Disneyland!

As most of you know we took Hannah for the first time to Disneyland a couple of weeks ago! All in all it went great! Hannah was quite the trooper. She LOVED the parades and I'd say her second fav was The tiki tiki room... it probably had something to do with Kev playing the soundtrack in his car for her multiple times. We had some good friends along for the ride and that made it even more special! Here are some pictures from our trip.

The Christmas Tree

When we first got in the park, Hannah saw Pluto and was soooo excited! So we took her up to meet him and as you can see she wanted to get as far away as possible. After that we loved all the characters from afar.

walking into Disneyland for the first time.

Hannah's excited face

Waiting outside Disneyland... almost time to go!

Hannah's first pair of ears. This is the only picture I got where she wasn't crying while wearing them.

Family picture in front of the castle

Hannah and Daddy watching a parade

picture perfect photo op!

Dinner at Downtown Disney's Rainforest Cafe

Last night in Disneyland, on the CA adventure side!

pumpkin patch cont'd

here are a few more pics from the pumpkin patch trip. Hannah loves animals and they had a petting zoo that she thouroughly enjoyed, as well as some pumpkins almost as big as she is!

pumpkin patch train

A few weeks ago Kev, Hannah and I went to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm with some friends of ours. Just my luck, I misplaced our camera and our camcorder! What kind of blogging mother am I anyway?!?
Luckily, Larissa had hers along and sent me a few of the snapshots. They had a little wooden train that Hannah had a blast on! Here are just a few of the pics!

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

I cannot believe it's been a year since Hannah Lynn entered our lives! Everyone tells you how time flies once you have children, but you can't fully comprehend it until you experience it for yourself. This year has truly been a whirlwind. It's flown by in a blur. It's been filled with laughter, milestones, and sadly tradgedy as well. For those of you who don't know, my Uncle was killed in a hiking accident. It was a horrible blow to our entire family, so unexpected and so... well, unfair. He was an amazing man and I looked forward to my children knowing him and his laughter, stories and songs as I had. I miss him terribly but I take comfort in knowing that he is home with our Lord and Savior and we will see each other again some day.

We celebrated Hannah's birthday on the 15th this year, although her actual birthday is the 17th (which was a Monday this year). Kev's Mom Debbie and her husband Roy were able to come out from Florida, which was a blessing as they were able to stay for a little over a week. My brother and his family were also able to come down from Oregon for the occasion. We were so excited to see everyone and celebrate, Hoffmann style! Translation: we had a big BBQ, complete with bounce house and lots of fun. Here are some pictures of the party. I also thought I'd add a few of Hannah's 1 year photos. Hope all is well with everyone. I promise to attempt to be a little more diligent in the blog posting. Attempt being the key word :)

A view of the backyard, ready for the party

The bounce house

The ball pit- an early birthday present from Daddy. The kids loved it!

Had to show you a picture of my ladybug cupcakes, handmade with love!!

Present time!

Hannah oozing cuteness, as usual.

blogging with a broken heart

You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times

And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you

But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry

Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face

If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place

Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways

The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know

But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same

Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face

If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place

Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbyes

And in Christ, there is no end

So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have

To see you again...

To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face

If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place

Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now

Uncle Don~ I love and miss you sooo much. I look forward to the day when we will be together again. Until then... you have my heart.

Love,

Annika

Memorial Day Weekend!

This past weekend my Mom, Hannah and I went on our first road trip. We went down to LA for a graduation. Christina, my best friend since high school, was recieving her Masters degree. We couldn't miss such an important event, so down I-5 we went, girls trip!!! Before we left, Kevin went and got my car all washed up! She looked so nice I thought I'd take a pic and post it here for all to see:)

The graduation was very nice. It was in the evening so we weren't stuck in the sun. Hannah behaved like a perfect little lady. She entertained all those in her general area, but did not get loud or interruptive. Kudos once again to Kev who downloaded a veggie tales video onto my phone. She watched intently during the ceremony and stayed very quiet.

Graduation ceremony. I know you can't see her, but Christina is heading toward the podium to collect her diploma.

Hannah at the graduation.

Christina and I after graduation.

The next day was the graduation party. It was at a nice little park in Seal Beach. It was quite a sunny day but there was a nice wind so you didn't feel the heat so much. Positive side to this, you get to enjoy a beautiful sunny day without feeling like you're burning up! Negative side to this, you burn up without realizing it! Thankfully I thought ahead and lathered my dear baby girl in SPF 50 lotion and dressed her for the occasion.

So while Hannah didn't get burned whatsoever, I got burned to a crisp. Better me than her though, right? Hannah also made some new friends on our trip. After all, who could resist that cute little face?

We had a wonderful trip. Christina. I am so proud of you and all that you've accomplished. Thank you for letting us be a part of your celebration. We love you and can't wait to see what you're going to do next! PhD maybe???

A moment in the lawn

This evening I took Hannah out into the front yard. There was a nice breeze outside and I thought it would be nice to go outside for a little while. I tried to stand her up in the grass but she quickly lifted her feet. It was obvious the grass was too prickly for her tender little feet. So I sat down in the grass with her. Starting on my lap she showed an interest in everything around her. The trees, the cars, the birds, everything! You can just see it in her eyes as she was taking everything in.
In no time at all, Hannah was sitting in the grass in front of me. She was loving it! I turned her around to face me so I could more closely monitor all the things that Hannah was quickly finding to stick in her mouth. It was then that I noticed something. As Hannah continued to explore the world around her, sitting happily in the grass, her right leg was all the way off the ground. No matter what she did, she kept that leg held up out of the grass!!! She didn't seem to pay any attention to it, but diligent she was! The dogs came out and kissed her, almost knocking her over, but did that leg touch the grass??? Absolutely not!!! It was adorable! And so, of course, we were able to document the event with some pictures. Enjoy...

"I'm not so sure about this whole grass thing, Mom..."

Note the pointed toe and the beautiful extension of that lifted leg... a ballerina in training.