Happy New Year!

Well, it's a little late, but Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!!

Everyone here at the Potter home had a very nice Holiday Season. Everyone was spoiled rotten with gifts this year! I guess it's ok once a year! Sari enjoyed her first Christmas. She wasn't really to sure what to do with the presents, but she sure did enjoy eating the paper! We had our own little family Christmas on the 23rd and then headed out to Chris's mom and dad's for Christmas Eve and most of Christmas Day. Then it was back to Brandon for Boxing Day with my mom and dad. It was a very busy few days, but wonderful all the same! The sweetest gift she was given was a rocking chair made by my Grandpa. It is soooo cute! Already Sari loves it! She loves sitting in it and having me rock her back and forth! When I take her out of it she screams a bit and then proceeds to try and climb all over it! It is very cute!

Sari is doing really well. She celebrated her 9 month old birthday on the 30th. I can't believe that my little baby is going to be 1 in just 3 months! Time is going by way to quick. She started to crawl just a week or so into December. Now she is desperately trying to stand. She can stand from pulling herself up on things that are low to the ground, but hasn't quite got to a standing position from pulling herself up on the couch yet. Soon though, she is quite determined. She also has started to wave bye-bye and hello to anybody who will watch! She has become quite the little show-off! As soon as the camera comes out she makes her funny little face, smiles and waves! It is just so sweet! Also, I am pretty sure she has learned and understands the signs 'more' and 'all done'. When she is eating and we ask her if she wants more she claps, and when we ask her if she is all done she waves one little hand. We know that it is supposed to be two, but we think this is how she does it for now. She is so smart! I have included some of the pictures taken over the Christmas season. Enjoy!

Sari opening her first Christmas present from her mom and dad.

Playing with her cousins at Uncle Rick and Aunt Simone's.
Having a bath at Grandma Joan's.

Sari and Ella having a bath together.

Sari posing on Ella's new couch on Christmas morning.

Sari putting on a show while trying out the rocking chair Great Grandpa made her.

Opening presents on Boxing Day.

Bon Jovi RULES!!!!!

Well folks, it was worth every penny, the tickets that is!! Ok, so here's the story. We get there and go through security and when they scanned our tickets a red flag came up. Can you talk about crapping your pants!! Carrie and I just looked at each other with this horrified looks on our faces. It turns out that the row we were in ended up having to have equipment in it so they had to relocate us. We were terrified that it would be worse seats, but no!! They were BETTER!! We ended up being in a row with only 3 seat, which was perfect since there was 3 of us, and it was right next to the part of the stage where Jon Bon Jovi came out!!!!!! I am telling you, he was only about 25 feet away from us. When he came out, Carrie and I just screamed and practically melted to the floor!! He did come up to that part of the stage a few times to sing and Carrie and I are certain that he looked right at us and was singing to only us!! He was so close that I could count the hair on his belly!!! Can you say sexy?!! It was such an amazing concert! I am still dreaming about it and reliving it! Words can't even describe what I good time we all had!! I wish that I had some pictures from the concert to show all of you, but pulling a usual Potter move, we all forgot our cameras! Not smart! I guess we'll just have to make sure his image is burned in our memories. As for Sari, she did well with Uncle Gord. She was in bed before we left and didn't wake up once...lucky guy!

I have enclosed some of the most recent pictures. We did get Sari out for a little sleigh ride before the weather got really cold. She was all bundled up and doesn't look like she's having fun, but she did. She was giggling the whole time...very cute! I also managed to snap a picture of Sari with her arms around Wicket. I was working in the kitchen the other day and came back into the living room to find Sari laying half on top of Wicket with her arms around his neck and cuddling him, it was the cutest thing I had ever seen. Of course when I go to take a picture her little head pops up and has to ham it up for the camera. My little diva!

Sari cuddling Wicket.

Sari got her first tooth brush...you can never start too young!
Sari enjoying her sleigh ride.

Sari telling Santa what she wants for Christmas at the Hydro Christmas party.

Hello Everyone...

