Random hilarities around the Groff house

Recently there's been quite a bit more talk of the Groff/Byers wedding as the timeframe approaches and Emily has picked up on it. The other day she stands in the doorway to our office while I'm working on the computer and I hear her say "I got married". When I turn around I see her grinning from ear to ear sporting a very fashionable JoAnn Fabric flyer as her gown. Watch out Vera Wang.....you've got competition.

Girls and their "dolls". It brings a smile to my face when I think of how God created and wired girls different from boys and how it can be seen even as young as 2 years old. Girls just naturally have the desire to nurture and tend to the needs of their "babies". Emily brought her buddy Panda to me and said "Panda pooped. I need to change him." So I retrieved one of Emily's newborn diapers and of course having changed her diaper I don't know how many times she knew exactly what to do. Then it became a game to take the diaper off of one buddy and put it on another.....

.....Pippy the Penguin was next.

Daddy, Emily and Panda bonding on the couch while watching Max and Ruby.

29 months old

Welcome to 2009. Emily has already started our year with lots of laughter and is still quite the little mimicker. We believe in spanking, but we also have times where Emily has to sit on the stairs quietly. I can't remember actually calling it "time-out", but evidently I did at one point because the other day she picked up her M&M beanie baby and proceeded to place it all by itself in her rocking chair and said he was in time-out because he was being mean to Aunt Kristen.

She is also quite the listener and picks up on our words. Yesterday Charlie and I were cleaning up our upstairs hallway and pulled out an old cot that folds in half. The cot was leaning up against Charlie's chest of drawers and made a nice little hiding spot for some golf balls that were also found in the hallway. Emily was entertaining herself by strategically placing the golf balls inside the fold of the cot. At first she was wondering how she might go about getting the golf balls out and then when I unfolded the cot, her wonder changed to excitement because she saw her golf balls. She immediately shouted "oh my golf balls, praise da Lawd, praise da Lawd". Oh how I wish I'd had the video camera on hand.

Still no signs of an interest in potty training. I think that is one of the many aspects of toddlerhood that helps the parent develop the virtue of patience whether you pray for it or not.

Brrrr

New Year's with the Groff's

We had the chance to go to PA for New Year's this year and visit with the entire Groff family. Gimmy and Pappy Groff flew Holly in from Montana as a Christmas gift and Gommy and the whole Mitchell family were there as well. We had lots of laughs, ate lots of food and played lots of games. We even survived a game of SPOONS without any major injuries, although Kristen did get quite a few scratches on her hands.

We're not quite sure if Emily will be a reindeer trainer, a monkey trainer, a princess, a nurse or an actress when she grows up, but one thing is for sure.....she will definitely be a Penn State fan.

Christmas with the Marshall's

This Christmas was a time for quite a few firsts in our family. First year Emily and I made a birthday cake for Jesus, first year to experience Christmas with the Beeter's and the Clay's via web cam and first year experiencing the Festival of Lights at Oglebay.