Playing in the Snow!!!!!!!!

If there is one thing that the Vest's always love about winter time in Iowa it is the snow we always get. It makes all of the cold weather worth it. I have memories of getting the four wheeler's out on the farm and playing in the snow for hours and hours. Lora loved to go into Sundown in Dubuque so she could ski. We all love playing in the snow.

Addison's first time putting on the snow suit and playing in the snow was last weekend. She had a great time ridding in her new snow sled. She had lots of fun, until Dad started to pull the sled and she thought I was going a little bit too fast.  Below is a few more pictures of the great time she had.

This picture is of Addison and Mommy throwing snow balls at Daddy.

Addison had to try and pull the sled herself.

This is of Addison trying to make a snow angel like Mommy just did.

Addison then tried her hand shoveling snow. She had a lot of fun helping me clear the driveway. It was very funny watching her move the snow around with her little shovel.

Addison found her taste for the new snow as well.

Miss Addi

I am 21 months old and I wanted to let everyone know what my favorite things are.

I am not sure I have a favorite color yet, I like mixing all of them to make abstract art. Even thought it drives my mom crazy I mix all of the different colors of Playdoh to make fun looking shapes and objects.

I really like gymnastics with my Mommy. We get to do all sorts of fun things, like hang from the bars and put our legs up to make us look like hot dogs or bananas. We also jump on the trampolines, which I don't really jump yet but I love to sprint across them as fast as I can. Sometimes Mommy bounces on the trampoline with me and I really like that. I did get a trampoline for Christmas so that I can practice at home and get better for Chow's. My favorite part of gymnastics is the foam pit, I get to jump off of platforms into the pit and then throw the foam blocks at my friends. They also have a slide that goes into the pit and that is a blast, it would be even better if Mom wouldn't slow me down but I understand why she does.

I am a very talented dancer thanks in part to my Grandpa. Every time I hear music on TV or radio I start to move around and wave my arms. I love to dance in the living room in my Dads arms, it is even better when Mom joins in. My favorite song is "Red Solo Cup" by Toby Kieth. I really get excited when I hear it and won't let my Dad stop playing it once he starts.

My puppies are really nice to me even though I love to torment them. Poor Lexi can't run fast enough most days, I don't understand why she doesn't like me hanging on her all day. Mercedes lets me do whatever I want to her. I can sit on her, hug her, pull her ears, and pull on her jowls. The dogs are very fun for me and I don't know what I would do without them.

Books are fun for me too. I enjoy going to the libraries in the area and we have several books that I love to read. My favorite books involve animals and fun adventures. When I go to bed Mom and Dad read me stories too, it really helps me to go to sleep. Dad is getting better at pronouncing all of those Princesses' names, it is funny when he has make them up and has to remember them throughout the whole thing.

While I am eating breakfast I get to watch Mickey Mouse Club on the Disney channel. I really like Mickey and watching the crazy adventures he and his friends get into everyday. I can't wait until Mom and Dad take me to see Mickey in Florida or California. I also love to watch Curious George during snack time. George is really funny to me and he gets into lots of trouble sometimes. We even got some DVDs of Curious George that I love to watch in the car.

Fatherhood

Well it is a lovely Saturday afternoon at the Vest's, we are watching the beloved Hawkeyes get beat up by Ohio State so I thought I would check in with everyone. It has been a crazy year watching my beautiful daughter grow up. We have seen everything from her first foot steps to the constant NO that keeps being told to all of us.

Addison Riley is truly finding her own personality. She loves to be an artist just like her mother, her main media is crayon and Playdoh but she has dabbled in finger painting and water colors. While she is being the little artist I find myself smiling as she does have a small little engineer inside, she is so curious with how things work and basic mechanics of objects. I really look forward to helping her understand science and how to use her creativity to solve problems.

Addison is starting to learn her letters and numbers quite well for 21 months. We have letters for the bath and Lora and I will call out different letters and Addison will pick them up for us. She will be a very intelligent person. She has also started to blow bubbles in the water as evidenced by the video below.

The other day at work someone asked me what it was like now being a father and I really didn't know how to answer besides it being great. After I thought about it for awhile it really made me realize what living truly is. Every time I look over at my little girl and she gives me the big grin and tilts he head just a little to the side I just melt. It is as if she is telling me she knows she is the most special little girl in the world. It is amazing how a question like that can make you think about the choices you have made and things that almost kept you from the most beautiful thing in the world. It fascinates me to think about the different forks and obstacles that we all have in our lives and how different things could have been had we not taken the turns we did. I am starting to have faith in life and that we will all generally land on our feet. We may be brought to our knees for a short period of time but it is the people we have around us that get us back up. Where was I going with this? Fatherhood, I think Lora and I have had our share of things that have brought us to our knees but the thing I keep coming back to is that I am a Father and that is something that I will ever take for granted. It is the most precious thing in the world and I love it. I only hope that I can show Addison the love that she deserves.

In general i was an excellent year, Lora is doing some great things with photography, as you can all tell from the photos of Addison. Her graphic design is brillilant as always, all the evidence I need is the Christmas card. I received a promotion at work to Project Manager and I am loving the additional responsibility and new challenges that I am facing on a daily basis.