Our baby is ONE!

Unbelievable...our baby girl turned one yesterday! Jed is with the Youth from the church on a boating and hiking adventure, so we are really going to celebrate when he gets back, but we did do a few special things...

Bagels and strawberry cream cheese for breakfast--YUM!

We let Gracie open one of her gifts. I was cracking up at how possessive she was and didn't want any help! Thank you Auntie J and Uncle Dan for the great swimsuit and cover up. Again thank you for all of the birthday wishes to Gracie. We love this girl with her mischievous twinkle in her eye...more on her first birthday to come.

Anything is possible when you are THREE!

Here is the breakdown of how Kate's actual birthday was spent: Wake up extra happy, help Mommy and Davis frost cupcakes for the Nursery class at church, eat the treat cereal that she selected for her special day, go to church, love being the center of attention in Nursery, come home, eat grilled cheese sandwich, open presents, sing in the microphone (yes, we are wondering, "WHAT WERE WE THINKING!" Really, it is adorable...just really LOUD), play with her baking set (Thank you Nana and Papa), pink pony (from Davis) and dress up shoes, watch the Strawberry Shortcake video from Owen, play outside with family, eat hamburgers for dinner, blow out candles...whew...this was the "best birthday ever!"

As a note: Thank you to all of you who called Kate and sent cards...she felt very loved and "happy".

Funny quote: Yesterday I told Kate to come outside for something and I said, "You can just come in your bare feet." She looked at me with unbelief and said, "I am not a bear! I am a kid!"

Kate and Caroline turn 3!

Three years ago my dear friend Kelly and I were both anxiously awaiting the arrival of our baby girls, due the same day. We just knew that these little girls were going to LOVE each other as much as we do and wouldn't you know that they do. Kate and Caroline were born just three days apart, so every year our families look forward to celebrating their births and their lives together.

This year the girls were all about Strawberry Shortcake. I wish that I could take credit for this amazing cake, but once again the glory goes to Jon (Caroline's Papa). He really outdid himself this year.Kate loved celebrating with her special friend and in her words, "I love Caroline and she loves me!" Happy Birthday Sweet Girls!

82 is Older than the Earth

Last Tuesday Gracie got sick and it slowly or actually rather quickly made it's way through our whole family. Davis seems to have gotten it the worst. Poor boy. Today he woke up ticked off that he is not feeling better. I just had this conversation with him...

Davis: "AHHHH, I am SIIIICK!"
Me: "I know buddy. Does that make you so mad?"
Davis: "Yes."
Me: "Do you want to yell at this sickness and say, 'Go AWAY!' ?"
Davis: "God is helping me." (sudden change in the conversation)
Me: "That's right he is helping you."
Davis: "How does he know that I am sick right away?"
Me: "God is always watching us. He always knows what is going on with us."
Davis: "Why?"
Me: "Because we are His children and He loves us."
Davis: "Is God old?"
Me: "Yes"
Davis: "Older than all the earth?"
Me: "Yes, older than all the earth."
Davis: "Like 82?"
Me: "Even older than that."

I thought that my Grandparents would especially like that one!

More Gracie "firsts"

This week Gracie had a few more firsts...She started successfully using the sign for "more" (Yeah! The beginning of better communication--I love baby signs!), she stood on her own for about 10 seconds and she learned to climb to the top of the slide on the "play cube" in our backyard. Don't you love these pictures? She was so thoroughly pleased with herself after climbing that slide. Let's hear it for Gracie!!!!!

School's Out for SUMMER!!!!!

