Some pictures and updates

Taya playing with lipstick
Miss Smiley

Notice the static? With all the snow came some very dry air...

"I don't know about you, but my mom and dad think I'm the cutest" :)

This was our first attempt at a pony on New Years Eve. Her hair has grown a lot since then and we can now get a very substantial ponytail!

A late Christmas pic. Taya got both a calculator and an apron from Aunt Emlyn.

Hi all! Christmas, the new year, and now January has passed us by here at the Mann's. We celebrated Christmas at home just the 3 of us (and Nima) because of the blizzard we had here. We enjoyed some down time and hosted the Mann side, all 3 aunts (Emlyn, Elysia, and Erin) and Omi and Papa on the 27th (of December). We had a nice time and Pizza Hut for our dinner :).

Since then we have some news. Ethan visited and interviewed at Ohio State University in Columbus and has accepted an offer to complete his post-doc there. We will be moving sometime late spring or early summer, mostly depending on when I get a job. We have our house listed in hopes of getting a new home buyer wanting to utilize the $8000 tax credit. Anyhoo, we've had one set of lookers who came for a second look but no offer yet. We just put it on the market Monday so I'd say we're doing good!

Taya is our little wonder. It is so FUN to have a toddler. She does the cutest things and is really starting to talk so we can understand her. When any sport is on tv, she says "touchdown". She likes to pick out her gocks (socks) and tries to put them on herself. Her favorite song is "Hillbilly Bone" by Trace Adkins and Blake Shelton. She says "bone, bone, bone". She also loves to sing and dance and learns all kinds of songs at daycare. She does "Patty Cake" on demand, "Itsy-bitsy Spider", and "If You're Happy and You Know It" (she likes to stomp). Today the children's choir sang at church so Taya was singing, clapping, and shimmying during all the hymns. She is getting hard to contain during mass! And finally, to totally melt our hearts, today she said 'I love you' for the first time. Ethan heard it first but he's also been working really hard on it!

Anyway, that's all from our little world as of now.

God Bless!

A wedding...

Hi all...
I think Ethan meant to post these the other day. Just a few pictures from the weekend before Christmas. We travelled to Ogallala for my mom's wedding to Jarv. We had a blast with the family (minus a few people, but most everyone).
More Christmas pictures to come :).

Mom and Jarv at the Golden Spike museum in North Platte, NE.
Mom and her friends--Back: Cindy, Skan, mom, Deb (Hain), Gwen. Front: Deb (Dawson), Dana, Rita.

A rowdy crew: Eric, Callie, Todd, Aunt Becky, mom, Jarv, and Tanner

Garrett, Uncle Bern, Cade, Tyler, Aunt Sara, mom , Jarv. My aunt and uncle are Taya's God-parents!

Mom and Jarv wanted to cut and serve the cake.

With Emma, my cousin's daughter. She is one month younger than Taya (most of our blog followers probalby know that already).

The "head" table

A rare shot of my uncle Carson and Jarv.

My little princess in her fancy dress. The dress didn't make it through the whole evening...the overlay ripped. Luckily a good friend was able to repair the dress before Christmas Eve mass so Taya got to wear it again :)

Rev. Ben Eickoff with mom and Jarv signing their marriage license.

My aunt Jen and good friend Kris

Grandpa Bud!

My brother, Wade

Have a Happy New Year!!

Christmas was good to us

More pictures to post!!

We celebrated a week early at Grammy's so some of these shots are from there. We got hit with the Blizzard of '09 this week. It started raining on Wednesday and by Thursday evening the snow was coming down hard. This after are big snow a few weeks ago...there is A LOT of snow on the ground here. We feel like we're in the mountains!

Taya being silly with uncle Wade.

Niece Jayden got Nima a collar for Christmas. She usually doesn't wear a collar but this was a cute one and was elastic. Doesn't she look adorable??

Aunt Jillian, Uncle Wade, and Taya

Grammy with her pile of gifts. After many years of only a few things to open, she is finally getting some big piles to open.

Wade and Jayden

Taya discovered how to open her gifts but she lost interest pretty quickly.

Cousins..Jayden holding Taya and Beau

Family photo op

Santa arrived at Grammy's early. She put in a personal call to have him come early...

Me, Taya, Emma, and cousin Katie

Taya in her new chair, reading a Christmas book on Christmas morning.

Our tree with a nice pile of gifts underneath. I don't know what we'll do when we have more kids and MORE presents...

Taya decided to push, stand, and sit on some of the gifts.

Snow anyone?

Videos!!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

A view to the north of the neighbor's icicles.

Two weeks ago we decorated for Christmas. The tree is in a new spot this year and we really like it in the dining room. There is just a lot more room. Taya has only bothered 2 ornaments, one being her "Baby's 1st Christmas" ornament with a picture of her and Santa from last year. The other is a "Hoops and Yoyo" Hallmark one that sings. Otherwise she has been a good girl. You will also seen tons of gifts (and I have more the wrap). Taya hasn't bothered them one bit. She did "help" me wrap yesterday and they were both her own gifts! She just wanted to write on the wrapping paper.

Taya perched on her stool upside-down this morning. This is her "boat" and she likes us to push her around on the stool like this. Her little nose is red and running. I think she is cutting another tooth. She does not like to see me coming with a tissue anymore.

Ethan trekked outside to scoop snow and go to work for a bit. Here are a few pictures he took from this morning. Below is the driveway looking out to the street.

The Trailblazer in the middle of the street.

We watched dad-0 from the window If you look really hard you an see Taya's little face.

View of the house from the street.

View from the driveway looking north.

Nima's potty area.