Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Our Year in Pictures

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Imagine Dragons


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Unexpected trip home.
                                                                                                                               

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Brad's first trip since C's debut.



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First night in her big girl bed.
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 Our Year in Numbers:

one additional family member 
five hundred & ninety-two loads of laundry
two thousand six hundred & eighty-eight diapers changed 
two hundred & forty pounds of dog food
one happy mama that wishes time would slow down
one witty father who is wrapped around 2 little fingers
one sassy  yet sweet toddler
one bouncy & giggly baby
two energetic and protective border collies 

one happy and healthy yet, slightly crazy family 

wishing you a wonderful new year


Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Christmas Eve


(The above pic is from my phone, 
the Nikon is currently charging, you know, 
getting ready for the big day tomorrow).

I can't believe the season is coming to an end. It feels like we just got our tree yesterday. 
The trip to California didn't make it slow down, I'm sure. 

But it's been a fun month. 

I may have jam packed our schedule with too much stuff (me???)
I didn't get as much reading by the fire as I would have liked. 
But, hey, it's still winter and we have a long way to go, 
so there are still plenty of nights ahead of us.

We created new traditions I want to keep going.
I did some things we can do without.

It's all learning and experiencing and tweaking (isn't that life?)

I tried to teach B (the best you can to a 2 year old anyway) 
what the real meaning of Christmas is to us.
We read stories of Christ, and showed her the manager scene.
That He came here just like she did, a baby. 
Just like her little sister is right now. 

I want her to know (eventually) that Santa is a symbol of kindness, charity, and compassion.
And we can all benefit from being a little more like Santa.

I  learned that Mrs. Clause doesn't get as much as credit as she should ;-)

This is has been, as Fancy Nancy would say, "The Most Splendiferous Christmas". 
Our little Broccoli has made it so much fun. 

Today has been good. 
We visited family.
I stayed up late playing the role of Santa.
We stuffed ourselves with clam chowder and shrimp.
We ate lots of candy.
We ate listening to Christmas music. 
The funeral potatoes are made for tomorrow.
The cream cheese filling for our french toast in the morning is whipped.
The strawberries are marinating in honey, to go along with said french toast. 
The dishes are done.
The girls are sleeping soundly. 



Merry Christmas! 
I will leave you with this video 
(because she  can wish you a Merry Christmas way better than me).



Sunday, December 22, 2013

Christmas Dresses

The girls got cute matching Christmas dresses from Grandma.
They wore them to church today.

I had hopes of capturing the perfect Christmas photo. 

This is the best one I got:


The rest look like this:

Which is cute in its own way, but you know not what I had pictured in my head.

Afterwards, I couldn't find little Broccoli anywhere. 
We called her name, went looking for her, and then that little panic kicked in and the thoughts, "maybe she got outside and couldn't get back in" (it's snowing and around 30 degrees)
"maybe she fell down the stairs to the basement"

We found her in Califlower's room, in the rocking chair, fast asleep. 
Relief.

Cousin Christmas Party

We invited our cousins over for a pizza making and 
A Christmas cookie decorating party.

 She has her holidays confused.
That is her Easter dress.











My favorite picture from the day.

 Baby Time.
 Little J (who is holding her on the couch) was very concerned with the amount of drool she made. Then while Califlower was sitting in her bumbo he asked his mom if Califlower had a dirty diaper. We said "no, she doesn't", to which he said, "So why is she sitting on a toilet?" 
It was a good laugh.


Then the nephews begged their Uncle for his old video game console (actually one Sunday - a couple of months ago - Brad told them they could have it... they didn't forget)


So of course they had to make sure it worked. It did and a game of Contra ensued, but not between the boys, Brad and his sister. 

And while they played this little girl, was eating snow.
 Yes, that is a cup of snow I scooped up for her.
 

my house got messy and was full of noise. 
And I loved every minute of it.