Amelia's 1st Visit with Santa!!!

It's just not fair... I have to share Amelia's first experience visiting Santa...It is one for the record. As you can see, Amelia was in great anticipation of seeing Santa before Christmas and was so excited overall. When asked what she would do she said that she would sit on Santa's lap and give him a big hug and then ask for Pizza and Candy. It sounded great and she seemed up to the task... so after a good wait in line as the children before us saw Santa, it was Amelia's turn. We went into the visiting area and Amelia was ready for her visit...she promptly walked right up to Santa's open arms and climbed up into his lap. We could over hear her and him talking and they were getting along great. The photographer was taking pictures and they looked like they were going to be perfect photos... Dana and I were so happy how it was all going. Then Amelia received her candy cane from Santa and gave him a big hug and hopped off his lap, came over to us and said that she was ready to go. Great... couldn't have been better!!! Amelia and Dana decided to go out to the car and I waited the few minutes it would take to get the photo card of Amelia and Santa. As I stood there, the lady at the desk said "What is your last name again?" I said, "McNeil." Then she said, "Um, are your children still here??" I replied with "She is leaving but I can get..." So I wave Dana back as he is heading out the door with our little daughter. As they are coming back, the lady says "Something happened and the photos, they are not there... we can get you right in to see Santa, again, you won't have to wait in the line." As Amelia and Dana came back over to me I started to tell Amelia how exciting it is that she gets to see Santa, AGAIN!!!! Well, then it was all over, Amelia had already got to see Santa and she was not interested in seeing him again. She was crying and so upset as we walked back into the area of photos...so after all that good time she had with Santa, she didn't want to see him again. We did manage to get her to sit in his lap again while we tried to get her to smile so we could get a half way decent photo... but it will never be like those moments just 15 minutes before that would have been excellent, as was her experience...The experience was then tainted with tear streaked cheeks and "I don't want to see Santa, again" cries. Poor little Amelia... she was such a trooper to begin with and here we have to talk her into doing the whole thing over again. The photo of Amelia and Dana is when we were waiting in line to see Santa.

Christmas tree adventures

This last weekend we put up our Christmas tree. This is quite an adventure to do with a 2 1/2 year old. Amelia is so enthusiastic about the tree, it's hard not to catch her joy yourself. With nothing but the lights on she exclaimed "OH! LOOK at our BEAUTIFUL TREE!!!!" Then I brought out the box of ornaments and we were off... before I could even turn to get another one, she was there rifling through the box for the next one she wanted to put up. Now each day, we have to turn the lights on and she rearranges the ornaments. This morning was a hoot... You'll see a snowman sitting next to the tree. Well you see, he is electric and lights up, has glass parts to him...Amelia and I talked a lot about "Not touching Snowman, as he is breakable and is just a decoration to LOOK at." Well this morning, I heard her running around and I asked her what she was doing and she said that "Snowman needs to take a rest." She was carrying a blanket and all. Not even thinking it was THE snowman we talked about, as there are many other snowman toys that are around for her enjoyment I said to her "Oh, that is nice of you to get him a blanket." Shortly there after I walk into the living room and there is THE snowman laying on the floor, his fiber optic lights blinking away with his head on a pillow completely snuggled in under the blanket she was after. I had to smile and cover my laughs as he looked so comfortable and well rested, Blink Blink Blink, however, we did have to reiterate the importance of "somethings are meant to be looked at only." I pointed her in the direction of the appropriate snowmen that she could play with :) What a joy she is! She is so creative...

Amelia's 1st REAL hair cut!!!

Here's another big first event to share! I know that most children may have already had their first haircut before Amelia's age, but that's okay! Here she is being a champ as Danna cuts her hair. We didn't take much off but she sure got into the whole thing! Her hair looks great! She was always looking so wild and crazy... we'll see if this helps a bit :) Enjoy!

A fun visit to Helena

Amelia's and I went to Helena for a visit. Here she is with Papa Overton and Grandma Kathy. We had a great time. Amelia played with Papa and entertained Skyler outside throwing the ball. We also got to visit with friends Liesl an Amy and also spent the afternoon with Katrina and her cute son, Avery. It was a whirlwind trip but we had a great time! Papa also had come our way a couple times in October to take us swimming... Amelia loved this and each time we'd talk about Papa, she'd ask if he was swimming. I hope we can keep this tradition going as Amelia really enjoys it. This was a double bonus as after swimming, I was able to take a knitting class and he stayed with Amelia to watch her. We are so blessed with the family that we have and all the support that they provide.