Well, it has been a while since our last post, but life here at the Potter home has been rather busy. A 5 day leave from my house ended up turning into a 2 week leave while the kitchen was being prepped for our new kitchen to be installed. Like with most renovations, we ran into some obstacles, but Chris handled them really well and we got through it. Our kitchen was installed last Wednesday and was finished being installed on Friday. Sari and I came back home on Thursday. Thank you to my mom and dad for having us for 2 weeks...we appreciated it so much!

I LOVE my new kitchen!! It is very similar to our last one, but that is ok, I loved that one too. Of course there is painting, back splash, ceiling and trim to be finished, but that is ok, I have a sink and cupboards and that is all that matters! Slowly but surely our house is getting finished. We are more than likely going to take most of December off of working on the house though. We need some quality time as a family enjoying the holidays and our first Christmas with Sari.

Sorry, but there are going to be no pictures posted today. I haven't downloaded any lately. But I am sure that next week there will be lots because we are heading into Winnipeg on Sunday...for the Bon Jovi concert!!!! Yup, that's right folks, I am going to see Bon Jovi!!!! Words can't even describe how excited I am! Thank you to my parents for getting me my ticket for my birthday!! Best birthday week ever!!!!!! Chris, Carrie and I are going to be gracing Bon Jovi with our presence. I think that Carrie and I are more excited than Chris is, but I think that Chris is more excited with how hot and bothered I am going to get at the concert!! (sorry to any of the underage readers we have!) So, look forward to pictures and stories next week!

This and That...

There is a whole lot going on at the Potter house right now...in the way of renovations that is! This past weekend we had the Potter clan out for a very fun and much needed visit. Grandma Joan enjoyed, (at least I think she did) playing with all of her grandchildren for a couple of days. Sari had fun being entertained by her older cousins. Chris, Gord and Grandpa Bill were busy all weekend ripping apart and re-doing the plumbing in the bathroom upstairs. Thankfully our bathroom is still fairly functional. The goal for the bathroom to get done was this coming weekend, but, to our surprise we ended up getting a phone call a couple of days ago saying our kitchen was coming 2 weeks early and would be installed next Thursday!! Yippee!! So, the bathroom is being put on hold, Sari and I are going to stay with my parents for a week, and Chris is going to start ripping apart our kitchen tonight to get it all ready for the new one to come! You have no idea how excited I am!!! The kitchen is my favourite room in the house, so to not only have it look great but be functional as well, is going to make my year!!

Sari is doing good. She has two bottom teeth now. Her fussiness hasn't really stopped, so I am pretty sure there are a whole lot more on the way very soon! She is stubborn just like her father!! :) (ok, maybe a little like me!) And, to top it all off, she doesn't like to cuddle anymore...why do they have to grow up so quick?! Still, she's my little sweetheart and I love her to death! The picture below is Sari sporting her new winter hat that Grandma and Grandpa Crowe brought her back from Calgary! She looks adorable! Oh, by the way, happy belated 1st birthday Ryder!! I can't believe it has been a year since my little nephew was born...does time ever fly! That means that Sari's birthday is right around the corner...AHHHHH!!

Happy Halloween!!!

Well, it was Sari's first Halloween, and what a Halloween it was!! She was our cute little ladybug!! We took her around to most of the family here in Brandon to show her off, but we really only got to a few before she really started to fuss, so, sorry to the people that we missed. That's OK, she was a trooper! She was offered treats, but because she can't have any treats yet, daddy graciously accepted on her behalf! Of course I posted pictures below of our ladybug, so enjoy!

"I love my costume!"

"This is fun!!"
Sari enjoying the thought of having some chips.

Sari with G.G. Lil.

Sari's New Favorite Thing

Sari has a new favorite thing...standing! Of course she needs our help to get up, but once she's up, she doesn't want to come down! I really would prefer her to learn to crawl first, but, I guess if standing makes her happy, then that is what we are going to do! Other than that, not much else is going on. Sari is continuing to teeth, but nothing is popping through. I hate seeing her this uncomfortable. Sari is also becoming quite the stubborn little girl. For example, eating, I made the mistake of adding some apple sauce to some veggie and meat dishes that she doesn't like quite as much, and now she won't eat those foods without apple sauce. So, now I am backtracking and trying to reintroduce foods without the sweet touch! I know, I know, I should never have done it in the first place, but to my defense, I am a new mom and I was just concerned about her eating. Don't worry, I have every intention of correcting my mistake!

