US New Year, Family, Friends and Chinese NY... now get ready to turn 2!!

Things have really been non-stop since Christmas... we've had an amazing start to the new year and couldn't feel luckier or be more blessed! Our days have been filled with so much happiness! Our US New Years Eve was spent at home, just a quiet night with the 2 of us, but since we'd both not felt so well the week leading up to it.. it was perfect! We had a wonderful dinner and then splashed and played in the tub before cuddling up for an early night of good sleep!

Our normal routine kicked us right back into gear then we had auntie's and best friends visiting us throughout the whole month. Auntie Alison has been up a few times, Auntie Cheryl and Auntie Ju-Ju (Julia) came with Gi-Gi (Gianna) and we had so much fun for a whole weekend together! Spent a couple of hours on a gorgeous day in Old-Sac, then the park near our home, and just a nice time catching up.

We kicked off Chinese New Year with a visit from Gramma and "the Karens" (Cortez and Schriever) - we had a wonderful salmon dinner then played 'til we dropped!

Danielle continues to learn by leaps and bounds! she is like a little parrot.. repeating everything that anyone says! Her vocabulary is like a 3+ yr old and she can count on her own and nearly has the whole alphabet song down! She knows every letter (has for a couple of months) but is also now able to tell you the sound each letter makes! Robyn (her daycare mom) says she's the only one who can do that, including those who are 3 and 4 yrs old in her group. Such a smartie-pants that girl! Other working moms have asked me "how do you do it alone?" saying things like.. "I don't know what I'd do without having my husband to help" and I tell them, "it's not always easy, but Danielle is also just a very good girl" She listens most of the time, she puts her own toys away when I ask, she keeps herself busy if I really need her too (the iPad is her favorite) and she rarely throws full tantrums. We are able to get out of the door in the mornings in record time and she usually doesn't need me to go wake her - she comes running into my room to find me most every morning with a big smile on her face!

I love her to pieces!!