Looking Forward to 2011!

Wow, Thanksgiving and Christmas has come and gone. As we enter 2011, it's time to set our goals and resolutions! This year my resolution is to be thankful for what I have.  As I get older, things come into focus a little easier. My family and watching my girls enjoy life is what's important.

Christmas was special this year; it really feels like our family is complete. Nick and I loved the fact that Sofia was old enough this year to really enjoy all the special things a kid gets excited about. We both loved hearing her sing all those holiday classic (and a little annoying) Christmas songs…Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer was one of her favorites and the song “Santa Baby” made her laugh every time she heard it. She loved seeing the houses decorated with lights, seeing Santa with his "cherry nose" and reminding us each time, she just wanted to talk to him.
Every time a commercial came on featuring Crayola paints, crayons, or markers she would remind us “You can buy those too”. And then seeing her face light up on Christmas morning as she opened up her princess Barbies was priceless.


This year we made stops at both my parents house as well as Nick’s parents. Christmas Eve we headed over to my parent's house for some traditional tamale making. I loved introducing Sofia to some of the traditions I did growing up as a kid. She loved playing with her cousins and helping out in the kitchen. I have such fond memories of Christmas Eve at Mama Chana’s house- all the cousins running around and playing and trying to get our parents to let us open just a few gifts that were under the tree. Well, 2010 was no different. I just find it hard to believe that twenty years later it’s now my kid doing the same things.

Sofie and Arianna helping out in the kitchen!

Mama Chana would have been proud!

This is what its all about!

We both love olives.  Sofie says they are like pickles?

Papa, Sofie and Emilia

Daddy helped out too.

Cousins!

Done!

Once Christmas Eve tamales were made we headed home to wait for Santa.  Sofie was so excited to wake up the next morning to see what Santa had made for her.  It was so much fun watching her open gifts!

Daddy and Sofie Christmas morning

one of her favorite gifts- princess back pack.

baby Emilia- doing what she does best!

My favorite gift from Nick- blow torch and cookbook.  Creme Brulee anyone?

Looking forward to family game night!

Ejoying one of her stocking stuffers- solid chocolate santa~

After opening gifts it was time to head to Nonnie and Ba-Pa’s house for Christmas dinner.

Sofie LOVES this carousel-

Sofie in front of Nonnie's red tree

Sofie opening gifts with her Ba-Pa

along with her princess back pack...this was another one of her favorites- Batman's car

She was so excited...she received her own carousel from Nick's Aunt Pat.

(Thanks Pat and Artie for the beautiful gift)

here is another one of her favories...the BAT CAVE! - forget a doll house our little girl wanted Batman!

(Thanks Nonnie and Ba-Pa for such a cool gift!)

Nonnie and her girls~

After dinner at Nonnie and Ba-Pa's house, we headed over to Nanna and Papa's house-

Sofie opening up some gifts from Nanna and Papa

Nanna bought Sofie some baby ugg boots, or as Sofie called them "ugglies"

Thank you to both our families for all the wonderful and thoughtful gifts and special memories. We love you all very much! 

Another Milestone!

Sofia had her first ever school Christmas music performance and she was too cute!  She has been attending this school since she was six months old and has developed a special bond with the kids and teachers.  Nick and I love that she has progressed with many of the same kids that have been there since six months as well.  It is so cute seeing the kids learn together and discover together.  Seeing this Christmas performance was another great feeling and adorable entertainment for us.   

One of the great programs Sofia is a part of at school are ballet/tap lessons.  During her Christmas performance, Sofia and her dance class had a chance to perform for all the parents and show off their talents. 

Singing "Oh Christmas Tree"

Singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"

Tasting the holiday decorations-

Sofia and her little friends

Our beautiful girl!

Tis the Season

One of the things I LOVE that Sofia is excited about is cooking and baking. She loves to help me in the kitchen! She enjoys mixing things, measuring things, peaking inside the oven door to see yummy things being cooked. As a result of her interest in cooking she is also interested in trying the food that we cook. It might be a fish, roasted veggies, something sweet or something strange. Either way she is trying to be a total foodie and I LOVE IT!

Here are some pictures of us helping Nonnie cook up her special family recipe, Italian Pizzelle cookies. These cookies are amazing. They are full of Anise oil and Anise seeds giving them a robust flavor of licorice. These buttery cookies are pressed onto an iron resulting in beautifully decorated cookies. I am so glad Sofia enjoyed baking with her Nonnie and look forward to many more years of Sofia helping her with this tradition. I was able to get the recipe for the delicious cooking and hope to continue this baking tradition!

Here is Sofie cracking eggs

This kid loves a whisk!

Ba-Pa pouring in the best part...BUTTER!

Here is Sofie rolling out the dough

Ba-Pa putting the cookie dough onto the 30 year old pizzelle iron

Final product approved by Sofie!

Daddy loves em' too!

This is a REALLY flavorful cookie!

Merry Christmas 2010

  Wow, I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas! I can totally remember last year having such an awesome Christmas in Flagstaff and experiencing the Polar Express with Sofia. Watching Sofia’s eyes sparkle when she got the chance to meet Santa (aka Nick) and seeing her face waking up Christmas morning to a fresh blanket of snow…it was absolutely magical. And now, this year we have a totally different meaning to Christmas. Our family feels complete and has taken on such a different and magical dynamic.


As parents, Nick and I have grown so much while raising Sofia. She is such a unique little girl with an awesome personality. I love seeing her get excited for all the small things like helping me bake in the kitchen, watching wrestling with Nick or getting the chance to give her baby sister a kiss. She will without a doubt be such a protective big sister. Nick and I still feel as though we are always learning about becoming better parents and we are always trying to focus on what we’ve been blessed with. Having both our girls is such a tremendous gift.

This year, rather than heading up north to Flagstaff, we decided to stay home and make our Christmas memories in our home. Last year was so special for us. We created wonderful memories and had the chance to introduce Sofia to snow. Living in Minnesota for five years, Nick and I totally got use to having snow for Christmas and it's something we want our kids to know as well. This year however, we're going to stick close to home and family and create just as special memories.

Polar Express 2009 (Sofie was really excited...just not in this picture)

 

Sofie LOVED the snow!

We're so excited to creat new memories with both our girls.  Here are some pictures of our holiday tree trimming party.  

This year she just watched.  Next year she'll be a little helper. 

Here is my little happy helper-

Looking for more ornaments-

Seeing this makes me so happy!

Perfect!

Here is Nick putting up our tree topper

Our finished tree!

Nick was so excited after Thanksgiving to keep up with tradition and put up our Christmas lights.  Sofie gets such a kick out of seeing the house all decorated and festive-

Here is our little tribute to our precious Bella.  RIP Bella.