Christmas and Into 2007

Well, hard to believe it is now officially 2007! Nate is approaching 20 months old and is more and more 2 everyday. I really enjoyed my happy-go-lucky, positive child and am said to say he has finally started saying "no" or his version which is "Uh uh" with a hand in your face or a head shake. Before, it was only different versions of "Yeah!" But along with that comes other new words. On Sat. Jan. 6 he finally learned the word "Ma". So, I am no longer "Da." When I picked him up from daycare yesterday, he was pounding on the security screen yelling, "Ma, Ma, Ma" which melted my heart...at least until that is all I hear. He is also running and climbing on everything these days. A true dare devil with no fear!

Our Christmas and New Years were very nice. We spent Christmas at a small cabin on a horse ranch just outside Julian. It was very quiet and peaceful. It was nice to experience a little variation to the San Diego sunny and 70 degree weather. We enjoyed having a fire going in the evenings, and a chill in the air. There was just a touch of snow left over from the weekend before. We stayed Sat. and Sun. Christmas Eve at the cabin, and on Sun. we took a nice drive into Anza Borrego Desert to the campsite where Bob and I used to camp each Christmas Eve, before pregnancy and Nate. Nobody was at our site, so we were able to hike around and take some pictures. Nate developed a love/fear obsession with the horses on the ranch, and the ranch cat with whom he had a slight altercation. Luckily, right after he was clawed and got over the initial shock, he was off on his cat hunt again. It was fun watching him discover what presents are and see and hear his pure enthusiasm with the contents of each package..."Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!" He was spoiled rotten by all those around him. His big gift from Mom and Dad being a new tricycle and a helmet. He can't quite reach the pedals, but it has a parent push bar, and we are enjoying walks around the block on his bike.

We spent a quiet New Years with our friends the Starrs. The kids decided to rebel and wake up in plenty of time to ring in the New Year and beyond. We had an exhausting night and New Year's Day, but it was fun nonetheless.

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and have a great 2007!