Merry Christmas!

We enjoyed many holiday preparations here in Little Rock. Then we drove to Texas for four days, where we saw real snow on Christmas Eve which stuck around for Christmas morning. At church, the priest mentioned that in his 77 Christmases in DFW, this was the first one that brought snow on the ground Christmas morning! Poor Bella had a stomach bug on the day we drove down there and Christmas Eve, so she was still a bit under-the-weather on Christmas but recovered that weekend before we returned home. Afterwards, we had another mini-Christmas back in Little Rock with Michael's parents and sister.


Gabi cutting gingerbread cookies


Tito and Tita in town for Thanksgiving


Bella posing under the Christmas tree


Bella declared naptime


Gabi after riding a horse-drawn carriage at school


The girls' gingerbread house


Gabi coloring a new "mural" (giant picture)


Snow in Texas on Christmas Eve


Bella playing with a new puppet


The girls giving a gift to Gramma Jane and Grampa


Gabi pouting


My husband :)


Bella opening a present on Christmas Eve


Uncle Scott


Aunt Alicia and Uncle Stephen with the girls in their new pajamas


Gabi crossing off Christmas Eve on her calendar
(just one last link in her chain-link count-down to Christmas!)


Bella and Mommy on Christmas morning


Bella opening her stocking


Playing with Uncle Brian's iphone


Gabi's new pattern blocks


Bella rocking her new doll, Hannah


Bella's new sewing cards


Real baby Hannah (a cousin) with Amy and Uncle Scott


Gabi telling a story


Gabi opening a present back in Little Rock


Mommy and her girls


Gabi taking a picture with her new camera

Bella's 2nd Birthday

Party at the Park
We had a small birthday party for Bella at the St. Charles park the Saturday before her birthday, and we invited all her classmates at her new school.


Lolo helping Bella slide


Swinging


Birthday girl!


Big sister


We met a puppy at the park, too.


Clara and Bella
School Party
On Bella's actual birthday (Tuesday), Gabi and I took cookies and apple juice up to Bella's school to share with all of Bella's new friends.


Bella's birthday celebration at school
Family Party
That evening, we invited all our Little Rock family over to celebrate with Bella. Bella loved the birthday song and requested "Mommy sing 'Happy To You' to Bella!" many times, including as a bedtime lullaby.


Bella and cousin Caitlin


Bella, cousin Daniel, and Gabi


Ice cream "cupcakes" from Lolo & Lola


Daddy's home!


Opening presents with Lola


Naming each animal (and its sound) from Lolo


Bella "reading" her new book


Opening a present from Ninang, Ninong, and cousin Steven


Helping baby Belle (from Disney's Beauty & the Beast) slide down
Playing with Presents
Bella has been enjoying all her new birthday presents. She and Gabi will re-wrap each item, sing "Happy Birthday" to Bella, and let Bella open them again and again. Then they play with the toys together.


Backpack!


Bella loves wearing her new backpack


Both girls decked out in Hello Kitty jewelry

Texas in February

The girls and I took a weekend road trip to Dallas in February.


Bella on the bench in Gramma & Grampa's back yard


Uncle Brian teaching Gabi to dribble
My mom hosted a great bridal shower for Stephanie, which was the occasion for our trip. I bought Steph a bunch of kitchen gadgets (and some fun things, like a Texas Longhorns tumbler) so we could play a memory game at the shower. Everyone had a minute or so to look at all the items, and then I covered them up and everyone had a couple minutes to write down as much as they could remember.


Me and Stephanie


Attendees at Steph's bridal shower
My piano teacher and church choir director is the lady in red on the far right. And, of course, my [other] best friend, Sydney, was there as well.


Melissa, Sydney, and Stephanie
After the shower, the girls entertained my family.


Gabi and Bella singing and dancing


Gabi laughing with Stephen and Alicia


Stephen and Bella playing piano


This was Stephen's birthday.
Happy birthday, Uncle Stephen!


Gramma Jane and Grampa


Granddad was in town, too
Mom had taken Granddad to his Aggie Reunion the previous week, so he was visiting for a bit before she drove him back to the Texas panhandle. My cousin Mark and his wife Liz live in Dallas, too, so they came over for dinner. We were glad to get to see them. Congrats on expecting two baby girls!


Liz, Granddad, and Mark


Bella riding in Great-Granddad's wheelchair


Gabi opening a birthday present


Gabi coloring in her giant activity book


Aunt Alicia and Uncle Stephen with the girls