Whitelaw Merry Christmas

We've been having a great time with our Whitelaw/Keeton family. Jenna has had a blast with her cousins ("Gadis" and "Dak")! Tree decorating was so fascinating!

We decorated on Dec. 16, the first night we arrived. The next day, Kevin's lower right wisdom tooth area started hurting and on the next day, Dec. 18th Kevin had his top and bottom right side wisdom teeth taken out! He recovered amazingly quickly!

Jenna has loved pictures of Santa this year. She can spot them anywhere and says, "Tanta" and "ho, ho." We practiced what she would tell Santa and she would sometimes see a Santa and say "Elmo Rogees" (Elmo Grover). This real Santa wasn't in a very good mood and Jenna picked up the vibe pretty quickly I guess. Don't all kids have a year where Mom has to be in the picture too?

A fun trip to the Denver Aquarium and Casa Bonita.

Usually, Jenna is the one to smother her cousin with hugs and kisses. This particular evening, it was the other way around. LOVE this video!

Jenna was excited to get her Elmo and Rogees and Elmo book from Santa.

Jenna's Elmo music dance.

Love that happy face!

Three Muskateers - my favorite picture of our time here!

The whole handsome gang. A miracle picture!

Looking forward to doing it all again with the Keathleys/Wards soon!

Zoo

Yesterday afternoon, it was 8o degrees. So, we took advantage of a great day and went to the zoo. The animals were really active and we all had a great time. Jenna loved feeding the giraffe and even had to take a little taste of the cracker herself! By the time we went to bed, it was 30 degrees - what a drop!

Christmas Cheer

Jenna has some new dance moves inspired by Christmas music! This was taken on the way to her first philharmonic Christmas concert. (She LOVED it by the way!) Enjoy!

I know you've all been on the edge of your seats for the answers to Jenna's vocabulary quiz. So, here they are:

1. hap/hap bu = help and help please (but since that post, she has evolved to saying "hep peas")
2. elmo = Elmo, but also elbow
3. mook = milk
4. doo doos = choo choos (trains)
5. boos = spoon (she's also added "oke" meaning fork)
6. wacko = cracker
7. back = as in put it "back," but this also means black (her color of choice when asked what color something is)
8. go tooch = she picks up her bag and tells us "bye." We ask her where she's going and she says, "go tooch" (go church)
9. looleese = goldfish
10. up, dats = pick me up and dance!
11. kick = cookie
12. no, no, onk = I asked her to try to match some pitches and sing "la, la, la." She said, "no, no, onk," quoting from Moo, Baa, La, La, La, by Sandra Boynton. We also need to thank Mrs. Boynton for "cows" (Philadelphia Chickens) and lots of kisses (Snuggle Puppy). What a great author!!

Other new words: rogees (Grover) and dedzus (Jesus). Although we realized we needed to do some more teaching last night at the band Christmas party when she pointed to a picture of Santa and said "dedzus!"

Today's high is predicted to be 73 degrees - it's December 8th for crying out loud!! Yesterday, the ice cream truck passed by our house! So, this picture is our Ode to Colder Weather!

Last ACU Game and Jenna 18 months

"Da, Dats!"

We all went to the ACU playoff game on Saturday. ACU had a rough day and NW Missouri State beat them 45-36. We were so disappointed, but at least we had good company. And free Harold's BBQ before the game.
So hard to believe that Jenna turned 18 months yesterday! Here's a video of Jenna dancing on her 18 month birthday. She has some great moves and she's holding onto one of the baby bottles that Grandma gave her. She will hardly let go of them for a second! She says, "bottle" really clearly and has a great slurping noise she makes when she feeds her babies.

Thanksgiving

We are so thankful for our families and especially for this girl! She was excited to host Grandpa, Grandma, Aunt Katie, and Uncle Matt for Thanksgiving at her house this year! And no, her feet have not grown to gigantic proportions. She LOVES to try on everyone's shoes these days!
Jenna has so many new words these days. It's hard to keep up with exactly when she starts saying them. See if you can guess what some of these mean. (Some of these are not the obvious word that you might think!) Answers to come in a future blog.

