Spring and ELLIE

Wow I think our unending winter has been kicked to the curb with this blast of pollen. It is everywhere on everything and with it has come some warmer temps but nothing substantial. The girls are still having to dress in multiple layers each day.

We took them to the Ellie Goulding concert and it was a blast. It was each of their first concert experience and what fun memories were made! 

My bestest and Bj teamed up for my birthday to get tickets for me and all the kiddos to see her and we have been anxiously counting down the days since Dec. 

When we walked into the venue Hayden's eyes grew to the size of basketballs and she looked at me and said "this is a dream come true, mom" 

Of course we couldn't leave without some Ellie merch. The girls danced and sang their hearts out to every song! 

30ish

My big plan this past year was that I wanted to go skiing for my 30th birthday. Our kiddos have never seen snow before and have been really excited as we began planning the big trip.

We decided with the cost of flying 5 of us, it would be better to drive, plus that would ease us into the altitude and have less probability for altitude sickness. (My parents got this last year when they made the same trip and it was 18 hours of misery for them both.)


The drive was great. The kiddos were road warriors. They slept, watched movies, read books and were totally chill.

Hayden had watched a TV show at my parents house of places to visit and this was her #1 choice and happened to be where we were visiting, so we took the tour and scored some yummy loot for souvenirs. 

I'm so glad we went. We were able to catch up with some of our friends that we see maybe once or twice a year. They have 4 boys that get along great with our girls. Its a wild bunch, that's for sure, when they are all together!!

We also got to see my roommate from college, who I haven't seen since 2007 , and meet her husband, who was so great!

The trip was fabulous, the weather was amazing, the girls went to ski school and did really well. Preslyn and Ella finally mastered how to stop by the last day and then were fine with playing in the daycare for our last day of skiing. Their bodies were worn out! Hayden made it out of ski school and onto the mountain with us for our last day. She did so great. She was so brave and went down a blue on her first run!

Our last run of the day, we all had a miscommunication as to whether we were going one more time. Hayden and BJ skied straight back into the lift line and I didn't. So while BJ was telling me to come get back in line, Hayden inched her self further and further in the line and then onto the lift (it was a very small lift but still!) all by herself. She was giddy and giggly about it and we were both terrified! She did all the right things she had been taught and luckily it wasn't a long ride and we were all reunited again. Later in the day she tells me, "Hey, Mom, when I was on the lift by myself  I sighed and then said "ALONE at LAST." Her face was priceless. I don't think I'll ever forget that phrase. What a nut she is!

Happy 30th-ish to me!

hayden's birthday weekend

We had so much fun celebrating Hayden turning 6 years old. I still fumble when I try to say that she is 6. That sounds so foreign and old. Yuck!

We hung crepe paper so she would have to bust through it to get out of her door the morning of her birthday. She loved it and it was the perfect way to kick off her birthday.

She lucked out this year with her birthday falling on a school day. (I never had a birthday fall on a school day and always wondered what that would be like.) I whipped up some yummy ice cream cupcakes  (thank you Pinterest) for her school friends and ate lunch with her. She requested McDonalds.

Her sisters had picked out a tiara and necklace for her to wear that day and we gave her a Barbie fashion sketch pad. Super fun for our little artist.

While she was at school that day her dad and I were furiously racing to finish assembling the birthday gift we had gotten her (and her sisters). A trampoline! It came down to the wire but we finished it and her surprised face as we pulled up to the house made it all worth it!

After we all bounced our guts out, she wanted to celebrate at Incredible Pizza.

Sunday rolled around and Hayden was so excited to finally get to go to church. Our church has its own happy birthday song that we sing to everyone and she had been talking about it all week. She was smiling the biggest smile while everyone sang...wish I had a picture of that one.

Then we finished up her weekend celebration with a lunch at Red Lobster and of course.....they sang to her there too.

This picture shows exactly how amazing the weekend was. They were plumb tuckered out!

6 = old.

It's 3:44 a.m. and you are officially six. Wow. A 6 year old??? How did this happen??? I really feel like yesterday we were roller skating around the rink celebrating her being 5. I was just as in shock at how that felt, then,  and now I have to say, "six year old"???? What in the world!? That sounds CRAZY! I feel the same way I did when I first had to say my new married name. Like my mouth won't even properly form the word.

Hayden, slow down!! You are the most amazing child. I never could have imagined that my child would one day be YOU. You have taken every vision that I ever had of what being a mom would be or what my child would be like and thrown them out the window, and then exceeded every expectation I could have ever had. You embrace every single moment and make it as amazing as anyone could ever imagine. You see things in a way that some adults can't even see. You comprehend things that I don't even sometimes comprehend. You are like girl genius embodied. I feel like I have to give people a warning label before they meet you because you are so unique and amazing and unlike any other person I have ever known. And people immediately love you. How could they not?? That fabulous smile and those warm brown eyes just wrap theirselves around our hearts.  I love you in a way that I never knew could exist.

