you are my long haired, dimpled cheeked, kindhearted, strong willed free spirit. you are both sassy and sensitive. carefree and thoughtful. an emotion driven little beauty that can be both raging and dripping with sticky sweetness from one minute to the next. you are driven by your heart and by passion, which can be an amazing thing, as long as you continually surrender your way over to the lord and love him with your whole heart. that will come. right now, we're just trying to get you to control your anger over not being allowed to eat half a loaf of bread at dinner, wear a sleeveless dress and high heels outside to play in the snow or watch "frozen" for the fifteenth time.
already, i see in you such a longing to be beautiful. just tonight i could hear you talking to daddy in your room. you had just put on a princess dress and you twirled in front of him saying "look daddy, aren't i so beautiful?" in his gentle, daddy way he said "well bella you're beautiful all of the time, not just when you're wearing dresses." you were confused "but no, daddy, i look really beautiful when i'm dressed up!" he went on to explain that what makes you beautiful is that you were created by god, and its what is in your heart, how you treat others, and being kind and loving. you still didn't agree, so we are working on this with you. it's an almost daily conversation :) you just LOVE to be in dresses. we've been having the coldest winter here this year, and every day while i'm bundled up in as many layers i can muster, you're prancing around the house in sleeveless dresses and bare legs. you are OBSESSED with princess dresses!! many times at night, we'll go in to say goodnight to you, and you've changed into one of your dress-up dresses and fallen asleep in ruffles and tulle. you just love clothes, and you don't lack in confidence at all which i love. the other day we were at church for a playgroup and you had to go to the bathroom. i took you, and while we were in there, you stopped to gaze at yourself infront of a full length mirror. "oh look at me, mama!" you sighed. i just want you to always remember, my sweet girl, that the bible says a woman who loves the lord is worth more than the most precious jewels. you radiate beauty from the inside out.
one of your new favorites is the movie "frozen". you had never been to the movies; daddy and i were waiting for just the right one that we knew you would love! a few weeks ago, daddy, me and meme took you to the theatre to see it. you were SO excited! it was such a cute movie and you just loved it; you giggled the whole time and were just glued to the screen. we listen to the music daily, and you and emmy love singing and dancing to the songs. it's so cute.
speaking of emmy, you guys love each other so much. you fight and squabble over toys, but i find you cuddled up together on the couch, or playing quietly in your room, or giggling and laughing over a new game you've created. you are just too cute. today, we had all taken naps. you and emmy woke up first and you went into her room. her new favorite word is "poop"... i know, it's so lovely. she says it allll the time. so she kept saying it over and over to you today and you were laughing. then finally i heard you say "emmy, you are my best friend but right now you're driving me NUTS!" whenever we are out in public, you talk to anyone and everyone. the other day, we crossed paths with a woman in the parking lot of the grocery. you said "oh, hi i'm bella. how are you today?" you're just so talkative and friendly. all the time, you introduce people to yourself and then you'll say "and this is my friend, emmy." i just think it's the cutest thing ever that you introduce her as your "friend" instead of "sister". sisters are the best friends, and i'm so so so grateful that you are blessed with each other.
last weekend was really tough... you were very sick :( you and emmy had spent the night at meme's and you'd been so excited all week. jude came over too for a big sleepover in meme's room, and you woke up before six the next morning throwing up. meme called me around seven saying that the last time you had thrown up you said "i want my mama". i couldn't get to you fast enough. on the way home, we stopped at the grocery for daddy to run in and get you some juice. i said "it's okay, honey, mama's here now. it always feels good for kids to have their mamas when they're not feeling well, doesn't it?" you nodded and said "yeah, and their daddies too." you are so right. daddy takes such good care of us. you were pretty sick that day, sweet pea, and it just broke my heart. you hated throwing up and just kept telling me how scared you were. it was awful. that night when you were going to bed, i sat with you and just stroked your hair and kissed your forehead for a bit. you looked at me with those big brown eyes of yours and said "you help me feel better, mama." i just teared right up. you touch my heart, my bella girl.
