Priceless Moment #12: Merry Christmas Mama...

The last Priceless little moment of 2010 that will never be forgotten by this lucky Mama. 


During our Christmas Holidays on the island, I woke up every day to my beautiful little Blondie Mcblonderson giving me a great big good morning hug and saying the same adorable thing to me

"Merry Christmas Mama AND Happy Balentines Day!"

You see, a little known fact about 2 year old Anabella April Gracie is that she for some unknown reason LOVES all things involving Valentines Day & Hearts.  She's confused the "Happy New Year" she keeps hearing with "Happy Valentines Day" and had created one of the most adorable priceless moment weeks of her Mama's life. God bless my two year old almost threeeeee year old...

End of a year...Good-Bye 2010, HELLO 2011!!!

It's here.
It's official.
We have all survived another year.


This is the last day AND the last blog post of 2010. The next time I wake up, the next time I'm typing my blog post it will be "2011 - The best year ever". Mark my words people, I know this for a fact. I can feel it in my bones:-))


2010 may have been the worst and best year of my entire life all wrapped up into one perfect little package of life lessons and self growth.  A year of extreme lows combined with extreme highs and a few thousand other emotions and experiences in between.  There were days I thanked my lucky stars and grinned from ear to ear, followed by days that I practically cried myself to sleep and thought it was truly possible to cry myself to death.  But through all of it I grew and I grew and I GREW as a woman, as a daughter, as a sister, as a friend and most importantly as a MAMA and I learned more about myself this past year than I ever did in the 33 years prior to that combined.

I learned what defines true success. Love.

I learned what makes the difference between a house and a home. Love.

I learned what truly matters in a child's eyes. Love.

I learned what defines a true, unconditional friendship. Love.
I learned humility. Love.

I learned who and what matters in my life and why. Love.

I learned the true definition of "integrity". Love.

I learned how to truly smile and be happy. Love.
I learned faith. Love.

I learned how to properly hurt and heal. Love.
I learned patience. Love.

I learned how and what creates laughter. Love.

I learned why life is worth taking risks. Love.

I learned acceptance. Love.

I learned FORGIVENESS. Love.

I am so grateful for the change, growth, experience, love and wisdom that 2010 brought both me and my beautiful little Bellabean.  I am POSITIVE that 2011 will be the best year ever and "2010" will merely be a brief reflection and reference point of just how great a year 2011 and the rest of the years to follow really are.


I feel overwhelmed with gratitude and love for my amazing, beautiful, loving and independent almost 3 year old little big girl.  She is FULL of personality and love and fire...and she is my walking, living proof that every little thing happens for a reason.  

Good-bye 2010 and all that you have taught us. HELLO 2011 we can't wait to see what you have in store for us. BRING IT!!!

Lots of love,

Jessy & Bellabean

Priceless Moment #10: Monsters under the bed...

After I put Bellabean to bed tonight, she woke up crying and the following conversation occurred:


Bella: "Mama, I'm scared."
Mama: "You're scared? Why are you scared honey?"
Bella: "Mama, I'm scared because there are monsters under the bed."
Mama: "NO! NO! There's no monsters under the bed! This room is for Mama's and Bella's only!"
Bella: "Yes, there are monsters under the bed Mama and I'm sooo scared."
Mama: "No honey, theres no monsters in here....mama has too much stuff under the bed, they dont FIT!"
Bella: "Ok Mama."
Mama: "Now Shoooo shooo away monsters. You are not allowed in this room. It's for Mama's and Bella's only."


Being a Mama never gets boring or dull. The things she says and does make me smile again and again and again. I hope she gets even half as many smiles reading this when she's all grown up, as I got from experiencing it with her. Life is so much more colorful with her.

A Mama's pride....

A Mama's pride has NO limits.

Sooooo proud of my almost fully potty trained 2.5 year old (3 year old in 37 days and counting...).  Quite possibly the kind of proud that only a fellow Mama (Or a SUPER Auntie) can fully grasp and understand.

