Eliza Visits Santa

This is a late post, but I wanted to share this adorable photo of Eliza with Santa. It was taken at Yankee Candle here in Williamsburg, and she was so excited! This was the first year that she really got into Christmas and, although she doesn't entirely understand who Santa is, she understood that he was someone special and worth getting excited over. She kept saying throughout the Christmas season "Santa Santa Ho Ho Ho!", and ran up to him every chance she got. We cannot wait to see how she reacts next year.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

The Norfolk Botanical Gardens had a fairytale village set up for kids, so we decided to make a day of it. There were about 15 little houses scattered about, from many storybook favorites. Alice in Wonderland, the crooked man, the old woman who lived in a shoe, and old McDonald just to name a few. Eliza's favorite was old McDonald's house, were we found tire swings made to look like horses and several slides.

Summer California Trip

We had a wonderful visit to California this summer. It was Eliza's second time flying, and she did great! We were able to catch up with many relatives, and took several mini vacations along the way. We made our way up the California coast to Fort Bragg and Mendocino, where Eliza got to see the ocean for the first time! (We found it humorous that she saw the Pacific ocean before the Atlantic.) We were accompanied by my (Heather) mom, brother Adam, and Kristin. It was a quick trip there, but we got a lot of site seeing in, and some good eats. We then made our way to Chico for a couple of days and stayed with Adam and Kristin. We had a lovely picnic, and found an amazing park for Eliza to play. We then made our way back to Live Oak for a couple of days, to visit with my mom, cousins, and our Great Aunt Dorothy. Flying back home through San Francisco gave us the opportunity to visit with David's Aunt Greta, and her husband Richard. It was their first time meeting Eliza, and we had a wonderful evening and night with them, full of conversation and many laughs. It was a great trip with many photos and memories.

Eliza's Baptism

Eliza Adalaide Gardner was Baptized May 5th, on family property in Williamsburg, Virginia, by Rev. Dr. John Turner. It was a beautiful, private ceremony in the woods, on a cool morning near Colonial Williamsburg. I (Heather), was also baptized immediately following Eliza's. It was such a wonderful experience to share with my daughter, and one we won't forget.

Easter

We had such a wonderful family Easter this year. This was Eliza's first year to go Easter egg hunting, and she took right to it. Friday, we took her to a public egg hunt near David's school, and she had a blast running about collecting plastic eggs. On Sunday, we started the morning with an Easter basket for Eliza, and later a walk in the historic area. In the evening we had a lovely dinner at David's mothers house, with a delicious goose and all the trimmings, and Eliza enjoyed a second Easter egg hunt. This time with eggs full of goodies! It was such a beautiful day, and brought back many memories of our childhoods.

On the Cover of Mom & Me

Eliza made the cover of the Hampton roads Mom & Me magazine this month. It was such a surprise! I just happened to see a copy thinking it looked interesting, and upon second glance realized it was Eliza. The photo leads to an article about the Music Together class she has been enrolled in since fall. She has such an amazing time there where she gets to play instruments, learn songs, and interact with other children. We look forward to many more classes!

http://www.musictogetherwithjocelyn.com/

A Trip to the Zoo

We took a trip to the Virginia Zoo this past weekend, and Eliza got so much more out of it this time. She really noticed ALL the animals, and enjoyed waving at each of them. Her favorite animal still seems to be the spider monkeys, who kept dancing right in front of her, with a close second being the BIG kitty kitties (the lions). They will soon be adding some great new exhibits, including an orangutan habitat. One of the employees explained that it will include a big button on the orangutan's side, that when pushed will spray all those watching with water! We had such a great day and look forward to making a trip to the National Zoo very soon.