A year in review {2012}

This year was so beyond wonderful. We added Juliet to our family in February and each month life gets more and more sweet.

Here is a {mini} Instagram year in review. Check back tomorrow for a new winter header. Yea for snow! (Last year's winter header didn't include snow, because last year's winter was... weird...)

Sledding day

E has the entire week between Christmas and New Years off.  This, alone, is enough to celebrate.

Each day we've been busy. Trips to the pool, the Natural History Museum, the Aquarium.

And one day we took James sledding for the very first time ever. James got his first sled for his birthday this year from Uncle Brandon and we've been itching to try it out.

Juliet also accompanied us in the sleigh that was once mine. Remember this sleigh? We used it SO MUCH when James was this age. (Here is one of my favorite photos of James in the sleigh.)

We started on the small hills at Murray Park thinking the speed would worry him. As soon as he saw the huge hill he said "I want to go there! On the big part!"

Not sure why I thought the big hill or the speed would scare him. Clearly I was wrong.

Juliet was happy the entire time. She loves the snow, just like James did at this age.

Scratch that. She was not happy the entire time. If her sleigh stopped moving, you know, so we could watch James sled and take turns tromping up the big hill with him, she was not happy in the slightest.

I predict a lot more sledding days to come.

She agrees.

All these photos were taken with my phone! Yea for awesome phone cameras!

Christmas dinner and more presents!

This is the final Christmas day post. We had such a long wonderful day full of happy smiles and easy kiddos, I really wanted to stretch out the fun.

We arrived at E's family's house after naps and dug right into stockings. Santa at E's family's house is famous for the most wonderful stockings EVER. Full of fruit, candies, toys, gifts and even special drinks. All custom for each person. So totally awesome.

This mushroom dish? I was soooo excited about it!

James was in an especially silly and snuggly mood (which is rare for him). He gave both Damma and Grandpa some good snuggles! (And yes, he had an adorable Christmas sweater on but the house was warm and he wanted it off immediately, to bad too).

Baby bunny was in the middle of the excitement.

New dolls for baby girls. Nothing better.

Juliet got an adorable little piano. As soon as James spotted it he was intent on figuring it out ASAP. Juliet sat there in a trance of awesome-ness.

Her new favorite thing. Show off the tongue. (And I really really miss short sleeve weather, how am I to survive without seeing those arm rolls on a daily basis?)

Finished the night with a little story time with Grandpa. Merry Christmas!

Christmas walk

Christmas day was the most beautiful day ever. There was a fresh layer of beautiful white snow, blue skies, and sun! So after we put James down for a nap, Juliet and I decided to take the wagon for a little loop.

E joined us for only a moment, he had to get back home to the sleeping kiddo!

Weather was perfection. Never do I remember such a beautiful Christmas.

Do you think she likes the wagon?

My favorite house looked like a Christmas card. So beautiful it didn't seem real. 

I think she looks SO MUCH like James in this photo! Same same same!

Final Christmas post to come. Happy Friday!

Christmas morning

Christmas morning was so wonderful this year. So different than years past, and oh so wonderful. This was the first year since I was a kid (12 years ago?) that I've stayed home in the morning for Christmas. While visiting is super fun, now that I have a family of my own, I liked the laid back feel of our morning at home.

It started with a sleeping in kiddo (we finally woke James at eight! Juliet had been up since 6:30) and a modest pile of presents.

James's main present was his new big boy bed. We decided to put a twin mattress on the floor and get a special quilt he could grow with. And of course the jaguar was a big gift too.

Juliet was immidiatly taken with her new bunny toy.

The only thing James asked for (other than a bell) was suckers in his stocking. Luckily, just like last year, Santa delivered.

Stocking contents everywhere!

Both kiddos got a fox in their stocking. Juliet also got a bunny, a music box and a rattle in her first stocking.

E surprised me with this. Oh I love it so.

Soon we started to dig into the gifts. E was so excited about this watch. Seems like James is pretty stoked too.

And E got me a lens. A beautiful lens. That takes the most beautiful photos, as seen below. Oh my.

Each year each kiddo gets a book. This tradition (along with getting a toy each year) has been something we've been doing since James's first Christmas, when he was only a month old.

We chose The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, And the Big Hungry Bear for James's book this year.

He LOVES it. And we've read it at least a dozen times since.

Juliet got the very fitting and totally adorable I am a Bunny. She also got the forest floor rug that we are sitting on.

Soon my mom arrived looking like a Christmas angel or something. That wagon full of gifts? Best way ever to deliver Christmas surprises.

And the wagon was her's and Chuck's gift to James and Juliet. WOW!

We had a very laid back breakfast while the baby girl slept.

And opened more presents. These personalized flashcards are among my favorite things I've ever purchased.

What a lovely relaxed morning. More Christmas posts to come.

And just like last year I took a video of Christmas morning. Enjoy.

To see more of what the kiddos got for Christmas, check out my Pinterest board here.

Baby's First Christmas

Christmas day post is coming. Promise. But this dress and these photos, they are just amazing. The dress I got from Connie (my mother-in-law) for Juliet's first Christmas. UNREAL. And the photos? I asked for a new lens for my camera after my old lens stopped focusing reliably. Perfect perfect perfect.

This baby girl knew she was modeling. The straight back, the tilted head, cute curls. In reality she really wanted to chew on her shoe. When I took it away to put it on her foot (how could I?!) I grabbed the bell. Luckily she found it fascinating.

Wispy light hair. Perfect bokeh background.

These pudgy arms are just so adorable.

One of her Christmas presents were these adorable wooden animals. She got a squirrel and a bunny as well.

Peter pan collar, smocking, Christmas plaid. Nothing is more old fashioned and perfect for her first Christmas.

And a droll ball to finish it off! Happy first Christmas Bunny!

Outfit details -
Dress - Janie & Jack
Headband - Etsy
Socks - Gymboree
Shoes - Janie & Jack