All good things must come to an end...

As we say goodbye to 2010 and hello to a new year, I feel that it's also time to say goodbye (for now at least) to blogging...I've felt this coming for a while now, but the new year seems a good place to make a clean break! The 3 years that I've been blogging have been so much fun and a really theraputic way for me to chronicle what's happening in our lives but lately I've gotten to the point where it's not so much fun anymore. Is there life after blogging? I think so...

As we begin 2011 I find that our lives are so wonderfully full! I continue to work part-time as a designer (for the same company I've been with for 10 years now) and be a full-time mom. Both keep me very busy! Our kids are still enjoying their preschool and we love seeing the things they learn each day. Isaac surprises me every day with the things he says (and this is the boy we thought we would never talk!) Tessa has now moved up a classroom where she is with some older kids and loves being challenged. We are thankful that the pediatric surgeon we met with this week advised us to wait another year for her umbilical hernia surgery to see if it closes on it's own. John continues to be blessed with an overload of projects with his job, and as we struggle for the balance between work and family time, we know that we are lucky to have this situation in this economy. I have also taken on a new project with our mission group at church and this will take up much of my time over the next couple of months. It is a cause that I feel very strongly about (we support an orphan care center in Zimbabwe) and I am helping to plan and organize a cycling event that is our main fundraiser for these efforts. This project gives me energy and excitement every day as I not only learn more about the ways that we can help these children, but as I meet more and more people through this team.

So as you can see, lots of things (good things) happening around the Nap house. Is this goodbye for good? I'm not sure...maybe it's just goodbye for now. I am going to try to keep up better with posting some photos periodically on facebook (which many of you are already friends there...) if not, please join so that we can keep in touch. I find it a quicker way to keep up than blogging. Also, our email address is john.erin@msn.com if you prefer email.

For now....it's goodbye, adios, ciao!

Happy 2nd Birthday Tessa!

It's hard to believe our little girl is 2 years old! We celebrated her birthday a couple of times this year - both here in Colorado and in Kansas.

Here she is at our favorite Mexican restaurant blowing out the candle!

Cheers!

New slippers from Oma!

Tessa opening presents at her birthday party in Kansas.

Tasting the cupcake with Daddy!

I took Tessa to her 2 year check-up today and she is in the 99th percentile weighing in at 27 lbs. and 37" tall. It was really no surprise that she was so big since she is wearing 3T clothes now! We also have been referred to a pediatric surgeon to get a second opinion on her umbilical hernia that hasn't seemed to close since our last check-up. We will be seeing a specialist from Childrens Hospital on January 4th, so hopefully he will have some more answers for us on what (if any) course of treatment we will take. In all other ways she continues to be a happy and healthy little girl and we are so blessed to have her in our family!

Gingerbread house

I'm not quite brave enough to try a real Gingerbread house project with the kids...I think it would be more eating the pieces instead of assembling them...so I found this cute craft project to do with them. It was a hit! (and not too messy either!) Here is Isaac - he was so busy he couldn't even stop to pose for a photo.

Tessa was pretty proud of her design!

Welcome Baby Easton

My brother Grant and sister-in-law Amber are proud parents to their new baby boy - Easton Michael! I couldn't help but share these photos my mom took when she visited them in the hospital yesterday. We're headed to Kansas next weekend to celebrate Christmas and I'm really looking forward to meeting this newest member of the family! Congratulations Grant & Amber!