~My girls~

I can't help it but love it when they love on each other like this.  It always makes me so happy when I see them play together and get along.  They are so lucky to have one another and I think I am pretty lucky to have them!

~Elyssa's 5th Birthday Bash~

Elyssa woke up to balloons, got dressed in her big girl 5 year old outfit she picked out the night before, and headed off to celebrate her birthday with her preschool class.  After a yummy lunch we had our regular rest/art/movie time and then did VIP and backwards birthday presents with the family.

Elyssa was excited to give her presents to her siblings, and was super excited to open her present and cards from generous grandparents and aunties.

Then we loaded into the car and made our way to Omaha!  She was thrilled to swim with the family in the hotel pool in the middle of freezing January.  Though we had just been at a beach a few weeks before in Florida, there is also something fun about swimming in the warm clear water of a swimming pool.  

Everybody had a great time, so great that no one wanted to hold still long enough to really get a picture.  :-)

Elyssa very specifically said she wanted a Merida cake, Merida being the awesome princess from the movie, Brave.  I came up with a couple different ideas, but ultimately she said she wanted a white cake with green frosting, sprinkles and a Merida doll on top.  

Her wish was my command and she couldn't have been happier.

Then we watched movies and ate pizza and popcorn in bed there at the hotel room before falling asleep.  She thought it was a pretty awesome way to end her special day.

The next morning we headed off to the Omaha Zoo with beautiful weather and just about every person in Omaha.  Opps!  Turns out it was free day at the zoo and with the unseasonably warm weather everyone came out of the woodworks to see the animals.  We still had fun, but have learned our lesson to check the schedule before heading out next time. :-)

~Elyssa Turns 5!~

Someone turned five.  FIVE!!!!

This little girl has been waiting all year long to turn five.  She was pumped and she was ready because in her mind five means that you are big.  Five means you get to go to school.  Five means you get to hold up a whole hand when people ask how old you are.  Five is NOT little.  

Trying to get Elyssa to give me a real smile can be a challenge sometimes.  She would prefer to make a silly or awkward face.  I think most kids go through this phase at some point and Elyssa was no exception.  She likes thinks the way she likes them, wants her hair the way SHE wants it, and wears what she wants to wear most of the time.  She

Showing off her beautiful genetic warfare green/brown eyes with the best little goof grouchy face she could come up with on the fly.  This little girl is bursting with personality and spunk.

She loves to have fun and really can be SO MUCH FUN to play and spend time around. A warning to the wise: Just steer clear of her "fire breathing dragon" act.  It's a doozy.  

Even at 5 this little girl still loves to cuddle up with her Mama any chance she gets.  She'll spend hours doing artwork, making books, and trying to figure out how to write words.  She loves to read and is often found with a pile of good books, and entertains herself so well during Cordy/Mommy afternoon nap time.  She can be the ultimate sweetheart when she wants to be and we can't imagine life without her.

Height: 41 3/4 inches (32%), Weight: 39 lbs (43%)

Dearest Elyssa,

Happy Birthday, beautiful girl!  It is so fun watching you grow and being your mother!  I get to see all the wonderful sparkling things about your life and see how you change and grow in a very intimate way.  You are a spark of energy in a room, with so much excitement and desire to learn and try new things.  I love seeing your mind at work and finding your many artistic creations around the house.  You bring home such fantastic artwork from school and then spend two hours almost every afternoon creating more.  I love it!  I also love watching your love for books grow.  Seeing you sit alone with a stack of books and immerse yourself in the pictures is such a treat.

You are a great help to me with your little sister and big brother.  Though you may not always get along, you can also play together so well and entertain each other and love each other for hours on end.  I love that you love having sleepovers with Alec and playing babies and princesses with Cordy.  You can be such a wonderful friend to others when you want to be.  I think it's really cool that you have the ability to jump into any game, and make friends anywhere you go. 

