Ruby in polka dots

I love polka dots! And so anytime I find something polka dot for Ruby I have to get it, especially if it is black and white.

Here she is playing in the backyard one day. So cute!

An easel for Ruby

Alex found this easel for Ruby...and she loves it!





She has also discovered that wiping it is almost as much fun as coloring.

Storytime and a visit to the fountain

A few weeks ago Ruby and I went to Grapevine storytime with Lori, Maddie, Christine and John.






Afterwards we walked around Southlake Town center and visited the fountains which Ruby loves! We picked up some acorns along the way too (one of her new favorite pasttimes).

Cold winter walk around the duck pond

It has been very cold lately! But we had to get out of the house for a bit so we took a short stroll around our neighborhood duck pond. I showed Ruby how she could keep her hands in her pockets so they would stay warm.

Baby free vacation in Florida - KEY WEST

After staying in Miami a few days we drove 3 hours through the Florida Keys to Key West.

We spent a few nights in a neat bed and breakfast near the harbour. It was a great location to explore the town and Duval Street.




One of the highlights was a sunny lunch on the deck of a restaurant that overlooked this beach. It warmed up to the upper 60s that day...which was much more appropriate for this beachy place!



Here is another one of the historic homes in Key West.







On our last day in Key West we went offshore reef fishing with a charter. I caught this Grouper which was so much fun to pull in! Alex got to hold a shark that one of the other people caught.

Overall, a bit chillier than we expected...but a fantastic vacation!

Baby free vacation in Florida - MIAMI

My parents were kind enough to watch Ruby for a week so Alex and I could enjoy a baby free vacation. We've been away from Ruby from one night, but this was an entire WEEK!

We had such a nice time exploring Miami and the Florida keys.

Normally this part of Florida is around 75 degrees during the day, but it was pretty cold (50s and 60s). We were bundled up in layers and instead of drinking margaritas, we felt like grabbing a coffee!

Anyways, we stayed in South Beach for part of the time and walked around the Art Deco district near the beach. Very colorful I loved seeing the European style sidewalk cafes.

We enjoyed a nice sushi lunch in an outdoor cafe, and a cuban meal with live music. We even went to see a movie one night which is a very rare occasion with a toddler!

Merry Christmas 2010!

Christmas morning we swapped packages with my family! Ruby got all kinds of neat treasures including a bright red beep beep which she loves! Preston and Camlin brought back many fun gifts from their travels around Asia.

Ruby was just too cute in her Santa hat!


She got lots of cuddles from Preston and Camlin.






Ruby enjoying one of her new Christmas books with mama.









My mom made the house so warm and cozy. Everything was beautifully decorated (including many sparkly ribboned packages) and she made a delicious Christmas lunch for all of us to enjoy! Thank you mom.

It was so nice having all of us Goodell children back together for the holidays. Good to see you and catch up!Thanks to everyone for our gifts!

Merry Christmas!