I'm sure at times in her life she will want to both kill me and LOVE me for this picture. When she is 16 years old she will hate me for it and think I am the most embarrassing human being who ever walked the planet and when she is 34 years old with her own children she will LOVE me for capturing her in all her "cheeky potty training glory."

"Bye Bye Poopies! Bye Bye Peeps!"
She actually says this as she's flushing the toilet every time...

Way to go Blondie McBlonderson! You make your Mama smile, laugh and beam with pride on a daily basis. 


It should also be noted: You also make me want to pull my hair out, count to ten slowly, take long deep breaths, have a time out in the bathroom for one minute by myself and cry from frustration quite frequently too. 


But I wouldn't change one single second of it because it's all worth it to be your Mama.


xo

Words of Wisdom: The difference between Men & Women...

I can't take credit for the following facts and comparisons, but I can say that I whole heartedly agree with whomever came up with them.  If only it were so easy to figure all this stuff out when you're in the middle of feeling it all.  Ugh.


Men and Women, Venus and Mars, we really are from two different planets. 


Girl facts: When she wants a hug, she will just stand there.
When you break a girls heart, she still feels it when you run into each other 3 years later.
When a girl is quiet, millions of things are running through her mind.
When a girl is not arguing, she is thinking deeply.
When a girl looks at you with eyes full of questions, she is wondering how long you will be around.
When a girl answers, "I'm fine" after a few seconds, she is not fine at all.
When a girl stares at you, she is wondering why you are so wonderful.
When a girl lays her head on your chest, she is wishing for you to be hers forever.
When a girl says that she can't live without you, she has made up her mind that you are her future.
When a girl says, "I miss you" no one in this world can miss you more than that.
When a girl is mean to you after a breakup she wants you back, but she's scared she'll get hurt and knows you're gone forever.

Guy Facts: When a guy calls you, he wants to be with you.
When a guy is quiet, he's listening to you.
When a guy is not arguing, he realizes he's wrong.
When a guy says, "I'm fine" after a few minutes, he means it.
When a guy stares at you, he wishes you would care about him and wonders if you do.
When you're laying your head on a guy's chest, he has the world.
When a guy calls you everyday, he is in love.
When a good guy tells you he loves you, he means it.
When a guy says he can't live without you, he's with you till you're done.
When a guy says, "I miss you" he misses you more than you could have ever missed him or anything else. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

December 1st 2010: The DC girls first official Christmas as "just the girls" and no "handy dandy Daddy" around and so far we're doing just fine. 


It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and we LOVE it. We have always been huge about Christmas in my family and love every part of it from Santa to the tree to the lights to the decorations to the music to the hot chocolate (and baileys for the grown ups) to the parades to the baking to the gift exchanging to the gatherings to the snow and EVEN the crowded malls full of cranky people.  If it's Christmas"y" then we love it.


Santa visit and photo? Check!
Christmas tree & lights up? Check!(Although truth be told Blondie's Dad did have to come over and help fix something on the base of the Christmas tree and did stay for some of the decorating which made it extra special for Bella...)
Christmas tree decorated? Check!
PINK Stockings hung? Check!
Condo decorated? Check!
Great friends to be a part of it all? Check!
Christmas books out on the table? Check!
Santas plate out? Check!
Baking started? Check!
Gingerbread train put together and decorated? Check!
Christmas Craft for Anabella to do bought? Check!
Christmas presents bought and stored safely on the island? Check!
Donations being made? Check!
Warm clothes, great bed, yummy food and solid roof over our heads? Check!
LUCKY? Check!
Appreciating all our blessings? CHECK!


HAPPY, EXCITED, FESTIVE, CHRISTMAS LOVING, SANTA LOVING ANABELLA? 
CHECK! CHECK! CHECK!

Christmas Tree 2010 - Bella did an awesome job decorating it at the ripe old age of 35 months. One more month and she'll be 3 years old! 

Bellabean and Leeanne reading stories on the sofa after decorating...