It is ridiculous that I haven't posted in six months. The only excuse that I can possibly offer is that Abigail started walking at the beginning of October and we have been chasing after her ever since.
As you can imagine, a lot has happened in the last six months. In September, we went to Chicago to attend Alex Philips and Alice Ockleshaw's wedding (such a blast!). It was a great time with friends and the Wright family travelled from Florida and San Francisco to meet us and it was the first time the two cousins were together.
It was a busy few days. Morgan drove up from Louisville with her mother and we were able to spend some time together. She got to see Abi again and we all toured the Institute of Art in the city center.
In October, Abi took her first steps and shortly after began terrorizing the house...and everything in it! We still take Abi everywhere, but she has become more and more challenging. She just wants to be up and around all the time!
Abi has found a new friend since the Litts moved upstairs. Arin is about 8 months older than Abi and I entirely credit her with Abi's early walking skills. She just wanted to be able to chase Arin around!
As you can see, now that she's on two feet Abigail is climbing on everything. She has stopped getting into her walker and stands on it instead. She's completely attracted to the most dangerous item in any room.
We began in earnest the 'food fight'. Abigail has decided to be a difficult eater...basically is completely ambivalent about food and will do whatever she can to not eat food. Luckily for us, the few foods she will eat is plain boiled veggies. Good grief.
In early November, Abigail got to meet her new friend Eve Xing Wilson. She is the adopted daughter of our friends David and Amy Wilson and she and Abi have become fast friends with lots of playdates.
In later November, we travelled to Moganshan to spend Thanksgiving in a mountainside bamboo forest with friends. We rented a cabin with two other couples and the 6 1/2 of us spent the weekend lazing around in front of fires and hiking across the hillsides.
It all started with an afternoon nap for the girls. Christy, Abi and Korrie all cuddled up on the sofa and sacked out for awhile after the long drive. Sort of set the town for our entire weekend.
We went for a great hike through the bamboo forest. We walked into the next village for lunch and then back again through the tea plantation.
Abi was only just walking so to save us all a very painful experience, we strapped her onto Jason's back and headed off. She enjoyed it as long as she had a view...so she loved the downhill bits when she could look over Jason's head. She just peered around him all afternoon. Such a funny girl.
the Ambrose family after the long day of hiking.
The nightly bonfire provided evening entertainment. After a long day of walking it was the perfect relaxing night with friends.
We ALL enjoyed the evening by the fire. Abi enjoyed the entertainment before bedtime in her grotto upstairs. A crib filled with down blankets...she nearly disappeared when we laid her down in it.
Thanksgiving dinner. A guy from the US came in and deep fried a turkey in our back yard and made all of the trimmings and fixings in our kitchen. Such luxury!
Christmas found us in Florida once again. First we spent a week with the Ambrose family in Stuart where Abi got to enjoy her first visit to Santa (such trauma and tears!), enjoyed watching basketball for the first time and bravely chased various animals all over the house.
Abi was confidently running around by this time. She played with the dogs, the cats, her Nana and cousins, and a very funny stool that amused her for a very long time.
Abi and her cousins Nicole, Mark and Gaby
We were back in Auburndale for Christmas day where Abi met up with her two cousins, and the other 20-odd members of her Central Florida family.
Daddy and Abi playing in the yard. Such a nice sunny Christmas in Florida!
Abi discovered the wonders of swings. Sadly, China doesn't have much in the way out playground equipment and parks in the way we expect to find parks all over the US. So it wasn't until Christmas that she really got to try it all out.
Grandad Wright bought the kids a trailor. They LOVED it. We all took turns dragging them up and down the street, down to the lake, or just around the driveway. They just did not tire of this.
We'd let them out once we got to the lake, but they just wanted to jump in and mess around in the wet sand. What a mess! So we'd strap them back into their trailor and off we'd go back up the hill to Grammy's house.
Christmas Day was at the Wright family house in Auburndale. The entire Kersey/Wright family attended...23 in all! We only seem to keep multiplying, as my cousin Alex had recently gotten engaged and my cousin Christopher has since gotten engaged. The family gatherings will only get bigger and we're really looking forward to it.
Mom threw a birthday party for the two babies since Christmas falls in-between Michael's December 1st birthday and Abigail's January 6th. It was great and the three cousins enjoyed the Auburndale City Park with all of their friends and family.
Abi loved the balloons best of all. She ran all over the park when she wasn't in a swing wearing us all out.
Grandad braved the cold and donned three jackets to spend the afternoon with his three great-grandbabies. Grandad and Abi are playing with her birthday balloons.
Grandad and great-grandson no1, Greyson. Such a doll. As the oldest great-baby he's leading the way for the other two!
Abi finally got a taste of cake for the first time. A bit sweet for her taste (she can't be mine!) but she did a pretty good job. Her cousin finished off his without pause, but he'd already had a practice birthday at home in San Fran in December. What a pair!
