Conversations with Abby & Ella

A few months ago, in the middle of winter and while we were in the thick of getting used to our newborn,  I sat the girls down for some hot chocolate and these fun questions. I wrote down their answers that day, but never had the chance to finish the post. 

Ella

What are the five best things about you?
1. because Jesus made me
2. because my name is Ella....my favorite name
3. I love being with my sister Abby
4, I love being with my mommy and Daddy
5. playing with Julie

What is your favorite memory?
Having a time with Daddy and Ollie today

Why do you like being a kid?
Because it's so much fun to go to school

What is your favorite thing to do in the winter? 
 go in the snow

Name two things you would like to do as a family.

1. Go to Pizza Hut
2. Play at Florida

What's the nicest thing you've ever done for someone?  saying I love you

What's the nicest thing someone has done for you?  playing so nicely with me

What do you love most about your sister?
Abby: she plays with me so much
Juliet: playing with her

What is your mom's favorite thing to do?  get coffee
What is your dad's favorite thing to do?  work

If we could spend the day doing anything, what would it be?  celebrating Christmas with all of my family


Abby

What are the five best things about you?
1. I like to play school.
2. that I'm alive
3. I like my name and that it's four letters
4. I'm a leader
5. I'm the oldest

What is your favorite memory?  The Fresh Beat Band Live

Why do you like being a kid?  Because I like to play school

What's your favorite thing to do in the winter? christmas

Name two things you would like to do as a family.

1.  go to Chuck E. Cheese
2. go to Dave & Busters

What's the nicest thing you've ever done for someone? When I cleaned up Ella's mess last night

What's the nicest thing someone has done for you? When Ella chose my favorite pops from the store last night

What do you love most about your sister? (E) I like that she loves being with me. (J) the way she smiles at me

What's your mom's favorite thing to do? take care of Juliet
What's your dad's favorite thing to do? work

If we could spend the day doing anything, what would it be?  all of the crafts in our house

Better When We're Dancing

Abby and Ella had another great year of dance. Both girls took a ballet/tap combo class. Every week, they would count down the days until they could go to dance again. They have great friends in their classes and love their teachers. This year, it was fun to see that Ella wasn't just dancing because it was what her sister does, but because she enjoys it just as much.

These little besties hang out any chance they get and this week it was at dress rehearsal.

 

Alessa and Ella

Abby and Raina

Countdown to the big show...

On the day of the recital, the girls were excited to have Grammy and G-Diddy here for their very  first show. That means they were also here while our mini glam squad got recital ready. It's always a sight to see. There was lots of glitter, hairspray, lipstick and two very excited little girls who felt extra lovely! 

My sweet little family

When we got to The Egg, the girls saw Grandma and Casey waiting for them before the show and ran to give hugs. Then, they saw some of their favorite friends. All the girls were excited to show each other their costumes and makeup! It was the cutest to watch their interactions. "Look, I have lipstick on!" "I know! I have makeup on too!" I love this group of girls so much!

Preshow selfies kept this little lovie occupied.

When Grandma wasn't keeping her occupied that is...(love this picture)

 

Ella did her tap routine to "Hey Good Lookin'" by Hank Williams and her ballet to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". She did such a great job during both performances and really looked like she was having the best time the whole time she was on stage. Our little ball of joy and fun, I think her face says it all in this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCUBmr7kxKA

Abby's tap routine was to "Get Happy" by Judy Garland and her ballet was to "April Showers" from Bambi. She also loved both of her routines and did a great job nailing her moves. She really stood out this year as a leader in her class.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBkIKMSt8dI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqWRqPU618U

The girls think one of the best parts of performing are the pretty flowers they get afterwards. This year, they were loaded up with flowers from Grandma and Casey and Mommy and Daddy.

Great job girls! Now, we hang up our dance shoes until camp this summer and look forward to another season the fall!

Mother's Day Weekend 2016

2016: My first mother's day with three babies in my arms and it couldn't have been sweeter.  My hands are more full than they've ever been, but so is my heart. It's not always easy, but I wouldn't want to spend my days any other way during this sweet season. This is the stuff my dreams are made of!

Abby Emery, Ella Margaret and Juliet Grace, being your mommy is the one of the greatest privileges and joys of my life! I love you more than I could ever express, but I will spend my whole life trying! xoxo

This year, Ella invited me to her class for a special Mother's Day celebration. When I arrived, Ella led me to my seat, put a place mat in front of me and served me muffins and juice. Then, she joined me and we colored some pictures together. Aren't these questionnaires the best? This one had me feeling especially young and lovely as a flower.

Cooking has always been my thing, but gardening...I'm learning. I love the end product. I just don't love the process. It doesn't matter how green my thumb actually is OR how I prefer to not get dirty...she loves me because I plant flowers. It's all worth it! They notice. I will keep planting the pretty even if it means hanging out with the worms.

Abby made me a sweet thumbprint keepsake in school that I have safely tucked away in my jewelry box.

On Mother's Day, the girls and Joe gave me beautiful flowers that I enjoyed for days! 

