February Snapshots

I love this for a million reasons, but one is that Ella is singing one of her very favorite contemporary Christian songs and two that she is pretending to read it from the hymnal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Nl3pYNY9S8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuwjZ2fVWrs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjSSMCsdE0I

sweet sissies

February arrives and we are all craving more Vitamin D. Ollie is always in search of the perfect spot.

Abby made this family project in Pioneer Girls. It makes me smile every time I look at it hanging in the kitchen.

Friday family dinners with Uncle Cory are definitely a favorite weekly event around here. We are enjoying this special season while it lasts.

One night at dinner, Abby was talking about who she thinks she could marry when she grows up. Ella got very quiet and thoughtful as she pushed her food around her plate. Then, after a significant amount of time and when the conversation had moved on, she looked right at Cory and asked...
Ella: Uncle Cory, do you think you are going to get married someday?
Cory: I hope so.
Ella: Do you think it's going to be soon or do you think you can wait until I'm old enough so we can get married?
(We soaked up all the sweetness of the moment, as we watched her seriously and innocently wait for an answer. Then, we all explained to her that she couldn't marry Uncle Cory because he is her family and you can't marry your family.)
Ella: But why? I mean....I love him so much and he loves me so much and that's why people get married.
Cory: I love you so much, but that's different because I'm your uncle.
Ella: Ok, I guess I'll marry Papa then. 💙💙💙

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zicnmgi9oVY

Abby was invited to a birthday party at the bowling alley and loved it. She had some good beginner form!

Abby and her buddy Christine

Spontaneous night out with one of my faves. Our sweet husbands stayed with all the kiddos (six kids under seven) and gave us the gift of uninterrupted catch up time. What's even better than adult conversation in complete sentences? Having it with a friend who you don't need to speak complete sentences with because she knows you and you don't have to explain. It was just what my heart needed. Every time I look at this picture, I will remember the crazy eye cappuccino and how we laughed so hard in the parking lot that I almost peed my pants.

This face. My sweet girl. It's moments like these that make me want to freeze time and kiss her sweet cheeks over and over again.

February 2017 was filled with faux spring days and huge snow storms! When Spring weather started poking through mid winter and we soaked up every bit of it.

No coats in February!

These days 😊 Lots of trolls and Shopkins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqte9fuklHY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGaBBGHOWW8

The morning after a rough's night sleep most likely caused by all the little ladies sitting on top of me first thing in the morning. :)

Fort building in Juliet's room

Snow day forts and a slower pace with all my babies in one place was such a gift to me.

Ella helped me cook dinner tonight, while pretending to film her Food Network show. She explained boiling and simmering to the "audience", measured out her thyme, whisked her milk and flour mixture and explained how you cn know your cheese is Swiss by its holes. She has been helping me in the kitchen ever since she could climb onto the chair next to me and I never want her to stop! On tonight's menu: Turkey and Swiss Sloppy Joes OR Turkey and Swiss Sloppy Daddies as we call them in our house.

Juliet's signature dance move:

Sick girl just wanted to snuggle her daddy.

And then there's Oliver...

Then, she eventually fell asleep on her mommy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GKrquDfJ-Y

Superbowl Sunday is also a special poodle's 3rd birthday at our house! It was a big party over here, which really just means football food for us and puppy ice cream for Oliver. I'm not sure who loves who more, but we have the best little pup around!  P.S. Ella was also really excited for the "Superball". She was totally ready to watch some "flip ball".

Grammy came to visit and the girls loved every bedtime story, snuggly moment with her!

Two of our favorite Ella-isms: eyetacks (for contacts) and imaginated (as in "I imaginated it!")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3TNLRzRFgg

Superball!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHMXhJ_7W4I

Pre-Valentine's Day pedicures for everyone = an excited little sister who loved being treated like a big girl and two proud big sisters who are her biggest cheerleaders.

"Why are they out there without me, mom? I'm ready! Let's go!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQkWSiuVf_0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2XVXNsKoM4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OkXtfj1N9Q

Valentine's Day 2017

Valentine's Day photo shoot with our three little loves:

"To a wonderful dad named Joe, I love you!" Love, Abigail 

The inside of her card was filled with adjectives describing her daddy. I got one too! The best gifts!

Valentine's Day tradition has become a special breakfast, cards filled with love and a scavenger hunt around the house complete with a few small treats/gifts! 

A really sweet daddy snuck out before the girls were awake and brought back a special Valentine's breakfast. After Ella initiated a necessary round of Donut Wars, we announced our favorites! It was way too hard to choose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYY2Hm4xBaM

Happy 34th Birthday Daddy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-im10IvV_k

We celebrated Daddy hard on his birthday. It was a school and work day, but the girls and I did everything we could to make his day special and let him know how much we love and appreciate him. 💜

When my plan for dessert is a birthday approved banana cream pie with caramel drizzle and chocolate sauce, but Baker Ella insists her daddy NEEDS a tie-dye cake complete with swirl ice crea, for his birthday (inspired by a recent episode of Kids' Baking Championship on the Food Network)...we roll with it! Doesn't it look good?

Happy 34th birthday to my guy! Isn't it crazy to think that we've spent the last 11 birthdays together? OR that the birthday card I have you on your birthday 11 years ago was what gave you the courage to ask me out? I love that I get to do life by your side.