we're really working with you on becoming a better eater. we've seen some progress over the last year, but we still want to do what we can to encourage you to eat healthy. you absolutely love fruit, and eat an apple (or two) every single day. it's hard for me to keep up! some days it will be ten o'clock in the morning and you and emmy have already eaten an apple, blueberries, an orange and a banana. it's kind of crazy. but you are my bread girl, and could eat bread all day long. so we're trying to reign that in. you're getting much better and now you try a lot of different things! just this week you've had some granola, hummus with rice crackers, bell peppers, coconut milk, quinoa, broccoli, and a few sips of green smoothies. hey, we're making progress. some meals are harder than others. the other night at dinner, you suddenly got up from the table. when i asked you where you were going, you hung your head very low and said "i'm just going to go to my room because you said something mean to me." when i asked you what i had said, you replied "you said i needed to eat my vegetables and it made me very, very sad."
you've loved playing with all of your new toys that you got at christmas. it's pretty awesome watching you in your own little world, your imagination totally taking off. one of your favorite christmas presents was a puzzle we got you at the dollar store! you put it together all by yourself in no time at all, so the next day daddy went back and got you a forty eight piece one in the shape of a heart. without skipping a beat, you put that one together too! you get so proud of yourself! when you complete it you'll say "pssst, pssst!" and then we all cheer. it's so great for you to learn that if something is difficult, you can stick with it and accomplish it! a few mornings, you would put your puzzle together as you ate breakfast. i joked with daddy that you were 3 going on 93.
you love going to your babysitter, michelle's house. on the nights before you go, i'll tuck you in and remind you that you're going to michelle's tomorrow, you'll gasp and say "i get to go there again!?" michelle told me that every day, when all of the kids are gathered for lunchtime, you say a prayer (unprompted) for the food. it's gotten to the point where one of the boys will say "is bella going to do that thing again that she does before we eat lunch?" and you'll say the blessing and pray for every child sitting around the table. that just made me so proud to hear, baby girl. she also told me that you've made friends with this little girl and the other day she was asking where you were. she said "i love bella, she's so cute and tiny and she wants me to be her best friend... i miss her." you make fast friends, my sweetheart. that is a great gift.
you're such a joy, bella grace. you blow me away with your sweetness and thoughtfulness of others. i can't wait to see how god uses you. so blessed that i was chosen to be your mama.
love you to the moon and back (and back and back),
mama
you are the perfect combination of sweet, quirky, strong willed, affectionate, cheerful, funny, hot-headed awesomeness all rolled into the one. when you're away from me, i think about your smile, your big brown eyes, your curls and chubby cheeks and i can't wait to snuggle you again.
speaking of snuggling... it's our morning tradition. i get my coffee, you sit on my lap on the couch and we snuggle under a big blanket while you watch a show. you love it. you've started saying "snuggle! snuggle!" first thing in the morning, as you grab my hand and lead me over to the couch. i love it so much.
you are a little performer; and you are hysterical to watch. you love making people laugh. your love for singing and dancing is one of my absolute favorite things about you. you have been obsessed with the song "roar" by katy perry, and you've also learned "you are my sunshine", "the b-i-b-l-e" and "jesus loves me" and can sing them by heart. it's SO cute. a few weeks ago, mama and daddy took bella to see the movie "frozen". since then, we've been playing music from the movie just about every day. you LOVE it! your favorite song is "do you want to build a snowman?" and you sing it at the top of your lungs.
you are also my little bookworm. you're obsessed with books!! and i love it. we go to the library often, and you really enjoy it. all day, you're constantly bringing me books at home--running to me with them in your hands and a huge smile on your face--"books! books!" and often i find you sitting by yourself, reading. i hope you love books your whole life, my sweet girl.
