Paul, Amanda,: March 2010

Saturday, March 27, 2010

The Birthday Bashes

We had a couple of get togethers for the girls' birthdays. The first was a pajama party at our house. We were sad that some of our friends couldn't make it, but had a fab time anyway! It's so much fun celebrating your kids!

(L) The cakes...Thank you Wal-Mart! :) (They were yummy and not ridiculously priced!)

(R) Heart-Shaped Pizzas

Our Sweet Guests with The Birthday Girls

Cake, Ice Cream, and Presents

My 5 Year Old and 3 Year Old

Our Fam

Having some Princess cake at PaPaw and Janny's House :) We celebrated with PaPaw for his birthday too!

Papa and Mimi came over to bring some fun presents too. Here are our little outdoors girls! :)

So thankful for our big girls!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Sydney Turns 3

Our sweet, sweet Sydney Hope turned 3 on February 15th. Again...how is that even possible?! Oh my goodness, I can't even begin to tell you all about our sweet middle child. She is definitely a character...in a good way! :) Here are a few things about our precious Syd...

She is stubborn, hard-headed, and has the softest heart all at the same time. She stands up for what she wants, defends herself, but is such a sensitive spirit.
She loves her some soft, plush, stuffed animals. Her favorites are her "baby monkey" and "Hank" the dog. She sleeps with them and carries them around with her everywhere.
She is still a thumb-sucker (I'm not yet discouraging it) and MUST have her blankie ALWAYS! She's had this one blankie from the time she was a tiny baby until now. It will definitely be a keepsake. When you ask her what she's doing with her blankie while she is sucking her thumb, she says, "I'm sniffing."
She has hilarious conversations. She tells us daily that she is going to be a mermaid when she grows up.
She recognizes her letters and knows lots of her sounds. She loves to play learning games on my iPhone.
She loves to play with both of her sisters and is especially loving being a big sister to Molly. She has been going into Molly's room in the mornings and climbing into her crib. They just giggle and play like no other.
When she says her prayers at night, she says, "Thank you Lord por my sfweet, sfweet Mommy, por my sfweet, sfweet Daddy..." and so on. Completely adorable.
She loves that she is old enough for sleepovers with the grandparents now and adores all of them.
She loves her cousins, uncles, and aunts tons.
She is loving YCW. I can hardly believe she's gone for 2 years already!

My Precious Sydney Hope,

Daddy and Mommy are so proud of our sweet Syd. You are such a sweet stinker and we love every single thing about you! You made Mommy realize that there is plenty of love my heart for more than one daughter. I love you more than words can say! You are constantly amazing us at how much you understand and want to learn about Jesus. I can already see you standing up for what is right because you love Jesus and you will want to do what He wants for you! Always know that Daddy and Mommy love you beyond words, but Jesus loves you even more than that!

Thank you for being a precious "middle child." You are a wonderful little sister and big sister all at the same time! We love you so much, but always remember that Jesus loves you the most!

Love you so much!

Mommy

Gracie Claire Turns 5

Gracie Claire turned 5 on February 14th. I know everyone says it, but I really can't believe it! It seems to go by faster and faster each year. Gracie Claire made me a Mommy and I can't express in words how much I love her! Here are just a few things about our awesome GC...

She is the MOST precious girl, so full of personality and a loving spirit!
She is definitely an actress, loves to pretend, loves all things dress-up, is a wonderful helper, has the MOST compassionate and generous spirit, and is a fantastic big sister.
One of the things she has decided to do this year is to give her hair to Locks of Love. As soon as I told her about Locks of Love and showed her the website, her response was, "Mommy, I want to give my hair to someone who needs it." This is a girl who loves having long hair and now can't wait to give it away.
She is constantly making cards to help others feel better, whether they're sick or just having a bad day.
She loves her friends and is constantly talking about them.
She loves to dance, sing, watch movies, and color.
She's starting to do a little reading (it's so hard for me not to push her as a teacher, but I don't want her to feel pressure...and I want her to love learning, and she does. Me pressuring her isn't the way. I could go off on a soapbox rant on this subject, but I'll leave that for another time.) She loves to write and is learning words and she goes. We sound them out together and it's amazing the understanding that she has.
She loves playing learning games on the computer and on my iPhone.
She adores her grandparents. She's had many a sleepover with them lately! :)
Her cousins, uncles, and aunts are some of her very favorite people.
She is beyond excited to be a kindergartener this fall. I, on the other hand, can get teary at the thought of it. Sigh...

Dear Gracie Claire,

Daddy and Mommy are beyond proud of our oldest daughter. You are growing into a little girl who is kind, generous, loving, and most importantly, loves Jesus. It makes us so happy when you tell us how you're practicing to be Jesus' best friend everyday. But, even more than Daddy and Mommy, it makes Jesus happy. He is your best friend and wants you to be His every single day of your life. The way you love people is amazing. You already have the ability to make a difference for Jesus. As you begin Kindergarten this year, you'll have even more of a chance to be a light to other people. The best thing that you can do is love people like Jesus loves you!

Thank you for being a wonderful sister. Your sisters love you so much and look up to you lots. We are so proud of who you are and who you are becoming! You are the BEST 5 year old there is!

Love you so much!

Mommy