days like this.

i always want to remember days like this.

when you wake us up with giggles because the sky is full of snow.  i put the coffee on and sleepily gaze out the kitchen window, while you're calling for me from the living room, begging for me to come play with you.

on days like this, we sit, snuggled in mounds of blankets.  we eat special breakfasts, dusted with powdered sugar.  with maple syrup warmed in little pitcher shaped like an owl.  and lit candles all over the house.

on days like this, daddy and i get you bundled up, and it takes what seems like a million years.  you take two steps outside and fall immediately onto your backs to make angels in the snow.  we trudge through the backyard and lay under the big pine trees, powdered with white, drinking in the silence. you throw fistfuls of snow into the sky and it sprinkles down on you, dusting your eyelashes and the tip of your noses.

i love watching you.

on days like this, everything moves in slow motion.  you drink mugfuls of hot chocolate, cheeks chilled pink.  we play games, watch movies and lay, snuggled in blankets.  you climb on daddy and i watch thinking i never want to forget the sound of your laughter.  you dance through the living room and i listen to you play with your dolls and string beaded necklaces.

and my heart aches because i already miss days like this.  and my heart is happy because i'm grateful we have them.

snowy days.

snowstorms are my favorite.

they always have been.  life slows down for just a bit, allowing us to stay warm and cozy with the ones we love.  and even as a thirty two year old, i am taken back to my childhood.  the sounds of the plows, looking out the window to check for falling snow, mugs full of hot chocolate... it all just makes me giddy.  all over again.

we knew a storm was coming... a nor easter, they were calling it.  we were excited.  as a teacher and a school counselor, storms add an extra bit of excitement for our household as we anticipate snow days; especially for daddy since i only work parttime and it's always such a treat to have him home with us!  friday morning we woke up to snow.  nick's school was cancelled and it snowed all day long, stopping just before dinner.  as we snuggled the girls in their beds and sat down to watch our newest show addiction (hello, downton abbey), the snow started in again.

that night we went to bed to the sound of snow plows and howling wind, snowflakes swirling through the skies.  saturday morning i woke up at my usual time of 6:30 to make emmy her morning bottle and looked out the kitchen window.  it was snowing so heavily the sky was almost completely white.  all day long it snowed.  we stayed in our jammies, drinking coffee and hot chocolate and watching movies snuggled under quilts.  i didn't want the day to end.

sunday morning dawned bright and beautiful.  we spent the morning outside, pulling the girls in their sled and clearing off the deck and walkways.  it was emmy's first time out in the snow, as i usually take bella outside in the morning while emmy is napping.  she didn't quite know what to think, but sat contentedly in her sled, staring at the fluffy whiteness blanketing our yard.

i love experiencing things through the eyes of my children.  i love making memories with them and creating special moments.  snowy days are perfect for both.

594.  sleds carrying the cutest load:

595.  skies full of snowflakes.

596.  news of school cancellations.
597.  belly-warming soup and homemade crusty french bread.
598.  pajama days.

599.  a whistling tea kettle.
600.  hot chocolate and homemade pop tarts.

601.  little ones wrapped warmly in their hooded towels after bath time.

602.  a good tv show with the mr.

603.  god's heartwarming blessings.  always good to be reminded.

604.  bundled up babies.

thank you, jesus, for allowing life to slow down for a bit... for the beauty of snow... for the love of family.  thank you for all of these things and for always reminding me that we have much to be grateful for.

multitude monday.

68. snow&ice in dallas; and how it caused life to slow down for a whole week.
69. going to sleep under a mound of blankets, watching fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky.
70. waking up at 3 am to the sound of sleet hitting the window and knowing that nick will have a snow day.
71. coffee on cold days.
72. bella's rosy cheeks and red button nose.
73. endless games with friends.
74. the superbowl. most specifically watching the steelers lose the superbowl.
75. the way bella sleeps with her little bottom sticking up in the air. so. cute.
76. movie nights on the couch with the husband. perfect.
77. salt&pepper kettle cooked chips.
78. looking around my home and seeing it filled with people i love. having fun, eating together, laughing and playing with my daughter. blessed.

snow storm six.

so this post title took a lot of brain power on my part. instead of "thursday three" i wanted to do something different for this week... since it's been, well, a different week. dallas has been hammered by winter weather this week, which caused the entire city to shut down from tuesday until saturday morning. businesses, offices and schools were closed. streets were just sheets of ice. cars were spinning out all over the roads. people were losing power. and just when we all thought it was about to be over, we went to bed thursday night watching it snow and woke up friday morning to over five inches of powdery white! for a city that seemingly has one snowplow to take care of every snow-covered street in the entire dallas-fort worth metroplex, and a salt/sand supply that doesn't know icy roads, this was a week we will not soon forget. so crazy... and for the cornwell three: so fun.

so i bring you: the snow storm six. our top six favorite things about this snowy, icy week when dallas shut down and life slowed for just a little while.

clever, i know. here goes.

