Busy and blessed!

We have been so busy, just like everyone else, with the holidays coming (and going). Lots of family time, CAKE, and laughter have been going on around here lately:)

The big 4 year old

Azteca!

Fancy Nancy birthday party

Everly's dedication morning

Grandpa and grandma

Dedication

4

My BABY is 4. She clearly is not a baby anymore but, as you moms know, they will always be your baby. Julianna woke up this morning and the first thing I told her was that I was so excited that she wears big girl underwear to bed now (which was just recently accomplished), and she responded "well I am so excited that I am 4". It is ALL that we have been talking about lately so she knew that today was the day. She obviously wanted to wear her sleeping beauty dress and crown for her birthday outfit so we put that on and made blueberry pancakes with whipped cream for breakfast. Her and her daddy went to the library to get some new books so that I could have some time to get ready for her little birthday party with her friends. Julianna was full of energy today, and barely took time to breath. We ate cupcakes and ice cream sundaes, played pin the tail on the donkey, and opened presents. From all of the excitement/chaos :) by the time her party was almost over, she was in tears, completely exhausted and sooo ready for a nap. THANK YOU JESUS that she still naps:) After her nap she said that she wants to go to Azteca for her birthday dinner....a girl after my own heart. Then we will skype with grandma and grandpa in Canada and I imagine after that, she will be SO ready for bed! My little princess is 4, and I can hardly believe it.

 Birthday girl

 Daddy and his girls....this is the best we could get

 Mommy and the birthday girl....best we could get:)

 Birthday breakfast

 Pin the tail on the donkey

 Most of the kids

 Blowing out her birthday candle

Almost 4 and 9 months!

Julianna is well into preschool and having a blast. She is quite a social little thing and I so enjoy watching her interact with other kids....as long as she is not crying or bossing them around which tends to happen here and there:). If she is in a new place with children she doesn't know, I have seen her walk up to someone, introduce herself and ask them if they would like to play with her. She is very independent now, wanting to do everything herself. She really is changing from a toddler, to a little girl, and I have to admit that as great as it is to see her be a little more independent, it also makes me sad. Especially when I look back at pictures and see that not so long ago, she still looked so little. She is very impressionable and wants to copy EVERYTHING that Jeremy and I do. We are realizing that now we really have to watch everything we say and do around her, because even if she doesn't look like she is listening or observing, SHE IS:)

Sweet little Everly is just that. S-W-E-E-T. She loves to cuddle, and laughs at anything her sister does. She sucks her thumb, usually when she is tired, which is adorable, but I keep thinking that 3 or 4 years from now it won't be so cute:) She just cut her first tooth and is working on the second one, and even through that, her fussiness only includes an occasional grunt here and there. She is seriously such a joy, and dare I say it, easy baby:) I know things can change, but so far, so good which is making me want a 3rd...Jeremy?????

 Cousins!

 Preschool pumpkin farm trip

Julianna and Harper

My little thumb sucker

Goodbye Summer

Goodbye summer. Fall is creeping up on us and I have to admit, I am looking forward to it. Don't get me wrong....I LOVE the sun and warmth, but I also love the changing of seasons with the cool mornings, changing of all of the leaves, and lattes! Julianna started preschool yesterday and I am pretty sure that I was more excited than her, and she was pretty excited:) She marched into her school, and as we walked past her old classroom I did get a little teary eyed. I can't believe my baby is in her second year of preschool already. She looked so big next to the little 2 year olds. It does go FAST!

So here's to a little more routine, those pumpkin spice lattes everyone talks about, and for everything that these fall months have to offer:) 

Here's a little of what we have been up to lately...

 Papa Dane and his girls

 Julianna pulling Ella

 I love this face

 ...and this one!

 Slip n slide!

 Beach time

  Everly and mommy 

Daddy and Jules

Julianna on her first day of preschool

Nap Anyone?

Let's be honest. Being a mommy, the blessing that it is, is not always glamorous(to say the least:) ) Some days I am exhausted, don't feel well, low in the patience department, etc. I love my sweet babies to death, but they take ALOT of energy! The other day I was exhausted for some reason, and Everly was napping and Julianna wanted me to play with her outside. She wanted to race me. It's her newest thing. I told her I would and begged the Lord to give me strength to play with Julianna, because I did not know where that energy would come from if it wasn't from Him! In the back of my mind I am always aware that these precious days that my daughter wants to race me, or play with me outside will go quickly so I don't want to pass up on the opportunities to do so. Right after I asked the Lord for energy to do this race:), across the yard, unprovoked, Julianna looks up at me and spreads her arms wide and says "mommy, I love you so much". It melted my heart and definitely made playing with my daughter in that moment, exhaustion and all, worth it. So, we raced and Julianna (of course) beat me, and though I was still tired at least I was able to race with a smile on my face.

One proud mama

The other night as we were tucking Julianna in for bed I told her that we were going to go to the gym in the morning and she asked if she could bring some money from her piggy bank to give to kids who don't have any money. I of course said yes. In the morning the first thing that she said to me was that she wanted to get money from her piggy bank so she could bring it with her to the gym. I pulled down her piggy bank and she took three dollars from it, although she wanted to take all of the money from it, and put it in her little box to take to the gym. We belong to the YMCA and there are kids who need scholarships for camps and other things, so they do accept donations. Julianna marched in and told the lady that she wanted to give some money to kids who didn't have any. The lady looked to me to make sure that it was ok to take her money, and I assured her that I wasn't going to say no to her, if she had chosen on her own, to do something like this. They were very impressed and took her picture and said that they were going to put it up to show that she was a donor. I know that I am bragging, but this is a proud moment in a mama's life that her 3 year old would think of others and their needs without me prompting her to. Love this girl:)

30

I am 30. 30 is a big milestone. In contemplating my life and where I am at at 30, I have realized how incredibly blessed and happy I am. At 30 I am married to an AMAZING man who seriously thinks about mine and the girls' needs before his own. I have 2 stunning little ladies that I get to call mine...thank you Jesus. I get to spend everyday raising these beautiful girls. I am so blessed to be there through their tears, diaper changes, laughter, discoveries, and all of their firsts. I am exactly where I have always desired to be in life at this moment. 30 definitely isn't so bad:)

Everly 6 months

Julianna 3 1/2

30th birthday