2012: A good year

Happy New Year!

It was a busy year in the Gillespie house. They started the year off with a trip to Disney World, and never looked back.

• Disney World 2012
• Skiing
• Two redecorated bedrooms:
• Rapunzel
• Cinderella
• Days at the beach
• Swimming Lessons
• Visit from the tooth fairy
• Kindergarten for Laura
• Preschool for Anna
• Ballet for Anna
• Ballet and Tap for Laura
• Anna's 4th Birthday
• Laura's 6th Birthday
• Christmas!

It is fun to watch the girls grow and learn. Laura is a bright, thoughtful, and caring girl who easily makes friends and makes life easier for her teachers. Anna has grown out of toddlerhood and into being a bright, energetic and passionate young lady.Although they share many of the same interests (dance and My Little Pony), they are two very different and unique personalities. Emily and I are lucky to have such great kids and feel very fortunate that they are healthy and happy*.

*Except during family cleanup time. It is not always a happy time. Emily is strongly considering the Uh Oh Bucket.

Anna preparing to make a tasty treat.

Anna being the devil with Joseph and Mary

Anna playing an angel in the Christmas pageant.

Laura as one of the kings in the pageant.

Laura looks like a little Christmas doll all dressed up.

Anna with her favorite present: Band-Aids

Anna showing off her pretty nails.

Two lil Gillespies growing up.

Laura always keeps an eye on Anna's antics.

Two little princesses.

A nice pose for the camera. You'd think they're such sweet angels.

Anna choking Laura.

A glimpse of Christmas

I think Mike will write a more thorough post with some of the Christmas pictures from this year, but here are a couple of my favorite moments (captured on my phone, so please excuse the photo quality).

Christmas morning PJs.  The girls, who usually forego pajamas because they prefer to sleep in a "bare" minimum of clothing, wore their new PJs on Christmas Eve - just in case the Polar Express came by.  Because no one on the Polar Express is without PJs or a robe, you know.

Anna picked this out - all by herself - for Mike. What, you can't see the gift in the picture?  It's the wrapping paper tube (aka a trumpet).  Which, of course, Anna wrapped before giving it to him.  

One of Laura's favorite presents - a bow.  Here she is (dressed as a mermaid) trying to determine the optimal angle for shooting the foam dart at Mike.

The Christmas pageant.  It's hard to see her, but Laura is the king (aka wise person) in the front row on the left, wearing the navy blue robe and crown.  She had two lines, one of which was "Hail newborn King of the Jews!".  Anna, who loves to mimic what Laura is doing, understood the line to be "Hail newborn King of the Jewels!"

Anna also participated, as an angel (4th from the left).  I know, we're still not sure how she got that role either ...

Halloween 2012

The gals had a great Halloween getting lots of candy throughout the neighborhood.

Wonder Woman Anna

My Pumpkin, Laura told me she wanted Goofy

Emily's Happy Pumpkin

Laura's Flower Power Superheroine

For a bonus, here is the girls' Halloween dance performance.

Indian Summer

As the summer winds to a close, we're taking every opportunity to get outside when the weather allows it. 80 degrees, sunny, and calm qualifies as 'allowing it'.

A perfect fall day to see some changing leaves.

Stumps are fun too.

A fallen tree makes a great bridge.

Hmmm, ants in the way. Anna wanted no part of the ants.

Laura gave it a shot though.

Hiking is fun. More fun however, when daddy carries you and you fall asleep. So, that's the last of the pictures.

Anna's a pre-schooler!

Anna had her first day of preschool, and boy was she excited. She has been counting the days and when the day finally arrived, she woke up extra early to be ready. Once her teacher took her away, there was no looking back at Mom & Dad.

Mom & Anna before school.

Daddy and Anna

Excited for her big day.

A couple nervous glances, but they passed quickly.

Back to smiles!

Even a little smirk.

First Day of Kindergarten

Today was Laura's first day of kindergarten. She was very excited, and a little nervous. Afterward, she said her first day was AWESOME (with fist pumps).

Mandi came to visit and see Laura off on her first day.

Fashionable Shoes!

Laura's backpack

Go Laura, Go!

With Cousin Sophie 

Laura waiting for the bus.

Thinking of all the friends she'll make.

Ok, she was a little nervous, but she got over it.

Grand Marais, Part II

Worlds Best Donuts (Allegedly)

Swimming in Lake Superior

Beer Break for Mom & Dad

Laura is a much better artist than I.

Gotta love Wonder Woman (Emily)
"Mom, I think you really are a superhero, because I see it inside of you. You just don't know it yourself." -Laura, who had asked Emily earlier if she might really be a superhero in real life, to which Emily answered that she's not in real life, but she sometimes is in her imagination.

Rock Christmas Tree

Anna Kitty

Laura Monster (Self Drawn)

Grand Marais, MN 2012

Grand Marais, 2012

Lutsen Mountain

Emily desperately trying to keep Anna on the chairlift.

Zoom! Faster mommy!

Anna loved the slide.

I thought this would be a great setting for a sisters picture. They didn't cooperate.

Laura loved the slide too.

Laura enjoyed the view from the gondola.

'We're over the rooftops!'

Laura enjoying a nature walk.

Laura zooming down the chute.