Emelli Pics!

I'm so excited to have these! Emily did a great job, so thank you very much!  If you have little ones I suggest you snag her to snap some adorable pictures for you.  She was really great about helping me come up with ideas and prop settings because I wanted the girls to have some pictures to hang in their room's.  I couldn't be happier with how they turned out!

2011

Wow, 2011 you were a tough and rewarding year for us.  I am grateful for some of the things and MAJOR blessings that came to us in this year but I won't miss it...

It was a year for growth and change.  My brand new baby grew to be a walking ray of sunshine full of zest and spice.  My little Brooklynn has grown to be a bright, inquisitive, hilarious little girl.  My husband graduated and started the road to an MBA. Our family dynamic really grew and changed in leaps and bounds through the duration of 2011. 

In hindsight I wonder how I managed sometimes... the moves, the limboness, the stress, the lack of sleep, the lack of schedules, the mess, the clutter, being SO busy, the renos... Well somehow WE DID manage and for that I am grateful because those were the things we grew from and found our lives to be SO blessed from.  We grew from many trials :)

2012 has started off in a much better place.  I am incredibly grateful each day for what life has offered us in the now.  I am so much happier than I have been in my life in a VERY long time.  Lately I've found myself realizing more and more just how miserable I was for so long :(  That is sad to think about but when I say miserable I mean I was dealing with some depression, boredom, frustration, and postpartum.  I was feeling stuck, over whelmed and unhealthy.  I don't think a lot of people who know me even REALLY well would have caught on to that and that's because I didn't quite catch on to it.  A year ago, spending winter in the Hamlet with a newborn and a toddler, squished in our tiny apartment was VERY hard for me.  I think my living circumstances played a huge part in the way I felt then.  I can seriously say that I have taken a new lease on life.  I am so much more out going, I love housework like I have never loved/ liked it before, I enjoy cooking more, I relax more, I sleep better and less, I am less bitter and less quick to anger, I simply enjoy life in a whole new way!

So 2012, I DO have high hopes for you, that this year will be full, healthy and rewarding.  I have anticipations for you that I am hopeful and excited for.  I even started the first week off in January with a lot of healthy eating and a very strict diet.  I want to be much more active this year, healthier and just have a lot more FUN.

What are your resolutions?
Oh, and Happy 2012 Everyone :)

WHAT THE HECK?!?

Poor Alivia.  She is teething but where are those stinking teeth?  I had been putting Oragel on her gums the past few night and it would help but I was only rubbing them on the bottom front part of her gums.  She had a rough night last night and I have tried to get her to nap this morning and I went to use the Oragel again and decided to feel around her mouth to see if those little stinkers finally cut through... NOPE... A BIG one did!  She cut a freaking molar!!!  That explains the tough times :)

Christmas Morning

Trying to get a picture of them on Christmas Eve. What a daunting task it is to get a decent picture of our girls.

fail...

fail.

All ready for bed.

Christmas morning, look at ALL of those presents!

Brooklynn had her priorities in check Christmas morning. At first she ran right past the tree and present and headed right over to the fireplace where she left the plate of cookies and carrots for Santa and his Reindeer, She was soo excited that he came to her house during the night and the food she left out had been eaten.  Isn't that the greatest idea to prove to children that Santa does indeed visit?  I love it :)

We were pretty rushed Christmas day.  It landed on a Sunday so we had to squeeze in family presents and Santa presents really early to make enough time to get out of the house and pick up Grandma Lee and then take her with us to Nana and Grandpa's house to do more presents, breakfast and head off to church together.  It was a little too rushed for me but hey, Christmas is just BUSY :D

Oh, and to explain the absence of Liv.... She is still sleeping.  She doesn't exactly handle late nights that well and we let her sleep while Brooklynn started some gift opening.

This is my HUGE gift from Jason.  It was a new camera :)

Here comes a cranky, sleep-deprived Alivia.

Jason eating some of his stocking goodies

The most decent of pictures I got with my girls that morning.  Yuck!

The girls were so spoiled by their many grandparents, aunties and of course mom, dad and Santa.  I don't think we will need to buy them any toys for a couple years and Liv will probably have to start having half birthdays.

On a side note, and without the focus on material gifts we tried very hard to focus and make a big deal that this is when we celebrate Jesus's birthday.  We talked a lot about the nativity and even went to see it as a family. Brooklynn is catching on that we want to be a family forever and make it back to heaven to be with Heavenly Father and Jesus again some day and the presents at Christmas are only because we celebrate at Christmas and give presents out of love and gratitude.  I love answering her questions about Heavenly Father and Jesus.  It strengthens our faith as she starts to grow her own.

We hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas.

She's 1!

Presents and love came early in the day for our little Alivia because we had a surprise visit from Megan and Lee!  Thanks again for the visit and cute gift :)

Alivia will always have a big helper at her side when it involves opening presents.  Why does Brooklynn always have that same face in pictures?

Cousin buddies.

We evened things up with a new bruise on the opposite cheek.  Poor thing.

We shared her special day with lots of friends and family.  I am so grateful for the people who took time out of their day to celebrate her birthday with us, it really meant a lot to me.

I made a zebra cake. Which is quite easy to do.  If you want to know just tell me, I would be happy to post about it!

I have now have two kids over the age of 1.  I love it.  And while I love new babies... there is a time and place in each person's life to have and enjoy their own.  I REALLY love the age of my girl's right now.  And while it was tough to have them close I am so happy it turned out the way it did because I feel like ( for the first time in a LONG time) I have energy, freedom and a life again.  I guess I am enjoying a much needed break from the lack of sleep, nursing and all that other fun stuff that comes with younger babies.  I was SO HUGE this time last year and if I could choose I think I much rather and prefer to not be 40 weeks prego @ Christmas.  

So happy birthday Alivia!  You have brought so much fun, spunk and love into our lives.  I love your cheeky, feisty and sweet personality.  You are a precious little girl and I don't know what I would do without you.  I hope you know how much you've blessed and enriched our world.  Love you xox!