It's Over.....

It's really over.....and now what???

Keith and I are getting ready to MOVE!!!!! We've been struggling living so far away from civilization for the past 2 1/2 years. Now.....we're listening to ourselves and we're prepping our Brockport house to sell, and starting to scour the market for a new home. We're a little scared about this new journey, but also confident that it's the right thing to do for our family right now. It'll be a little hairy for a while, and I know this......but in the end.....it'll all be worth it!

Umm......relax? Yeah right!!!!!

Some down time with the Kaminskas/Nonna clan

Nonna! Look at the camera!

Aunt Bre-Bre.....Here's ONE cracker, but don't think I'm giving you any more!

Aunt Chi-Chi is Da Bomb!

The night before my sister Rae (Aunt Chi-Chi.....Avery can't say Rae or Rachel but can say the "CH" sound.....so thus, Aunt Chi-Chi was formed) to return to her home in Georgia, I had my mom and my 2 sisters over for dinner. It was nice to escape the hub-bub of Christmas and have a relaxing dinner and some QT. Nice conversation was had, Avery was chill.......I felt good about the visit and all that my family is. Although my family is a little untraditional in a lot of ways........It is what my daughter will grow up knowing and I hope that my daughter will be able to take away traits from each. My sister Rae is who she is. She is very different from I and I from her. Her integrity lies in her STRENGTH and her quest for true happiness. And not to settle for anything in between. This is so powerful to me. My sister Bre, also very different than I......She can bring calm to a room of hostile pirates :) She is a ray of light. My mom is the sensible voice of reason. She will always be able to see the fact from the fiction, and to guide the confused to the truth.

I am blessed to have these women in my life, and especially blessed that they are my family. I was excited to see my daughter interact with each of them......and I enjoyed getting to spend time with them during the holidays. It made me sad when the holidays were over, knowing that I won't see Rae for quite some time (as she lives so far away) and Bre is in college and my mom works 2 jobs......It's sad that people that you love to spend time with......it's not always that easy. Thanks for a great Christmas y'all!!!!

CHRISTMAS DAY at the SCHUMAN'S

Avery loves her "Grampy" (96 year old Grandpa Joe who plays Santa EVERY year)

Hey Zowie.....Let's crawl through some TUBES!!!!

Aunt Chi-Chi....Get out of the tube! I'm NEXT!!!!

That present is for daddy? You mean, they're not ALL for ME???

Christmas Day is fun. Christmas Day is relaxing. I love Christmas Day. We go to my aunt's house in our PJ's and eat and eat and eat. We do our grab bag exchange and just have a good time. Some highlights this year......Avery and Aunt Chi-Chi climbing in and out of Zowie (the dog's) training tubes. My aunt is training her dog to be a "show dog" and do all those cool stunts and one of the things that she does is crawl through tubes. Well......my daughter now crawls through tubes too. Thanks to Zowie the dog for teaching my daughter a new trick :) Also- the Dominic the Donkey song came on the radio and my daughter danced her little toolie off in my aunt's kitchen. She twirled and whirled and giggled and laughed and thought it was the best song since Elmo's World or the Pooh Song. It made everyone's day! I looked around and saw how happy everyone was because my 16 month old daughter was reminding them how not to take themselves so seriously. Everyone was dancing in the kitchen, not caring what anyone thought.....it was the absolute highlight of my Christmas this year!

All in all, Christmas was fun this year! SOOOO different from last year. SOOOO much more exhausting. I know now what people mean when they say they have a Christmas hangover!

Opening Gifts from Santa on Christmas Morning

ELMO!!! Or as Avery calls him "La La" (La La La La Elmo's World)

The Good Dog Carl Series from Shilo

Puzzles!!!!! Age-Appropriate!!!! JOY!!!!!

Ok.....Now what do I do with all this stuff??

Avery was BRIGHT EYED AND BUSHY TAILED at 6am on Christmas morning!!!! Who-hoo!!! She toddled her way downstairs (with the help of mommy and daddy of course) and proceeded to open up the gifts that Santa had left for her. Here's the lame part. Santa didn't technically wrap the gifts that he gave to Avery this year. Umm....and he didn't technically hide them well either. They were sitting under a sheet in the living room for weeks prior to Christmas. Avery found them a few times, and would run off with a gift that wasn't meant for her to have until Christmas, and then Keith and I would have to give in and let her have it......it wasn't her fault that we weren't creative with the hiding part this year. All in all, she enjoyed the majority of her presents and the ones that she has no interest in this year......well.....they might just find there way under the tree again next year :) Creative recycling I call it!!!!

Christmas Eve Night At Our House

Overstimulated, WHAT????

My Great Aunt Jacki and Cousin Chelsea are hilarious.....but can SOMEONE fix my hair?
Umm....You guys are kind of loud out there. I think I need some QT.

Ok. Ok. There aren't many pics. Why, might you ask? Well. After traveling to Penfield, Keith and I had to drop his grandmother off in Leroy, and then travel back to Brockport to get ready for our 6pm guests. ARGH!!!! By the time we arrived at our house, got the food ready and attempted to calm our overstimulated 16 month old......well.....picture taking wasn't on the top of the list. However.....the traditional food for Christmas Eve night is Ravioli from the Ravioli Shop downtown....and they were amazing. And everything seemed to go off without a hitch and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Avery was in bed by 9-9:30 and did not cause too much trouble. She seemed to find refuge in crawling under the buffet table. I mean, why not crawl under the table?

Christmas Eve With the Karr's and the Thompson's

Amma Chris, Mommy and Avery

Avery, Godfather Uncle Brandon and Cousin Ryan

Avery shares her baby with Great-Grandma Alice

I love my Amma Chris!!!!

Hey.....Is anyone hungry???

This was our first stop of our 2 day CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA! The food and company was out of this world!!!! Amma Chris made homemade chicken soup (a family recipe that has been passed down and that I crave at all sorts of weird times) and a variety of baked goods. Chris is an extremely talented baker/cook and I hope to one day be able to learn some of her famous recipes. Her food can make any event feel like home and this was no exception. Avery received a kitchen set that was not only purchased for her by her Amma Chris and Grandpa Dave, but Grandpa Dave presented it to her, ALL PUT TOGETHER!!!! Which, in turn, was a wonderful gift to Keith and I also :) Avery had a great time eating and playing and eating and playing and.....well....you get the picture. Whenever we are in the presence of Keith's mom, Avery just naturally gravitates to her......Chris definitely has a calming presence with Avery and she just adores her! What a great time! We were all sad to go :(