A Year in Pictures 2011

January
We saw Disney on Ice

February
Annabelle had mismatch day at school

March
Circus time!

April
Annabelle made her first butter lamb

May
Mark and I took our first vacation alone in more than 5 years to New Orleans

June
Annabelle turned 5!

July
We stay-cationed around the city

August
There were many days spent at the beach

September
My baby started Kindergarten

October
We celebrated a friends birthday by getting all dressed up

November
Annabelle had a feast at school

December
We celebrated and celebrated and celebrated with family and friends. 


Happy New Year!  I'm looking forward to an even better 2012!

One Last Christmas Favorite

One of my favorite parts of Christmas presents from Mark are the gift tags.  Ever since our very first Christmas together, back in 1995, he would write cute things on the gift tags.  There was no to: Jaime, love: Mark tags.  They would say things like to: my light, love: the candle or to: the love of my life, love: Paul Gaustad (my hockey boyfriend).  Sometimes they are romantic and other times sarcastic but I have saved almost all the tags, all the ones that really meant something to me. 

This year my favorite tag said to:  I love the way you look, just as you are love: your tubby husband.

He knows how down on myself I can get, especially about how I look to myself.  That one little sentiment, that he loves all of me even after almost 17 years together is the best Christmas gift.  He still likes me just the way I am even though I weigh 25 pounds more than I did when we met, have stretch marks and cellulite.  He still loves me and I love him:)

A Merry Christmas

Christmas this year was pretty much perfect.  Annabelle had just the right amount of excitement going on.  Santa and all his promise of happiness was ever present.  On Christmas Eve, her excitement was tangible.  Her smile went from ear to ear the whole day.  I had forgotten how exciting it was to anxiously await Santa's arrival. 

Then Christmas morning, she had to be woken up.  But as soon as she remembered what day it was, she was out of bed and down the stairs faster than ever before.  Her little eyes were open so wide, smile beaming.  Santa was very good to her as usual. 

By the end of the day, she was tuckered out.  Santa, plus three parties in one day was almost more than she could handle.  The next day was even better because she slept until almost 9:30, which is a rarity for her.

Santa footprints leading up to the tree.

Stocking gifts.

These are 4 foot tall paper dolls that she gets to color herself.  A huge hit!

One of her #1 gifts, the Crayola Crayon Maker.

This was from Annabelle to mom and dad.  I'm going to make it part of our wall of art in the family room.

The other favorite gift of this season, La La Loopsey!

Is it a guitar?  No it's a chainsaw!

Annabelle and her favorite big cousin, Joshua.

Santa Visits

Here are Annabelle's Santa visits through the years.  Most were very good but a few were less than stellar.

On the Christmas train ride.  2006, 6 months old.

2007 was not a good year.  It had been going just fine until we went inside the caboose.  It was cramped and dark.  My face is just awful!

 For some reason all of my Christmas pictures from 2008 are completely gone.  This makes me incredibly sad.  :(  But I do remember that she wouldn't sit on Santa's lap.  She eventually stood next to him with me right next to her.  If you looked closely you could see the tears in her eyes.

2009 was much better.  This was taken at Azerty, Mark's previous job.  They had a Children's Christmas Party every year with crafts, snacks and the president of the company dressed up as Santa.

This Santa is a little bit scary looking but Annabelle didn't seem to mind him at all.  This was at the North Pole, 2010.

And last but not least, 2011 on the Polar Express Train.

Looking at all of these pictures makes me want my baby back!

My Crafty Snowmen

When I was in Kindergarten or maybe first grade, I saw some super cute, crochet, snowmen finger puppets and asked my mom to make them for me.  My mom didn't know how to crochet at the time but how could she resist my sweet little face.  So of course she taught herself how to crochet and made finger puppets for every kid in my class.

That's me in the red, 4 years old, almost 5.  Cute, huh?

So I decided that Annabelle was going to need some snowmen finger puppets this year.  I asked my mom to find the pattern for me and luckily she still had it.  And here is how they turned out.

A whole army of snowmen.

Elf on the Shelf is watching over them.

Cute, right?

My Friends

We had our annual Girl's Night In Family Christmas Party this weekend.  We do a family Secret Santa and eat lots of good food.  It is one of my new favorite Christmas traditions.  It is hard work to plan a party for 30 people.  There are 16 adults and 14 kids from ages almost 12 to almost 1.

But when I look at our kids big, smiling faces, I know without a doubt that I am the luckiest girl.  I love seeing how great our kids get along, they are all friends even with the age difference.  I can't wait to see our families growing closer together.  Someday, a long time from now, we'll take these pictures but our group will be bigger.  Our kids will marry and have kids of their own and those grandbabies will have such a huge group to love them.  I love that I know I will see these 30 wonderful faces, every year forever, no matter what.

The 14 kiddos. 

The girls, my bestest friends in the whole world.

All thirty of us!  Can you believe we got such an amazing picture with everyone looking?!

A Gingerbread Village

Every year, my father-in-law would give us a gingerbread kit.  He works for a candy and cookie wholesaler, so when he gets free product, Annabelle gets a ton of sugar-y sweets.  Every year I would say we would make the gingerbread house and every year I would decide it was too messy and that Annabelle was too little to do it.

This year I decided that she was old enough to try it out.  I made sure the houses were all put together before she got home from school.  She knew the plan was to decorate her very own village once she got home.  She even told her bus driver what we were going to be doing.

At first, I was helping her out.  I was squeezing out the frosting and she put on the candies.  After just a few minutes though, Annabelle decided she could do it herself, so I let her.

She worked so hard and was immensely proud of herself afterwards.  She has been playing with these non-stop since Tuesday.  I am hoping that she will leave them alone on Saturday for our Christmas party with my out of town family.  I'll be using this as the centerpiece on the dining room table.