Princess Party/Gymnastics

Almost a month has past and I have not written a thing on this blog.  My apologies for those of you that actually take the time to see if I have updated.  It is not that I don't have a million things to talk about I just can't seem to find the time...when I find the time I am exhausted. 

First up: 
Our Princess Snow White Tea Party. 

Proof that having a girl is so much fun!  She can be rugged and tough when playing with all the boys and she can be sweet and tender when having a tea party with her mom, dad, and Elffy (her elephant).  She is wearing a Snow White dress that was so graciously passed down to us by some dear friends of ours ...We were given several different princess dresses and we are very eager to try them all but ...we are taking it slow- thanks Jen & Frank we really appreciate all of your kindness.  There will be many more princess tea party's in our future.  Loving It!

We made "princess crowns" and everything!  I look a little more like Wonder Woman then a princess... but I'll take it!

Next:
Gymnastics.

Ahliana has been taking gymnastics for about 5 months now.  It is amazing to see the progress that she is making.  Is she doing back flips and cartwheels yet? ...Well no, she's two.  But she is able to jump off of a platform and land on her feet.  She can do summer salts, walk on a balance beam (with a little assistance), swing while hanging on to a bar, and she can jump on the trampoline line nobody's business.  She loves gymnastics! At the end of the season they put on a little show, which is where I took the following pictures.  She did great and we were so very proud of her!!  They even gave them a certificate and 3 ribbons!  WOW her first ribbons!!

That's it for now.  I will try to get better with the blogging... but no promises.

Happy 2011!!

Just want to wish everyone a Happy, Healthy, and Safe New Year!  We had a little family/friend gathering and it was wonderful!  Quiet and very enjoyable.  Ahliana stayed up until 1am... yes, my two year old refused to go to sleep...she did not want to miss any of the excitement.  I did not take pictures (I know this is very surprising to many of you) and a blog without pictures is boring.  But I still wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year!  2011 is sure to be GREAT!

Sweet Success!

 

Christmas was beautiful!  All the things I didn't think I would get done eventually got done.  This year Ahliana was old enough to participate in some old traditions and to help start some new ones.  I hope that these traditions are something that Ahliana will cherish forever the way that I do.

I thought Christmas cookies were not going to get baked this year.  I had all the ingredients bought and all the right intentions but time was running thin.  This is one of my favorite Christmas memories with my mother.  We always made Christmas cookies.  I remember this fondly...the rolling of the dough, the cookie cutters, the baking, the frosting, and of course the eating... I want those memories for my sweet girl... I was off on Christmas Eve so Thursday night we baked.  Ahliana helped me for the first two batches then I retired her to the bedroom and quickly finished the rest.  

While she peacefully took a 3 hour nap the next day I slapped some frosting on 98% of the cookies and let her complete the other 2% when she woke up.  All she really wanted to do was lick the frosting off the knife anyway.  She did like putting all of the sugar sprinkles all over them though... we called it our sprinkles of love.

I am not one to preach religion to anyone but I am a believer. He has given ME every reason to believe and has blessed me beyond belief.  So I want my daughter to know that God is our creator and I want her to know the true meaning behind Christmas. So this year we made cupcakes and sung Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas morning. Ahliana was so excited that she got to blow out his candles.

We blew reindeer food in the front yard, to attract Santa's reindeer (because they are really the ones leading the sleigh you know). Who knows what will be growing in daddy's grass come this spring...but hey it's all in the spirit of things right??!!.  We also left several cookies and a glass of milk out for Santa.  After working that hard on our cookies we had to be sure to leave some for the big guy... and he must have thought they were delicious because he only left crumbs.

We welcomed a northern chill on Christmas Eve that dropped the temperatures significantly, making it feel that much more like Christmas.  We traditionally spend Christmas Eve at Uncle E's house.  We gather with family and friends - old and new.  It is relaxing, uneventful, and just plan fun.  Ahliana is the only "small" child and this year, as she does every year, she showed everyone just how cute she was.  She showed Amber how to make Texas style snow angels on the wood floor, she danced around, and just acted plan silly the entire night.  She did help entertain all the other kids by bringing the new popular kid flick: "Despicable Me" (Thank you Jessica). 

Christmas...How do I describe how wonderful our Christmas was? ... I really hate to over use the word magical...but it really was magical.  Ahliana is 2 1/2 ... enough said.  When she woke up she was anxious to see what Santa left her and when she laid eyes on her doll house she just jumped with excitement.  It was adorable!!  Then as she was opening other gifts she would stop to strike a pose for mommy taking pictures...ohhhh so cute this one!!  She was sure to help Grandma open her gifts too.

Christmas morning is always spent at the house then it is off to my brother's house.  I like to be around the kiddos on Christmas and I have spent nearly every Christmas with my niece and nephew ... I remember when I used to spend the night on Christmas Eve so that I could be there with them as they opened Santa's gifts...special times and special memories. 