More on Amelia!!

Our dear Amelia is just something else. I can't believe all that she knows, understands, comprehends and comes up with on her own. She has such a personality full of charisma, charm and humor. She is also very empathetic and caring beyond her age... Here is a photo of her enjoying her princess chair before we started changing her room around to incorporate the "big girl bed".

We decided it was time to put up Amelia's new bed and take out the crib/toddler bed she's been sleeping in her whole life *sniff*. I though it would be good to have a break from the crib before it became the next baby's place of sleep. Amelia has been looking forward to it and we finally got all the pieces in place to make it happen. Dana has been madly working on the basement as there is a huge domino effect going on before we can even start the new Baby's nursery... but with all the progress he's made we were able to shift quite a few things around which allowed for us to put her bed up. She was such a big help while I was putting it all together today. She helped me put the bed together and make it up with all her fresh new bed linens. She even took a nap in it with no problems right away(which by the way are totally on the way out... it is usually just a rest, then play with toys in the dark). Later in the afternoon, we had another big first... we took Amelia to her first Big Screen theater viewing, we went to "Happy Feet". She is a movie watcher as is our family. She really did enjoy it and as it ended she said "Now play another one!" I'm sure we'll make Big Screen movie viewing a regular treat of an activity. So all in all it has been a big day for Amelia... she is growing up so fast, I just marvel at it all. It is hard to explain and describe! SHE IS JUST AMAZING!!!!

Beginning of Month 6!!!

I can't believe how fast this new baby of ours is growing! We are just starting our 6th month as of November 19th...that means: December, January, February and then March baby will be here! It will all go by so fast and we'll all have our hands on the new addition... we are excited. Here is the lastest update of baby's growth and Amelia's rendition of a baby belly :)

November 2006, Our vacations

In November, Dana and I were blessed with the chance to get away on a vacation for almost a week near the beginning of November. Amelia was even more blessed to have her first vacation with Nana and Pops McNeil and Uncle Ryan. We are certain that Amelia had more fun than we did, but overall it was a success for everyone. Dana and I went to Grand Cayman Island, it was such a treat to get to sit next to Dana on the plane in each others company, let alone on the beach sipping delish drinks together! We have so much to be thankful for. Dana was able to fit in some dives while I enjoyed snorkeling. The water was a perfect temp of about 84 degrees. We took in lots of beach time, reading and listening to the waves, eating delish food and enjoyed each others company. Amelia is the light of our life, but there was something wonderful about being a couple again, getting a chance to reconnect. Dana has beeen working so hard at work and then working endlessly on our home and me with teaching, Amelia, being pregnant...it was perfect timing to get away :) We also got to enjoy the Turtle Farm, Botanical Gardens, Beach walks, swam with Sting Rays, went on a evening sail cruise on a replica 19th century boat. The first photo is of our last evening there, right at our resort overlooking the beautiful ocean. Here are a few other photos to share: Dana's up close encounter with a sea turtle, Dana heading into the water for one of his dives, Dana holding a small Sting Ray about 1/4 of the size of the one we held and kissed together (they are beautiful, magnificent creatures to say the least, however a bit creepy when swimming up behind to you check you out!!!). The last photo is of me holding a turtle at the Turtle Farm.
































As for Amelia's vacation, all her photos are on our video camcorder so you'll have to use your imagination. She was so busy!!! Most everyday she fed the horses with Uncle Ryan and got to sit on 2 of them. She "fished" in the stream in their yard with a bobbin and mini pole. Went for walks. Enjoyed the lake while playing fetch with Skyler. Fed the wild turkeys. Threw leaves into the stream and watched them float by. Generally she was completely worn out each evening, and so was Nana, Pops and Uncle Ryan (I think). They all had such fun together.

Oh my goodness!!! October 2006

How does the time get away from me so fast??? I try so hard to keep up on things like this, but alas I'm not doing as well as I'd hope. I shall catch up as best as I can :) Please enjoy the updates and do check in regularly as I will be posting more often! I will give you the highlights of the last 8 weeks :)

October was filled with the normal activities of Halloween and preparing for winter, Dana's busy schedule and my job teaching... however, we also got to enjoy a few added bonuses: Amelia and I joined our dear friends Ruth and daughter, Keira, to a pumpkin patch where the girls got to play on haystacks and feed the goats Itsy and Bitsy before picking out our pumpkins for Halloween. They had so much fun!!!

