LOOK WHO'S..........

Got PIGGIES!
Ohh, she's so cute I could just eat her up =0). I love that big cheesy grin!!

Christmas trees!
We live in the land of Christmas trees, but somehow we still drive 1/2 hour away to a Christmas tree farm in order to cut one down. Friday we headed to Piper mountain with Brad's fam to get a real tree, YEAH. It brought back so many memories of doing this every year as a child. I miss my family, so this was the perfect thing. I LOVE that this time of year is SO full of traditions =0).

Sledding!

Gwen sat at this perch and ate crackers the whole time =0).

Poor Gwen was a little sad by the time we were done, but she was sure a good sport!

We have tons of snow this Christmas, and it has been so much fun! Yesterday was BEAUTIFUL weather. The perfect day to be sledding. We found a great hill for Liv. She was able to go down and walk back up all by herself! I really do love winter...and it's a good thing, because we get a LOT of it =0). Merry Christmas everybody =0)!!

I know...I know!!!

You have GOT to be sick of seeing "DELIVERY" every time you come to visit the BR Clan! I have no excuse=0).

But, just to update you....here are a few little interesting tidbits about US and our lives =0)...

• Gwen is WALKING!! She just started this week, and has since decided she wants to get into EVERYTHING! But she is so sweet and quiet about it, that it doesn't seem like it's a big deal...
• Liv made a few special Christmas Cards, some of which were too cute to give away. These are of 1. Mary Joseph and Baby Jesus....I love Mary's "Head Fing"...as Liv says, and Josephs hair =0). (It brings a smile to my face every time!) 2. Baby Jesus laying in hay with a moon in the sky. I LOVE her artwork, as you all know =0).
• It is Winter, and so you might as well know my least and most favorite things about Winter-
• MY LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT WINTER-----SOCKS!
• this is why my children wear tights instead of socks on most days
• just to illustrate why I dislike socks so much.....2 weeks ago I bought a new package of socks for both Liv and Gwen. This is a picture of the only remaining pair of socks----> (notice they don't match!) I don't know where they go, but the sad thing is I can't blame this phenomenon on my children. I really think it is me that looses them somehow!
• MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT WINTER-----BUNDLED UP KIDS!
• I didn't say I love the process of bundling them up, but I think they look SO adorable all bundled up in their winter clothes!
• Yesterday, I walked into the room to find this--->

Gwen had gotten up into this chair, with book in hand, all by herself and she was jabbering to herself.....reading just like her big sis =0)....She isacting SO BIG! Too cute =0)!

Delivery!

This is our new UPS man....

To clarify: Yes! I am really serious. He came by for the first time a few days ago, and I was very intrigued.... I've never seen anything like it before =0). SO, this time I had my camera waiting!

Hayley arrived
Beware of TONS OF PICTURES
My good friend Amy had her baby a couple of weeks ago... So, Liv and I celebrated by inviting her older daughter Lily over for the day. We had such a good time together, I had to post all about it. I figure, this will give Amy a chance to see what we did all day, and get some pictures, and it will give all of my friends and family who live WAY TOO far away, a good idea what some of our favorite activities are...and a good chance to see all of our SNOW!!

First we headed to the play gym. We go here at least once a week. Our City has a large basketball gymnasium, where they put out TONS of kids toys every weekday morning. As you can see, the girls had a blast. Even Gwen loves it.
Then we came home to play in our 15+ inches of snow!! It was a beautiful day to be outside, it really wasn't one bit cold with our coats on....and not a bit windy. I pulled the girls around on a sled, then they played on our neighbors swing set....

Just a side note: Liv has really pretty much gotten over her "putting everything in her mouth" phase.....However, something happened when the snow came down...while we were playing, she was licking snow off of nearly every surface! This is her licking it off the slide, about 2 minutes later, she was licking it off of the swing too =0). Lilly had fun throwing snow at us. She would do it and then laugh and laugh
Once we were all exausted, we had some hot chocolate to warm up, and then I let the girls have some quiet time watching a show. They were so cute cuddled up under their blankets. (Mom, do you notice the bear you gave Liv 2 years ago for Christmas.... He has been resurrected, he is her new LOVE! She named him Brownie, and he plays a role in all of her adventures! By the way, we love you!)

Hands and toes too--


Today Liv and I were drawing, and she asked me what she should draw. I told her to draw U-Gary, A-Bridgette and cousin Nora. When she was all done, I came over to see what she had drawn, and discovered that her people are now complete with bodies, arms, legs, hands feet....even TOES! I know I am bias =0), but I am totally impressed! I actually think I could have guessed who they all were if I didn't already know... Bridgette's short curly hair would have given it away.

Here is a picture of the real deal--

P.S. She informed me that this is Gary's mad face.....this has nothing to do with my being able to tell who she had drawn, but I must say he does look a bit mad =0). In her drawing that is.

Anatomy

Liv has been asking me the names of all the little bumps and lumps on her body, like her collar bones, etc. You'll have to watch this one to see our most recent body part....don't worry, it won't make you squirm =0).

Creativity

I have been thinking a lot about the idea of "Creativity" lately. Just in time, to go along with my thoughts, my friend Annie wrote this quote in LoveLife magazine--

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." -Pablo Picasso

I love this idea, and have been paying attention to the "artist" in the children around me. Tonight we went to another UMaine hockey game. Only this time it was different. We went with Paula's grandchildren, Greta and Ezra. This meant I got to skip to the game & sing the Star Spangled Banner with Greta, Dance as I cheered and make 5 trips to the concession stand. It was probably the most fun I have had at one of these games (which means a lot). With my own girls, I have noticed how much I love doing kids crafts like a kid. I LOVE to color outside the lines, paint a tree the wrong colors, and make worms with playdough!

Now, my goal is to adapt this new creativity into my adult art forms. Think in a new light. As an artist, I have ALWAYS drawn realistic pictures, taken a picture of exactly what is there. My goal is to make it my own. Play with the reality of it and make it something new to me. We'll see how it goes. I want to let go a little bit of my perfectionist side, and grab onto the creativity of my childhood.

Words of Wisdom

Many of you may take your fortune cookie fortunes seriously, but many of you may not. Brad and I took our girls to "Happy China" today for lunch. These fortunes just may change the way you look at fortune cookies for the rest of your life...

Our fortunes from youngest to oldest-->

Gwen: You are about to become $5.95 poorer, 7.95 if you got the buffet.

Liv: It could be better, but its good enough. (I could use some insight into this one)

Betsy: You need professional help

Brad: Q: What is red and smells like pork?
A: Sweet and Sour Pork.

There you have it folks, I hear fortune cookies are as accurate as the Chinese Birth Calendar..... How do they do it?!?!?!