Finally, some hired help!

 I've got a little help in the kitchen these days.  Every day.

This precious little girl loves to help me in the kitchen. 

And even though there are many times that it would be quicker and easier for me to cook solo, I just can't resist the way she says, "Mama, is there anything I can do to help?" in her tiny, high-pitched, sweetest voice, with the cutest, most endearing expression on her face.

She knows how to work me over for sure.

She loves to see all that is going on..on the stove, in the sink, inside the oven.

  And I can tell how much she loves the feeling of being helpful, big, and important.

Of course, she really LOVES to lick the spoon, the beaters, or the bowl.

I keep thinking that helping me cook will soon translate into her wanting to try new foods...

maybe someday.

It makes her so happy to be helping in the kitchen...

that it makes me happy too. 

Snow buddies

Do you know what's more fun than playing in the snow?

Playing in the snow with cousins!

The Miller crew came for a visit and we had so much fun.

Never a dull moment!

Truly, never a single dull moment.

I feel so blessed that my girls are growing up with their cousins.

They LOVE being with them, laugh the entire time, and sleep spectacularly afterward. :)

I love that they already have wonderful memories with them

and have their whole lives ahead to make more.

The many faces of cabin fever

Winter WONDERland

I love all of the seasons...for different reasons.

Fall is my favorite, for sure.

Spring is probably second.

I love the long days of summer.

And winter, well, I love the coziness of being inside from the cold.

But I really love the beauty, the quiet, and the wonder of snow.

Oh, and I love snow cream!  Almost as much as the girls!

Just what the Doctor ordered

The best way to beat those Winter blues?

Laugh, play, and reconnect with dear friends!

Bes and her Mommy came for a visit while Brad was out of town.

We all had so much fun!

Can't you just feel the love?

We can't wait for our next visit with them!

Birthday Beauty

She soaked it all in.

I have to say, Ellenie loves the spotlight more than anyone else in our family.

And this is the first birthday where she understood that it was all about her.

She is still trying to use the "Well, it's my birthday" line to get what she wants. She's a quick learner!

But maybe having three small birthday parties made her celebrity status go to her head.

One her official birthday, I took her and Lillianna to our nearby metropolis of Jackson Tn for some special errands.  She was so excited when we pulled into the parking lot of Chuck-E-Cheese.

She was even more excited to see her Daddy there! 

When we got home, we sang to her so she could to blow out a candle and make a wish on her official day.

The next night, we had a small but spectacular BLUE birthday party (notice the attire) at home.

She loved having Ya-Ya and Marshall, Aunt Kitty Cat and Uncle Bill there to celebrate.

But....she loved the make-up she got even more.

Oh and the blue icing and blue cotton candy even more than that.

Our third party was at her pre-school where she insisted that LaLa join us from her class down the hall.

Which was great because there was only one other child in her class that day.  Because of the (little) snow we had, lots of little ones stayed at home.  No matter, Ellenie loved the attention anyway.

A cupcake on the big day, a blue cake with family, mini blue cupcakes at school - whew!

Surely she was caked out.  Not so...her sweet older sis insisted that we make her a giant snow cake.

We did, we sang, she blew out the candles (that Boone kept eating) and then, she was officially 3.