our cozy winter

Once the holidays were behind us it was time to put away the Christmas decorations and push into the New Year! Things kicked off in a fun way with Olivia participating in a little soccer tourney. Olivia and her soccer pals were randomly split into teams for a day of 4v4 soccer. Olivia's team did not make it very far, but she had fun with her friends and that is all that matters!

While on Christmas break Olivia participated in a dance camp with her bestie, Aleah and some of her dance studio friends. The camp was sponsored by the dance team of the high school I attended and the dance team coach also happened to be one of Olivia's dance teachers at the studio she attends. They girls performed the dance they learned at one of the basketball games. They were adorable and they had a blast! 

The holiday break was finally over and it was time to head back to school. Cecilia has had a wonderful year at her new school. She has progressed quite a bit in her learning and her horizons have been broadened at the same time. The biggest improvement is that she actually enjoys going to school each day. Seeing her happy, makes me happy. Hard to believe that she will be entering Kindergarten in the Fall.

In February both Todd and I had the chance to spend some one on one time with Cece at her school. First there was Muffins with Moms. She was so excited when I came. All she wanted to do was show me all of the work she loves to do each day. We enjoyed some yummy muffins and then did a few of her favorite works. 

Next it was Todd's turn to spend time with her during "Donuts with Dad". I think she would bring us to school with her every day if she could, but she is definitely become much more independent this year. It was just nice to get a small glimpse into her daily routine and see her in her environment. 

To help break up the winter dull drum we took a weekend trip to Indianapolis with the girls. Awhile back I won a hotel stay in downtown Indy for a night and a gift certificate to a downtown restaurant. Figured it was a good time to get away and use our prize. We spent an evening downtown and the next day took the girls to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. 

What a great museum! So many neat things to do and see. The exhibits change so there is always something new for us to see when we visit. The girls had a great time on our little getaway and we enjoyed taking a break from our every day routine. A big plus...it hardly cost us a dime! Can't beat a cheap getaway!

During a recent trip to the dentist with Olivia we were told that it was time to meet with an orthodontist to talk about the first phase of braces. We knew this was in her future, but it was hard to believe that it was actually time to do it. Luckily this first phase only has to be on for 6 months. She will have to do another phase in a few years when all of her adult teeth are in. Surprisingly she was pretty excited about getting her braces. I think that's because many of her friends have them too. I think she looks pretty cute, even with a mouth full of metal.

Even though the winter days can often be long and boring, Valentine's Day helps to break things up a bit. I personally think Valentine's Day is a silly holiday but the girls love it, so we make a big deal of it just for them! We always try to kick things off with a breakfast of heart-shaped pancakes...yum!

Of course little gifts must be given to my little loves on Valentine's Day. We keep it simple and small...just a few little things I know they love. The smiles on their faces are priceless, and all I need as a gift on Valentine's Day.

We always wrap up the holiday by making heart-shaped pizzas. In the past Cece has not showed much interest in this activity, so I was hoping she would be more into it this year. She was!

They both worked very hard to create beautiful and yummy individual pizzas, and we enjoyed a lovely meal together as a family. It was a day full of love with my beauties. I am blessed beyond belief!

On Valentine's Day I noticed that Cece was wearing a pair of PJ's that used to be Olivia's. I looked back at some old photos and found this picture of Olivia on Valentine's Day in 2011. In this picture she is very close in age to Cece right now...about 4 1/2 years.

So...I did my best to recreate the same picture with Cece wearing the same PJ's on Valentine's Day 2016. Here are they are side-by-side.

I see a lot of similarities, but I also see many differences. I think that is because I know them so well. One thing I do know is that I love my girls, and I love the fun time we have had together this winter. Now bring on Spring!