What I love most about spending time with family on Christmas, or any other day for that matter, is they way that our family loves my baby girl.  They all love my girl as if she were their own.  Not because they have to love her .. but because she is my baby girl .. and they love me that much too.

Freaking Out!

I must admit that last Friday the 17th of December I was freaking out a little.  We did not have up not one Christmas decoration.  Keith's hours at work have been horrendous this year and yet somehow we have still managed to make it feel like Christmas.  I don't know if it is because we have had a few chilly days (okay really cold ones for us), maybe it was the ride on The Polar Express, maybe it is all the peppermint cream I have started putting in my coffee, maybe it's the Frasier Fur that is standing in my office all decks out with ornaments and lights?  I really don't care why ... I am just digging the feeling.  I love Christmas!  I love seeing Christmas and all the magic it brings through the eyes of my sweet baby girl. 

So I lied a little... we did have a tree up by the 17th.  We put it together on the 12th...but it stood naked for a week before Ahliana and I were able to decorate it.  We finally got to that on the 18th while Keith was at work.  Honestly though the only reason the tree was up was due to the fact that 1) it is fake and 2) we had to get Derby out of the attic (Derby is our Elf on the Shelf that reports to Santa every night).  Of Course Derby was a must...he tells Santa if Ahliana is naughty/nice for the day...I know she is young but she gets it. 

We are lucky to have neighbors that have really lit it up this year, as they do every year.  Our favorite, of course, has to be Uncle B and Aunt Tammy's yard.  They have Monty the Mouse, Mumble and his Mom, Norma Jean and Dad, Memphis from Happy Feet, George from Pepper Pig, Gloria (the hippo) from Madagascar, Daisy and Duke the dog, and Eli the elephant.... I am sure that I am forgetting someone.  Every night when Ahli and I get home we go over and say hello to them all.  She loves them and talks about them all the way home.

We did visit Santa a couple of weeks ago.  There is something magical about the Santa at our mall.  I wish he would have been wearing a hat and didn't look so tired .. but who am I kidding I would probably look tired too if a million strange children sat in my lap all day .. some happy... some not so much.  I was hoping that this would not be the year that she found a fear of him.  Not my kiddo, she fears nothing...hahaha.  She willing sat on his lap and told him that she wants two lollipops for Christmas.  My sweet girl.

Christmas will be over soon and we will pack it all away for another year.  Then around August we will be anxiously waiting for it's arrival.  By October it will be flooding our stores.  Then December will be here and gone again before we all know it... I wish I could slow it down just a little some how.

Choo..Choo..All Aboard

I can not put into words what an amazing adventure this was.  Last weekend (only if I had blogging agents to keep up with my blogs-this wouldn't be going out so late) we joined two of my great friends and each of their families and took a 3 hour journey to Palestine to go ride the Polar Express. It was AWESOME!! Truly a Magical experience... It really was so wonderful that I don't know how to describe it.

I do, however, have plenty of pictures and if you look at the excitement in Ahliana's eyes you too will see the magic.

It was an amazing 28 hour adventure.  It started at 2pm on Friday December 10th and we arrived home around 6pm the next day.  We stopped off at the Grapevine Safari on the way home with the Gilanyi family... I will save that for the next post.

All three of us so excited yet so exhausted we could barely stand it.  Keith and I opted for a little Red Bull and Ahliana a little nap. 

So let the road trip begin....

We got there around 6pm and our train departed at 8:05pm so we had time to check into the hotel and throw down...and I do mean throw down... some pizza.  Should I tell you that that was the best pizza EVER...

There is something to be said about the kindness in small towns.  People really do go out of their way to help others.  It is just so different then the big city.

Okay enough with all the small chat... The Polar Express...

All Aboard!!!

The Brown Family

The Gilanyi Family

Hot Chocolate!!!

They bring around the book and show the illustrations.

Us!!

My poor honey has probably been up for about 23 hours at this point...but still looking handsome as ever!

My baby looking at the North Pole...trying to find the elf's...

The boys looking at the North Pole.

SANTA!!!

Ahli's favorite... the Elf's..

I Believe!!

Moments after Santa gave Ahliana her bell and she put it up to her ear, closed her eyes, and said "I Believe"... Jackie and I (and everybody else that witnessed it) were in tears.. it was a perfect moment...one that I will never forget!  Unfortunately we did not get that moment on film...but it will always be a magical memory.

The conductor punching the tickets... No he did not do letters or words.. just two little moons.  It was still perfect and the children loved it!

We definitely believe!!!

P.S.  I love to recieve and read all comments.  So if you read this or any of the blog posts please feel free to leave a comment to tell me what you think.  You don't have to...no pressure...It is just fun for me to read.