Another fun thing that we enjoy completely was the 20 week ultrasound of Baby Surprise McNeil :) Amelia even enjoyed watching the "movie" of her sibling in the oven. Thanks to my aunt we have the ultrasound photo's scanned and ready for you to take a peek. The face photo is a bit creepy but baby was very squished in there and the tech did her best job...we'll all get a good look at baby sometime in March :) The one on the left is baby's foot.















October 16th: Here is our darling Amelia: She is perfectly 2 1/2 years old on this day! Her beautiful smile is worth a share and of course, Skyler is always welcome...they love each other so much!!! What a joy they are!

For Halloween, Amelia couldn't make up her mind. She was a ladybug, a dragon and a devil all in the same night! She just kept switching from costume to costume. Her friend Dorothy, AKA Keira, came over for a visit... I couldn't resist sharing this photo of the two of them. Amelia always wants to make sure everyone is having a good time.

















Here is a belly shot at about 16 weeks around October 1st:

Major Renovations!!! YEAH!!!

I am so excited and grateful to report that this last week has been entirely fruitful in the efforts of finishing the next section of our basement. Dana's family came to help out and what a lot of work they did!
In less than 72 hours the following was accomplished: fence posts set in concrete after holes dug, complete dry walling of guest room, bathroom: new flooring installed, new shower stall installed and plumbed, framework and complete dry walling, new sink put together. Now we can finish up the fence in our back yard in no time and we are also waiting on the mud/tape man finish out the dry wall.... Then we will be onto the next project: finishing up the washer/dryer room!
Our biggest, most grateful THANK YOU goes out to Rod, Ryan and Dana for all the work they did and to Jan for taking such great care of Amelia amidst all the work an my time away teaching.... We are truly blessed for the family we have!!!

12 weeks and growing! 1st Dr.'s Visit

Here Amelia and I are posing for "belly photos" you can see a hint of a belly on me (I can no longer wear my favorite pants)... But mine is nothing compared to that of my sweet little daughter, Amelia :) Look at THAT cute belly! She seems to be understanding the whole idea pretty good so far... As good as to be expected. Heck, I can't even comprehend the miracle of pregnancy sometimes....
Anyway, we had our first Dr.'s visit on Monday August 21st. It was great. We are working with the same doctor that delivered Amelia and is our family practitioner. She is wonderful and I'm so glad to work with her. The only funny thing about the appointment is that we found out that our Dr. Is pregnant too... Just due one day before we are. SOOOO, there is a huge possibility that she will not be there for this babies delivery....Only time will tell :) But at least we get to work with her in the time between!!
Overall the baby seems to be just perfect and has a heartbeat of 154. Some will say, that means a girl, but I am betting boy. I know chances are that I may be wrong and it wouldn't matter to me, either way. We're happy with whatever we get. I just have strong feelings that this little baby is a boy :) Again... Only time will tell... We'll all have to wait until March to find out!!! :)

A wonderful father

This is one of the sweetest things a father can do for his daughter... show her how to dance! Amelia is really enjoying "Beauty and the Beast", whether it be the story or the movie and often wants us to sing it with her and then she wants to dance as we sing. Don't they look great together?? So sweet!

Sharing the Baby News! August 11-15th

I had to share this photo of Dana's dear Mother, Jan. She is the only one we got to cooperate in our scheme of sharing the news while taking a photo.... Dana had us all get together for a quick snapshot and said "okay, everyone smile and say Chris and Dana are having another baby!" *CLICK* the photo really is priceless and I'm so glad we got at least one like this. Later we were able to share the news with my Grandparents and other family members...Here are a few photos of that trip north to Dana's familys home in Polson and a visit to Chris's grandparents home in Butte.
Besides sharing our news... we enjoyed time at the
lake, beautiful walks/runs with views of the lake,
delicious food and of course, wonderful company. Flathead is one of the the very most beautiful places on the planet... we are so grateful to get to spend time there with our family. Just breathtaking!!! Dana and Ryan enjoyed a little diving, shooting clay pigeons and working with the horses.

This time Amelia really enjoyed visiting the horses...she talks a lot about them now. She
also swung on the swing enough for us all....she
just can't get enough of it! It worked wonders on
keeping her in one place for more than a few minutes.
She kept saying "Faster! Higher!" Amelia also really got into the lake this visit...she sat in it and played for a long time with buckets and other water pouring devices brought along by Nana McNeil. However, out of all of us, Skyler would be the one with the greatest appreciation for the lake... it is #1 on his top 10 things to do in life: SWIM AND FETCH!!!!

