great Grandma Sophie Johannes holding Quinn. ~12/27/10

{Grandma Sophie is 93,and her sister on the right, is going to be 103 in Jan!}

On Monday night Steve, Quinn, Jan, Stan, Laurie and myself headed to

the nursing home to visit Steve's grandma, Sophie - Steve's aunt Sue met us

there with pizza, and Jan brought cookies! We had a great time celebrating

Christmas with Sophie!  Quinn had an absolute blast! ... he was in such a good mood, running around, admiring the Christmas tree, loving all the attention he received from his grandparents, aunt, and great grandma!

More Christmas Celebrations!

 Quinn's very first time at his great

grandma/pa Shepard's house!

 What'cha doing Grandma?!

 Watching Great Grandma sweep!

 Gathered around grandma and grandpa's kitchen

table in the morning...what a FOND childhood

memory...so glad Quinn is able to experience this!

 Steve, Gretchen, Quinn, Grandma/pa Shepard

12/26/10

 Natalie and Quinn getting acquainted!

 hehe! ...Natalie giving Quinn a hug and kiss!

These two are so cute. So fun to watch!

 All of Grandma and Grandpa Sattler's great grandchildren:

Quinn, Maddy, Natalie and Zion! Quinn's a little outnumbered here!

Grandma Sattler, Gretchen, Steve, Quinn and

Grandpa Sattler ~ 12/26/10

We had a great time traveling to rural Wisconsin, which is about a four and a half hour drive, to visit both of my grandparents and see many of my aunts, uncles and cousins!

This was Quinn's very first time at both houses, and it meant so much to me for him to be at my Grandparent's homes where so many of my own childhood memories were made! Just seeing Quinn seated at the kitchen table at my Grandma/pa Shepard's house makes me so happy! We plan to make the trip in another two years to visit!  We are so blessed with such wonderful families.

Christmas Morning 2010

 Loving his little fire engine!

 Learning to hold a hockey stick with Grandpa J's help!

This is another one of my favorite Christmas photos!

Christmas morning 2010 at Jan and Stan's (AKA: Grandma/pa J) was another success!! 

We all enjoyed a delicious Christmas morning breakfast ... and shortly after we ate it was time to open PRESENTS!  Quinn got such great things! One being an adorable Minnesota Wild jersey that looks just like the one Steve has, a fire engine (that makes lots, and lots of noise!) ...along with many other gifts that also make lots AND lots of noise and are now filling our house with beautiful sounds, constantly! Thanks guys :)

It was a great way to celebrate Quinn's very first Christmas Morning!

Christmas Eve 2010

 Quinn got a dump truck from Uncle Pete and was patiently waiting

while Pete got it out of the package and ready for Quinn to play with!

 This is my favorite Christmas photo for 2010!

 ...tickles from Daddy!

 And a smooch on the cheek from Aunt Katie!

 Mom and dad unwrapping their awesome gift from Steve,

Katie, Pete and me ... a beer kit to brew their own batch

at home!!! I'm thinking I might want to get one of these

for myself sometime down the road... what a fun hobby!

 Quinn checking out Uncle Nick!

 Katie, Quinn, Gretchen, Bea and Mandy

 The Boys: Steve, Quinn, Nick, Phil and Pete

Christmas Eve 2010 at Mom and Dad's house was a success!

We got their early, so that right after Church at 7:30 we were able to head home. It was the first time I can remember opening gifts on Christmas Eve while it was still light outside!  Quinn had a ball... a little shy at first, he quickly got over it and was all over the place before we knew it! After opening our gifts, we played a little Wii bowling {I scored a 191.. worth mentioning in my book!}, had an awesome meal and went to Church to celebrate and remember God's wonderful gift to us in His perfect Son, who has washed us clean by means of his suffering and death. 

Happy Birthday, Jesus and Merry Christmas to all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas spent with their loved ones!

Quinn is ten months old! {12/20/10}

 I was desperately hoping the tape would keep him distracted long enough to snap a picture! 

 ...But it didn't work! Imagine that :)

 And here I thought taking his 'month photos' would

get easier over time!

 That's just NOT the case!

... Always so interested!

 ...And HAPPY, too :)

Happy TEN MONTH birthday, Quinn Franklin! Oh boy...you keep getting more and more fun! ...everyday is a busy, fun, crazy, sometimes hectic adventure with you, but your daddy and I wouldn't change a thing!

New milestones for Quinn at ten months old include:

Mastering this walking business! Over the past month he has been practicing for hours on end, and is quickly becoming a 'pro!'

A new hobby of Quinn's is standing beside our Tupperware drawer and tossing each and every last dish out of the drawer, then proceeding to scatter them throughout the kitchen, living room, hallway and sometimes even down the stairs so that we randomly find plastic bowls EVERYWHERE!

He is stacking bowls, placing toys inside bowls and offering dishes to Tucker. {Tuck just does his classic head tilt and looks at us with utter confusion!} I feel like Quinn is learning so much by getting into the cupboards that it's worth all the headache of cleaning the messes up behind him!

Watching him make connections with how things work is so rewarding to witness!

My one complaint: Quinn is basically down to one nap a day!!! I am not ready for this... I miss those days when a morning and an afternoon nap were promised to me! Oh well...sometimes a mother just doesn't get everything she wants! {I told Steve this...and he thinks it would make a great book title!}

Visit with friends

 Look at these two sweeties! ... six months apart and destined to be friends!

 Oh poor things! Neither of them were feeling this photo ;)

The other night Ryan and baby Sydney stopped by to see Steve, Quinn and I! They even brought their dog, so that Bettis and Tucker could play out in the back yard... {and try to wear off some of that excess energy!}

We have traveled on a Caribbean cruise with the Angie and Ryan, before the babies, and will definitely go on another vacation again with the little tots in hand!  They are great friends and we're so glad the two kids are so close in age...