1. hap/hap bu
2. elmo
3. mook
4. doo doos
5. boos
6. wacko
7. back
8. go tooch
9. looleese
10. up dats
11. kick or cook
12. no, no, onk

Cousin Fun

Kevin's sister and her boys came on Wednesday. We spent lots of time playing and did a few organized activities, too. Thursday, we went to a program for kids at the zoo. They got to touch a hissing cockroach and a millipede (Jenna wanted nothing to do with these). They heard a story and made a colored picture about the story. Then they got to see a really neat animal called a keekajew (I have no idea how to spell this). It has a tail like a monkey. It was much too cold and windy to actually tour the zoo. We had to make a trip to Walmart for warmer little boy clothes!

Friday, we went to the park. Saturday we went to the game. I'm so glad that I was thought to take a picture as soon as we got to the game. Little G actually went to sleep soon after we got there and slept until we left after half-time. ACU won 93-68 and since everyone else has said it, I will too. That's a football score, not a basketball score! And it's a record number of points for a NCAA Division II playoff game! Geremy made it to the game just in time for half-time. We enjoyed the evening with him and the whole gang. Then they had to leave Sunday morning.

Hide her under a bushel - No!

Jenna LOVES to sing "This Little Light of Mine," and does a great job with the actions! Usually, she does more of the song than this, but what we have here is pretty great. Notice the full body involvement when she blows her light out and the great excitement that comes with "No!"


In Jenna's music class, we do a dance to a particular song and there are different steps for each feature instrument. For example, during the violin feature, we walk forward and back; during the tuba feature, we do squats to the beat. I'm usually holding her while we dance, so I never realized how much she was taking in. Yesterday, Jenna heard the song and started walking backwards during the violin and doing her "squats" to the tuba part. Last night she was a little tired, but still managed to do a few squats for the camera.


Yesterday during lunch, I was telling Jenna that we were going to see Dada's band after lunch. She said, "Dada, mic" (music), and then hummed the first 6 notes of the halftime music in rhythm. I was so shocked and wished that somehow that had been recorded because I wasn't sure anyone would believe me! Then, last night we were looking at a book and she opened a flap to find a trumpet. When she saw it, she hummed the halftime music again. So, I tried to get her to do it again for a recording. In the video, she says something like trumpet, then "mic," then a few of the notes, but not all 6.


Why is it that kids never do things the same when you try to stage it for a recording? I think they are still cute clips, though. Hope you enjoyed! We are so amazed and blessed by this girl!

Lone Star Conference Champions!

I finally remembered to get a family game shot. Poor timing maybe as Jenna had just got up from her nap.

Band looked great!

The cutest Wildcat fan! She can say, "Da, Dats!" (Go Cats!)

What am I missing?

Jenna helped conduct the band!

They were a little hasty in clearing the score board. ACU defeated Midwestern State 47-17 to become the Lone Star Conference Champions! (If you enlarge the picture you can see the trophy celebration.) Playoffs to come, starting Nov. 22nd. We are excited!

Sliding

I just realized that Kevin took this video while we were at the park when his parents were here. Pretty cute! We had a good time with Papa and Mima.

Halloween

Halloween eve, we went back to the pumpkin patch, this time with Papa and Mima. We brought the video camera, but they didn't have as many pumpkins and there weren't any of the little pumpkins that she was so enthralled with before. I guess maybe some of the newness wore off; she didn't act nearly as excited. We got a pumpkin to carve and Kevin did a great job!!
Wednesday, Halloween eve eve, was costume day at Jenna's music class. I'm so glad I got some pictures then, because these are probably the best ones of her standing in her costume. In the one where she's sitting, she's playing a drum. She was such a CUTE duck! We'd ask her what a duck says, and she'd say "Waa, Waack!"

She did lots of funny things yesterday. When we were playing in the living room, all of a sudden she started walking backwards - so now, she can walk backwards. We were listening to one of her music CDs and I went to skip the very operatic version of "Rock a Bye, Baby" (that I don't like), and she said, "No" (very sweetly). I said, "Oh, you want to hear that one?" She nodded, then she started singing it with the CD and I could actually understand some of her words!

