My Valentine

She is grow- ing up too fast! Bella has really started to come into her own. She loves to take pictures with her camera (both of these were taken by her). Her skills have actually been increasing - now the subject of the picture actually makes it into her picture! Apart from the camera, Bella loves to play in her playroom with her kitchen set and Mommy's Tupperware, loves to paint at her new easel she got from Christmas from Nana and Papa, and loves to partake in whatever else is going on. She will be a great help when her new sister, Evelyn Sue, arrives in a couple of months (yes, Mommy is already counting down the days). She really is a joy to have around and I have loved spending so much time with her. Bryan still works weekends occasionally and the first couple weeks in February there was so much snow and ice coming down that Mommy and Bella spent some quality time together. It was so nice having a break from work that I could actually spend the entire day with her. We enjoyed our days be coloring, painting, baking, and playing inside and out. Bella loved playing in the snow and ice with Hunter, how could any kid not love that?

And then came Valentines Day.... Bella loved getting her little box of chocolates from Daddy and an edible fruit bouquet, even though that was for Mommy. Thanks to everyone for Bella's valentines.... she loved getting mail and even more loved opening up all her presents. As she would open them, she would say "Thank you everybody for my present." She is definitely one special little Valentine.

Let it Snow!

Texas received it's first snow flurries for the year.... let's hope it won't be the last. Bella and Hunter had a great time playing outside in the white fluff, and Daddy helped make the experience even better with his additional snow flurries. Hunter really seemed to enjoy it - I take it all the barking means he approves. The laughter is too good to resist!

Also this weekend, we got to enjoy Jas spending the night. Bella loves her cousin to death and they had a good time wearing out Aunt Jena. Bella and Jas fell asleep together (actually I did too but the picture of them is so much cuter!).

Finally, Bella has been making good use of her dress up skills. She loves to parade around the house in her high heels, jewelry, and glittery ensemble. Of course the camera comes out.... especially when Bella gets to take pictures too! Smile for the camera, Mommy and Hunter!

Dancing Queen

Too cute!

And who is the better dancer now.... Daddy or Bella?

Merry Christmas.... Part 2

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.... definitely not a song we were singing this Christmas. Instead, we headed south to Houston to spend Christmas with Bryan's Mom's parents. They make the best Mexican food, so Bryan loved eating tamales for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Too bad Mommy doesn't know how to make them. Bella loved spending time with Great Grandma and Grandpa and especially their dog, Canela. She watched them cooking, helped with the dishes, and played constantly with Canela. She also liked seeing all her Great Aunts and Uncles too. Christmas there was a blast - wrapping paper everywhere and the presents for Bella didnt seem to end. Furthermore, we went over to Aunt Kristin and Uncle Andy's house, which was just down the street. Playing with their dogs Albert and Treva, dancing to the Xbox Kinect game, and threatening to paint Uncle Andy's nails were just a few of Bella's favorite things to do at their house. It was a great time all around and we were glad to have had the opportunity to spend Christmas in Houston.

Merry Christmas.... Part 1

Boy oh boy did we all have a good Christmas this year! To begin, Nana and Papa came down at the beginning of December for Christmas. We couldnt make it to Ohio, so instead they came to us. It was wonderful! We went to Northpark Mall to see the train display - although Bella's favorite part was seeing the swimming turtles. We enjoyed delicious turkey courtesy of Daddy, made Christmas cookies for Santa, and played A LOT! Both Bella and Hunter savored all the attention they were getting, and we were blessed with Nana and Papa staying an extra day thanks to all the snow in the midwest. Bella absolutely loved her new Tinkerbell blanket from Aunt E, her dress up clothes from Aunt E, her "Jakie" from Aunt E, and her art easel from Nana and Papa. It was hard to say goodbye when they had to go... but thank goodness for webcam so we can continue to "see" them all the time.

Thanksgiving Weekend

What a great Thanksgiving it was! We were invited over to Uncle Jon's parents house, and it was a wonderful family gathering. The food was endless and Bella really enjoyed playing with all the kids there, especially her Jassy. After all the good food it was definitely time for a nap! Later that night Jas, Uncle Jon, and Aunt Iris came over for a sleepover. The boys enjoyed a night of drinking and video games, the little youngins enjoyed playing with all Bella's toys, and the ladies enjoyed a morning of good quality Black Friday shopping. It was a good time for all!

After all that fun, it was definitely time to get down to business.... putting up the Christmas tree. This year it was extra special because Bella took an active part in decorating the tree and really seemed to understand more of the decorations and presents that this season brings. She loves riding in the car now and pointing out all the pretty Christmas lights. I hear her giggling about it driving down the road, it's so cute! Bella especially loved adding her silver bells to the Christmas tree that Pop gives her every year. And we couldn't forget to torment Hunter with all the Christmas decorations either, so he was given the Santa hat to wear that night. Good times all around!

Congrats to Jas!

Bella got to spend a wonderful weekend with her Nana Bev and Pop, who came to Texas for Jas' dedication. It was great spending time with them, and Bella loved all the attention she got. Here she's bowling with Nana and eating yummy Italian with Pop.

On Sunday, we got to celebrate in Jas' dedication. It was quite a site to see.... both the large church and the adorable monkey loving the spotlight. Bella patiently sat through the entire service, but it wasn't too hard when there was so much to see and she loved watching all the singers. After the dedication we had a slurp-tastic spaghetti lunch! Jas loved her new bell from Pop, as you can see.

Finally, last weekend we rang in the new holiday season at the Rowlett Holiday Parade. Armed with donuts and warm drinks, we were ready to brave the chill in the air. This was really the first parade Bella recalls, so it was interesting to see how she'd respond. She loved it! The policecar and fire truck sounding their horns and sirens made her giggle with delight. The candy all the kids threw out happily kept her attention, and she eagerly scooped it all up! I guess we'll definitely be seeing more parades in our future!