Abigail Singing

One of Abigail's favorite ways to play is pretending to put all of her babies and stuffed animals to bed. She sits and reads them a story, closes the blinds to turn off the light, and sings them "Jesus Loves Me" before putting them in bed. David captured this on video a few days ago...

These moments just melt our hearts. She's already a good "mommy" I think she'll be a great helper when her baby sister arrives!

Palm Desert Trip

Over New Year's week we headed out to Palm Desert to spend some time with my family at my parents' time share at JW Marriot. We had a very relaxing week in our unit that overlooked the golf course, pond, and mountains. It was a great place to recover after the hustle and bustle of the holidays. David and my dad golfed one day and my mom and I got to enjoy a spa day. It was wonderful! Abigail loved spending time with her grandparents, feeding the ducks that gathered on the shore beneath our balcony, and enjoying some popcorn for the first time.

While we were there, we also had the opportunity to visit the Children's Discovery Museum. Abigail had a blast shopping in the store, playing dress up, painting on a real car, and exploring different professions with Grandpa. I highly recommend it for anyone visiting the Desert!

Christmas 2012

This year we traveled to my grandmother's house in Northern California to celebrate Christmas with my extended family. Abigail had a great time at "Gigi's" house with all the animals and people who loved on her. She's the only kid so far, so her great-aunt and uncle (who live next door to my grandma) and all of my cousins and their spouses doted on her. She loved all the special attention from her adoring family and all the animals: 5 dogs, several cats, a few chickens, and a goat... (they live out in the country). We also braved the rain and cold to take our traditional Engle family San Francisco day trip...

 On the Cable Car doing her "surprise face" with Grandpa

 At Pier 39 with a view of Alcatraz and a rainbow

Back at Gigi's house, enjoying some apples at the counter where I grew up doing the same

Opening the first gift of Christmas... traditional pajamas on Christmas Eve after church

Abigail loved opening all her stocking stuffers and presents... we knew she loved each item when she begged Daddy to "open it" as soon as the last shred of wrapping paper was removed. It was so fun to see the joy of Christmas through her eyes and especially to watch her learn about Jesus's birth and recount the story to others. The day after Christmas, we drove back to LA to celebrate with David's parents who flew in from Indiana. We had a special time celebrating with all our loved ones and look forward to having another little one to enjoy the holidays with next year!