Goodbye 2011

"Happy Newworld" as Addie puts it.

Our little girl is 2 today

"It's my birthday!"

An ornament card

~ Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Kunkels ~

Our Christmas Tree

The Helena Boy Scouts helped us meet our Christmas tree budget this year....they sold us this tree for $5. Saaaaweet. Note: Adeline is taking pictures of the tree too!

Two Christmases for our little one.

A Charlie Brown tree....it even came with a tag that says it!

My girl

Soooo stinkin' cute! I was setting up a backdrop for a small photo shoot in my living room last week and was using Adeline for my light tests and she pulls out this smile! This kid is too cute!

Thankfully thankful

I find it hard to imagine my life without Addie.

She is such an amazing little girl, I know JD feels the same way. We are SO thankful to be parents. We are also thankful to have such a great support system in our family and friends.

I could go on more and ramble about what all I'm thankful for but I will just keep it short.

I'm thankful for my husband JD, our daughter Adeline and all of our family and friends. But on this Thanksgiving Day I am most importantly thankful for God's love and my relationship with Jesus Christ.

A good time for baking

I had a very helpful helper in the kitchen recently. Addie looooved playing with the flour, sugar and cinnamon. And especially licking the butter spoon.

Easy mini apple pies.

Ready for snow

Photos taken six days apart in our front yard. This girl loves her snow.

E, I, J

Adeline is at the age where she gets one vitamin each day. It's a chewy, sugary, yummy treat that she LOVES. When it's time for her vitamin she gets very serious and holds up both pointer fingers and says "ooooonnnneeee" in a deep voice. Letting us know, that she knows, she can in fact only have ONE vitamin. (She would probably eat the whole jar if she could.)

The other day she forgot that she had her vitamin in the morning and after her nap she announced that she needed her vitamin. Dancing around she held up her pointer fingers and said "ooooonnneeee" in her usual deep voice. But when that didn't work she then proceeded to whine and whine. Followed by "one, two, four, six MOMMA, one, two, four, six DADA" Oh the drama. She then belts out "...E...I...J...MOMMA...E...I...J....MOMMA" How do you not giggle at this?!

After the bath

Happy Halloween

Our little spiders nest.

A family of spiders!


LOVE this photo Kim Helselth took of us.

She was very serious about pumpkin carving.

And I just LOVE these shots Jessi Benion snapped of Addie and I. Not too often do I get this many photos of me from one event! Sounds silly but true.

A runaway trick-or-treater.

Life with Ziggy

Adeline has been gone for a couple days taking her second away-trip with grandparents. This time she is in Missoula with my parents. So in her absence....its been all about our kitties. Mainly Ziggy.

He even brought JD and I a little present...right to the doorstep. Good kitty.

Hot dogs and purses

Sounds silly...but sometimes the stories she tells are true! Earlier this month while visiting her Grandma Cathy in Wyoming they went to a volleyball game. They picked up some concessions and the darndest, funniest thing happened. Addie was holding a hot dog and the hot dog fell off the bun -- and into a small purse she was holding. This happened weeks ago. And just like in the video, she tells the story with hand gestures and all. So funny. Next time you see Addie, ask her about the hot dog and the purse, she'll be sure to tell you.

Griz Homecoming

Earlier this month we traveled over to Missoula for the University of Montana Homecoming parade. We had a blast. In addition to going with my parents and grandma we also met up with some good family friends. Pictured above is my Addie, right, with my friend Dianne's Addie, left. We didn't plan on them having matching outfits that day....or matching nicknames either. She is Addison and mine is Adeline, they are about 9 months apart. Cute cute girls.

Addie and her Great-granny.

The Griz tattoo on her hand has become a given on football Saturdays.

Watching the parade with Grandpa Jim and Grandma Cheryl.

Yay! Go Griz! Jennifer, Dianne, Addie, Teauge and Faith. Oh and us too.

She loved. loved. loved. the marching bands.

The perfect date: a football game in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Fall Farmer's Market

A beautiful morning for Farmer's Market.

Today's haul....I'm most excited about the spaghetti squash.

Book fort

Reading Halloween and Fall books under her table fort.

Boo!

Going out to the sun room to get more books...

Thank you technology

We were delighted to be able to video chat with Adeline last night. What did parents do before Skype when they were away from their kids?! It was so nice to see her, hear her and ... watch her brush her teeth.

Yesterday's goodbye

Images from yesterday's goodbye at the Big Timber gas station near the interstate. We had lunch, ran around the parking lot, then handed her off to Grandpa Kunkel.

This weekend marks Adeline's first weekend away from both JD and I. She is staying in Greybull, Wyo with grandma and grandpa while JD and I enjoy a quiet house in Helena. Addie also got a special visit from her Aunt Tephie today. I can't wait to hear about all their adventures and see the cute photos. I'm enjoying my personal time away from her but....I already miss you SO MUCH Addie!

Harvest Party

Last Saturday my parents hosted their annual Harvest Party in Missoula. Great fun, good food and awesome company. The kids got to pick there own peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, PUMPKINS, potatoes and apples. Face painting, giant bubbles, campfire hot dogs...and so much more.

What we did this afternoon

Teepee hands

I just love Adeline's determination as she crosses the irragation pipe while on her way to her teepee!

During this past weekend's trip to Greybull, Grandpa John traced and painted Addie's hands on the door of her teepee. The green hands were from July of last year.

Fully equipped

Truly her favorite things right now: toy camera, non-functioning cell phone, pacifier, sunglasses and a clippy. And like good parents...we had them on hand for her immunizations today.

What does the Grizzly Bear say?

Adeline gets a close look at a Grizzly Bear during a summer visit to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls.

Starting the chore list early

Vacuuming with mama.