First Snow of the Season

We had our first snow this December - actually on the 16th - and Maddie and Ashlyn couldn't wait to go out and play in it. I had asked that they wait for their daddy to get home and the literally hit him at the door as soon as he walked in ready with their snow gear on. This was really Brooke's first time playing in the snow and going sledding and she had a blast along with her sisters. We love the snow - not really the cold, but the snow is so much fun to play in. We were thankful that we got to see some and it even stuck around for a white christmas this year!

Tinkerbell Turns Two

Today, our baby turned TWO years old! I just can't believe it. The last two years has flown by. Brooke has just grown and changed so much. Yesterday, we had her birthday party and she celebrated as Tinkerbell! She got so many presents - a couple of new dolls, including a stroller and baby bed for them, a stuffed cow that moos, a pig pillow that will be awesome for taking with us on trips as it folds in half to look like a stuffed animal and then unfolds to become a pillow - and that was just to name a few!

She also blew out two candles on her "Tinkerbell" cake (or technically Maddie did before she had a chance!)

It is so hard for me to fathom that this will be my last baby. We have decided that we feel our family is complete and don't plan to have any more kids. However, today has been a bit tough for me as I see my baby actually leave the "baby" stage and really become a BIG GIRL! Wow! I'm so excited to see what the future holds for Brooke - she is such a special girl and such a blessing to our family.

Happy Birthday Brooke - We love you!!!

Brooke - A Two Years Glance

Brooke's Pillow

Many times children have an attachment to something when they are little. For many kids it usually is a blankey or a stuffed animal. My kids have not really done this much. In fact, I don't remember Maddie ever having something she was attached to. Ashlyn has gone through some small spurts of attachments - she had a blanket that she always wanted to have with her at bedtime, but that ended pretty early on. She then moved on to a stuffed dog that she needed to have with her quite a bit; however, she has seemed to have stopped needing it as much now. But the newest thing is with Brooke. She is attached to her pillow. She doesn't really seem to care too much which pillow it is - although it does have to be a small pillow like the couple of ones that Grandma Johnson or her cousin Kelsi has made. She mostly has to have it with her when she goes to bed or takes a nap, but she often wants to have it in the car or she'll just carry it with her around the house. She is so funny when she decides she needs it and when she needs it - you better find it or she won't stop fussing for her "pilwo".

Traditions

Something that is very important to Chris and I is that our family starts traditions that the girls will remember when they are grown up. Hopefully, these will be the things that they look forward to each year and may even pass onto their own families some day.

We haven't started too many yet, but one of our family traditions is Friday night sleepovers, which sometimes consists of the girls pushing their beds together and at othertimes consists of everyone sleeping in our bed, which usually kicks Chris to the couch. Another one we have started is having new Christmas pj's for the whole family to wear to bed Christmas Eve and open presents in the next morning. (This one tends to make for really great "Christmas morning" pics.)

Well, this Sunday we realize that how we put up our Christmas tree has become another family tradition. Something that I have always enjoyed while I've put up the tree in the past is watching (or really listening to) the movie "A White Christmas". It is an old classic (and is NOT Chris' favorite), but I love to have it on in the background. It really gets me into the Christmas spirit. This year the girls asked if we could put the tree up and watch mommy's favorite Christmas movie too! They wanted to have it on as well, which made me smile inside and know that we were creating another tradition as a family. And putting the tree up this year was better than any other since the girls are older and wanted to help put the decorations on the tree. They mostly enjoyed getting to put each of their past year's handmade ornaments on the tree. We talked about how old they were when they made them and they reveled in their precious artwork. They had the best time putting the tree up and I'm sure they will look forward to do it again next year.

I anticipate more family traditions to come and am excited to see what they will be.

Too Messy - Too Tired

I guess cleaning your room is an exhausting task?!? I gave Ashlyn one job to do today and when I went into her room to see how it was coming - this is what I found...

I suppose she shouldn't stuff everything under her bed because it wears her out to clean under there?!?

"I'll Huff and Puff and Blow Your House Down"

When trying to decide what the girls would be for Halloween this year, we had the roughest time coming up with something other than "a princess". Having girls it seems to be the only thing they want to be. I have nothing against "princesses", I just thought that it might be fun or exciting to be something different. So we thought extremely hard at coming up with something clever and I think we were successful this year!

Maddie, Ashlyn & Brooke were the Three Little Pigs! And of course you need a Big Bad Wolf - and luckily we had Daddy to play that part! In order to get Maddie to buy into this costume, I had to make a deal with her and Ashlyn that if they would "trick or treat" as a pig then they could be the all famous choice - a princess - at school. (I honestly couldn't blame Maddie for not wanting to go to school as a "pig").

So, check out the Halloween pics from the day. As you can see we had two different costumes, but I have to admit, they pulled off The Three Little Pigs wonderfully! We got so many compliments as to how cute they were. But honestly, it wouldn't have been the same if Daddy wouldn't have been the wolf - he really finished off the theme perfectly and was such a trooper the whole time. I'm so thankful I have a hubby that is so patient and fun loving!

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The Three Little Pigs & The Big Bad Wolf

"That Wolf is Scary"

Trick or Treating

"What Cute Little Tails!"

Maddie as a Snow Princess at School.

Ashlyn as Snow White at Preschool.

Little Bumblebee (Baby Dylan)