Christmas with Brett's Family

The first weekend in December, we headed up to Fort Smith to celebrate Christmas with Brett's family.  Friday evening we went to Brett's Dad's house to do Christmas over there.  This was Emma Kate's first time meeting her cousins, Taylor and Zach (Brad and Amy's kids).  Grandpa, Adele, and Amanda gave Emma Kate a Leapfrog musical table and a cute hat/headband.  The next day, we celebrated and hung out at Gramma's house (Brett's mom).  Emma Kate liked ripping wrapping paper and trying to eat it.  She got lots of great gifts!  Taylor and Zach were so sweet playing with EK. We had one last stop for the weekend, our annual "Hall-Net Friends Holiday Get Together" at Jamie and Mark's house.  Jamie had a wonderful brunch for all 10 of us.  Great food and even better to see our best friends!  Emma Kate was so great the whole weekend, even the 4 hour drive both ways.  Here are some pics from the weekend.

"Hi Taylor nice to meet you."

Thanks Zach for helping get my things out of my purse.

playing at Grandpa's house

Grandpa Gene watching me play

Thanks Adele & Amanda for my cute hat!

Fun musical table

Her Christmas stocking at Gramma's house

Thanks Brad, Amy, Tay, & Zach for all these books!

Love bows!

Gramma feeding me.

Cousins pic

EK at her first "Best Friends Hoilday Get Together!"

Having fun at Jamie & Mark's house...center of attention!

Her first SNOW!

December 2nd we woke up to snow falling!!  This is not a normal thing in Dallas so we had to snap some pics of Emma Kate with the snow in the background.  Good thing we took the pics first thing in the morning because by noon it had already melted. 

Thanksgiving

Emma Kate's first Thanksgiving was a beautiful day!  We went over to my parents house for their first Thanksgiving in the new house. It was a pretty big group of 18 people this year.  Great food, great family and friends, and especially great baby girl!  We truly have so much to be thankful for!!

Emma Kate & Uncle Steve in "Stanland" (that's what we've nicknamed his area of the house)

Aunt Katie, EK, and Mama

another girls pic

Pretty Aunt Katie & EK!

outfit #2 of the day...playtime

Playing with Pop

Silly Pop put his hat on baby girl. :)

wrapping up the day with her best bud, Nash.

Brett's birthday

Happy 29th birthday to Brett! November 20th Brett entered his last year in his twenties.  Emma Kate & I got him two picture frames (wonder whose pic will go in those?!), Rock Band Wii game, and his favorite cookie cake.
That weekend Brett & I had a date night and went to dinner at Behinna (one of our favorite places).  It was great to go enjoy dinner and celebrate his birthday together! Thanks Aunt Katie for staying home with EK. :)

Emma Kate is sitting up!

When I took Emma Kate to her 6 month checkup Dr. Leon tried to see if she could sit up on her own, not quite.  She tipped over, but said just try putting her in a sitting position and leaning her forward.  Then, her back muscles would start to get stronger and suddenly she would be sitting up on her own.  Guess what??  She was right...about a week later my girl was sitting up by herself.  This is a big milestone around our house!!  New way for playing with toys & now she sits and takes everything in. :)

(sitting up all by herself- 6 months 1 week)

6 month pictures

I wanted to share some of our favs from Emma Kate's 6 month pics.  :)