Sausage Fest

**Most of this is plagiarized, with permission from Pams blog :)**

Making German Sausage is something my mom remembers doing with her dad's side of the family as long as she can remember. They did it together at her Great Grandparents' house, then her Grandparents', then her parents' (it was one of the things my parents served at their wedding!)and now... Her's! My Aunt Nan and Uncle Tom flew in from CA for this event and it was so fun getting to see them. In order to make it, once you stuff the casings it has to hang/drain in a cold place. Needless to say, they had a ton of sausage hanging in their garage on this January day!! The kids even got to jump in to help package it. It was a nice day hanging out together and we know how excited my grandpa would be if he was here to see it. He was so proud of his heritage!

I had the hardest job of all ;-)

Snapshot of a Decade

To look back on the decade that just closed, I find myself grateful, blessed and a tad bit emotional.
I know that the last half of the decade was heartbreaking for so many American's, and believe me, it was a struggle for us too. But to move onto the next decade with everything that we have, I feel that I am more grateful than anything.
Y2K
We opened a new millenium in New York. We celebrated Y2K, and our new engagement with Meghan and Greg and Kelly and Tom. Which, has been one of my most memorable New Year's celebrations, to date! 10 months later, in October, Conal and I were married. Really, what better way is there to kick off a new millenium?
2001

We purchased our first home, the house in which we still live. We didn't expect to be here longer than five years, but as I mentioned, I am blessed for all that I have, and my home...which is where so many memories have been created, is my comfort.

On our first wedding anniversary, we both attended our first World Series of baseball. They Yankees played the Arizona Diamondbacks. We all know how that turned out, but still, what an incredibly fun experience!

2002

Conal and I took a trip to Hilton Head on our second anniversary to visit his Dad, and then drove through South Carolina up into the NE corner of North Carolina to spend time with his mom. We had an awesome vacation seeing some beautiful parts of the country. Some of my most favorite parts of the country to this day!

This Thanksgiving brought us even more to be thankful for than we could've ever imagined. We announced on Thanksgiving day that we were expecting our first baby!

(see, I can't even type this without getting choked up! silly!)

2003

I'm sure there was more going on to this year than puking and weight gain, but quite honestly, the first 8 months of it, that's all I can remember. Well, until we found out that our 'son' was really a 'daughter'! SURPRISE!It didn't matter though, because on July 31, we welcomed Hayden Catherine..or Hayden Cate, as I affectionately call her these days. With a first baby comes a million 'firsts'. And I've covered all those in her baby book!

Conal turned 30, that can't go without mention!

We also welcomed the birth of our first niece, Morgan Anne and Pam had her first baby boy, Cooper Jay! What a WONDERFUL year filled with baby love!!

Hayden, August 5, 03

Donna, Morgan, Pam, Cooper, Me and Hayden, July, 2004 2004
Early in this year, it was decided that I would babysit Cooper. This is highlight-worthy because this is where I grew this unconditional crazy bond, (or at least I still feel it. I'm sure he was too young!) with Coop! I feel like 2004 was a year that I grew up tremendously, in so many ways.

We also purchased our first 'family car' in 2004. We bought a mid-sized SUV. Holy cow, we're parents!

Hayden celebrated her first birthday, and shortly after than, we took her on her first airplane ride clear across the country, to New York! She met her Aunt Kate for the first time, saw the Statue of Liberty, Times Square, spent a day at a Winery and did A LOT of shopping! We also took a girls, and Cooper trip to Central CA to meet Great Grandpa! She went on quite a few trips after she turned one. We decided worldliness is a great characteristic ;)

First airplane trip..Long Island, NY - August, 04

New York City, August, 2004Great Grandpa, Sept, 04
2005

Our family of three, my parents and Pam's family went to the Caribbean for a Mexican vacation this year. Hayden was not quite two yet, but proved to be quite the traveller. This area is where we honeymooned, so it was really special for us to take our daughter there with us. Even though she had no idea that we love the Mayan Riviera so much!

A couple of months after our trip, on Hayden's Christening day, we announced the expected arrival of baby number two!

Yet again, sickness fogs my brain up until...

