catching up, and a ten-year-old cheesecake

Is it really March already? Really? I guess I should have seen it coming. December through February is always the busiest time of year for us. So here's a little snapshot of what we've been up to the past couple of months.

Christmas was AMAZING! The girls are at the ages when this holiday is SO magical. Seeing the excitement and spirit in their eyes was a treasure to behold.




We hosted a very quaint get-together with our dear friends, The Barclays, on New Year's Eve. Although Brian and I did manage to stay up long enough to see the clock strike 12:00, it was a far cry from the old days. The Barclays were heading home with two very sleepy boys by 10:30, and Brian and I toasted in 2010 with a mixture of Sprite and Lemonade. Wow, are we really that old?



Later in the month we geared up to celebrate Brian's 38th birthday. The girls helped me bake the requested yellow cake with chocolate frosting.....D-Lish! Then, later that weekend my folks took the girls for the night so Brian and I could have a celebratory date night. Good times!




A short hop, skip, and a jump later, and Valentine's day was upon us. It was a pretty low key holiday for us, with a few small gifts to remind us how much we love each other. I did manage to whip up some sweet raspberry heart pancakes and pink-ish scrambled eggs for breakfast, then we headed out to the park for a fun family picnic lunch.




Finally, to cap off a season full holidays and celebrations, Brian and I celebrated probably the most important on February 20th....our 10th wedding anniversary! We had hoped to return to Hawaii (our honeymoon locale) for this big event, but it just wasn't meant to be this year. We did however, set up a special fund to contribute to for the next five years to assure we make that trip in 2015! Not to mention, Brian planned a super fun day full of all things Hawaiian here at home. It started with Kona coffee for breakfast, along with white chocolate & macadamia nut pancakes. Later it was lunch at L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, then bowling at Coconut Bowl. So thoughtful, and creative, he is! But I must say, one of the biggest highlights of the day was this:


Yes, it's what you think it is. This was the top layer of our wedding cake from 10 years ago. I know, I know, you're only suppose to wait one year to break it out and enjoy. But for some crazy reason we just kept forgetting. So how fitting that this year, on such a big milestone, we did NOT forget. Okay, I'm sure some of you may be a little skeptical, or even disgusted, but let's just say hooray for cheesecake! It was amazing, we kid you not. A supreme end to a wonderful celebration of our ever-so-strong commitment to one another.

(Life looks a little different, but oh so sweet, ten years down the road.)

So this, in a nutshell, is what has kept us so busy for the past few months. Add in some snow days, and the day-to-day joy and adventures that accompany raising two young daughters, and you can see why we've been a little distracted.


(Yes, this is the expression he always has on his face when he has to shovel.)


(Does every little girl have to cut their own hair at some point? All I have to say is, thank goodness for those curls.)


(No, she is not accident prone....just a little doctor role-playing when Mommy had her back turned for a few moments.)

We hope 2010 is finding all of you happy and well. We are currently preparing for a super fun Tahoe family get-away with our best friends....can't wait to report back on all the fun we are going to have. And then it's another big birthday celebration at the end of the month, as our baby turns 3!