Xia is Hiding...

In her toy basket on Wed 12/16/09. And who are her friends peeking out?...

Cute Xia & Isa

Just an irresistible shot of us early in the morning on Tuesday 12/14/09...

Let's Make Christmas Cookies

nnnnnnn - Isa here - the n's you see to your left are my first attempt at typing. I'm sitting here on Mommy's lap as she updates the blog you see...

Anyway, on Saturday 12/12/09, Xia and Mommy continued the Christmas tradition started last year by baking Peanut Blossoms. Everyone loved them last year, so they decided to go for it again. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to help them out next year. I had to watch them from my exersaucer this year.

Mommy cracks the messy eggs (Xia isn't quite ready for that):

Xia stirs...

Then they do the cheesy pose:

I, being stuck in my exersaucer, get teased by a water bottle...



After all of the fun, here's the end result...

Xia is Thirty Five Months Old

That's right, I hit the thirty five month mark on Saturday 12/5/09. Here's a pic of me on Saturday 12/12/09 (we were a bit late with the shot). Can you tell I'm outgrowing all of clothes?!!

Hi Fidelity Xia

Xia here. I sure enjoyed listening to music in Daddy's headphones on Friday 12/11/09!

To Nap or Not to Nap

That is the question! Xia here. Lately, I haven't been much for napping. However, when I skip a nap, sometimes I just fall asleep anywhere. In a bed, on a couch, or on the floor. So I'm at that age where napping subsides, but some days I'm just not ready...

Here I am on Tuesday 12/8/09, having crawled into Mommy and Daddy's bed after breakfast...

And here I am on Thursday 12/10/09 - I fell asleep right in the middle of playing in the playroom...

Merry Christmas 2009!

We, the Zimmermans, would like to wish each and every one of you a very Merry Christmas!! We pray that God blesses all of you during this joyous time of year and throughout the next year and well, ALWAYS!!!

And now, for something fun, check out the best holiday newsletter ever that we made with the Merry Newsinator from Plaid! You can too. Share with friends and spread love like salt on an icy sidewalk. This is best described as Mad Libs for Newsletters!

Maggie Moo Trumps Santa

On Sunday 12/6/09, we went to Manheim Township's Christmas Open House at the Stauffer Mansion. Santa Claus was there! We were hoping Xia would want to sit on Santa's lap this year, but she's still not interested, and we're not about to push it. However, in the next room was Maggie Moo and Xia LOVED her. Before we left she even worked up enough nerve to give her a big hug!! Now I ask you, which looks scarier to you? A jolly Santa Claus who had a real beard and everything or Maggie Moo??

The Performer (aka Xia) Strikes Again

Xia the performer here. I hope you enjoy this rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" sung into my toy microphone. Note one must always wear mittens when doing this type of performance. (Looks like Isa is bored to death with the show...)

The Artisan Fair

Our church had an Artisan Fair on Saturday and Sunday 12/5/09 and 12/6/09. It was an opportunity for people to sell their wares for Christmas. Daddy decided to set up a table for his Digital Audio Restoration Services. If you ever need old records, tapes, wire recordings put onto CD, he's your man! Here are some photos of the days:

Xia is standing with Daddy behind his display:

Close up of the brochure:

Close up of the display - very impressive!

Enjoying treats with Isa's God Family:

The awesome Mother's Group dessert display:

God Sister Maryam holds Isa while Gianna looks on...

We were all pretty pooped after a very productive weekend!

Isa is Eight Months Old!

Yes, I know, "Look at all that hair!". I hear that everywhere I go. I turned 8 months old on Monday 11/30/09. I'm almost crawling these days and am very vocal and interactive. I love to imitate hand motions and sounds. I'm eating three meals a day now too with my formula. Mommy is still nursing me as much as she can too.

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

We had a nice Thanksgiving at Grandma's house in western PA. Here's Xia and Daddy on Thanksgiving morning, Thursday 11/26/09 (do we REALLY have to get up and take that LONG drive?) Like father, like daughter, eh?:

We saw a very funny gag in the trunk of a car on the trip. Sure made us look twice!:

We made it to Grandma's and walked in to the wonderful smells of Thanksgiving cooking! Aunt Paula came too and we all enjoyed the evening.

On Friday 11/27/09 we had fun hanging out at Grandma's. Here's Isa being bounced on an air bed...



And Xia and Isa enjoying a funny card that cousins Kira and Marlon had given to Grandma awhile ago...





We also got to visit great Aunt Patti who was recovering from open heart surgery. She was doing very well and now she's home (that's great news!).

Sadly, we had to pack up and head home on Sunday 11/29/09. Here's a nice shot of Grandma with Isa...

Isa Eats Carrots for the First Time

On Monday 11/23/09 I tried carrots for the first time. Hmmm, I gagged at first, but then I caught on a bit. Now I really do like them. Mommy was trying to get Xia to remember her sign language, but it was a FAIL for sure. She does remember, but didn't quite get what Mommy was trying to do...

Gianna Turns 4!!

Isa here. We had a great time on Sunday 11/22/09 celebrating my God sister, Gianna's, 4th birthday! Before the presents and cake got going, Daddy had some fun with me clapping hands and playing "Hooray". Hooray is a great game I do all of the time now. Just say it and put your hands up in the air and I'll do it with you. And when I'm done, I'll clap my hands...





Here's a nice close up of me...

