You know she looks just like me.

And thou shalt in thy daughter see,
This picture, once, resembled thee.
~Ambrose Philips


8:47 am, January 29th, 2009. 8lbs, 8oz. Looking so much like her big sister it made it hard to choose a name for her.

It still breaks my heart to think that I missed out on the joy she was meant to bring me the first few weeks. This girl was not an easy baby and I was not a healthy Mama. But we made it, and it was 3 days before she turned six weeks old that the sun came shinning through. Like hormonal balance, infection healing, found-the-right-formula magic. And, Girl's been bringing it ever since.


Three months old. Photo shoot with Mommy while Elise napped.


Six months old. In the same puppy onesie that all my Dad's granbabies thus far had been photographed in.


9 months old. Halloween - Cheer Bear.


On her first Birthday.


15 months old. This was the day we went to meet Baby Fiona.


18 months old. First Haircut, looking like Victoria Beckham.


21 months old. Enjoying a warm October evening.


1 week before her Second Birthday.

Tessa Winter Jacqueline, each day, you bring me the Sun. Happy Birthday Baby.

Overscheduled. But Happy.

Well. Given the amount of time since I last posted, it's apparent that not only have we been COMPLETELY non-stop go, but also that I can procrastinate like no other. I hope everyone had an awesome holiday season and has started the New Year off on the right foot.



We were able to spend Christmas with most of the family, but were a bit sad not to see my sisters' families or my Dad and his wife. Thankfully, we hope to have plenty of visiting opportunities coming up in Jan/Feb as both Tessa and my niece Grace's birthdays are fast approaching!

Yeah, that's right - my BABY is going to be 2.


This little baby right here.

And we are going to party hard babe! All her besties are comin' - like Nana, Kyle, Aunties, Sissy ;) and all the little turkeys too! We can't wait. I, mostly cannot wait for her to don this little number!



I have been feeling the need to fill 2011 with some Julie things, not to say that the Mommy things aren't wonderful and enriching, but Julie is coming out on fire in 2011. For real. I started with new hair on New Year's eve and it felt great. Now I'm kicking this muffin top all the way back to the bakery and you'd better believe I will ROCK my wedding dress by September. Hell, I might even rock a bikini by June. Yep, it's happening folks.

What else? My Big (not literally) Baby started Dance class last week and boy, can she make a leotard look AWESOME!



She is loving it so far, and talking about her little friends non-stop. She still says that Sullivan is her best friend any time you ask her, even though they haven't seen each other since September and the feeling might not be reciprocated. We'll have to watch out for this generation of Kissin' Cousins I suppose. Good thing my sister can tell us all the signs to watch for - right Erin?



I'm just getting into the thick of Winterguard stuff too so we have been back and forth and forth and back and forth again pretty much since mid-November and there really won't be an end in sight until March. But I love it, I love my ladies, and the girls love all the Nana visits. It'll probably be the last year I can participate since I see big things on the girls Social Horizon, so I'm going to live it up.

Anyway, between all the here and there, we are still trying our best to keep up with the normal, low-key moments of watching a movie together and doing Valentine's crafts (yeah - I'm that Wal-Mart mom that starts with Valentine's on January 2nd and St. Patrick's Day on February 15th and so on) and dress-up Tea Parties.




Oh - and we're still trying to mesh with our new, lunatic, puppy. Fingers crossed it happens soon. We like him when he sleeps. :)



I'm not big on resolutions, but I am going to commit myself to one blog post per month, minimum - because I can make that happen and it feels good to write it all down. Oh and one more cute little note that's mostly just for me so I never forget it, is how Tessa is saying Swiper - "Fwiper no fwiping!". It's seriously presh and so is her ponytail.



Happy Week of Tessa's Party and whatever else you have going on!

Changed, Renewed, Blessed.

We had such a breathtaking weekend in Jasper at the beginning of the month. It was chilly, and snowyblowy, but we were calm and joyful and just taking it all in. My girls had never seen the mountains, Tessa didn't much remember snow from last winter and it was our first-ever trip just the 4 of us. The cabin we stayed in was quaint and perfect. It was just liberating to be away with my unit and I returned feeling a deep renewal.

Who wouldn't with scenery like this.



We were literally out of our vehicle, 6 feet away from these guys.



The girls missed the Big Horned Sheep close up, but they were resting so peacefully on our quiet, mountain drive that we couldn't wake them.



We swam in the outdoor, heated pool about 27 times in the 2 and a half days we were there. The girls just couldn't get enough. We walked through town, had lunch at our favorite Greek Family Restaurant, ventured into tiny toyshops to explore and got our picture taken with Jasper the bear. We were touristy and it was so fun.



Elise is still asking when we will be going back. I think we'll make it annual for sure. It was such a simple getaway.

On the 10th I celebrated the birth of my sweet, sweet friend Anissa. She was away, but I celebrated without her because I am so very grateful she was born and has fallen forever into my life.

I also remembered hard, to cherish every single second - because at any moment, things can change forever - and to do everything I can to live without regrets. November 10th is forever changed, but not for bad. I haven't written yet about my friend Matthew Jay Cook on this blog because I like to write about the good, happy things. It wasn't until recently that I could see through the grey cloud of loss to realize that Matt was a good, happy thing. Matthew was 22 years old when he passed away in April, 2010. He'd been through a long battle and when he could fight no more, he left, hoping only that his family would cope without him and that awareness would be raised about rare-form Cancers. His 23rd Birthday would have been November 10th, and the legacy he has left is untouchable. One of a kind soul. My life is changed for better thanks to Matthew Jay and I am one of thousands. Thousands.

I will hold these girls that much dearer, and breathe in the moments, the tantrums, the sleepy breathing, the giggles. I will know that I am blessed.



I will not stress about the mullet Elise now sports, I will look back on it and smile. I will remember how, when she was 3 years and 2 1/2 months old, she loved to look through her "spotting scope".



These lashes will always leave me gasping for air.



And so will moments like this.