A Sugar Lump in February!

Happy-Go-Lucky!

Making statements together- Daddy sporting an Obama shirt while Soleil models a Bob Marley shirt.

Bonding with Bella in the backyard.

Channeling Pippy Longstocking !

Inventing a new use for my therapy tool...megaphone.

Papa and Soleil share many laughs and much love !

Soleil Eve in the garden of Eden! This was taken after a particularly intense painting session.

An art extravaganza! Soleil enjoys using her easel...and occasionally, eating paint.

No, not a future bank robber. Soleil trying on Daddy's tam on one especially cold day!

Loving on Bella, for once!

Ready to roll ...Soleil loves to catch rides in the wheelchair.

Putting on a pre-church concert, using the ice cream microphone.

It has now been over three months since the accident and one of the best things to come out of it is that fact that I have spent every day with Soleil. I feel so lucky to see her every day. We have taken advantage of it by spending many hours outside and engaged in fun activities like painting, blowing bubbles, gardening, playing with Papa and reading.

She is talking even more and here are some sample phrases:

Come here, NOW!

Help me, please

All clean (even if caca is present)

Hold you

Wake up, Daddy (usually called from the bedroom at 6am)

Be careful!

Hop, hop, hop!

Soleil and her swingset!

Soleil and Ricky testing the glider! They are such big kids now.

Checking out the sandbox, pre-sand.

Who is having more fun here? Papa or Soleil?

Daddy and Soleil playing peek-a-boo from the fort!

We bought Soleil a swingset for an early birthday gift. She loves it and spends hours every day on it. Daddy and Papa have also been spending a lot of time on it.

A New Year, Soleil style!

This is Soleil heading to school, a place she loves. She has grown so much recently, both physically and mentally.

Her latest expressions:

I got it!

Yummy tummy

NO, NO and NO!

Cookie, complete with cookie monster actions

Ribbit, while jumping like a frog

Pitty(pretty)

Nana put curlers in Soleil's hair one day. I told her she reminded me of City Meat Market on a Saturday morning!

Just look at my Mr. Potato head!

PJs, granny style. Had to capture the pants at the arm pits look.

Planting one on Brody! He didn't seem to mind.

Posing for the camera!

Soleil's Second Christmas!

Taking an after lunch jog in Clearwater.

Coming in for attack!

Uncle Jon, Soleil and Granny

The Gates Family

The Neill family- Uncle Andy and Dad

The big guy and the little guy head to the beach.

love

My favorite gift.

This is MY ride! This was the hit gift...although she did enjoy playing with the clothes boxes.

We were so glad that my brother Jon spent the holidays with us.

Santa was very GOOD to Soleil!

Engrossed in a good book with Granny.

Eager to get into the cake at Ricky's second bday party.

Hanging out with Nana and Papa.

Soleil and her Papa riding Santa's sleigh.

Soleil helped Granny hang out clothes.

Ricky and Soleil waiting for Santa.

This holiday season was very different for us, for a number of reasons. I experienced Christmas in a wheelchair. While it was heartwrenching at times, I really am happy to be alive. As a result of my accident, the whole family came together for Christmas. Even my brother, Jon and my Uncle Andy. We also got to experience Soleil's first "I get it now" Christmas. She was sooo excited and covered her mouth with her hands and jumped up and down.

I wish you all the happiness in 2009!

Coral Reef Park in Miami

Strike a pose, there's nothing to it.

This park had such futuristic looking equipment AND everything frightened me!

Soleil-our wish come true.

Daddy, Soleil and some friends rode on this spaceship type ride. I was the work horse, pushing it to spin. And, I have to admit, that was my decision because anything that spins scares me!

Uh, I see three of every thing. These chairs were like something out of space...

Wait, Daddy! I'll save you! Not sure who enjoyed these dangerous chairs more....





We recently took Soleil to Coral Reef Park in Miami. It was voted one of the best parks in the US by Parenting Magazine and it is easy to see why. We were in Miami to visit Soleil's Uncle Andrew. Soleil and her uncle spent some quality time together, and are anxious to see each other again soon.

Soleil's Halloween!

Two heads are always better than one! While this picture is adorable, it is extremely rare. Especially because these two are seldom still and Soleil usually alternates between loving Ricky and using him as her personal punching bag!

Birthday boy Brody, who turned one on Halloween!

Peanut Butter and Jelly diving head first into Brody's frog pool.

Mr.Not-So-Happy Peanut Butter (aka Ricky)

Soleil's debut as grape jelly. I'm proud to say she takes after her mother and kept loading her Elmo bucket full of candy. We actually had to stop her from taking every candy in the container!

This is us trick or treating in our neighborhood. This is before we got any candy.....she was much happier AFTER she got candy.

Soleil's Welch's lid...Darrin made everything for the costume from scratch.

Ms. Grape Jelly. Soleil didn't quite grasp the whole concept and actually started giving people candy out of her container!!

A big girl and her little pumpkin!

Soleil's just-my-size decorated pumpkin!

We took Soleil trick-or-treating for the first time this year! It was SO much fun. She dressed as grape jelly and Ricky was supposed to be peanut butter. Unfortunately, he got sick and Soleil had to go solo.