1. school cancellations. ahhhh yes, i still feel like a child in grade school growing up in maine, where we actually had snow days because of... well, snow. but here in dallas if the word ice is breathed from the lips of any weather man or woman, i am anxiously awaiting news that nick will be home for the day. it is like music to my ears and i am a giddy eight year old girl all over again.

2. mexican train dominoes. this goes without saying. the best all-day-play-forever game in the entire world.

3. family time. i truly began living for the weekends when i became a mom. i *love* our time as a family to relax and be together. it's also nice to have an extra hand with baby-duty, too and nick is beyond helpful. we were given the best gift this week to have four days together when we otherwise would've been apart. love. it.

4. f.r.i.e.n.d.s. the tv show and the real thing. nick&i love getting in bed at night and watching our boxed dvd sets of our fav show. not going to lie i think we've watched all ten seasons maybe three times through in the almost-three-years we've been married. it makes us laugh and something we both love. this week we stayed up extra late and thursday night got to get in bed to watch tv with the curtains open in our bedroom, big snowflakes falling outside. so cozy. we also happen to live in the same apartment complex as some of our best friends. which makes snow days even better. every day we walked to each other's homes, shared meals together, played games, stayed up late and even walked to starbucks and walmart when we got really stir crazy. we are so blessed by our friends!

5. games, games and more games. yes, it's true. in addition to mexican train dominoes, we spent our four snow days playing trivial pursuit, some dice game and spoons.

6. snow, snow, snow! "it won't be long before we'll all be there with snoooow. i want to wash my face, my hands, my hair with snow." ahhh, yes. white christmas, anyone?? nick and i were up late talking thursday night when we discovered the beautiful snow falling outside. i think nick went out on our balcony at least four times to check it out and take pictures. i love how much he loves snow... because i love it too :) friday afternoon we brought bella out in the snow for her first time! she LOVED it. not even kidding. squealed and kicked her feet like crazy. we spent a good hour sliding down a hill in our apartment complex with all of our friends with whatever "sledding" supplies we could find (this included a blow-up plastic baby pool, a card table, and several cardboard boxes. gotta love texas!) nick took bella for a couple trips down the hill and most of all, she loved watching everyone having fun. and it was!!

life doesn't slow down for much. it presses on--sometimes with an unforgiving tenacity that leaves me scrambling in its wake. scrambling for more time to get things done, another chance to accomplish daily tasks, some peace and quiet and some time to treasure sweet little moments with my family. this week, i was given the precious gift of time. quiet, peaceful, stillness. it was bliss. pure bliss. and still, went by too fast. so thankful for the past few days and for the snow that made life slow down. even for just a bit.

multitude monday.

37. when it snows in dallas. always very exciting.
38. watching snow flurries out the window while i am warm and cozy on my couch, still in my pajamas.
39. peeking in on my sleeping baby all cuddled in her crib and fighting the urge to pick her up and squeeze her because she is just SO CUTE!
40. date nights with nick and restaurant gift cards that he got from his students as christmas gifts.
41. olive garden salad&breadsticks.
42. target up&up brand diapers.
43. watching bella eat puffs! her first finger food.
44. getting in bed at night with nick and watching "friends". it's our nighttime ritual. love. it.
45. first baptist academy for giving nick a snow day today... and us another day to spend as a family.
46. mango martinis.

a year of blessings.

as i reflect on the past year and prepare to welcome the new one, i can think of one word to describe it well: blessed.

in many ways, it was a year of the little things... learning to cultivate a heart of gratitude for the simple blessings that surround us. and in other ways, it was a year of BIG things... many joys, many changes, many moments that i want to hold onto forever.

here are just a few.

january

* starting off the new year in maine, snowed in with my family. my sister, gretchen and i were both with child which made for some really fun photos. despite the new england blizzard, we were able to make it out of boston to fly back to dallas without any major mishaps. amazing.

* we found out at my 20 week ob appt that we were--as EVERYONE suspected--in fact, having a GIRL. bella grace cornwell... we could now call her by name. our home was suddenly flooded by everything pink.

* hot date with the hubs to celebrate my last birthday in my twenties at my fav: maggianos. which is even better, i discovered, when you're eating for two. YUM.

* january 15 my little sis gave birth to my sweet nephew,
jude farrington keezer. i began counting the days until i could hold him!!

february

* snow in dallas. yes, it's true. and it actually didn't melt the second it hit the ground this time! nick&i both got out of work early one afternoon due to the storm, and were snowed in the next day... along with a bunch of our friends who all live in the same apartment complex with us. it felt like we were little kids again. so fun.

march

* flew to maine to spend the weekend with my family, meet jude for the first time, and for bella's first shower! it was a very special visit... i got up early every morning just to soak in getting to hold jude every second i could. bella was showered with so many sweet gifts from close friends and family and we were beginning to collect tiny onesies, dresses, shoes and headbands for this sweet little person that was about to change our lives!

april

* with the help of our amazing friends, we finally got bella's nursery set up. nick worked so hard refinishing furniture and painting and i spent my time organizing clothes, diapers, and all things baby. we were so pleased with our hard work, and we were getting more and more ready for our sweet bella!