you are SO independent, which has really surprised me; because at times you are very laid back, but wow do you have a temper! you are starting to love helping me cook in the kitchen, just like your big sister. but you HATE it if i try to help! we were making brownies the other day, just you and i. you were holding the big whisk as i was putting everything in the bowl, and when i went to help you stir you just about lost your mind. so i let you do it for a while, and then quickly tried to distract you with the batter-filled spoon before i swooped in to take the whisk from you, but it didn't work. you wanted nothing to do with the brownie batter and got so so so mad at me for taking over. huge tantrum ensued. other times, you are my cuddly, clingy little one who still won't go out the front door without holding onto my hand. it's so funny what a mix you are. i love your personality.
daddy and i both have marveled at how you have changed. even over christmas vacation it seemed like in one week you just blossomed. you're learning more words all the time. the other day, i was putting on your coat when we were leaving meme's and out of the blue, you pointed to it and said "jacket!" i couldn't believe it. you pick up on everything and are such a quick learner. you've started saying more sentences... your new phrase is "where (blank) go?" if you can't find something. you also say "i love you" and you love giving kisses and squeezes. you've even started asking to use the potty! just this morning, you were tugging at your diaper to pull it off saying "potty, potty!" we've sat you on it a few times, but you're still just figuring it all out. every princess is "rewwa" (cinderella) and i love that you call bella "shisshy" (sissy).
speaking of sissy... she is your hero. you look up to her so much and you just LOVE playing with her. you both fight and some days you're at each other quite a bit, but you are total best buddies. you look out for one another and you love being together. you are such a little bug, though! you go up to bella quite often and just whack her for no reason, or you'll hit her just to see what will happen. fortunately for you, little girl, she's very patient with you. and you are always quick to want to make up if you've fought about something. you run in saying "hug! hug!" or "kisses!" and "shaahwy, shishhy" (sorry, sissy). the other day, you and bella had both dressed up in cinderella dresses (you love dressing up!). daddy said you all were dancing in the living room when bella announced "i will be cinderella, daddy you can be prince charming and emmy, you're gus gus!" in typical emmy fashion, you were happy to play along.
you love your babysitter, michelle (who you call "shel"). every day you go to her house, when you come home i ask you who you played with and you say "taaa-weee". charlie is a little girl who also goes to michelle's house and you have become fast friends. michelle says that you are always coming up to her throughout the day asking to sing "jesus loves me" or "the b-i-b-l-e". i love that you love songs about jesus! you also love sitting in her lap and don't want too many other kids to invade your "territory".
your personality is such a mix of so many things, and you are so different depending on where we are and who we're around. when i take bella to gymnastics, it's one of my favorite times with you because for the whole hour of class, you just sit so still on my lap. i watch your beautiful brown eyes staring, watching, taking everything in. you look from face to face in the waiting room, studying everyone and flashing your cute little smile. you're just as calm and chill as can be. i love just having you in my lap for that long, being able to squeeze you, kiss your cheeks and whisper "i love you" in your little ear. you are just so sweet, my ems.
i love you with all my heart, little girl. i'm trying to hold on to all these moments i have with you before all of the babyness in your face is gone. it makes me want to cry just thinking about it. thanks for loving our snuggle time on the couch... please love it forever, okay?
love you to the moon and back (and back and back),
mama
i love quinoa. have you ever tried it? if you haven't, you should. it's considered to be a whole grain like rice and barley, but it's actually a seed. it's easy to cook (very similar to rice) and tastes great plus it provides all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein. super healthy, gluten free and absolutely delicious.
quinoa is very versatile; you can use it in breakfast dishes, salads and even baked goods!
are you convinced yet??
so, the other day my aunt told me she was making "mexican quinoa casserole" for dinner. immediately i said "i need the recipe!!!" and grabbed my stuff to head to the grocery.
