Change in 2010.

This past year has been a year of change. As is every year I suppose. In 2010, we lived in 3 different places. Celebrated the twins first birthdays, Bella's third. The babies learned to crawl, walk, talk, kiss, hug. Bella learned letters, how to write her name, took a dance class, swam, biked, and sled for the first time. Pablo got a promotion and won a huge contest for his band. We went to the Royal Gorge for the first time, and celebrated 4 years of marriage! We changed cars, houses, and diapers (about 5,500 just in 2010).

Our friends have changed, or we have changed. However you want to look at it. My faith has most definitely changed, for the better.

This isn't only the end of the year, but also the end of a decade (as Liz pointed out :). 10 years ago I was a freshman in college, in a horrible relationship, not following God, and living in Greeley. Bleh, to all those! This decade has been 10 years of change and growth I am so thankful for! Thank you God!

Here are some photo highlights from the past year! I hope you enjoy, meanwhile I will be bawling my eyes out!

Amazing what a year can do. What change it can bring. Here is to 2011! Praying you and your family have a prosperous and happy NEW YEAR!

Looking for the sparkle in Christmas...

I painted the girls nails yesterday. Red. Then added sparkles. Well, Bella calls them sprinkles! "Come get sprinkles on your nails Lili!" Our life has more sprinkles in it than sparkle, so I can understand her confusion! We bake way too much!

I almost dread Christmas these days. Although my girls do give it a whole new meaning. Yet I can do without so many things. I love seeing all my family, yet hate the run around. Love shopping, but hate the financial strain it puts on us. Really enjoy wrapping, dislike having to stay up late at night to do it. I like the food, hate the pounds!

We go non stop for 3 days, not including all the preparation before. It all stresses  me out. I want to sit back and relax. I want to watch my girls open gifts, but then have time for them to sit and play with them without us running out to the next place. I say this every year, but next year I want to stay home!

So I struggle to find the luster in the holiday season. I really don't mean to be all cliche, and say keep the Christ in Christmas, or Jesus is the reason for the season. BUT I also wonder how this holiday got so messed up. I just watched this clip on Nightline about archiologists, and Bethlehem and the birth of Christ. It was so cool. I just want to find the sparkle. When Bella sits and sings "Happy Birthday Jesus", I see the sparkle that makes me love Christmas! Now if I can bottle it up and bring it with me...
PLEASE WATCH.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8ouaWgUCNg

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas baking, making, and no-baking!

Bella puts on her apron and says, "I am a maker!"

 I am not sure about you, or your family, but in mine we celebrate the holidays with lots of baking! Even if we don't eat it, which I am not...still dieting! (27 pounds down if you were curious :) I have a million more to go so you cant really even tell! Anyway, while baking I did not lick one bowl, taste one cookie... It may seem as though that is the important part. The eating. Well it is a close second. The MOST important part to me, is the baking. It is the day (or two) blocked out just for making all the Christmas recipes that taste good and feel good to you! The ones that trigger memories, emotions, or high blood sugar levels.

My Children and I are now doing this annually, just like I did with my mother. Although, I find myself not baking as much, but rather making, or non-baking! You know the easy recipes on the back of cereal boxes? Haha. My grandma Tesones sugar cookies recipe is AMAZING. That I did. As well as a few others. I thought I would share the journey of my baking, making, no-baking day (through pics, of course :)

Happy/Merry Christmas week Everyone!!!

When in doubt, bake!

I show my love with food. I love when people enjoy a good meal I cooked, or bread I baked. I believe I learned this from women on both sides of my family. My husbands family is the same. Now being a mommy, I try to give my girls their daily veggies and fruits. As well as yummy treats that make them happy! My favorite gift after the girls were born (besides diapers), were home cooked meals for my freezer. My sister in law Ashley did a food exchange with some women. They each made a dish 4 times, then exchanged. So everyone had meals for their freezer! Brilliant.

This post is all about food and how it kind of dictates so many things in my life. For example, the girls get hungry on a schedule so I have to accommodate them. My husband eats A LOT so therefore I keep him well fed. Though he gains nothing! This time of year is infamous for food at parties. I bake certain things in different seasons, my biggest obsession is when I get to bake pumpkin things in the fall and winter.

I have a dear friend, who is by far the best person I know. Beautiful in and out. I am not just saying this.
She is a doll. She is going through a very hard thing right now. I cry for her daily, as well as pray. She is just someone I cannot imagine anyone would try to hurt. Unfortunately, we live in a fallen world and this place just down right sucks. Although we are believing in a miracle, it is still so tough. Besides praying, and calling her, I feel so helpless. So I baked. And baked. And baked some more. A goodie basket will be in her hands tomorrow and nothing makes me feel better at the moment. Pablo said it was my gift. Ha ha, this gift of mine seems to not want to leave my thighs and tummy! Actually I am not huge on sweets myself. I ADORE giving baked goods away. Is there a love language of baking? If so, it is mine.

I am on a diet. A very strict one. It does not allow for any cheating or you might as well give it all up! I realized I need this in order to succeed. I was not going to announce this information for a few reasons. One being that I have tried so many that I am almost embarrassed to tell people because I know they are thinking "another diet Nina?" Another reason being that I am just embarrassed that I need to "diet" at all. blah. After the influx of babies in our home, I finally feel like I am in a good place to take the time to do this. Although I am actually succeeding this time it seems. So hopefully I will not fall off the wagon this Christmas season!

In the meantime I will bake for those I love. Cook amazing new recipes just to pass the food along to someone who could use a few "freezer meals". If you too need to show some love, bake! It is so refreshing to the soul.