It's official...Owen is officially a first grader! I was at the school with him on his last day of class and on his field day. I have to admit, I almost burst into tears that last day of class when the kids were singing, "Good-bye now, Good-bye now the clock says we're done. I'll see you in first grade, good-bye everyone!...Who's terrific? I'm TERRIFIC!" I felt like I was watching all these little ones saying "good-bye" to part of their innocence. Totally irrational, I know. I just loved how easy going and loving his teacher, Mrs Brown, and the teacher's aid, Grandma Caroline were. I would best describe Mrs. Brown as quietly brilliant. The way she fostered Owen's strengths and developed his weaknesses was amazing. A huge part of me wishes that I could freeze him in kindergarten forever. The other part of me is so excited for him to move on and learn more and more new things. Reading has opened up a whole new exciting world and I look forward to seeing what lies around the next corner. For now...Let's hear it for SUMMER!!!!

An hour before we were hosting a BBQ at our house last Saturday the kids decided they just HAD to take a few minutes to run through the sprinklers. Because of the angle of the sun, my photos are not great, but I loved watching them squeal as they ran.

Our Magic Tree House

For a few months Jed and I were talking (okay, I was doing most of the talking) about getting/building some sort of fort or play structure for the kids. Our boys are still crazy about the Magic Tree House book series and have been bugging Jed to help them build a tree house for over a year. Unfortunately we don't have any good tree house trees. Thus, the search for option 2 began. We really wanted the kids to be able to be involved in the design of it and to use their imaginations in creating something that would foster hours and hours of play. Then one day our friend Kevin found this swing set at a yard sale. It was in terrible need of a power washing and some new stain, but otherwise it was seemed great. We decided to go for it. We figure that we can always add on to it, close the bottom off, etc. based on the kids ideas.
Here's Super Dad hard at work making things more secure.
Kate LOVES the slide and threw a HUGE fit when it was time to go in for bed. Finally she calmed down when I reassured her that the slide would still be there in the morning. The next day the first thing out of her mouth was, "Is it still here?" So sweet.
Even Gracie was wanting to help with "The Magic Tree House".
Owen was so excited...he talked the entire time we were working on setting it up...yak, yak, yak...wonder where he gets that from?
Like Father, Like Son.

We thought that the old dowel later rungs were a little tricky for the littler kids, so Jed added these more sturdy steps.
After a fresh coat of stain (sorry I don't have a better picture to show off the stain and I am too lazy to go out and take one) we are ready for those hours and hours of Summer Fun!

Snuggle up to your....cactus?

I know I have mentioned before that after months and months of working at it, we finally got Gracie addicted to a pacifier...just in time for our trip to Hawaii last October. I am sure that the people sitting on the plane around us were also singing the praises of that Binky. It may sound crazy that we would encourage a binky, but our experience has shown that it is nice for the baby to have some way to sooth themselves and also it is much easier to take away a binky than a thumb! Well, not long after Gracie became attached to our dear friend the Binky...she got a cold...had a running/stuffy nose...couldn't breath with the pacifier in and quickly gave it up....Darn it! Lucky for us we were given this darling (?) little cactus toy from our friends, the Pages, after they took a trip to Arizona a few years ago. Gracie doesn't care that it used to be Kate's. All she knows is that she loves to snuggle up to this cactus when she is tired or sad. Who doesn't love a good cactus anyway?
You like Gracie's skater hair? There are a lot of bald men out there that would kill for that comb-over!
Can you tell she is teething? Her tongue is out...ALL OF THE TIME!

Note to Self:

Note to Self: When you are older and your kids are grown and you suffer from "Parenting Amnesia" (ie. you have forgotten the hard part of having little ones and only remember how sweet, funny and well behaved they are) you may from time to time see a Mom at the store with several small children. PLEASE avoid using the phrase, "Wow, you really have your hands full!" or anything like unto it. Chances are she and her children have probably already heard this at least four times that day and although she will know that you mean well and will appreciate all that you say about how cute the kids are she may be sick of hearing that particular phrase. :)

Still buddies...

I love that at ages 4.5 and 6.5 we still find them sleeping together on the floor. I hope that they will always be buddies.

Sleeping Beauties

Why is that I immediately forgive them of any stress they have cause me, the minute I see them sleeping? I had come in to lay Gracie in her bed and found Kate sleeping like this. Even Gracie thought it was funny.