What a CRAZY time...and Steve's Birthday

So, yes it's been quite a while. I really am good at keeping this updated so here goes. I have been swamped completely with accompanying. I play for the Opera Workshop on campus and really spread myself too thin. I have 14 people and then the opera music. It's been a bit of a burden so good thing I learn from my mistakes. Next semester I will only doing what I can handle. It's been a very stressful semester, and I'm not even in classes!! Holy cow! Any way, but our performances were the last two nights and the first went okay. It was a learning performance. So last night was incredible!! Probably the best night I've played that music. It's a good thing my parents were there, too. I am so spoiled at having my family so close by. It is really fun when things like this come up. They also got to meet a bunch of my vocalists. A lot of them are in opera scenes so I get to hear them sing even more. I'll put a few photos last. I forgot my camera last night, which was dumb, because I wanted to get more photos. We are planning a cast party next week and it will be so fun. Alot of them want to see Olivia so I am thinking of bringing her.
She's been a bit sick with what Taylor had last week. She had a fever two weeks ago and then Taylor got it. Then his nose was running and and coughing. Now Liv's nose is running and she's coughing and not sleeping too well during the night. I feel horrible because there's really nothing I can give her except holding her and loving her. It's amazing what that does. She is growing and is almost six months old. Her six to nine month onesies are getting short in the arms, I wonder who she's related too? ME! Poor girl has to deal with that the rest of her life! It sucks to go shopping with long arms. Her personality is coming out even more. She is bubbly and smiley all the time. We are so grateful to have her in our home. She lights up when she sees you.
Taylor is almost three!! His birthday is at the end of the month and he has caught onto the concept of birthdays. He loves to open gifts and eat cake and ice cream. I am so excited for his birthday! He is learning more words and can even put his own socks on. How silly that sounds but he can do it! He loves to color and read books and most of all watch movies. Steve and I are HUGE movie people so we try not to just let him be in front of the TV all day. Some days that's the easiest thing to do but we really try not to do it. He has definitely found the tree to be something he can play with. He has made the bottom row of branches lopsided. He keeps pulling on the lights on the right side and gets in trouble. His most recent accomplishment is picking his nose. He's never been a nose picker and just came and said, with his finger out and a booger on it, "Look! Nose!" Then I got tissue and disposed of it and he said, "We did it!" He's so funny and such a joy to have in our home.
Steve turned 30 on Friday. He isn't too happy about it but was very grateful for all the messages on facebook, texts, and phone calls. He is a wonderful husband and father. He just wanted movies for his birthday. Which I wasn't just going to do, so I was sneaky and got him some new shorts from the bookstore and secretly (with some special help) got him a shirt he's been wanting from Kohl's. I put it in his closet the night before so he would be surprised. He surely was!! He was almost blushing. He always knows what he gets for birthday and Christmas. He is such a funny guy. So I had to do something for the surprise effect. He is such a great supporter in my music endeavors. I always wanted to marry a music person so they would understand why I do what I do. He does and still thinks I'm crazy. Isn't that love?!? We are so grateful to be happily married and have the two cutest kids in the world.
We hope you all enjoy this holiday season and remember why we celebrate it.
Love, Steve Allison, Taylor, & Olivia