* three more baby showers this month... god was so sweet to us. we are truly blessed with some of the most amazing family&friends!! great memories.

may

* i felt like a ticking time bomb. i was in "early labor" for about 2 weeks and we had our hospital bags packed and ready. we spent a couple of weeks soaking in date nights and impromptu trips to get chips&salsa at chilis at 11 pm.

* may 19, 2010 at 1:57 bella grace cornwell entered the world at baylor hospital grapevine, weighing in at 7 lbs, 12 oz and 20.5 inches long. we were instantly in love... and fell in love with each other all over again that day. bella was immediately surrounded by our friends and family and i will never forget how precious those moments were... our new sweet lil family of three feeling so surrounded and loved by people precious to us. some in that hospital room, and others calling, texting and letting us know they were rejoicing with us. god is GOOD.

* my parents flew out to meet bella grace when she was a week old. it was such a special time, and one i was soooo excited for since my family wasn't there for her arrival. so fun to watch my parents as "grammie and grampy"!

* nick&i celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary a week after bella was born. grammie and grampy babysat as we got away and celebrated over a dinner at maggianos. i think that's the second time i've mentioned that restaurant in this blog. nice. SO blessed by this man!!!! excited for another 50+ years of our life together!

june

* adjusting to life with baby... we loved it!! my mom and aunt came down for a visit at the end of the month and we had so much fun. bella got introduced to shopping right away. and good food. and lots of laughing. i love my family!

july

* bella's first trip to maine! the best trip home ever. bella met her aunt gretchen for the first time and the rest of the family and lots and lots of friends. nick&i got to go to the coast, have a wine and cheese tasting at a quaint little vineyard and nick got to hike mt. katahdin with brian, where the appalachian trail ends. it was such a fun trip... we love our summer vacations to maine!

august

* god, in his perfect sovereignty, allowed all of our post-baby plans to crumble and instead granted me a huge desire of my heart: to get to stay home with sweet bel. i finished up at the counseling practice i was working at... saying goodbye to my clients was very bittersweet, but i was so excited to be a stay at home mommy. it was a huuuuge season of faith and trust for nick&i and our finances, but god provided a couple of amazing babysitting jobs for me with two really sweet families in the month of august. it was so neat to watch god bring everything together and provide for us in ways only he can do.

september

* friday nights at football stadiums began for our family this month! nick was hired as the offensive line coach for the first baptist academy saints football team... and we had a lot of fun! bella and i were able to go to all of his games (i think we missed one) and almost every week we had friends come along to cheer on our favorite coach. bella loved being outside, loved the lights, the band, the cheerleaders and she is a *huge* football fan. or maybe just a *huge* daddy fan :)

* bella and i were blessed with a trip to chicago for a reunion weekend with some of my best girlfriends from college. it was a wonderful time of reconnecting, memories, chatting and laughing. love. those. girls.

october

* took a family trip to a local pumpkin patch and had a great time taking pictures of our little pumpkin. her first halloween; she looked so sweet in her lil flower costume!

november

* as much as we loved the football season, we were also thankful for it to come to an end so we could have our weekends back as a family! thankful for our saturday morning breakfasts, time in pj's, and lazy sunday afternoons with my two favorites.

*bella's first thanksgiving! homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, macy's thanksgiving day parade, and lots and lots of family time. we spent it at nick's sister, jessica's and bella was uncharacteristically FUSSY (except for when playing with her cousin, wyatt). it was a bit of a stressful day, but special nonetheless. we spent the next day at nick's aunt ann's out in the country and we had a blast! bella was in a much better mood and we played games and ate all day. perfect.

december

* i. love. this. month. shopping for bella's first christmas gifts. putting up our tree. starbucks holiday drinks. making bella's first christmas ornament. family trip to see the lights and christmas displays on main street in grapevine. games and food with nick's extended family. christmas movies.

* christmas in maine with my family. after some minor travel mishaps, we finally made it there. bella and jude's first christmas! we took them to see santa claus at the mall and took plenty of pictures in their plaid christmas outfits and christmas eve pajamas. it was a great visit... looking at christmas lights, family, making seafood chowder, presents, and lots and lots of memories.

* blizzard! we spent the last few days of two thousand ten the same way we started it... being snowed in at my parent's house in our pj's. perfect.

thank you, jesus for a wonderful year. we are so blessed. we have learned more and more how to trust you. we have been reminded more and more of your faithfulness and your goodness. we have experienced you and your love in more tangible ways over this past year than ever before. and for that, we are so grateful.

"the LORD has done great things for us and we are filled with JOY." (ps. 126:3)