Enjoy the pictures below!

"Look at me!!"

"Here I am!"

Our Calgary Trip!

Well folks, we made it to and from Calgary in record time and enjoyed every single minute of it!! Sari was a little trooper and only needed to have a few stops on the way there and way back. We decided that she is a good little traveller so we are definitely going to do more of it! It was great to have Carrie in the car with us, not only for the many laughs that were had, but also for the fact that there was always someone in the back with Sari keeping her company. Thanks Auntie Carrie!!

Our visit with Berk, Christy and Ryder was such a good time! We laughed constantly at the cousins 'playing' together, or should I say staring at each other, Ryder knocking Sari over, and stealing each others toys!! I think by the end of the trip though they had started to enjoy each other and liked having one another to play with. Us adults had a great time too. Berk surprised Chris with tickets to the Flames / Oilers game on Saturday night, which made my husband not just happy, but ecstatic!! That was pretty much all he could talk about the whole weekend!! The night that they were out, Christy and I had a very nice girls night watching girl movies and not having the men in the room groaning at every kiss and romantic gesture! It was great! Of course we hit Ikea and stuffed the car as full as it would get! Christy and I went out and did a little bit of shopping for the kids as well, but that was about it for shopping. I am definitely going to have to get back soon to stuff the car with stuff from the mall!! Sari also had many new introductions while we were there. She met Krista and Cam on Saturday. (I'm sure you all have either met or heard of Chris's friends from high school). They bought Sari the cutest little outfit! I can hardly wait until next summer when she fits it! It was really good to see them again. She also met Nan and Auntie Maureen for the first time. She was a big hit, as usual! We had a short visit with them, not as long as we would have liked, but unfortunately 3 days just doesn't allow any real long visits with anyone. All in all, it was a great trip. Hopefully next time it will be a little longer. Enjoy the pictures below!!

Sari fell asleep while feeding her in the car...how cute!

Ryder and Sari.

Krista loving Sari...who gave her that beer???

I love this picture!

Ryder and Sari enjoying their bath time together...they are going to hate this picture when they are older!!

Nan and Sari.

Ryder and Auntie Sheri.

Ryder showing Sari some affection.

"I've had enough!!"

My little model!

Fall Fun!

We took Sari out on this beautiful fall afternoon, hoping to catch some cute pics in the leaves. We were able to snap a few, but little miss grumpy pants didn't allow us to stay out there for very long. That's ok, we did manage to snap a few keepers.

Sari is doing good as usual. She is teething right now, so it is making her little gums sore, causing her to be grumpy. No teeth have popped through yet, and I am told it may take a few months, so I am preparing myself for some sleepless nights and some hard days. Oh well, I have been pretty spoiled so far, so she is entitled to a few crabby days!

Our house is coming along...slowly! Chris and I went down to Minot yesterday and stocked up on pretty much everything that is needed to renovate our house, plus a little treat for ourselves...a new bar-b-que. I know, I know, we should have stuck to our list, but with the amazing prices down there, we just couldn't pass up the good deal. (see pictures below of Chris's new toy!) Needless to say, we saved a whole ton of money going across the border. To anyone who is doing renovations of any sort, I strongly urge going down to Menard's, nothing up here compares to the prices down there. Yeah for the dollar being so strong!

We are looking forward to heading out to Calgary this coming weekend to visit Berk, Christy and Ryder. I'm sure there will be more pictures to post once we get back. Enjoy the pictures below!!

So cute!!

"I love the leaves!"
Such a big smile!

"Ok, I've had enough now."

"Maybe just a little more leaf crunching."

I don't think those eyes could get any bigger!

Chris and his new toy...I expect bar-b-que every night now!!

A Quick Update!