{i needed to get groceries anyway, but i definitely knew i needed to make this right away. and i did; for dinner that same night}
oh.my.goodness, yall. i'm so glad i did. this is definitely one of our new favs and will probably make it into our nearly-weekly dinner rotation. it's so healthy but doesn't compromise any flavor or delciousness. i used to make mexican lasagna all the time, and this tasted almost exactly like it except way healthier!
still not convinced?
our ultra-picky-turns-her-nose-up-at-almost-every-vegetable-three-year-old was eating it by the spoonful... nosily. "mmmmm...mmmmm, mama this is so yummy. i really like it, i really, really do!"
enough said.
mexican quinoa casserole
* 1 c. dry quinoa
* 2 c. water
* 1/2 t. salt
* 2 T. olive oil
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 can of corn
* 3 bell peppers (any color), diced
* 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (i left this out because honestly, i'm a wimp!)
* 1 T. cumin
* 1 t. chili powder
* 1 T. fresh lime juice
* 2 cups tomatoes, seeded and chopped (discovered mine had gone bad, so i just used about a cup of salsa)
* 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1/2 c. plus 2 T. (for garnish) fresh cilantro
* 1/4 c. plus 1/4 c. green onions, sliced
* 1/4 c. black olives, sliced
* 1 c. shredded cheese
- combine water, quinoa and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. then reduce heat to simmer, cover and allow to cook until all liquid is absorbed (approx. fifteen to twenty mintues). fluff with a fork, set aside.
- over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic to skillet and saute for twenty seconds. add corn, bell peppers, jalapeno, cumin and chili powder and saute for three minutes.
- add lime juice and tomatoes (or salsa) and saute for another three minutes. transfer to mixing bowl with cooked quinoa.
- combine quinoa mixture with black beans, cilantro, green onions and black olives. spread into a greased 8x8 baking dish, top with cheese and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
we topped ours with sour cream, salsa and diced avocado! very yummy with tortilla chips; this is a great, gluten free, vegetarian, healthy option as a tasty dip or dish for the superbowl!
881. little hands reaching for mine.
882. vanilla coconut milk.
883. grey skies fluttering with snowflakes.
884. pulling the girls in a sled and hearing their giggles filling the air behind me.
885. butter melting on warm homemade bread.
886. date nights with my favorite guy.
887. emmy's singing.
888. homemade granola.
889. watching movies snuggled in bed.
890. bella's hugs.
891. coconut cake.
892. being able to love and comfort my sick girl back to health.
893. piles of laundry, clean and warm.
two thousand thirteen was a good year for our little family. we have watched our little girls grow and their personalities blossom. god lead us to a new, wonderful church that we have loved getting to be a part of. we've deepened friendships with others and their little families, we've felt more at home, more at peace and more purposeful in where god has us and how he's using us.
such sweet, precious memories in the past twelve months... here are just a few: january
- we started off january with our second christmas celebration. since we were in dallas with nick's family on christmas, we gathered at my mom's for christmas with my family the second weekend in january. we spent the night, had breakfast together, opened gifts, kids played and more family came over that night. a great way to start off the new year!
- i turned thirty two, and to celebrate, my mom kept the girls and nick took me out for a sushi date and a movie at home. the next morning, we went to breakfast and then to my favorite little antique shop where we found a few deals. it was a great birthday, filled with some of my most favorite things.
- we had a lot of snow in january; a couple of big blizzard like storms which meant snow days for nick and i and lots of playing outside and hot chocolate. we love those days!
february
- my littlest valentines.
- february vacation was a bit challenging this year. we spent a lot of time at the hospital, as my grandfather fell at the beginning of the week and got admitted, and within a couple of days, my grandmother followed suit. we did make it to one tournament game at the bangor auditorium; the last tournament played on that court! pretty sentimental considering my dad played there, and so did i. i loved getting to take bella to a place that meant so much to our family. we also got some extra time as a family to hang with the girls, which is always special... kind of love these girls and their growing personalities!
march
- a large group of us gathered at a local restaurant on the twenty second to remember my dad's birthday. i started a little tradition with bella this year to remember bampy: we got hot fudge sundaes from mcdonald's (dad loved them) and cuddled in my bed for a movie... ems got the raw end of the deal and got stuck with her plain ole bottle. next year!
