2007 in Review - A Year in Pictures

We hope everyone has had a wonderful 2007! We are looking forward to 2008 and wish you all the best! Double click the "play" button to see some of our favorite pictures from 2007!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Make a scrapbook - it's easy!

Who does Brooklyn look like?

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Family history

Who does Bella look like?

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Geneology

Christmas Night

We did Christmas with Nana and Paw-Paw (Brannon's dad and his wife) Christmas night after Brannon got home from work. The girls had already gotten chairs with their names on them earlier that morning. They also got a scooter.

And each of them had a bag full of goodies as well. Here is Bella "in" her bag trying to get everything out!

Riding in our Little Red Wagon

Train Table or Dance Table?

Train table....

Dance table...

Opening presents Christmas morning

Brannon had to be at work at 8 on Christmas morning and did not get off from work until 7 that night, so we had to hurry through the gifts so he could be there to watch! Not too many pictures of gift opening since we were helping the girls open their gifts as well - but here are the ones we did get! Thank you to everyone!

Discovering what Santa Claus left!

Bella was up before Brooklyn and quickly started looking to see what all these new things were that Santa Claus left!

Santa Claus!

Santa Claus actually found our house out here in the middle of nowhere - it must have been the reindeer food Bella, Brooklyn and Daddy put out! They also left Santa banana nut bread and sugar cookies! From Santa, Bella got a baby doll swing, Brooklyn got a little fold and go train set, and the girls got a Princess tent and a train table!!! Everything got put together by Santa but the train table (Santa had a migraine all day Christmas Eve and got up at midnight to put the other things together but didn't want to wake everyone else up). Mommy put the train table together first thing Christmas morning!

Christmas Eve

The girls got these cute red striped onesies for Christmas (they got them on Saturday night when we had Christmas with the Jennings), so I decided to dress them alike in their onesies and blue jeans, black shoes and red bows! I always said I would not dress them alike, but aren't they cute!?!?!? They didn't really want to cooperate for a picture together, but here are a few we managed to get!

Merry Christmas

From our family to yours - we wish you a Merry Christmas!

Mommy tries to outsmart me again!

Brooklyn is fascinated with Georgia's food and water. She will shove the food into her mouth by the fistfull if we don't pick it up before she makes her way to the kitchen! She also enjoys putting Georgia's food into her water bowl! I was cooking supper the other night, so she was in the kitchen with me and I had put a baby gate up to block off the area that Georgia's food and the trash can is...I turned around to find her taking magnets off the refrigerator and reaching over the top of the gate and dropping them into Georgia's water bowl!

She has pretty good aim too, as you can see she made most of her "shots"!

Climbing in the kitchen table chairs

Bella loved climbing up into the chairs and Brooklyn is proving to enjoy this pasttime as well! I try to be vigilant and keep the chairs pushed under the table, but that doesn't seem to help much!

The above picture is Bella from November 2006 and the below picture is Brooklyn from December 2007...

Christmas with the Jennings

Last night we had Christmas with the Jennings side of the family (this is Roger's (aka Pop) family). We always have such a nice time when we are there. Roger's sister, Carol and her husband, Paul, have 2 children who are both married and each have 2 children of their own. All the kids (including our's) range from 2 months to 3 1/2 years! So the girls have a blast getting to play with kids their age!

Here are Bella, Kameron and Avery. Kameron is telling Bella that Avery is her little sister! Kameron is very protective of Avery.

I remember last year at Christmas, Kameron was so enthralled with Brooklyn (Brooklyn was about 6 weeks old) and she would just sit there and hold Brooklyn so sweetly! Bella didn't want to let go of Avery at all!

Bella got a pretty horse dress and striped onesie from Nana and Pop, and a Dora movie and puzzle with her name on it from Paul and Carol. Brooklyn got a pretty dress with flowers and striped onesie from Nana and Pop, and a book and My First Purse from Paul and Carol. Brannon and I got a basket full of goodies, with a coffee mug and mousepad with pictures of the girls on them! Thank you all so much!!

More holiday baking

Bella and I made more cookies yesterday! It just seemed like a good thing to do! We still have to make the banana nut bread that Santa requested, but I am waiting for my bananas to ripen a bit more! We shall tackle that this afternoon after nap time!

