{2013 video}

2013 from Allison Gottlieb on Vimeo.

ok...I know...it's over 15 minutes. But I just couldn't help it. These pictures...are all my favorites. It's so dang cold outside....what else do you have to do? Enjoy!

{december 2013}

I think the last time I did a monthly "dump" of photos was August. And now that it's January...I figure no one wants to see the first day of school anymore....so here's a look at our December 2013.

It took FOREVER to get our house decorated for Christmas this year. Since Thanksgiving was much later this year, as well as a packed December....decorating kinda took a backseat. But we did it - thanks to my cute helpers, who I think really wanted to just go up and down on the ladder more than anything.

Emily and Paige coming home from school.

Fifth Grade Holiday Concert. Can you find Emily? Right hand side, second row...she's looking up. That's seriously the best picture I have of her...and I was sitting in the front row.

After the concert....

Eric and I had a nite out with his co-workers.

It snowed.

Santa came to Ojibwa Elementary!

Someone is a little bit skeptical...

Look! There's ME!

Emily had a very small birthday party this year - just a couple of her good friends that came over for cookie decorating, pizza, brownie sundaes and "sleeping".

Crazy girls.

Thanks Miley Cyrus.

We made the office into one big BEDroom. We used our inflatable bed and our futon and all six of them were able to "sleep" side by side. Let's just say I had to tell them at 2am that they needed to maybe think about whispering since they were still kinda shouting at each other....this was taken around midnight.

This was at 8am the next morning. And they are really sleeping here.

Deflating is way more fun then inflating.

 Going to Christmas Eve at my sister's house, and then onto my Aunt and Uncle's house.

 Yep...again...thanks Miley Cyrus...

 Santa made a stop at my Aunt and Uncle's house....

Emily told me later that she "knew" it was Matt. I told her to go and ask him if he was Santa. She said, "No Mom. I don't want him to know that I know. It may make him sad." :)

A little Left, Right, Center to end the evening...quite a serious game...

 Ryan ended up winning this year. He's right next to me, so he's not in the picture.

 This kid. He's so funny. He piled a bunch of pillows on my Mom while we were playing scattergories in the next room. We had no idea that she was under all the pillows until we stated putting them away. He then tried to lick me instead of kiss me...dang Miley Cyrus.

These girls kept busy all night. They could barely stand still long enough for me to take a picture.

Eric's bounty from the dirty Santa gift exchange. The guitar...not Paige.

The girls making their last minute Christmas wishes....

It must have worked...they were so EXCITED to get their coveted American Girl dolls. Emily for Emily and Saige for Paige. A very good Christmas!!

We decorated Gingerbread houses after Christmas....better late than never right?

Happy 2014!!

{Emily at 11}

Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a Mom. I had no idea how much I wanted it until a year after I got married.  Getting pregnant took over a year - a lot of negative pregnancy tests, a lot of tears, a lot of prayers and a lot of wondering why I could not have this one thing that I wanted most of all.

My prayers were answered one very early morning in March of 2002. One final home pregnancy test before Eric and I began a battery of infertility tests and treatments. I could not believe my eyes when that second line showed up. One tiny little line...and my life changed FOREVER.

Emily Jean Gottlieb was born ELEVEN years ago today. After a very long labor, and then a c-section, she screamed her way into the world.

Emily is an amazing person. She is funny. She is always smiling. She is so bright and shiny, that you can't help but be in a good mood when she's around. I am truly amazed by her every single day. To say that I am lucky to have such a great kid, would be an understatement. Whenever things are not going great in my life, I just think back to that morning when I found out I was pregnant, and how LUCKY I am that this kid, my Emily Jean, showed up nine months later...and I can't help but smile. She makes me want to be a better person.

One thing we have in common - our affinity for rules. Neither of us like to get into trouble, neither of us likes to break any sort of rule. If that sign says, "Don't Enter Here", we don't. I'm sure Paige and Eric - our resident rule breakers - think we're nuts, but that's okay. Our rule loving selves are just fine with that.

Emily always has her nose in a book. She loves to read. A lot of nights, I have to remind her to close her book and go to bed. I remember my Mom doing the same thing to me when I was her age. She loves mystery books, historical fiction and is now getting into the Harry Potter series (after MUCH nudging from me - she's also afraid to try new things).

One of her very best qualities - she is the BEST Big Sister. I have talked about this many times before, but it bears repeating. She and Paige have an amazing bond. They don't always get along, they definitely have their moments...but I know they love each other fiercely and I know they will for the rest of their lives.

How is she like her Dad? That's easy - she is, other than her dad, the most inquisitive person I know. Period. Always has been since she could talk. Our car rides home from day care when she was three were full of questions. "How do you spell bus?", "Why is it raining?", "Where does my teacher sleep"......and that has not changed a bit in all these years. One of her most favorite books...her National Geographic Almanac. A book full of facts.

Emily has never really cared about her wardrobe. I buy her clothes and she's just fine with that. She definitely has her favorites though. I think she has about ten Owl shirts. And she LOVES to wear her PJs.

She also loves school. She loves it so much she has decided there's nothing else she wants to be other than a teacher. She and Paige are constantly playing school at home. I think this goes hand in hand with her love of knowledge. Her favorite subject? This year, I think it's math...but that changes regularly. Last year, I offered her a day off of school for no reason other than to just have a day off...and the thought of missing school for no good reason....she was horrified. Needless to say, she didn't stay home that day. :)

My baby is getting to be a tiny adult - but not so tiny. She is at the top end of clothes for kids. Her face is starting to resemble that of an almost teenager. She has decided that she now cares if she has food on her face, and is asking if it's okay to wear a little make-up. What?? 

I loved her when she was a baby, thought she was a great little kid, a fantastic big kid...and I know that she's going to be an awesome almost teenager. It's been an amazing ELEVEN years my Emily Jean. I love you so very much. Hope you have a great birthday, and another FANTASTIC year!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY!!

Love, 

Mom