Merry Christmas 2011

Opening her first set of presents at home. 

Enjoying Christmas in Asheville.  Brie was having so much fun that she didn't want to go down for a nap even though she was super tired.  As this last picture shows, she still wants to play but can not even sit up or stand up.  She has to lay on the floor and play with her toy.

Happy Holidays 2011

Levine 2011 Holiday Newsletter

      In early March, Mat accepted a full-time position as a field conservationist with The Nature Conservancy.  In late April we said goodbye to family and friends and rented out our home in Asheville to move to northern New York.  Brie has moved four times since she was born!  It took a little bit, but we finally found “our spot.”  Thankfully, we were fortunate to find a beautiful spot on a harbor of Lake Ontario.  

     Mat has settled into his job and has loved learning more about eastern Lake Ontario and the wetland areas that he manages.  I love getting to stay at home with Brie and am amazed at how much she’s changed in this year.  Not only in size and mobility, but personality.   Brie turned one in October and is now toddling around getting more and more confident in her walking abilities. 

     Mat enjoys fishing off the dock after work to unwind and I enjoy taking photos of Mat and the fish that he catches.  We’ve explored the area by hiking in the Adirondacks, along the Finger Lakes and on the shores of Lake Ontario during Mat’s weekends and found many special and beautiful spots.    

     We are thankful you are in our lives and we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a New Year full of peace and happiness.

Love, Mat, Amie & Brie (and Maddy)

I miss my washer and dryer

I have ever since we moved, but I've adjust to my weekly laundry day and it really hasn't been so bad.  Until this week.  I did laundry on Monday because that is my weekly laundry day.  Monday afternoon Brie vomited every where and then Monday night she threw up over her second set of sheets and all her blankets and had diarrhea.  So we went and did laundry on Tuesday.  Tuesday night was a repeat of Monday night.  Laundry and doctor visit Wednesday.  Wednesday night was a repeat Monday and Tuesday night.  So we'll be going to do laundry again today otherwise our house would just smell like puke and diarrhea.  Have to admit all my plans of making holiday goodies to take around to the neighbors probably not going to happen.  Actually.  It is not going to happen.  I do not want to pass around what Brie has.   Hopefully, people will understand...

Luckily, Brie is not sick very often because it is not pretty here at our house.  I can't wait until we get to the other side.

Brie is over 14 months!

I find Brie to be adorable even though she's got food all over her face.  She is working on getting her "second" molars and has been for the past week and has been pretty cheerful throughout it all.  Yesterday Sarah had the privilege of watching her throw-up during our video chat which ended shortly thereafter.  Not too certain what that is about, whether it's part of her teething or she's picked up something else when we went to the doctor's office on Thursday or at the Christmas party at our friend's house.

Mat came home while I was getting Brie showered/bathed and found the kitchen floor clean except for a pile of clothes. Thanks to Maddy I didn't have throw-up chunks to clean up. (Having a dog is sometimes gross and convenient at the same time.)  Brie seems to feel okay and hasn't had a fever, but has had some diarrhea.  She went to bed fine and seemed to sleep fine like any other night.  But when I got her out of bed this morning, she smelled like throw-up and upon closer investigation her bedding was wet and her diaper was full of diarrhea.  She didn't complain at all last night but I still feel like I should have done something more for her. 

This morning she ate breakfast just fine and has been in a cheerful and playful mood, so I guess I'll just keep my eye on her. 

Brie's Owl Hat

The other morning, Brie found her owl hat and wanted me to put it on her.  Then she immediately wanted it off.  But it was cute on her while it lasted.

Seriously festive brownie cupcakes...

My sister, Rachel, sent me a link from TipJunkie about something to sew.  I don't have a sewing machine, but loved all the ideas on her site and since then I've been following her.  TipJunkie had a link to the most festive brownie bites ever.  I wanted to make them for a holiday party we are going to tomorrow but didn't have mini muffin tins or a mini cheesecake tin.  So, I decided to just try it in the regular muffin pans with cupcake liners. 

I just had to cook them for 23 minutes, a wee bit longer than if they were in the mini muffin tins and I didn't have to worry about how easy they came out.  Because they were in the cupcake liner.  How easy is that.  Then I made the frosting and put the crushed candy canes on top, like she said to.

Looks pretty delicious, right?

They were yummy and the Hershey Kiss in the middle is awesome.  It makes the whole brownie have a mint-flavor.  I'm excited to take to the party tomorrow.  Hopefully, they hold up and don't get stale.  Should I refrigerate or just leave them out?  Any suggestions?

Santa Time

Brie loved Santa.

From a distance. 

When Mat tried to place her on Santa's lap, she cried, so Mat got to sit down next to Santa with her.  If I'm not mistaken this might have been Mat's first opportunity (ever in his life) to tell Santa what he'd like for Christmas.  We'll see what Santa brings him...or if it will come from Hanukkah Harry.

(This event was our library's Christmas Party and a lot of the community was there. The volunteer fire department helped to put it on and gave presents to all the children.) 

Snow!!!

While driving to the Salmon River Falls, in search of snow, we came across this Amish buggy going down the road.  I love it and am amazed at how they exist without all the modern conveniences!

Both Brie and Maddy LOVED playing in the snow!

Mat and I enjoyed seeing the snow as well.  Apparently we live just north of the snow belt plus we live right on the lake, so we won't be getting as much snow as some areas.

It's snowing!!!

And I am so excited!

I hope it's the beginning of a huge snow year for northern New York.  I'm ready for some snow adventures of cross-country skiing, sledding/tubing, snowshoeing and snowman-making fun with Brie. 

(I think we have a ways to go before then, but I'm looking forward to it!)  The forecast is for 100% chance of snow with 2-4 inches accumulation.

weekends around here

We try to get out at least one of the weekend days together to my fix of recreating/hiking/walking somewhere beautiful and peaceful.  This weekend we saw a snowy owl at Wehle State Park.  The snowy owl was HUGE and beautiful.  We've also seen a bald eagle and a red fox there on previous visits.  I've been letting Mat and Brie hang out together and I will go in and do laundry and grocery shopping.  It's been fantastic.  Brie and Mat get some bonding time, since when I'm around Brie sometimes has a hard time not being focused on me AND I grocery shop and do laundry without also having to entertain Brie.  So while I've never found grocery shopping and laundry really that enjoyable or something I look forward to, it really has been nice to just sit and do laundry or just grocery shop without the additional drama of ensuring Brie is not climbing all over the cart and grabbing stuff as we shop OR that she's screaming/crying through the store due to the fact that she needs a nap. So we all win, I think.  :-)