Happy Birthday!

I can't believe my little baby is one! Time really does fly. Why it was just...last year...that she was born! We had fun opening presents, eating cake, and making a mess. We thought we'd make things easy and put all of her gifts in bags with tissue paper. That way she could just pull out the tissue paper and reach inside for the gift. Well, she did like pulling out the tissue paper, but then she would just put it right back in. She's in this stage of putting things on and off, in and out, open and closed...so it was fun to watch her do her own little thing. Birthdays for littles ones really must be so very confusing. We teach them not to rip, not to make a mess, etc. and then we just encourage them to break all those rules....but only on one day. It's a funny thing. But, we had a great little party just the three of us. We topped it off with some yummy cake and had fun watching Ashley delicately use one finger to eat the frosting off before really digging in with both hands. Such a little lady.

Winter Wonderland

Brrr....It's been cold here in Arkansas. We've had ice storms, snow storms, rain, and freeeeeeezing temps for the longest time. The ice storm was actually kind of neat. I don't remember seeing ice storms -- or their aftermath -- growing up. Everything, literally, was covered in a smooth layer of ice. Every leaf, every branch, every tree. There were icicles hanging everywhere. Our mailbox was frozen shut and our grass was crunchy and sounded like broken glass when you walked on it. I took some pictures of the tree on the side of our house. Pretty cool!


We've also had some fun snow lately. I haven't taken many snow pictures mostly because we haven't played in the snow much. With our little one sick, we haven't wanted to take her outside. But the snow brought some fun birds out that we usually don't see. I tried getting a picture of these beautiful blue birds that were out in the snow...but it didn't work to well one-handed, holding a baby, trying to zoom in between the window blinds.

I check the weather every morning on the internet. My favorite part is seeing what they say the temperature feels like. It's funny...it will say 25, but "feels like" 17 degrees. My favorite was a few days ago when it said 18 degrees, but feels like 1. You're tellin' me! (I also wonder who they get to tell them what it feels like. I think I'll pass on that job.) So, how have I stayed warm? Well, to put it in the words of one of my favorites (Irving Berlin), "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm." (It's a great song! )

The snow is snowing, the wind is blowing, but I can weather the storm

What do I care how much it may storm? I’ve got my love to keep warm.

I can’t remember a worse December, just watch those icicles form.

What do I care if icicles form? I’ve got my love to keep me warm.

Off with my overcoat. Off with my glove. I need no overcoat. I’m burning with love.

My heart’s on fire, the flame grows higher, so I will weather the storm.

What do I care how much it may storm? I got my love to keep me warm.