"In the bleak mid-winter...."

January has been cold, but sunny here.  I really love living here in Washington, it is still pretty even though it is mid-winter. I love the ever-green trees all around.  I stayed inside a lot this month, just playing with the babies in babyland over here. Brielle is switching back and forth between 1 and 2 naps a day, and this transition is happening at a great time when I'd rather stay home anyway. 

Here I am with my girls:

Bedtime for baby Roz:

Jeff and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary.  My mom came up and watched the girls while we went out to dinner.  Our first date in forever! We went to Ruth's Chris steakhouse....I've been dying to go there! Wow, was it tasty!

I'm putting this blurry picture here just to show my huge steak I got. It was the best I've ever had. Sorry folks, I could never be a vegetarian. :) The picture didn't turn out because the dining room is so dark.  Why is it that the most expensive restaurants have such dim lighting? I don't get that.  I sound like an old lady complaining that I couldn't read the menu. Lights or no lights, it was delicious.

Thanks Mom for the babysitting!

This is how I get ready in the mornings. Or attempt to get ready.  It's great to have two beauty queens helping me in my bathroom each morning.

We bought Brielle a slide for these cold winter months. She helped Jeff put it together. Rosalyn inspected it from the swing.

I'm in wedding-planning mode.  I've been doing a lot of talking with Marie and my Mom about wedding decisions.  I'm just a sounding board as they talk through things.  It's been so fun! Here Rosalyn is playing with her plastic engagement ring...

The state parks were free on Martin Luther King day, so we took advantage and enjoyed the scenery! We went to Lake Sammamish.  Brielle kept wanting to run into the lake.  Jeff got the job of chasing her around.

Brielle playing indoors:

I've been taking Brielle (oh, and Rosalyn comes too!) to music time and story time each week. It's fun to get out and meet new people and see Brielle have fun. 

Here she is front and center...she LOVES books!

January: a great month to relax and recoup from the holidays.