Hi again

It's been a while since I've written here. Christmas has come and gone and we are now beginning a new year. It's hard to believe that our Alea is 17 months old. She is communicating with us verbally more than ever and has such a big personality. She is such a joy in our lives. Alea will officially start going to a mothers day out program starting this Monday and I'm anxious to see how it will change her. She will only go one day a week but I'm excited that she will have some other kids to play with on a regular basis. We are also looking into a mommy and me music class and hope to find something that we will both enjoy. Alea loves music and can now sing ALL of twinkle twinkle little star all by herself. Not all of the words are clear but she definitely has the tune and the rhythm down perfectly. She can also sing Jesus loves me and the itsy bitsy spider (one of her most requested). We listen to a lot of music at home and in the car. Right now I am listening to the album "O" by Damien Rice and she sings along with him more than anyone else. I love hearing her sing and I am always amazed at what she picks up and is able to repeat.

I am still enjoying being home with Alea even though it is the hardest job I've ever had. I am incredibly blessed to have the opportunity and remind myself of that when things get a little hairy. Wren is still liking his job and has been given a unique opportunity to write a grant to gain access to funds in order to help students stop smoking. OSU Institute of Technology is going tobacco free in 2010 and Wren, among others at the school, think it is extremely important to have programs in place to make this a long term change for the young adults attending the college. Other OSU campuses have already taken this big step and are hoping to see longevity in it's success. This will hopefully mark the trend for healthier living for the citizens of Oklahoma.

The weather here has been crazy. We have not had any snow this winter and, as glad as I am to be free of the trouble that it can bring, I miss it. I would have enjoyed a little bit of white even if it melted as soon as it hit the ground. It's been really cold these past few days but was fairly warm the week or so before. So warm, in fact, that we were going out without jackets and Alea was able to play outside free from the restrictions of her hat, gloves and bulky coat. We should be seeing some warmer temperatures again in the next day or two. Sorry to all of you in Massachusetts who have been frozen since October. Wish I could send along some of the warmer weather. We do miss you all very much and would gladly suffer the cold in order to spend time with our friends. We are trying to plan a trip back soon.

I took some pictures of Alea playing outside sans her winter gear and will post them under the photos link as soon as I can. My computer is getting a tune up so I'm trying to figure out Wren's PC from work. Now I remember why I bought a Mac.