The Pictures Say It All

My girls had a great time with their Gramma Roma!

Thanks for visiting us!!

Emma

M got a Build-A-Bear gift card from her Great Uncle and Aunt so we decided it would be fun to take her while Gramma Roma (or Grammy as M has been calling her recently) was visiting.  While we did guide her choice of "bear," she did the rest of the shopping on her own.  

Some of the bears vetoed by Mom and Dad 

This is the one!!

(And it is SO very soft and cuddly)

Now for some stuffing 

(She did not want to step on the peddle & help add the stuffing.)

A Good Bath

Which outfit do I want?

(Our little shopper)

This one!

Getting Daddy to pay

(She's got it all figured out...hehehe!  JK. :))

Now to get our new puppy, Emma, home.

Sadly, we did not get a good picture of the finished product.  

But...Emma is cute!

Thanks, Aunt Mary and Uncle Jim!!

It's a Princess Party!

Every Princess needs:

Some gloves

And a throne

A few prince friends 

A few princess friends to run through the woods with

Some games and dancing to celebrate her special day

Cake and Presents

We had a very special 3rd bday party!!

Can it really be true??

Dear M,

Can it really be true that today you are three?  I can't believe it.  Three years ago today I was lying in a hospital room staring in awe at my beautiful baby girl (all burrito wrapped in blankets).   I was so excited that you were finally here that I couldn't sleep much.  I just kept smiling and staring at you.  And...three years later I still stare in awe at how much you have grown, what a beautiful little girl you are inside and out, and that God chose to bless me with you...My precious first born.

As we have approached three a rhyme that your Gramma Vicki used to say to me has been coming to mind  frequently.  It goes something like this, "There was a little girl who had a little curl.  And when she was good she was very very good, BUT when she was bad she was horrid."  This rhyme makes me laugh because it is such a good representation of your age right now.  Everything seems to come in extremes.  One minute you want to be snuggled and the next minute you are pushing me away and saying you can do it all by yourself.  You are stretching your boundaries, daring to be more independent, and having to learn how to share your opinions in nice/constructive ways.  On the downside it means lots of time outs for yelling when you should have just told Mama or Daddy that you were upset about something, more time outs for stomping your feet and shouting, "NO!!!" (something that makes me laugh inside because I can not tell you how many times I was told to not stomp my feet as a child...just ask Gramma Vicki), and lots of telling Mama that you do not need a hand and will walk by yourself through the store and then getting put in the cart because curiosity got the better of you.  On the upside, I LOVE that you are not afraid to tell me how you are feeling.  It has been so fun to watch you begin to identify different emotions and work to verbalize those feelings.  You are exploring your world and you are putting the pieces together.  Very amazing to watch!!

When I think back to what you were like at three, I want to remember that:

You love to sing both songs that you made up (and you do this a lot) and songs that you've been taught  You love anything princess (and Daddy is always the prince), but you also love dinosaurs and cars
You like to be on the go and staying at home for too many days drives you crazy
You love Pooh and his heffalump friend, Lumpy (and elephants are called heffalumps and why anyone would choose to use the word elephant is beyond you)
Dressing up (you still love any and all hats) and tea parties may be some of the best games in the world right now
Your favorite color most of the time is PINK
You think that being a ballerina would be pretty cool
You typically DO NOT want your picture taken
You still suck your thumb, but mostly just when you are sleepy at home or in the car (and it is still cute despite the orthodontist bills that I know are coming our way)
Although you have never been fishing you are fascinated by it
Your favorite movies or TV shows right now are:  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Agent OSO, Cinderella, Mary Poppins, Little Mermaid, Pooh's Heffalump Movie
You have begun signing again and you are picking the signs up quicker than me
Reading is a favorite pastime and you could do it for hours.  Some of your favorites are the Berenstein Bears, Little Critter books, and shorter Dr. Seuss books

I love you bunches and bunches!!!  Happy 3rd Birthday Little Girl!

Your Mama

Now You See Them, Now You Don't

Seven of our eight years of marriage have been spent living in places that are no where near any of our family.  Although we have some truly amazing friends, there is just something so special about having FAMILY near by.  

Well, for the past 6 months we were blessed to have some of our family living within 5 minutes of us.  Uncle Jonathan and Aunt Katie have been able to love on our girls and spoil them rotten.  The girls have loved the extra attention especially M.  And in all honesty, they have spoiled Aaron and me by providing us with free babysitting for 6 WHOLE months.  We've been able to go on dates.  What a concept!!  

But...sadly they are leaving us this weekend.  As they leave, we want them to know that we have enjoyed spending time with them.  It has been so fun getting to know my sis-in-law better.  We will miss you guys A LOT, but know that God has some great things in the works for you!!  We can't wait to see where he leads you next.   

We LOVE you both!!  Drive safely!