Hayden's Christening, August, 2005 2006

Pregnant w/ Tay Jan 06 April 9th at 11:31pm...SHE arrived! What an amazing day of labor and childbirth. If I could re-live those days over and over, I would. They are just AMAZING! I think every single moment of it is so etched into my mind because I knew that was probably going to be my last. So I wanted to savor and capture everything!
What a beautiful baby she was...and just six minutes after birth, things took a turn for crazy. And that's when the story of Taylor's struggles began.

Baby Tay, April 9, 2009

This proved to be one of the most challenging years of my life. Yet it was another year of tremendous growth for me. Plus, I turned 30!

With the overwhelming feeling of heaviness floating over, my father in law swooped in and gifted us a one week getaway to Newport Beach. That's where we found our love of Newport, the girls' first trip to Disneyland, and also really came together as a family of four. For the first time. We focused on fun, love and relaxation, and not all of the negative that we were faced with at home daily.

Hayden started a little community preschool in the Fall and we celebrated our first Holidays with two daughters! We couldn't be more lucky!

A COMPLETE family, April 10, 2006

Disneyland! October, 2006 2007

Taylor's struggles were on the forefront during this year. We had secured therapy services to come into our house several days a week to help her out. With numerous health issues, she was a sickly baby. She wasn't too happy and car rides proved MISERABLE! Enough said!

We also noticed that something seemed not quite right with Hayden. We embarked on an arduous journey...one that we had no idea would lead us where it did. Until Christmas Eve, when she was diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome.

We also found the perfect little preschool for her at St. Tim's. This move proved to be the perfect place for Hayden!

Mom, Pam and I also decided to brave a road trip and take the kids to the beach in Newport for a couple of days. What a great break from the heat that was!

Still, we counted our blessings and were thankful that our daughters have humbled us. Provided us with a sense of humility, education and a love deeper than we ever could've imagined.

September, 2007

Vegas, May, 2007Newport Beach - August, 2007 2008

Taylor turned 2. Which was not so terrible! Hayden turned 5, and we had one heck of a party to celebrate! She started Pre-K, and her Aspergers diagnosis was overturned and labeled Autism.

We enjoyed all things 'festival' with trips to the fair, the zoo, Schnepf Farms, Willcox and another Disneyland trip.

Pre-K, April, 08

Mesa Museum for Youth Circus - July 2008 2009

Taylor has grown leaps and bounds. Okay, maybe not physically, but developmentally! She completed OT and PT and started preschool through the district where she receives her speech therapy! She's not a fan of school.

We lost our dog Chloe :(

Hayden started Kindergarten and has loved every minute of it from day one!

We experienced the passing of my grandpa and a trip to California to be with family for the funeral.

We took the girls to the beach for a long weekend and Mom and I trekked to California with two very excited little girls to experience Disneyland at Christmas-time!

I cannot wait to see what's in store for us in this new decade! The girls will hit double-digits. Hayden will turn 16. I'm sure there will be dating and dances. Agh! I can't get ahead of myself, it sounds overwhelming!

Summer 09

December 4, 2009

Here's to a healthy, happy and successful New Year!

Ringing in 2010

Traditionally, we have a quiet New Year's Eve. I make some type of steak and a feast of King crab legs for Hayden and I. We watch movies and rarely make it till midnight!

This year, Bonnie and Andrew called around 3:00 to see if our ping pong table was set up yet, and if they could come play before the party they were headed to. An unexpected 7 hours of ping pong, errr....beer pong ensued in our garage! So our NYE meal this year consisted of Miller Lite and beef jerky! We saved our 'special' meal for New Years day! We're stingey ;) But we had so much fun...the laughter was never ending!

The kids had a blast singing and dancing in the driveway, running crazy and getting to be loud and obnoxious without getting in trouble. It was New Year's Eve, afterall.

Hayden just barely made it to 10:00, so I put on the East Coast ball drop to celebrate! They left around 10:30, and none of us made it to midnight. Conal passed out as soon as they left and Tay puttered out on me at 11:00.

What a way to send out 2009. Playing, laughing, drinking, reminiscing on the craziness that was the year leaving us and looking forward to all that 2010 will bring.

Happy New Year!

Another Christmas celebration!

Our Christmas celebrations were stretched out this year. It was actually fun! It was nice to have something do look forward to every other day for a few days!

The Winnett family Christmas didn't disappoint. As usual, my mom (and dad) went Cuh-razy on the kids! They all got what they asked for and then some!