The funniest thing she did was when I was sitting at the dining room table finishing my lunch and she was toddling around. All of a sudden she came over, pulled my waist band out, looked in, and said, "poop" (just like when I check her for a dirty diaper). I guess imitation is the best form of flattery?!

Homecoming

This year's Homecoming was my 10 year reunion. Hard to believe it has already been that long. It was a whirlwind - starting Friday evening with a carnival and mingle time at a friend's house. Saturday morning, events started at 7 am for me. Then came the parade, chapel, choir concert, lunch, game, and finally reunion dinner! I didn't get home until 11pm.
The women's club that was a big part of my college days folded in May. It's tradition for each club to host a breakfast at homecoming. I really wanted to have a breakfast for our 10 year reunion, so my friend Katie (second from the left) helped me brainstorm. I was able to get alumni emails and send out an evite. It turned out to be a great time. The six ladies in the picture above are from my pledge class and are some of my favorite people.

What's Homecoming without a parade and March Grandioso?!

The band did a great job!

A class reunion dinner rounded out the weekend. Pictured above are my best girls (minus one who couldn't make the trip). Overall, it was a good time. Mostly visiting with people that I had kept up with anyway, but it was also fun to see people that I hadn't heard from in a long time. Pictured below is my Freshman and Sophomore year roomate. How fitting that she is the first person that I ran into on Friday evening.

"Pic" (Pumpkin) Patch

Grandpa and Grandma visited last weekend and we visited the pumpkin patch. Jenna started off with a bang and a bloody lip (one mean pumpkin), but then she LOVED exploring all the "pics" (pumpkins).
I love taking her picture around the pumpkins - it looks so great with her hair! We're going to have to go back and take the video camera - it was so much fun watching her explore!

Jenna got some new "peekaboo" books from Grandma. She has one of them memorized and loves to say "peekaboo" and "shhh" at the appropriate times. I wish I could describe how she says "peekaboo." She says it really fast and enthusiastic, so it almost sounds like gibberish - one of my favorite of her words! The other favorite word is a new one from Sunday. She says "milo" (smile), but she not only says it, she acts it out with a big cheesy smile!

No blog update in almost 2 weeks!

This is Jenna's first picture to bring home from church. She colored this on Oct. 7th while I was in ladies class.
Last Wednesday, Oct. 8th, we were getting Jenna ready for bed and she picked up this little flashlight that she typically plays with while we change her. Except that evening she held it up to her mouth and started singing like it was a microphone! I have no idea where she got such an idea!

Thursday, the 9th, she started imitating us when we blow on her food to cool it off. She enjoys this very much and even blows on her kiwi, grapes, etc. that aren't hot! She also loves to blow her light out when we sing "This Little Light of Mine." Another thing she learned that day, was a new body part - "eyeboo" (eyebrow).

Our "social butterfly" on the phone . . . again! I love this outfit!

Saturday, the 11th - Dada finds 2 top molars just peeking through. These have caused some pain, so it's been a tough week.
Jenna's treasures - a Tylenol bottle, little baby, and this specific rock. She looks for and picks this rock out of the pile, every time! And we must know where "nynol" and baby are at any given moment or we're liable to have a situation.

We have been busy, I can't even believe it's been so long since I posted. Jenna has officially gone from two naps to one. I had been hoping that once she dropped the one that she would magically take one nap (3 hrs) the length of the two (two, 1.5 hours) combined. This has not been the case. Typically she sleeps almost 2 hours for her nap. Some days she has a hard time making it to her nap time. Monday, she fell asleep while she was eating lunch. One minute she is saying, "Nana, nana!" (more food!), the next minute she grabbed one piece of grape and simultaneously fell asleep!

Getaway, etc

Last Friday we went on a getaway to Ft. Worth. We had a great time seeing friends that are really more like family; we saw actual family too, Uncle Matt. Jenna saw me filling her water cup for the trip and wanted a drink, so she said, "wato" (water) for the first time. Sunday after lunch we ate at Cheddar's. Jenna LOVED the big fish tank and Katie and Ruthie helped her learn to make a fish face. My favorite of all her animal impressions, I think!

