2 girls 1 room

We have been waiting for this day for a long time - 10 1/2 months to be exact! The girls are in THEIR room - Anna in her crib and Lilly in a twin size bed. It has been 2 nights and so far so good.

Imagination

I love 3 year old's imaginations. Lilly is very into dressing up, making up stories, talking for her dolls/animals. I love listening to her. The things she says are so funny and enlightening. Tonight she was running around the house with a pool noodle pretending to put out a fire! She loves to hide under the covers and make a cocoon or pretend she is hiding from monsters (she is not afraid of monsters). I love playing dress up with her. She has a wide variety of things she likes to dress up as from being a wonder pet with her cape (www.babypop.etsy.com) - (Dori and Jess if you read this I am getting these for the boys for Christmas), to being any number of princesses, a bumble bee, etc. It is so cute how she makes John and I dress up with her (I need to get a mommy size tutu - I am going to break hers). Listening to her play with her doll house makes me laugh every time. I love the innocence of childhood!

Bates Photo's

Here are some pictures of Lilly and Jack through the years and the girls this year. I need to dig up the one when they were babies.

Bates Nut Farm

I Love Bates Nut Farm! I have been going there for years and taking Lilly every year since she was born. We always go with the Castagnola's. Jess and I have great pictures of Lilly and Jack every year (except this year - they did not want to cooperate and neither did the babies). We will have to settle for them being in the same picture. At one point I asked Lilly and Jack to kiss and Jack was screaming - "Lilly don't kiss me" as she pulled his shirt in an attempt to get him close enough to kiss. It was something I wish I had on video. The only problem this year was that it was HOT!!! It was 80 degrees when we arrived at 9am and 90 degrees when we left at 11:30. I don't think that the heat helped our photo taking. This is a tradition that I love and that we will continue to do, well forever! It was so nice to spend the day with wonderful friends at a place we all love - even though we were all way too hot!

PS - The girls wore the adorable Pumpkin Dresses my friend Connie made - too cute!

I am grateful..
-for wonderful friends - Jess, Joseph, Jack, and Luke are such an important part of all of our lives
-for traditions - they make life that much more special
-that my girls are asleep in their room together - it took a while to get them both in there and sleeping through the night

A Wonderful Day

We had a wonderful afternoon and evening. John and the girls got back from the pool and Anna took a nap while Lilly watched an "episode". Uncle Justin came over and we all went to So Childish for a wonderful Halloween Party! The kids had a blast and we got to hang out with the Slakoff and the Yates families. After the party the Courtney and her boys joined us for pizza and after pizza we walked over to our favorite ice cream shop The Daily Scoup (they have the best ice cream). Lilly and Kegan were so cute dressed as a Pirate (Lilly) and a Power Ranger (Kegan). By the time we finished our ice cream the kids ran back to the car and were ready to pass out. It was a great day!

I am grateful

-for my siblings - they are the best gift my parents ever gave me - they are so special to me, John, and the girls and I feel so blessed to have them in our lives

-that I got a break today - I love being with my girls every day, but once in a while I need some alone time

-for the clip fairy and Leslie - It is a fun little business and I am glad that her and I do it together

- for my new computer (a gift from my dad)

Flash Back to March 2008

I wanted to post a few pictures that were taken back in March 2008. A wonderful mom and photographer Sarah http://www.sarahjaynephotography.com/ too some pictures of our little family. It means so much to me to have such wonderful pictures of the girls while they are little.

Lilly turns 3!!!

Lilly turned 3 on July 7th 2008! She had a princess party, but all she cared about was the Jumpee. That girl loves to jump (and so do most of her friends). The pinata was also a lot of fun. When all of her friends left Uncle Justin got out the Slip and Slide and Lilly, Daddy, and Uncle Justin had some FUN!!! She had a wonderful party at my parents house. They always host her party and we are so grateful to them for their generosity.

Here is a flash back to July 4th 2008. We always go to the Castagnola's to celebrate the 4th and finally our kids were old enought to have their own float. They were so cute.

Craft Fair Fun

Today Connie (my new friend and great dress maker - www.chansler.etsy.com), Leslie, and I did a craft fair at the ZLAC Rowing Club. We had a great time and sold lots of hair clips and dresses. It was nice to get away from the house alone and be around adults for a few hours. I also got to come home to an empty (and a little messy) house because John and his mom took the girls swimming. They both LOVE the water. Tonight we are going to a Halloween party at So Childish www.sochildish.com Layla the owner loves Halloween so I am sure it will be a great party. Uncle Justin is going with us and the Slakoff's will meet us there. I am so excited!!!

The Beginning

I have wanted to start a blog for a while but was intimidated. I have been reading blogs by other mom's and decided that this was a great way to put my memories into a concrete format. I want to remember all of the things that my girls are doing. This will allow me to look back. They grow so quickly. They change every day and I want to remember everything. Lilly is 3 - almost 3 1/2 amd Anna is 10 months. I am in awe of my girls every day. They are so sweet (most of the time) and innocent. Lilly is so full of life. Anna is changing from a baby into a toddler (much to quickly). Anna is wakling and trying to talk - she does not want to be a baby. She wants to be a big kid like her sister and she is making that happen.

Another reason for this blog is for me to keep a "gratitude journal". I want to remind myself what I am greatful for and I have so many things to be greatful for.
10/24/08
I am greatful for
-my wonderful husband and girls
-my mom (the girls and I had a wonderful lunch with her today)
-living in a beautiful place and having a home
ok I could go on and on, but I am going to say 3 things each day...