In this season of motherhood, church mornings are mostly spent calming my tired baby in the nursing mother's room. And while I love spending time with some special mommas and babies knowing God meets us in that space as well, my heart needed some quality, extended, unhurried and uninterrupted time with Jesus. So, instead of loading up the car and heading off to church as a family, we took the morning slow and I headed to Starbucks by myself with my Bible. There is no sweeter gift that my family could have given me that morning than the space to be still and worship. There is so much freedom in knowing God isn't limited by church walls and schedules and there's joy knowing He wants to meet me right where my heart shows up. And He did.

 "God does not change, but he uses change--to change us. He sends us on journeys that bring us to the end of ourselves.We often feel out of control, yet if we embrace his leading, we may find ourselves on the ride of our lives. " - Jen Hatmaker

Juliet Grace: 8 months old

8 months 

 

Our little Juliet (also known as Julie Bean, Julie, Monka and Dovey), 

You are...

loving your little toes and getting them in your mouth any chance you get.

enjoying your new swing in the backyard. You become totally mellow and chill out on the swing set for a while. 

getting really good at picking up your puffs and getting them into your mouth. You also love sharing your snacks with Oliver. 

highly entertained by your sisters. You love watching them dance and listening to them read you stories. 

wearing size 3 diapers and 9-12 month clothes. 

at the height of separation anxiety and make it known that you don't want mommy to leave the room. Sometimes I don't even have to leave the room, you're just sad you have to leave my arms. :) 

sitting in the shopping cart like a big girl. 

splashing up a storm during bath time. 

eating all kinds of baby food, but just starting to like things with texture that need some chewing. 

still toothless. 

not crawling yet. You seem to be content scooting yourself around the floor on your back and doing 360 turns on your belly. 

putting your pacifier in your mouth all by yourself. 

probably getting tired of everyone grabbing your chubby thighs and commenting on how scrumptious they are. But, ohhh we can't get enough of your sweet baby rolls. We could just eat you up with all your sweetness.

doing things on purpose to make us laugh, like playfully biting mommy while you are nursing and then hysterically laughing. :) 

We love you, baby girl! You bring so much joy to our lives and we can't even remember what our family was like without you in it.

May Snapshots and Quotables

It was a beautiful day to spend outside while Juliet and I waited to pick up her big sisters at school!

Translated for most of the world this means, "She is my party."  But when I saw this bottle in the check out line, I smiled at it's dual meaning for me. Ella is my party! She is our sweet and spunky life of the party. The phrase couldn't be any more appropriate in our family. :)

We love our little fiesta!
The other day, she shared a very important plan with us.
"Abby, if a bad guy ever comes into our house...here is the plan. You grab a book, so you can slap him in the face. Mommy, you have to poke his eyes. Julie is going to trip him and Daddy, it's your job to pull out his teeth. Then, he will never come back!" :)

 That time when I pushed through and loaded all three kids in the car to go to Trader Joe's, drove 15 minutes, unloaded everyone only to find I had left my wallet at home. So...back in the car, home to get wallet and settled at Price Chopper where Abby got a bloody lip on the shopping cart, Ella has a meltdown in the parking lot and I forgot my list. All I know is we got home in one piece. I may have slammed my fingers in the door and almost cried (icing on the cake), but I did get lots of watermelon and cherries. Yes! Summer is almost here! #reallife

Somebody is ready for serious summer business.

On any given day in our home, you can find Abby and Ella playing wedding or house. They both have imaginary husbands (Jack and Josh) and more kids than they can count! They plan the weddings right down to the last details of the pretend reception. They pick the songs to walk down the aisle to. There are usually some yummy snacks and dancing involved.  This is Ella and her maid of honor.

Daddy went weak when they peeked into his office asked if he could take a break to walk Ella down the aisle to Jack. :)

One of my most favorite things is finding Abby's notes all over the house. Her teacher encourages the class to practice their "Kindergarten writing" as much as they can and Abby takes it very seriously writing on every thing she can find.  Not only do I think it's the sweetest that she still writes her J's backwards and sounds our her words in cute ways, but her little notes encourage me often! Whether it is "I love you Mommy" on my grocery list or these truths...

I took a pic of these two cuties while we were hanging out one morning.

Then, I heard Mason say, "Wait Ella! Let me take a selfie of us." I turned around and saw this. I can't make this stuff up! They are only 4!

 Joe and I celebrated our ninth wedding anniversary this month and I'm pretty sure year nine is going down as the best celebration yet. We were woken up with breakfast in bed by two excited little girls.

Nine years! There is nothing like our anniversary to remind us of all the Lord has done (and continues to do) here. We could write books. It's all because of you Jesus and we won't forget it or stop sharing about it.

Grandma and Cory came to babysit while we went on an anniversary lunch date. It was nice to be together and reflect away from all the crazy and noise for a couple of hours. No one could have told us what God had in store for our lives together when we got married nine years ago.  I love this man more today than I ever could have when I saw him standing in Hendricks Chapel on our wedding day. God's plan is so good.