- nick and our niece, lucy, celebrated their birthday the very next day. lulu turned one, and nick celebrated thirty one. the next weekend, my mom kept the girls so we could celebrate nick. we went to a local sports bar, watched college basketball and ate some good, greasy food and slept in the next morning. a good date for my best guy.
- our family loves march maddness! i had bella fill out her own bracket this year; she was prone to choose teams that ended in "state". she didn't do so hot, neither did any of us. but we still had fun watching. a few nights we let bella stay up late and watch with us...
- easter came early this year. the girls loved their easter baskets, and we got ready early for breakfast with our home church. after our morning of fellowship, we headed home for naps and an easter egg hunt in the front yard. we gathered at my aunt's house for dinner as a family that evening. so thankful for the hope we have in christ, and his ability to make beauty from ashes.
april
- our family, my mom and my sister's family headed to portland for a weekend getaway. my mom, sister and i went to a friend's baby shower and the mall with lucy and ems while the guys took jude and bella to mcdonald's and back to the hotel for some swimming. the kids loved the pool, and it was a restful fun time for all of us!
- we got my grandparents settled into a senior care facility, where they were able to be in the same room. my grandfather's health was declining, and it was difficult watching him struggle. we had lots of good visits with them and time together as a family which i am so thankful for.
- april vacation was not very much of a vacation for us, but rather a week of home improvement projects! we got so much done. gave our kitchen a total makeover by painting our cupboards white. bella and emmy spent a day at their babysitter, jesse's home, and nick&i worked like busy bees creating and completing bella's big girl room. and we got to work on our landscaping, digging up all of the old shrubs out front to prepare for some new flower beds and hydrangea bushes. it wasn't very relaxing, but our house felt like a new place by the time we were done!
- our sweet emmy ems turned one at the end of the month! we had a "you are my sunshine" party for her with lots of family and friends. she went completely NUTS over her cupcake and other sweet treats and loved being the center of attention. her first year went by so fast; i can't imagine (or even remember!) what our life was like without our impish little funny girl.
may
- we celebrated mother's day with a sleepover with meme, a big breakfast the next morning, a visit to my grandmother and a good generation photo, and time with the whole fam that evening. it was a good day celebrating the women in our lives and the gift i've been given to be the mom of our two sweet girls.
- the middle of may, our bella girl turned three! the day of her birthday, we met some friends and family at our favorite park with a mcdonald's picnic and lots of swinging and sliding. on the way home, we stopped to get hot fudge sundaes (our little birthday tradition with the girls). the next day, we had a little family party for her with lots of pink and princesses! it was a great celebration for our little sweetheart.
- cookout season was finally upon us the end of may! we had lots of fun throughout the summer having friends over, watching the kids play in the backyard and gathering around our firepit for long talks, sparklers and smores. and of course, just lots of time playing outside!
- we also began going to a new church this month, and we are just so grateful to have found a new place of fellowship and get to hear such fantastic teaching. the girls love it as well and get so excited to go to church. if you know anything about our church journey over the past year or so, you know what a huge blessing this was to us!
june
- on may 30th, nick&i celebrated five years of wedded bliss ;) so, the beginning of june we went on an anniversary getaway to one of our favorite little places: bar harbor. it's a quaint, cozy town on the coast and also actually happens to be where we got engaged, so we kind of love it there. we stayed in a beautiful hotel right on the water. it rained almost the whole time we were there, but that only made it more cozy. we found the cutest coffee shop, strolled along the shore, went in a few shops, had a fantastic dinner, slept in and ate breakfast at the cutest hole in the wall restaurant where we also had breakfast the morning we got engaged. we are so nostalgic like that. it was the perfect little getaway!
