so long, 2010

2010 was a good year.

we learned to love a new baby.

and watch her grow. and grow. and grow.

annie turned 2, and enchants us with her

whims and words.

erin turned 3 and started school and learned

how to ride a scooter with passion.

kate turned 5 and entered K4 and learned how

to ride a bike with no training wheels.

dan entered his 2nd and final year of fellowship,

studied really hard, and passed his boards.

i like to think that i keep them happy,

and keep them fed,

and keep them loved.....

but really i think it's just all of them taking care of me.

2011 is going to bring some big changes for our little family.

it's going to be a big year, and we'll find out sooner

(or later) how big the changes are going to be.

but it's all going to be good, and

we are all going to be happy, and

every day, I will be grateful,

for all of them.

happy new year, friends.

christmas weekend

some favorite memories from our christmas weekend.

a peaceful christmas eve mass.

seeing the girls open their presents.

laughing with dan during endless. hours. of. driving.

annie getting aunt jane to sing. a lot.

the girls having fun with their cousins,

and aunts and uncles and nana and papa,

and loving lots of time with grandma and grandpa.

fearless little kids zooming down hills on sleds.

rosy cheeks from hours in the cold.

seeing my beloved Pines covered in snow.

dan reading the grinch to the kids,

all piled up in my old room, and

in my old bed that I slept in when I was a little kid.

saying good-morning to my one-year old birthday girl,

and tearing up while we sang happy birthday to her

(cause I always do.)

it was a good weekend.

a really good weekend.

happy birthday, tess caroline

our sweet baby girl turned one today.

after a (wonderful) exhausting four days,

celebrating the holidays with our families and

doing lots of traveling, we found a little downtime

tonight on the kitchen floor.

dan was making pizza for dinner,

lyle lovett was playing in the background,

and i spent some time loving my

one year old girl.

pictures for our 2010 christmas tree ornament......

a very small, very vertical picture frame.

everyone was happy and cooperative, at least...

well, except for one,

but I won't name names.

merry christmas to all of our wonderful friends and family.

may you find joy and peace in all your holiday celebrations.

may your travels be safe, your children happy,

may you always be exactly where you want to be,

and enjoy the final days of 2010 to their fullest.

I don't know about you, but I think 2011 is going to be amazing.

peanut

so, the girls and dan were watching the peanut's christmas special,

and when the peanut's kids were dancing,

kate and erin were picking out who they were......

kate is lucy. hands down. no questions asked.

erin? sally. obviously.

so then dan found annie.....

there are these 2 scrappy little twins....

wiry hair and crazy dancers.

annie is the ultimate scrappy, wiry, crazy little dancer.

he pointed them out to me, and we laughed out loud

for a really, really long time.

my big girl is a stander now.

the entire time she's standing, she says

"whoa! whoa! whoa!"

and then she falls.

peek

tess's favorite game: hiding under the curtain,

and waiting for someone to say

"where's tess?"

she gets so excited her whole body twitches.

she thinks this is hilarious.

i think this is hilarious.

kate's angels.

we're having a busy week....finishing up school,

wrapping presents, baking cookies...

counting down the days.

i have three little girls beside themselves waiting for santa.

i have one little girl about to turn one.

i have so much to be grateful for.

dan called today, with some great news.....

he passed his electrophysiology boards!

i am so proud of him.

6 more months of fellowship, and we enter the real world,

wherever that will be.

i am remaining calm, and optimistic, and i know

that wherever we will be, it will become a home.

as i said.....

i have so much to be grateful for.

i snapped this on my phone.....

no time to run and get the camera, for fear that....

well.

lets face it.

there were a lot of fears!

tess is a super-ticklish baby.

everyone loves to tickle her.....

under her chin, legs, tummy....anywhere,

and you are rewarded with these huge

sweet tess belly laughs.

tess, on a better day.

today was a 103* fever,

super-cranky,

no eating,

not-so-much better day.

(sigh)