January | 2014

January, you were loooooooong. It's probably rough being you. Everyone comes off of their Christmas season high and is promptly ready for spring to return. But you do have the whole "new year" thing going on for you. We get motivated to change and improve and be better us's (is that a word? Selves? Meh). And not only that, you are the month of clementines, so it can't be all that bad. All that to say, I enjoyed you, but am glad that February is here and hopefully soon - dare I say it? - spring! Joyous spring! My heart yearns for thawing and green and birdsong again. *Sigh*

Here are my favorite moments from January...

"Hi! Hi! Hi! Come'on!" This chatty, little cutie pie absolutely insisted on wearing her hat and galoshes in the house. All day. I happily obliged. :)

Catching "rainies" - Alice loves to run around the house in the afternoon touching, smelling, and painting rainbows with my brushes

We went exploring in the backyard the other day and found 4 baby pine cones

Alice's Tuesday buds came over and all crawled in the bookcase for some Brady Bunch fun

the husband made criollos ojaldres - a flaky biscuit specific to Cordoba, Argentina, where we lived. Re rico, esposo! Extraño mucho las panaderias alla...y el dulce de leche ;)

a castle for nesting owls

Alice says "castle" now - girl after my own heart

castle by Papa Bear and Gramma Jo. Alice is "painting" the back...:) Boy do we have fun with these blocks. I'm super proud of these constructions if you couldn't tell...

one of my favorites from a photoshoot I did for my friend, Leah - daddy/daughter love ♥

speaking of photoshoots, Alice and Callie (one of my art students) got into some impromptu superhero shenanigans

behind the gel mask - "it's just me, mom :) "

Went to Mexico with the familia! Alice caught up on some time with Grandma Linda, Papa Bruce, and Aunt Sarah in Ogallala (and was sick :( ) while we relaxed in Playa del Carmen. It was seafood, mudslides, shopping, and reading on the beach for this mama. Blog post on leaving Alice for a week to come.

Mayan ruins of Tulum

Got to come home to this face. Alice, I love you. I am so proud to be your mama. I love seeing you grow. There's always a new word or mannerism or thing that makes you giggle. You understand so much. What a sweet, hug-gable, smart, lovable, little person you are!

Thank you, God, for all my blessings. And thank you even for the cold months.

Goodbye, January. Hello, February!