 I hope you always remember 34 was the year of the tie-dye cake, poodle love, taco trucks, stomach aches and sick kiddos, crazy bedtimes...but most importantly a house full of ladies who adore you!

This was moments before Juliet busted out of Joe's arms, climbed onto the table and attacked a cake. #notherfirstrodeo #eyeontheprize

Abby Emery: 7 years old

Abby was so excited about her special birthday gift from Mommy and Daddy. She is loving photography!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q55SzbOJj0U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLwyz8Kgl8k

Seven: the year getting new clothes for your birthday became very exciting!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XIE5UZwk50

Ella was so proud and excited because she helped Nagymama pick this gift out! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QOevY_YZQ0

To our precious little girl-

When I look at you and the little girl you are growing into, I remember myself as a seven year old girl. I was still an only child when I turned seven. I loved to play school. I got my very first tape (the My Girl Soundtrack) for my seventh birthday and loved to listen to it in my Walkman. My favorite show was Full House and I had New Kids on the Block sheets on my bed. I played school any chance I got and loved to take walks while pretending I was in the Secret Garden. Playing dolls and house was always my favorite. My best friend's name was Allison and we loved to have lemonade stands in the summer where we would also sell the veggies from her mom's garden. I ALWAYS had a book in my hand and would read everything I could any chance I got. I loved to spend my afternoons and weekends at Nagymama and Nagypapa's house. Seven marked the year I became a big sister and my life changed in one of the best possible ways! You are a lot like me. My sweet girl!

You love life, waking up most days with the sun and chatting from the moment you open your eyes. Few things get you more excited than a good routine. You love structure and order! Where there is none, you create it. Lists, charts and plans are some of your favorite things.  You love getting ready and put lots of thought into the outfits and accessories you choose every morning. It's really fun to see you express yourself through your style. You are lovely, beautiful inside and out and always lots of fun.

You love to read your Bible and often remind us of the truth that God is growing in your heart. You ask great questions and love to memorize scripture. I can see a deep desire in your heart to live out what God calls you to. You want to do things right and struggle when you don't, but in that you are learning about God's grace in real ways, life transforming ways. I love knowing that (at just seven) God is who you turn to when you need help and peace in a struggle. I love the way you pray for your friends when they are sick. I'm thankful for the ways you remind us to pray over you. I have no doubt that God is drawing you closer to himself and I'm so so excited for the plans he has for you. Oh how I pray that you would know how deeply God loves you and that you would run to him with your whole heart...for your whole life.

You are a leader, a really good friend and sister. Your little sisters love spending time with you and miss you so much when you are at school. You love to teach them anything they need to know. Right now, that's teaching Ella how to read and teaching Juliet how to walk. You love to teach and want to be a teacher when you grow up. The playroom is set up as your classroom 90% of the time. Your easel in the playroom is currently decorated with Black History Month posters and a weather chart. Playing school and house with your dolls and your sisters is definitely your favorite. When you are not at school (and loving every minute of it), you are at home playing school.

You love to read. I love when we read together. You are reading chapter books, picture books to your sisters (they love curling up and reading with you) and magazines (you especially like the quizzes inside). You continue to grow as an artist and love every art project/craft you can get your hands on. Not only are you enjoying ballet and tap, but this year you have started taking my kids pop class. You're a natural and it's fun to see you let loose through dance.

You loved wearing your new gifts from Mama after opening them on the morning of your birthday.

Your teacher sent me this picture of you on your birthday! 

You had a great family birthday dinner. This year, you chose a Taco Night Fiesta! Papa, Uncle Cory, Grandma, Casey, Aunt Cyncy and her friend Liz came to celebrate with you. It was a fun crowd! 

Loving your new Shopkins watch from Grandma and Casey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOvToP5X9Wc

You were very excited when you opened your gift from Aunt Cyncy: tickets to see The Sound of Music!

This is Abby's "excited to go play with Papa's gift" face! She couldn't wait to get her hands on that steering wheel and play Mario Kart.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e34ad_BPlEg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSAHVyuHA14

I love our post birthday tradition of going on a Starbucks date to write thank you notes together. The list is always long and the quality time is sweet. It's a great reminder for both of us of how much we have to be thankful for!

Things you love: 

Justice (the store)

all things that sparkle 

zebras 

"grown-up jewelry" 

Trolls 

arts and crafts 

school 

Mary Ellen and Lea 

party planning 

new clothes 

making us laugh

taking pictures 

Lauren Daigle's worship album 

being outside 

swimming (even underwater) 

riding your bike 

sweets 

play dates 

your sisters 

being in charge 

family time 

Odd Squad 

swimming 

singing

learning new things

Food Network

baking with mommy 

earrings 

Starbucks dates

Things you don't love: 

cream cheese 

being laughed at when you don't think it's funny 

sour cream 

movies with sad scenes 

not being in charge 

being too hot in the back of the car 

cleaning your room 
natural disasters

Abby's 7 year old interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8_MxyckFqA&feature=youtu.be

We love you, sweet girl! I'm so proud of you. I'm especially thankful that God has given me the joy of being your mommy. I love you like a rocketship...to the moon and back! xoxo, Mommy