Briana 2010 - A Year In Pictures

Here is a video montage of a few of my favorite photos of my gal from this past year. Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Morning - Favorite Briana Shots

Could her smile get any bigger?

A Surprise White Christmas

I seriously cannot believe we had a white Christmas here in GA. I don't believe it has happened since the 1800's. In my last post, I talked about how magical this Christmas season has been. Briana is at the perfect age to love every second of it - and now we added snow to the mix. Amazing. And what is great about GA snow, it comes and then leaves then next day. But the cold temps have left snow on the ground - just on the trees and grass.

Here is Briana and my grandmother looking out at my parents' backyard on Christmas Day - there were six deer walking in the woods...

After opening gifts, my family decided to walk in the snow a bit. Briana kept nailing everyone with snowballs (see it in the air?)...

My parents...

My parents' house. Briana got to play with her cousin N in the snow...

My snow bunny...

When we left for my parents' house around 11AM, it was a just a rain/snow mix. We came home to this...

Then the next day, we waited until temps climbed a little before heading out to play...

Crazy-haired snowman...

Me and my gal...

It was truly a magical Christmas. More Christmas pictures coming soon...

Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours

My Christmas Miracle

Briana is my miracle every single day, but I cannot tell you how much this child lights up my Christmas season. And this year has been especially wonderful. We have had an amazing Christmas season. Experiencing the Christmas season through my four year old's eyes brings back all the magic and wonder that I felt as a child. What an amazing gift. She is truly my Christmas miracle.

Here are some pictures of Miss Briana as we made Christmas cookies at my sister's house on Tuesday (I let her go crazy decorating with the frosting, sprinkles and m&m's on a couple of cookies - I'm not sure she has enough stuff on the cookie in these pictures ;D)...

I thank God for bringing this amazing, spirited child into my life each and every day.

Spending Time With Friends

Boy, it has been a whirlwind of a month! And even with all of our activities, we have managed to squeeze in a few play dates and go to a couple of birthday parties in the month of December. Briana is holding her friend "Horace the Horse" in the above picture. He is the preschool project. He gets to go home with each child for a weekend a couple of times during the school year and the parents kids do a write up of their weekends to present to the class.

Here is Briana with her friends Matthew, C and S at a McDonald's play date a couple of weeks ago... 

And here is Briana and her friend Laney. Laney's brother and sister were not in the picture taking mood during this play date, so they didn't get in the picture, but Horace did!

The weekend we had Horace, we attended two birthday parties. The first was for Briana's preschool friend Ethan...

Right after Ethan's party, we headed over to Eriks' bounce party (and yes, she had pizza twice)...

Of course, Briana got to hang with friends ML and Imerie at the "Goodies with Grands" at school last week. And Briana and I luckily got to go out have lunch today with ML, her brother and her Mommy too...

Yesterday, Bri and I joined our friends Chani, Kathy and Matt for a puppet show at the Center for Puppetry Arts. It was an amazing puppet show. All the puppets looked exactly like the characters you see in the Rudolph Christmas special. And the performers had all the voices down pat too - amazing. Briana and Chani had a great time...

We ended up eating at Joe's Cr@b Shack after the show. The girls were watching the employees dance in the picture below. Unfortunately, Briana decided to act up during the last 10 minutes of our perfect day (due to exhaustion I think). This picture was taken before all the tears...

As you can see, we have had a BUSY December so far and today is only December 20th. Besides baking Christmas cookies at my sister's house tomorrow, we are keeping it low key this week. Santa comes on Saturday and we need to save our energy for that.

Hope you are all enjoying the countdown to Christmas as much as we are!

Miss Inquisitive - Lots of Questions and Opinions

Miss Inquisitive. That is what I call Briana now. Briana talks SO much. I'm talking a LOT. Question after question after question. About everything. And she has opinions on everything. She is a very, very, VERY inquisitive little girl. I get a lot of "Mommy, why?" on almost every topic. "Mommy, why are there so many doors, (ceiling) fans and lights in our house? Why?"

I got a winter progress report for Briana. Ms. Janet said she is doing wonderfully and will do great in Kindergarten next year. Below is the first sheet of the report. I actually started to laugh when I saw it...

Yep, she got one "seldom." Briana seldom listens without interrupting. Ever. Because that would mean Briana would have to keep an opinion or thought to herself for five whole seconds. We had a little talk about the "seldom" on her report, but I don't see her quieting down any time soon. I honestly think her head will explode if she isn't able to express a thought immediately. ;)

Briana has been obsessed with watching "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer." After watching the show, Bri and I had a long talk about differences and how it isn't nice to make fun of people who are different. And at the end, Rudolph's difference made him special because he was the only one that could help Santa deliver the presents on Christmas Eve. It was actually a wonderful way to talk about embracing differences. Briana got to watch Rudolph at school the other day (after she had watched it a few times at home already), and Ms. Carrie (the assistant teacher) said Briana was providing commentary throughout the program about differences, etc. Ms. Carrie thought it was really cute (I could tell it was a bit exhausting for her as well - but cute. :D).

Bri has asked a few general questions about adoption and babies being in bellies in the last few months. She doesn't ask me questions like that too often, but I am honest with her when she does ask me. She also asked me yesterday why some people have light skin and some people have dark skin. I explain everything to her as well as I can while trying to stay on a 4 year old level.

She is smart. So observant. So caring and sensitive. I love that she wants to know every little thing. On the other hand, there are times that she exhausts me. She asks me questions that I can't possibly know. A question like, "Why did the person at that house over there put that reindeer in his yard?" I sigh, "I don't know Briana. I don't know who that person is." We can't watch a TV show without fifty questions. I read a book to her and she often interrupts with questions. I know it is an age thing and a "Briana" thing. And I honestly don't ever want her to stop asking questions because I know she feels comfortable talking to me and asking those questions. At times, I just need some more strength and patience to be able to keep answering them! 

If you have been reading my blog long enough, you also realize how hyperactive spirited and silly Briana is. While I was taking pictures of Bri for the Christmas program, she asked to pose for some silly ones too...

Well, I can't say she doesn't keep me on my toes.