- our family and lots of close friends participated this year in a liver walk in portland in memory of my dad. my brother-in-law made red t-shirts (my dad's fav color) and team brewster was large and in charge. it was pretty amazing to see a sea of red walking along the route. about forty people came out to show their love and honor my dad; it was truly a moving experience that we will look forward to every year! you are awesome dad... still touching lives even after you're gone.
- we celebrated father's day this year by letting nick sleep in, a big breakfast, a golfing trip for him with some of his buddies and ending the day with a steak cookout with family. he smiled all weekend telling me what a great time he had. so thankful to get to celebrate this sweet man; the girls and i are such lucky ladies to be blessed with him!!
- bella started gymnastics in june and also went to her first vacation bible school! i couldn't believe it; felt like such a big week for her, and i was painfully aware of how big my little girl was getting. she absolutely LOVES gymnastics and it's been a great outlet for her, physically, developmentally and socially. she's getting her crazies out and learning to listen better to instruction, follow directions and just loves being around lots of other kids :) vacation bible school was a huge hit for her; there was a bounce house, a slip and slide, lots of crafts and fun songs and she always came home telling us new things she had learned about jesus.
- i was so excited the end of june when two of my best friends from college came to visit! the three of us hadn't been together in years, so it was a much anticipated weekend! i picked mel and leah up in boston and we chatted and drove back to maine in the wee hours of the morning. we relaxed, caught up, played with the girls and had a fun all day outing to bar harbor. i'm so blessed by their friendship, and by having women that have been constant in my life, supporting me, loving me and no matter how much time goes by or miles separate us, we still go right back to where we left off.
july
- we packed up the fam and headed to texas the beginning of july! we had a full two weeks of fun with family, catching up with friends, going to a water park, heading to the country, exploring downtown a bit and making lots and lots of new memories. it was a great trip and as always, so much fun! just love seeing our girls get to spend time with our family there and get to be around our friends as well. no matter how long we're gone, it still feels like our other "home".
- the girls and i took lots and lots of day trips during july and august! nick joined us on a few, but i loved filling our weekdays with trips to the coast, exploring beaches and quaint villages, finding little parks and picnic places and venturing out. we always had company; my aunt, my mom or our friends. maine in the summer is almost magical, and i want the girls to experience it all. such sweet, sweet memories from our daytrip adventures!
- the girls had lots of fun this summer as always, dancing and singing and i had to include this video from this summer, since it is one of my alltime favorites:
august
- after ninety one years on this earth, my sweet grampy went home to be with the lord on august fifth. we had some precious time with him by his bedside, and we knew he was ready to see his jesus and to be reunited with the son he missed so dearly. we had a beautiful service for him and celebrated his life. so thankful to know he is at peace and full of joy in the presence of his savior.
- we had a family trip to my uncle byron's camp on portage lake in mid-august. he has a beautiful cabin on a quiet lake in northern maine and we decided an annual trip there was going to be our new summer tradition! we ate and ate some more. the kids swam and explored, the babies napped and tried eating rocks. the adults played endless games of dominoes and waited until the kids went to bed to dig into ice cream. it was a great little getaway with lots of fun memories! bella still asks all the time when we are going back!
- bella and emmy went to one last vacation bible school at the end of the summer at my sister and brother-in-law's church. it was a riot, and i was so glad that both of them could go because emmy loved it just as much as bella! nick had football camp that week, so i would always pick them up and i couldn't wait to walk in and see them in action... they'd both always be in the auditorium singing and dancing to the music. they were obsessed and we are still playing those songs here at home ;)
september
- football began in full swing in september and the girls and i hunkered down for a short season of missing our guy. but it's always a special time that i love as well as we get to make a few road trips to see his games, and have fun following our favorite coach! great memories for the girls; there's nothing like watching them run out onto the field at the end of the game into the arms of their daddy, under those big ole lights. good times.