Here's Gianna opening some LEGOs she received as Isaac looks on with envy...:

Brian and Vivi joined in on the fun:

Gianna did great blowing out the candles on her Dora cake:

And my AMAZING Godmother, Heather, MADE this cake from scratch - WOWZA!!

Oooooh, Woolly Bear Caterpillar....

Xia here - Mommy brought home a Wooly Bear Caterpillar on her lunch break on Thursday 11/19/09. She actually found it in the warehouse area where she works. It was probably trying to stay warm. I had never seen one before. How cute!! Mommy has always loved these and used to keep them in shoeboxes and feed them grass when she was a kid. Daddy convinced her to leave the poor thing outside, but we kept it inside for a little bit so I could hold it...

Fun times with a Hat

Xia here again. I really love to sing and dance. Throw a hat into the mix and I just gotta perform. These videos are from Monday 11/16/09...





Thanks to my 2nd cousins Emily and Natalie Smith for passing this hat on to me :-)

These Boots Were Made for Walkin?

Hi, Xia here. Mommy wore her really cool boots (at least I think they're cool) on Monday 11/9/09. When she was home for lunch, I decided to try them out for myself. What!?? They fit perfectly, right?

I think I walk in these pretty well, don't you?

Xia is Thirty Four Months Old

That's right, I'm making my way to 3 years old - you better watch out! I turned 34 months old on 11/5/09. Things as they are (as in everything is running behind), this shot was taken 11/8/09.

Susquehannock Park 2009

The Zimmerman Family tradition continues. Our yearly trip to this great park every fall. This year it was a little later on Sunday 11/8/09. See 2006, 2007 and 2008 too.

Daddy and Xia enjoying a good swing:



A nice family shot (future Christmas card?...):

Aunt Joanne holds Isa:

And so does cousin Stephanie:

We were lucky to have such a warm, sunny November day!

Xia enjoys the Leaves

Xia here. Mommy and I had a lot of fun piling up leaves and playing in them on Saturday 11/7/09:

Early November...

Some pics of Xia and Isa taken Thursday 11/5/09:


A movie of Isa squealing and then Xia joins in (sorry so dark):

Sunday with Fu Manchu

Xia again. On Sunday 11/1/09 we got an extra hour to sleep in. Yeah! First I modeled a ring with lips on it that I won at the All Saints party. I call them my MMMMs:

Then I enjoyed some great music from Fu Manchu:

Is that Isa?

This is wrong on so many levels and yet, so hilarious. Isa is wearing a child size pair of funny nose glasses that Xia won at the All Saints Party. Poor little thing...

All Saints Day 2009

Xia here. We had another great evening celebrating All Saints Day with our church family. You can see how fun it was last year. This year I was St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. I gotta give Mommy credit for throwing the costume together. She took a Burger King crown and turned it into my shiny foily crown:

Waiting to process:

Maryam in her Saint Costume (sorry, Mommy can't remember who she was... but she was so impressed by how Maryam's Daddy got the host to float):

Heather, Isa, Isaac and Gianna:

And here I am having a ton of fun at the cake walk game:





Lots of fun celebrating a lot of wonderful saints that have set such inspiring examples for us all.

Isa is Seven Months Old

I turned seven months old on Friday 10/30/09! I'm up to two servings of cereal a day now with fruit at one meal and veggies at another. So far so good. And of course, I'm still growing!

Halloween 2009

It's me again, Xia. We had a great time trick or treating on Friday 10/30/09. I decided to be a cheerleader again. Isa wore the pumpkin outfit I wore my first Halloween. We had great weather and made it all around the neighborhood.

Here's Isa, Daddy and me before we left:

Here I am:

Here's Daddy and Me looking at all the goods. Note the hole in my stocking on my right knee? I took quite a spill on the road for my first batch of skinned up knees. Didn't stop me though!

And here's Isa trying to get in on the action:

Lastly, a movie of me enjoying a Whopper:



Hope you all had a Happy Halloween too!

Isa Petting Herbie

Oh, I just love Herbie. I was showing him the love on Thursday 10/29/09 by giving him some much needed petting:

Xia and Her Friends

I have SO MANY friends. That's what I like to call all of my stuffed animals. I especially like to give them rides in Mommy's shoes. Here I am on Sunday 10/25/09 doing just that:

Millersville University Homecoming 2009

Mommy here. I am proud to be a grad of Millersville University (1991). However, in all my years living right here near the university, I never attended a homecoming. This year, I saw it advertised in the papers for Saturday 10/24/09 and decided to give it a try. Turns out they have had a big parade the last few years and this year they also added a Fall Fest full of activities for families. It was so nice to be back on campus. I really enjoyed my 4 years there.

The parade was great. At the very end of it was an honest to goodness Calliope - how cool!



Xia had fun at the petting zoo:

Then Xia got her face painted. A cute pumpkin for a cute little pumkin!!



The Millersville Mascots - the Marauder on the left and Scully:

Xia gets her day as a Marauder:

Ah, the memories. Never in my days at MU did I think I'd be standing next to the pond with an almost 3 year old and a 7 month old strapped onto me with my husband taking my picture. Wow, a lot can happen in 17 years!

The swans are still there (though they get new ones every couple of years). Miller and Sville:

Isa being her adorable self:

Then we headed to Brooks Gym to hear Stephen Courtney and his Band of Friends:



What a great time. Thanks MU!!