It is especially wonderful for me to see you learn and grow in your faith of Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father, and the gospel.  Listening to your heartfelt prayers and sincere desire to have more faith touches my soul.  I so very much want you to grow up to be a woman of faith, a woman who knows her worth and value and the worth and value of others.  Almost every night I remind you that you are a child of God, Heavenly Father loves you, Jesus loves you, and Daddy and I love you very much and we all want you to choose the right so you can be happy.  I hope that is internalizing somewhere in your mind and in your heart.  

Thank you for being brave and passionate, for being a good friend to others, and for reminding me to always pray for more faith.  I love you so very much, my darling, and am so excited to continue to watch you learn and grow in the coming years.  

With all my love,

Your Mama

~Cordy sure knows how to entertain~

Love this little girl, her fabulous laugh, sparkling blue eyes, and fearless personality.

~Chester 2.0~

I did my best not to make a big deal out of the fact that Chester. Was. Missing.  He disappeared a few days before Christmas.  In all the hustle and bustle of the holidays Cordy was somehow distracted with other things enough to not be too bothered, but I knew one day it would become an issue.  Christmas happened, Florida happened and still no Chester.  After a few teary nights from Cordy and a day spent searching high and low, looking just about everywhere I could think of I finally accepted that he was gone.  Lost.  No where to be found. 

 It was time to order a new one.  

When Chester 2.0 arrived this little girl was ecstatic!  He looked so new and clean and fresh, and he made Cordy feel so very happy.  Pretty sure she slept like a rock that night with her sweet little raccoon, Chester 2.0 by her side.  

Welcome Chester!  May your days be long in this house and may you never get lost!

~Alec's 6th Birthday!~

I had every intention of throwing a friends birthday party for Alec this year but with our trip to Florida and my exhausted pregnant self it just didn't happen.  Instead we invited over some family friends for a low key dinner/birthday treat.  

Alec thought it was great fun picking out the cupcakes and making another wish in honor of his 6th birthday.

 I usually do a birthday photo shoot with the kids on their birthday at the house, but since we were in Florida on Alec's birthday it didn't happen this year. Lucky for me, Uncle Ryan DID do a mini photo shoot with Alec while we were there, capturing some of the unique sides of his wonderful personality.

This year Alec cultivated a fake smile where he moves his jaw forward.  Not sure why he started doing this but it's a frequent flyer in his facial repertoire.

Always dressed the part, Alec is frequently found in costumes, hats or any variety of random adornments to be whatever character he is currently trying to be.  Pretty sure he was a great adventurer with this hat, with bright eyes ready to discover the world.

This right here has to be my very favorite smile.  His natural, laughing, happy, carefree smile.  He also calls it his "I love my Mommy" smile (a total heart melter if you ask me).  This is how I always want to see my Alec, how I will likely always picture him in my minds eye.

 height: 45 7/8 inches (51%,  weight: 45 lbs. (41%)

Dearest Alec,

It has been such a joy watching you learn and grow over the last 12 months.  A lot has happened!  You finished out Pre-K, spent a fabulous summer with your sisters, learned how to ride a bike without training wheels, went off to KINDERGARTEN, learned to read and grew up way too fast. 

There is a reason I sing you the song "Life's an Hourglass" all the time.   I feel like you are growing at the speed of light and I am just trying to keep up with you!  You are so good to your sisters, so patient with Cordy, and such a wonderful helper around the house.  You have also grown in your interests a lot in the last year.  I love your excitement for all things Space!  Listening to you discuss the facts you've learned about planets is so impressive.  Watching you try out new sports and activities with your friends and get excited to do new things is such a treat for me.  You are teaching me more than you could ever know every single day.  

I love you, my growing boy.  I love you to the moon and beyond!  Thank you for making me a Mommy six years ago.  Know that even though you are my big kid, you will always hold a special spot in my heart as my little boy.  

With all my heart, 

Your Moma