We were gifted 'the goods' to get a ping pong table! I must say it was probably the greatest Christmas gift that I can remember in a looooooong time! (from my parents a least! )

We opened presents shortly after we all got settled so that the kids had their new toys to play with all day. I really wish I would've took pictures of my parents driveway/cul de sac...it looked like Santas workshop gone wild! We drug the kids in for a nice prime rib dinner and then let them back out until dark.

We spent the whole day over there, relaxing and enjoying the Holiday. It's proof that it doesn't matter what day you Celebrate, it is what you make it!

The girls in my mom's traditional homemade Christmas dresses.

This year was skirts for my girls and a dress for Paisley.My mom in her ugly Christmas sweater! Love this picture of my parents and all five of their grandkids!

Christmas Day with the Marquette's

On Christmas night, we went to the Cave Creek Marquette's for dinner with them and the Krysnki's. It was a lovely evening. The girls had so much fun playing together, and it was so nice to be relaxed and casual and just enjoy the holiday!

"Santa didn't skip us!!!!"

Holly woke us up early on Christmas morning. I told Conal "shhh, maybe the girls didn't hear her and we can go back to sleep". Fat chance!

We heard their door open and the pitter patter of their little feet across the cold tile. I'm assuming they were standing in front of the tree assessing the goods, as it got really quite for a moment. All of a sudden Taylor's voice starts trembling "Santa didn't skip us, Haynen!"

A collective....Moooooommy, Santa came to our house! And up we were!

I'd have to say that this Christmas, was, by far, the best one yet! Taylor is SO totally three years old. And just loved and reacted to each and every gift. It's so cute and very fun! Hayden still gets embarrassed when showing emotion, however, we did get a few smiles out of her too!

Dear Santa,

Hayden wrote her very first letter to Santa this year! She has drawn him pictures in the past, with a bunch of jumble, but this year, she wrote a letter. It's still pretty jumbly, but she did it with no help, I might add! Her teacher encourages the parents to not correct the kids when they're writing/spelling. They are learning their phonics and her point is that there are plenty of years ahead to perfect spelling. So she sounded the whole thing out.

We love this approach and find it a lot less aggravating for Hayden, if we're not correcting everything she writes. It's really built up her confidence and makes her feel so smart!

Her letter reads:

Der Sainta

I wont a Lfrd (I want a Clifford)

I wot a Borbe (I want a Barbie)

I won Chalr (I want Charlie (Pam's horse))

I wot a Horse

I wot a Pone ( I want a Pony)

I wot a Broht w Doogr (when I asked her what that meant, she couldn't remember!)

I wot a Borbe (I want a Barbie...again!)

I wot Rufdoph ( I want Rudolph)

Heart, Heart, Hayden!

Picture with Santa

This is the closest my girls would get to Santa this year. I've YET to get a picture of Tay with Santa Claus :(

Merry Christmas, 2009!

Holly

On December 23rd, Holly (formerly known as Ellie) came to her new forever home. Even though Conal PROMISED me that we would not get another dog until after Daphne (whose over 14 years old) passes.....Well, we all know Conal can't hold to a promise like that!

We went out to meet this litter of 10 puppies..border collie/queensland heeler/golden retreiver mixes on the 14th, and Conal just mushed over this little runty girl. They were born on November 11th, so they wouldn't be ready until after the first of the year. So we put our claim on her and rattled off names on the way home. Settling on Ellie, we told Hayden we were getting a puppy after New Years. Tay was with us that day so she already knew.

The Wednesday before Christmas we were told to come pick up our puppy early. What a Christmas gift! Potty accidents, crying, wailing, lack of sleep. It was awesome! There is no doubt about it...a puppy is WORSE than a newborn!

Conal and the girls decided that Ellie didn't fit her. After about a day, they decided to call her Holly, in celebration of Christmas. Or at least I think that's why!

I will admit, as reluctant and aggitated as I was to get her, I'm actually liking the littler buggar. She's really sweet and super cute. Although she's quite the biter and she sure poops a lot!

She had her first vet appointment on the 28th and weight 6.9 pounds and seems healthy. Her first vaccinations are under way, and we'll go back every 3 weeks for check ups and the rest of her shots until she's 16 weeks old.