Amelia is something else! August 6th, 2006

Gosh, to look at this picture, I am in amazement! Amelia is looking so much like a big person now.... She has this wild, untamable hair that is adorable on her. Those beautiful eyes and mischievous smile...The twinkle in her eye is unmistakable when she is looking to get into trouble! She is always on the move and ready to go. I am still blown away that we have this beautiful young person in our lives... Lucky us!!!

Amelia's first RACE!!! August 5th, 2006

Dear Amelia is such a sport! We asked her before hand if she wanted to do the Sweet Pea Children's 1 mile race, describing it as best as we could before we entered her in it... each time she enthusiastically said "YES!" So here she is getting all set and then putting forth her best effort. She did excellent! I would say she ran the whole 1 mile run on her own, putting a side about 18 steps that she was in my arms then proclaiming "DO IT MYSELF!" What a champ! At the very end of the race, we stopped and said "Amelia! YOU DO IT!" "WAY TO GO!" she stopped right there and looked around at everyone and started to clap her hands saying "YEAHHHH!" So sweet! Her cheeks were bright red and she was out of breath, but she kept saying to herself "I did it!" After the racing event, we enjoyed the Sweet Pea Parade then everyone came home for nap!!! Way to go, Amelia! We are so proud of you!!!

Dana's update!

Way to go, Dana!!!! We are so proud of you! You made it!!! Dana is now a member of the SRT program. He made it through a grewling 36 hour continual training/tryout period and successfully completed all the requirements. However, even if you do complete all the requirements, the Team still has to invite you aboard... and they did just that with Dana. This sort of test really shows what a person is made of and I knew Dana had it in him. I am so proud of you!!!! Keep doing your best work and you will always be achieving what you want!!!

Our Bright Beautiful Amelia!

How she makes the day seem so bright when otherwise it would be dull! Amelia can ignite sparks in me that otherwise would lay dormant. She can press buttons in me I didn't even know I had... all the while gleaming with her beautiful spirit... so full of love that I couldn't stay mad for long. She is endlessly curious and moving, always finding something else to get into and learn about. Lately she has been doing this silly exploration with her tongue... she is licking everything! When we go in for kisses we are met by a big puppy like swipe with her tongue across our cheek. Before we know it we are yelling..."oooo, gross!" Which only produces sincere belly giggles from our sweet Amelia. Then we can't help but laugh, which then reinforces that licking us is something fun and cute to do. So I again laugh at the things I hear myself say when I have a two year old in the house "PLEASE! Don't lick the rocking chair!". She is a crackup!

Dana is always up to something!

Next week, Dana will be trying out for SRT at work. It stands for Special Response Team. Anyway, it is just similar to SWAT (I'm not sure what SWAT stands for but most people have heard of that). Dana has been training quite hard for this tryout... I have no doubt he'd be a huge asset to that program. He is very skilled at what he does. The tryout is a 36 hour continuous test, where they make you stay up the whole time doing different tasks, physical and mental. If he makes it through this session, then he'll be on SRT as a probationary member for about a year, then he'll be able and expected to respond to all SRT calls. Here is a picture of Dana after he competed in a 10 mile mountain terrain run... he did a great job!!! Be thinking of him as this next week rolls around!!! :)

Baby's first photo!

This photo was taken on July 18th...our due date for our baby is March 18th. This was taken about 1 week after we found out the good news. I am going to fight the stigma of "the 2nd baby doesn't get as many photos taken as the first born"... Each little baby is beautiful and deserves the same celebrations... so this is the first belly photo to share of our little one growing! Many of you may ask... but we are not going to find out the sex of the baby until birth.

Life is always an adventure...and a journey!

Getting to share our life with friends and family is one of our greatest joys... please feel free to come and check out what is going on in our life every now and again. Also, don't forget to let us know what is going on in your life!
Here is the most recent photo of our McNeil clan on our latest adventure to South Dakota to spend some time in the Black Hills with everyone. We had a marvelous time! While we were there we learned of a special secret, one that we haven't shared yet.... we are expecting another McNeil. Amelia will be a big sister!!! Our newest addition is due to arrive in March 2007! What a wonderful secret surprise....