Well Blogland...our little girl isn't so little anymore. She had her 6 month doctor's appointment today (yes, she is 6 months old already). She has gained 3 lbs and grown 3 inches since her 4 month appointment which brings her to 29 inches tall and 19 lbs 0.5 oz. Yes...she's not a little baby anymore. Now, she's a big baby (like her mother!)

Another Cute Video!!!

This movie making program is fun...especially with such a cute little actress.

The Experiment

Here's a little experiment I tried on the fancy internet machine.

Pictures As Promised!!

Hello everyone! I didn't forget!! Which for me, is a great accomplishment! There are some very cute pictures of Sari coming up. We snapped a few new ones tonight while feeding her dinner...the carrots and cereal managed to make it all the way down her back and onto her diaper. Maybe now you will all understand why I like to feed her naked. She likes to play with her food...what can I say!!


Enjoy!!!!!

Sari trying out her new highchair.

Soooo cute!
Mmmm...carrots.

Mommy and Sari at the wedding.

Sari with all the cousins...she was a big hit!

We're Back Online!!

We are back online loyal readers! We have moved into our new house and after almost 2 weeks of no cable or internet, we are finally hooked up and running! Lot's and lot's has happened since our last post. The Saturday that we moved, which was not this past Saturday but the one before, Sari started to sit up on her own!!! She is sooo strong! I missed it of course, because I was busy moving, but my mom told me all about it. Now she insists on sitting all the time, even in the bath! Also, Sari has started carrots. She wasn't to sure what to think of them at first, but now loves them! I think we are going to try squash or sweet potatoes tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

We were at Dayna and Adam's wedding this past weekend...can anyone say BEAUTIFUL!! Dayna looked amazing, along with Emma and Adam of course! It was a beautiful wedding. Emma looked like a little princess.

We are loving our new house and are so relieved that everything worked out and we only have one house now! However, we are now living in chaos until our renovations are finished. We are really hoping to have the main ones finished by Christmas, but we'll see.

Chris has yet to hook up the camera stuff to the computer, so I can't download any pictures until that happens, so I will post updated pics later tonight...or tomorrow. I promise!

Happy Birthday Me!!!!!

Well Blogland...I am getting old. 28 years old to be exact. But it's worth it because I get presents...and cake and ice cream! My beautiful wife Sheri got me a brand new driver for my birthday (see pics below and drool) and my beautiful little girl Sari got me a free afternoon to go use it in the near future. I think it took some convincing but she got Mommy to let me out for an afternoon, which is very tough right now with the move coming up this weekend.

That's right, we sold our house and the new owner/sucker takes possession on Sept. 14th. So it's going to be (and has been) a hectic couple of weeks trying to get things packed and getting the other house ready for us to move into. So far we have painted the rooms in the basement and put in a small bathroom on the main floor (with plenty more renos where that came from). Sheri has given Sari's new room a makeover and it is going to look amazing when it is all done. Pics of the new place to follow.

Oh yeah....Sari. She is growing like a weed and just keeps getting cuter every day. Grampa Bill and Gramma Joan were in town on Labour Day weekend to help us do some work on the new house/take care of Sari. You can probably figure out which one did what! And Sari's cousin Ryder and his parents, Uncle Berkley and Auntie Christy, were out at the end of August for a few weeks to visit. We didn't get to see too much of them but the visits we did have were a lot of fun. It took a while for Ryder and Sari to become friends but they will recognize each other in October when we go out to Calgary to see them. Grampa Barry and Gramma Brenda are stopping by to visit quite a bit as well. It's always nice to have them here but sometimes Brenda doesn't let anyone else hold Sari! She just loves her too much to let her go.

Oh Mom...our anniversary is August 27th. So you'll remember for next year.

And now (cue music)......PICTURES!!!!

Sari hasn't quite learned how to help Daddy blow out the candles yet.

The Big Dog

A close-up of the Big Dog...all 580 cc's!!

Meeting cousin Ryder for the first time.

"Um...excuse me Ryder. I think that's MY exersaucer!!"

Cousins


Sari Playing Hide-and Seek with Wicket. (I think he found you.)

Mommy's first night away from Sari. Having fun at Krista and Cam's wedding.