It a big ONE! Maycen's 1st birthday!

We have had lots of first this year with Maycen, being new parents and all the little and big firsts that come with that!  It seems weird that last new years 2010 we were just coming home from the hospital with our new baby girl. 
So lets see just in time for the New Year Maycen got a bunch of things done off her Big Girl list.  She began walking on December 18th, taking steps and really walked across a room to check something out the day we vistited her Great Grandma Smith in the nursing home on the 26th.  Maycen heard the piano playing in the room next to ours and basically took off to see what it was.  She loves music and although my only talent with music seemed to be rythmic hopefully she will take on traits of my Aunt Karen who is an Opera singer and instructor at Smith College. 
Maycen is officially not using a bottle any longer and drinking out of a tippy cup, she is drinking whole Milk now and enjoying lots of yummy foods.  So far we have been pretty lucky that she will eat most foods we give her.  She really has no desire for eggs.
We spent her first Christmas with my family in Minnesota and although we hauled her snow suit back and forth the only time she wore it was in our house as we video taped her and laughed as our little marshmellow tried to sit up in it.
We had such a busy Holiday and just not enough time for downtime.  We had Christmas Eve and Co- celebrated my Papa Good's 90th birthday at Dawn's apartment complex they had a nice dinner set up and we all hung out there.  Then my Mom had Christmas Day and Jared and I were still wrapping when guests were arriving, since you can't wrap your gifts in your suitcase these days.  We opened gifts and stockings and ate and then later that evening we had a little family celebration for Maycen to open her Birthday gifts and she had a cake to smash!   On Sunday we met a lot of my friends at the Play Park in Edina to see everyones little ones and catch up. On Monday we went Bowling with the Family and had Pizza and then Tuesday we went to the nursing home and then had Dinner at Stacy's to catch up with her family.  Before we left on Wednesday we met with an old friend of mine that works with a finacial company to discuss Jared's Possible job move, then went to a late lunch with my parents and then headed back to Washington....whoosh it was a big blurr and way to short!  Thanks to everyone that made an effort to fit us in to their busy Holiday schedules while we were intown althought it was way too short it was nice to see people!

When we got back into town things continued to be busy. I worked the next morning, Maycen's actual Birthday the 30th.  On New Years we had a sitter lined up and we went out with some friends here and celebrated at the Pacific Grill event Center.

We organized Saturday and made food and Cupckaes for Maycen's Birthday Party on Sunday.  On Sunday we rented out the RubberRoom in Dupont and had a little play center there for friends to join in and bring their kids.

Jared and I are still having trouble deciding what is right for our family as far as Job Options, I have a few positions that are available to me that I could do however I would have to give up my part-time status but the hours might just be worth it if Jared continues to be gone over the summer months.   Deciding wether to get out of the army is one decision that seems to affect everything else.  When will we have another child, I am no spring chicken, when to move or should we even move at all.  If we move where is the best spot for us to raise our family?  There are so many pros and cons to each option it is really challenging.  It is really hard to have a meeting of the minds