Mio on her first Christmas.

This year was our first Christmas with Mio, and although she is still too young to appreciate the holiday, we had a lot of fun spending the day at home with my family. Yesterday also marked my 29th birthday! Here are some pictures from the special day….

Mio with her grandparents
Mio with her grandparents

 

The parents
My parents

 

A kindle from Dan, Miwa and I
Ted with the Kindle Touch that Dan, Miwa and I got for him.

 

A smile!
Mio with wooden blocks from her grandparents.

 

Hyo and Dan
Hyo came down from New York to spend Christmas with us!

 

A present for Mio!
A present for Mio from Hyo!

 

Cute cupcake playsuit from Auntie Hyo!
An adorable cupcake playsuit!

 

Mio among all the presents.
Mio among all the presents.

 

Showing off our presents
Miwa and I showing off some of our presents. I got the ZOKU Quick Pop Maker that I'd had my eye on!

 

Mio with Uncle Ted
Mio with Uncle Ted

 

A blissful Mio in Elisa's arms
A blissful Mio in Elisa's arms.

 

Fast asleep!
Mio peacefully sleeping...with her puckered lips and cheeks so kissable!

 

Before eating.
Christmas dinner with the family.

 

Lighting the candles
My tiramisu birthday cake, decorated by my sister Miwa.

 

My 29th birthday...
Thank you to Miwa and Hyo for the cakes!

 

She's happy!
I loved that I could celebrate my birthday with Mio this year!

 

I turned 29 this birthday, and although it saddens me a little that 30 is right around the corner, I’m determined to make the best of this last year of my twenties! I’ve resolved to make changes for the better and to take steps to be more positive, rather than complain about circumstances and not do anything about them. I’ve been stuck in a bit of a funk lately, and I’m hoping to start anew in a lot of respects in the coming new year. Facing drastic changes can be daunting and uncertain, but ultimately it’s up to me to pave the road to continued happiness for both myself and for my family. Here’s to a fresh start in 2012!