One more present...

I decided to let the girls open another present a bit early! Please see previous post as to reasoning!

This was a cleaning cart, complete with a vacuum, dust buster, broom and dust pan, mop and bucket, and dust cloth! Both girls love it! Brooklyn likes to walk around with the broom! Bella is enjoying all of it - especially at nap time and bed time! Yesterday, I could see the broom being used around the corner from her room into the living room! She is enjoying "cleaning" everything!

More Holiday Fun

We had gotten this Gingerbread Tree kit a couple of weekends ago. My original plan was to save this for Christmas Eve day to do with Bella (Brooklyn is still too little, but she'd certainly be around while we did this), but I decided that Christmas Eve might be too busy. So Bella and I did this yesterday (Saturday)! As I've said before, as much as I try to be crafty I just am not. The tree is a little crooked, but it is our tree and we like it! We will leave Santa's cookies and banana nut bread on this plate with the tree on Christmas Eve!

The beginning of the presents...

I decided that we would let the girls each open a gift tonight (Friday). I am not one to open Christmas presents early, but they are going to be overwhelmed as it is on Christmas morning with their Santa gifts and the gifts under the tree, plus Brannon has to be at work at 8 am on Christmas morning and has to work until 7 pm that evening! Please note that gifts that are opened a bit early will receive more individual publicity on the blog at the time they are opened - gifts opened Christmas morning might not receive individual photographs - please know that each gift is appreciated whether it is featured here or not!!!

Tonight Brooklyn got a Princess blanket with her name on it from her cousin, Glen! She loves it!

And Bella got a Dress Me Minnie Mouse! She too loves it and continues saying "Minnie Mouse Mommy, Minnie Mouse" from her cousin, Glen!!

Thank you Glen (and Deisha and Glen)!

Fairy Bella

Just a few more pictures of Bella in her fairy outfit - I think we've put this on and taken it off a hundred times today! When she puts her wings on, she'll say one of three things: (1) Bella fly prince; (2) Bella fly Thumbelina; or (3) Bella fly Tinkerbell! She continues to leave out the word "like", but she knows what she is saying and when I repeat her, I just add in the word "like". Maybe she'll catch on one day!

Brooklyn Goes Pebbles with her hair!

As you can see she didn't much care for the style! She managed to rip the bow and the ponytail holder out of her hair! She did finally let me put it back up and left there until after nap. Her hair is getting really long all over - but she has some hair in the front that is constantly in her eyes and it drives me crazy, but if I put a bow in it - she rips it out within seconds! I thought having the elastic in her hair would help, but obviously that is no help either! She looked cute once she left it alone!

Bella loves getting mail...

And she has so enjoyed all the Christmas cards we have received this year! She reads each one of them!!! Thank you to everyone who sent us a card and Merry Christmas to all!

Recipe for Reindeer Food

Mix in equal parts: oats and sugar
Add in green and red sprinkles to your liking

On Christmas Eve…

Sprinkle on the lawn at night
The moon will make it sparkle bright
As Santa’s reindeer fly and roam
This will guide them to your home!

What do you leave out for Santa?

We will be leaving decorated sugar cookies (see picture) and banana nut bread (a specific request of Santa) for Santa Claus. We will also be leaving the Reindeer a nice little mixture of sugar, oats, and sprinkles (see Bella shaking up the mixture). What do you leave for Santa and his Reindeer?

Christmas with Pat(ricia)

The girls and I eat breakfast about once a week (some weeks more) at a restaurant called "Larry's". The food is pretty good - but more than anything the girls love Pat, lady who works there. If I ask Bella if she wants a biscuit for breakfast (whether I am going to make them at home or go to Larry's), she will say "see Pat!". Pat was so sweet and got each of the girls a Christmas present and they got to open them today. Bella got a Fairy outfit, complete with wings, skirt, shoes, and wand! This was perfect for Bella as she has been wanting a pair of wings so she can "fly like Thumbelina"! Brooklyn for a cute little toy that makes sounds and lights up - Brooklyn loved it! Bella of course had to put on her entire outfit right there in the restaurant and Brooklyn carried her little toy around showing everyone! They were so excited!

Thank you very much, Pat!