LietzauFamily

I was playing around with our camera and taking short little movie clips.  It works pretty good, but I had to find some video software to edit and create movies that I could share.  After a while, I got it working and I’m glad because it’s pretty cute!  I’m going to have to take more of these “action shots” of Gabe and Lily.

Here is a movie of Gabe on his Ezy Roller.  He got this from Grammy K. for Christmas and has really got the hang of it now.  He zooms around so quick, and doesn’t crash into things that often…

Ezy Roller Movie

This movie is of Lily playing on her play mat.  She really likes to kick the windchimes, and bat at the little parrot.  The super cute kimono sleepsack is from Katie (she always manages to find the most unique and sweetest clothes!) and is one of our favorite bed time outfits for Lily.  Sleep sacks are just so cute!

Playtime Movie

Tell me what you think of these little movies.  Should I make more?  Any suggestions of what you want to see?

Gabe was building a fort (Cranium Fort – one of coolest toys, but they don’t make it anymore).  He was having so much fun, but he wanted company – so he went and found some!

Who is in your fort, Gabe?

View the Fort Adventure photo gallery below to see who joined Gabe in his playtime fun!

Fort Adventure

Gabe finds a friend for his fort adventure!

6 Photos

 

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday.  We had a  crazy-busy one.  Wednesday (23rd) we went to Indiana – we were planning on going down the 26th, but Snowmageddon came to town and the roads were suppose to be terrible Thursday-Sunday, so we left early.  We had good driving conditions until just after the Illinois line but before Portage, when everything go slick and snow was blowing mixed with sleet.

We saw snow blowing up in the median and thought it was a plow truck on the opposite bound lanes, but then realized it was a truck and trailer barrel rolling (side over side) through the median right towards us!  We slow downed carefully (not wanting to start spinning uncontrollably) and thank goodness the truck stopped about 20 feet from us.  Talk about heart pounding.  The truck landed right side up, and didn’t look damaged, so hopefully the person was okay, although pretty shaken up I bet.  A snow plow came up and stopped so I know they were going to help the driver.  So scary!

We made it in one peice, and after that it was a fun whirlwind of party after party – we had short ribs one night, beef tenderloin the next, then ham, then turkeys – with all the trimmings.  So much good food I think I came home 5-10lbs heavier.  Good visits with everyone.  Only thing I really regret is not being able to go and see Angie and Dad’s place (as they both live in the same housing development).  I really wish we could have done that.  Next time.

These are the only pictures I took while in Indiana:

Aren’t they cute?  That’s Elianna – my cousin Travis’ little girl who is 3.  It was nice she was there, because otherwise there isn’t anyone near Gabe’s age in my family.  On Mike’s side there are 5 cousins all pretty near his age, but usually when he goes to Indy – no kids!  Kelly’s little Shelby is just a year old, and that’s all the cousins right now.  Someday there will be more, but he’s going to be so much older then them.  Now I know how Travis must have felt with all his little cousins.

All in all it was a great visit.  The only downside is we all got sick!  Boo!  It was inevitable though – all the people, all the places, all the germs running around.  Poor Lily got her first cold:

Poor thing!  It just breaks your heart when itty bitty ones get sick.  They look so pitiful!  Get better soon (and the rest of us too)!

I want to hear your best Timberwolves howl, and let’s howl at the moon:

That’s the moon at the Target Center where we saw a Timberwolves game.  SO MUCH FUN!  Gabe and Mike had gone earlier as a father/son evening when our neighbors gave us tickets (they had a recital to go to instead, so they gave them to us – how cool are our neighbors?).  They had so much fun, we decided to go again, and when Gabe got a free ticket through school, and reduced tickets for adults, we just had to go!

We had a blast – we had excellent seats (they upgraded us to really good seats for free, even though we already had reduced tickets – such a nice ticket agent).  Gabe loves all the atmosphere and drama.  When the game starts, all the lights go off, and the moon lights up, then everyone starts howling (very neat) and then the announcer introduces the players.  Once the game starts, there is also a howl-o-meter, which comes up whenever the opposing team shoots a free-throw.  So we all howl like mad, I guess to throw them off their shot, but even if we don’t, it’s pretty hilarious.  Gabe gets so into it – I’m surprised his voice isn’t hoarse by the end of the night.

The Timberwolves won too, and they won the last time Gabe went – but have lost pretty much every other game this year.  So if they want to win more – maybe they should give Gabe tickets to the games – he seems to be pretty lucky!  Gabe knows most of the starting players, but at this age, his favorite “person” is Crunch – the mascot.  He got to sit on “Christmas” Crunch’s lap and Mike snapped a picture, but unfortunately it didn’t turn out:

Too bad it’s blurry – it’s a funny photo.  The Timberwolves Dancers would hop out of the photos when little kids posed with Crunch, and hop back in for the adults and teens.  I guess they thought Gabe was big enough because they stayed in his photo – hah!

Such a great night – and thank you to Jacquie and Carol who were nice enough to watch Lily!

Not to leave Gabe out, I took a few pictures of him in a similar get up to Lily’s 2 month photos.  I going to use them to make a little photo montage of Gabe and Lily for Christmas.  This is the best one of Gabe:

He’s such a cute kid!

Lily is now two months old! I took waaaaay too many photos.  I plan on taking photos of her every two months (so 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 months) for her first year wearing a white onsie and on the same quilt.

Lily at 2 Months

Isn’t she a cutie?!?  We all just love her to pieces.  She has become increasingly social in the last two months, smiling at everyone.  She especially lights up when she sees her big brother Gabe.  She just adores to watch him. Of course she really loves her Mama and Daddy too, but it’s different.  Mama means food, and Daddy means cuddles, but Gabe means entertainment!

Lily at 2 months

Pictures of Lily at 2 months of age.

20 Photos

 

Every weekday Lily and I walk Gabe up to the bus stop (corner of Winsdale and Toledo).  It’s been really cold lately (-10 to 5 degrees in the morning), so I’ve been really bundling up Lily – two blankets, one thick flannel, the other super thick and fluffy polar fleece – and tossing her into the sling Kelly borrowed me.

All Bundled Up

On most days, that keeps her nice and toasty.  The -10 day we had to walk Gabe up and run back home – it was way too windy and the chill cut right through.  Some days I have her wear her winter snow suit, when she’s all awake.  But if she’s sleepy, blankets are the way to go, because I can lay her down to sleep in her crib once we get home (that usually the case in the mornings).