Daddy's girl

She has loved getting inside this box this week. This particular day, she wanted all her toys piled in on top of her, then she put them back into the the clear box, one by one.

Wednesday she started singing the ABC song. She sings, "abcd" and then hums, adds some gibberish here and there, then chimes in on "y." Also Wednesday, I walked out of the room for a minute and came back to her playing with a musical toy and conducting very demonstratively. I wanted to get the video camera, but when she noticed me, she calmed her conducting down and looked kind of sheepish, like I had caught her!

Thursday, we found out that her friend who was going to come play with her Friday was sick. Jenna was sad and kept asking for her friend. I said, "Jenna, do you want to pray for your friend to feel better?" She clasped her hands and we prayed. Then a few minutes later, I found Jenna with her hands clasped and concentrating. I asked her, "Are you praying for your friend?" She nodded, yes.

ACU outfit #2 - cheerleader style

Jenna made it on the big screen this week! She had a great time and as I was getting her ready for bed she did a little conducting motion and asked for some "ic" (music).

"Oudoe"

We have spent LOTS of time "oudoe" (outside) this week. Jenna can literally spend hours just walking around the yard exploring. She starts at the rocky area and picks out a rock which she keeps securely in her right hand until we go inside again. She now says, "gwass" (grass) and "pla" (plane - but, imagine the "pla" ending with some spitting, raspberry style). The last few pictures are of Jenna in her special corner outside. She loves to sit in this corner for some reason and point out the bricks. She has a great narrative that goes along with pointing out the bricks. It goes something like this, "Abudaby, dabudabee, datda, dodowat."

Week in Review

Here's the awaited picture of the new tooth. Her bottom left.

Last Friday, Kevin arranged for a surprise date for us. He got our favorite babysitter to come stay with Jenna. This babysitter also happens to be Jenna's 3rd cousin and they both have red hair. We figured out the relationship when Jenna was born and announcement emails went around the family. It turns out that these cousins live near us and we never knew. Jenna and her babysitter Sarah have the same great-great-grandparents and their great-grandpas were brothers. Pretty cool and rare to know your 3rd cousin!

Sarah was amazed at how meticulous Jenna is, always wanting to put things "back." I'm afraid maybe I've warped my child. Nature or nurture?
Jenna got this bear for her birthday it plays "Happy Birthday." She re-discovered it this week and LOVES it. She says, "Hap Boo."

Tuesday we were getting ready to leave for Ladies Bible class and I said, "Come on Jenna, let's go to church!" She beat me to the door and was excited to go. I was putting on my shoes and then all of a sudden she ran (toddled very quickly) back into the living room. I was wondering what in the world is she doing? So, I called for her to come back. Pretty soon she came rushing back with her purse! It was so funny - she needed her purse to go to church! She loves that purse so much and even had a fit last Friday when her friend Mallory wanted to play with it.
We use this cabinet in the living room to store some of her toys and this week she started climbing in. She loves to get in (with her blue Lego friend, of course) and shut the doors and hide! The longest so far is about 15 seconds and then she'll push the doors open and say, "Hi!"
Kevin taught her to say how old she is this week. "Jenna, How old are you?" She puts up her one so proudly! (and yes, she's holding a Tylenol bottle - her latest security item)

Kevin and Jenna also have a new game just in time for Halloween. He says "Boo" and she says "Ahhh!" Yesterday she woke up early and we put her in bed with us to see if she might go back to sleep. She was excited and started talking a lot. Part of her repertoire that morning was, "Boo, Ahh!, Boo, Ahh!" over and over.

Yesterday, was also her first, "quack."

First Home Game

Music from Genesis, Phil Collins, and Peter Gabriel. How many of you know what these 3 have in common?

Jenna's "I just got up from my nap and I'm not so sure about this" face. She eventually really did love the music. There was lots of conducting, dancing (almost jumped out of my lap), clapping, and cheering.

Here she is looking much happier and ready to go with her purse from Grandma! Mima made this cute ACU outfit and there's another one. Stay tuned for pictures of that one after the next game (you'll have to wait until October).