- we got to go apple picking this year! it was a great time, although we didn't get as many apples as i hoped for. still enough to make some apple butter, a couple pies and apple crisps. i do love fall baking; one of my favorite seaons to be in the kitchen.
- i got to go on a special mama/daughter date with my youngest; sesame street live with emmy! it was so fun, and she absolutely loved it! she sat in my lap, just staring and smiling, or was down dancing to the music and pointing to all of her favorite characters. it was so sweet and such treasured one-on-one time with my little girl!
october
- we started a new family fall tradition with our first trip to treworgy's orchards! the girls loved feeding the goats, checking out the pumpkins and getting ice cream. the hayride was definitely a huge hit as well! it was such a fun evening for our little fam... can't wait to go back next year!
- as a red sox fan, this fall was particularly exciting with another world series victory! the games were on so late i had to start drinking coffee to avoid falling asleep on the couch, but it was a really fun couple of weeks in the cornwell household. very meaningful to me, as we had all of my dad's old red sox hats on display for a couple of weeks. i can still see him fist pumping even now.
- halloween was super fun this year with the girls! bella had been excited about it for weeks. she dressed up as cinderella (which is a total surprise, i know!) and ems a cute lil strawberry. it was pouring rain halloween night which kind of put a damper on things, but we went to meme's work for pictures and candy and then to my aunts house for our traditional dinner and raiding her candy stash. its always a fun night... for them and us :)
november
- my annual girls weekend came right on the heels of football season, which was a well timed getaway for me! my high school girlfriends and i meet up in portland and stay in a hotel, do some shopping, drink lots of coffee, eat leisurely breakfasts by the fireplace and talk and talk and laugh and cry and talk some more. i always look forward to this trip and time with some of my favorite women!
- nick enjoyed a weekend with the guys the very next week, heading to my uncle byron's camp with our brother-in-law brian and another friend. they ate lots of meat and bacon, played settlers of catan and finished the weekend with watching football at a local sports bar. he loved it, although i'm pretty sure our weekend away was alot more fun ;)
- we hosted our second thanksgiving this year in our home, which i always enjoy! the girls woke up excited to watch the macy's parade while nick&i got everything set up. mom came over early and we finished cooking everything while the rest of the family arrived. we had a huge and delicious meal that was a group effort by everyone, followed with lots of sitting, dessert eating and football watching. the kids played excitedly and we went to bed happy. it was a great day; so much to be thankful for.
december
- my mom, sister and i have started a tradition of going out of town (portland...again... i know, we really like it there!) before christmas to do some shopping and have some mother/daughter/sister time. it's always a really fun weekend and one i look forward to all year!
- the holiday season this year was one of my absolute favorites. bella woke up every morning asking if it was christmas yet, she was really really excited this year. and because of that, emmy was just as excited even if she didn't quite understand it all! we did lots of really fun things like santa clause for a cause, the polar express, baking day at meme's, riding around to look at lights, getting into mama and daddy's bed and watching christmas movies on the wall thanks to daddy's projector... it was a really fun season full of great memories!
- christmas this year was one of the prettiest christmases i can remember. we had a huge ice storm a few days before, which made all of the trees just glisten and shine. it was beautiful. meme spent the night on christmas eve and we woke up to do presents and stockings and had a big breakfast with meme and paul and jill, some longtime family friends. then we headed to meme's house to do presents with my sister's family, followed by traditional fondue with my aunt's family that evening. it was a great day; there is absolutely nothing like watching your children at christmastime. such a gift!
- new years eve was very relaxed in the cornwell house this year. we had a pre-bedtime dance party with the girls and then after they were asleep, nick&i opened some wine, baked some appetizers from trader joes and played a long, heated game of scrabble. i fought to keep myself awake on the couch to watch the ball drop and then we headed to bed. a cozy night at home with my favorite guy. not a bad way to usher in the new year.
farewell, two thousand thirteen. thank you for many, many sweet memories. as i look over these photos, i'm sad this year is over but i look forward to what two thousand fourteen will bring!