Thank you for making me a Mother. I didn't have a clue what I was missing and cannot imagine a second without your little life entangled into mine.

Shoot for the moon, little wonder...and then keep going and never stop.

This seems so long ago http://munsons.blogspot.com/2005/10/she-is-finally-here.html

A Huge Recap of December

::: Hayden was in the Willis parade as Lucy from Charlie Brown Christmas:::

 We took the girls to the Polar Express Train Ride in Palestine....had a flat tire on the way there, but we made it!

 The girls with Santa (Hayden, Preslyn, Ella)

Hayden: "Mom, why did Santa shake my hand??"

Me: "Well he was just introducing himself to you and being friendly."

Hayden: "But Mom, I already met him LAST year."

~Ella is giddy with excitement~

:::BJ and I cranked out a few homemade Christmas gifts this year:::

:::Hayden finished her first semester of Pre-K with a Christmas Program:::

  

She was a crow

:::We shopped and cooked a TON:::

Then we ate and ate and ate and ate........and I worked out NOT ONCE. (JOY OH JOY)

:::We celebrated with Jordan and Brad at their "Gotcha Party" for Hallie's adoption being finalized:::

:::We helped decorate PawPaw's Christmas tree:::

:::We had our first Christmas eve without Granny. We missed her SOOOO but I felt like all of her traditions lived on through us. We also found out there will be a new cousin in the family this summer! (Not by us!) :::

:::We had screams and squeals on Christmas morning:::

(Ella *Preslyn)

 

:::The girls got a puppy for Christmas and named her Nina Grey :::

 

:::BJ and I hosted my mom's side of the family Christmas dinner here at our house:::

:::I celebrated my 28th birthday:::

 

:::I had my last day at my part time job and am now a fulltime stay at home/work at home mom again::: 

:::We celebrated with parties and parties and more parties for BJ's brother graduating from college and then getting married!:::

   

:::Funny Twirl Convos:::

Ella: "Webbie, I'm gonna dance you at the wedding"

Preslyn: "But Ella, I'm so small and you sooooo big"

Ella: "It's ok, I still reach your hands"

*******
Driving in the car and Preslyn gets in a bad mood for one reason or another
Ella: "Mommy, my Presthus not talk to me"
(I am trying to think through what she just called Preslyn and realize I've never heard that nickname before...Preslyn has many many nicknames.)
Me: "What did you say Ella??"
Ella: "My Presthus not talk to me"
I realize she is calling Preslyn her "Precious"

 (How sweet!)
Me: "Preslyn, you are not being very nice to your sister. Why aren't you talking to Ella?"
Preslyn:(to Ella) "Oh, I so sorry your majesty, I not mad at you. I will talk to you.

No idea why the sudden use of Precious and your Majesty, but it was adorable!

**********

:::Hayden was a dollface of a flower girl:::

::: We started potty training x 3:::

The dog is doing the best....by far

Potty training story #1

The other day I heard the front door open. (Now for those of you who are not familiar with our home. We live on private property and can't see any other homes from our home. We are surrounded by trees all the way around. ) So I go to see who must be going out because we were all home. The door is wide open and the twins are making their way back in both saying,

"It's ok mommy, we just going pee-pee outside"

Maybe potty training two toddlers and a puppy at the same time was not the greatest idea.

December was a REALLY busy month for us. The first 3 days of this year have sort of been a fog of recovery. We are pumped for 2011! We have so many goals and things we want to do. We are blessed with

a fabulous family, health and salvation. We are expecting GREAT things for this year for ourselves and for all of you.



5 year olds can swing themselves!

I still cannot believe I have a 5 year old child. I remember being pregnant with her and thinking, Wow, I cannot imagine what it is going to be like to have a tiny little baby. I would also think what will it be like to have a 5 year old, a teenager, a woman!? SHEESH!  

Jelly 5 a la Dad

The time has gone too quickly because here we are 5 years later and we have a 5 year old. She constantly amazes us by her knowledge of things around her and her vocabulary is astounding. This year she started Pre-K and has been moving towards reading every day.

Two days ago, we pulled up to the post office and Hayden shouts out, "Hey Mom, look that door says P-u-l-l, that says Pull!" I was in the midst of organizing to go inside so I acknowledged her with a "uh huh" and went on with what I was doing.

She calls out, "Mom, the other door says P-u-s-h, Push! "

It was then that I put two and two together and realized for the first time Hayden had read a word all by herself. I whipped around with a huge smile on my face, screaming, Hayden! You just READ! You did it!! See how you did that!?!? She was BEAMING! I was so stinking excited for her. What an exciting moment to share with her.

Another think Hayden has been working on is learning the concept of swinging herself on a swingset. We always walk out and push her and tell her how to do it herself but she just hasn't figured it out yet.

Hayden at her Owl Skating Party

Hayden and Ella & Preslyn getting ready to skate it up!

Getting ready to go to school on her birthday

So the night after her birthday we went to her grandparents house and she ran out to the swingset ahead of everyone else. She got one starting push and as I walked out the door I hear excited squeels coming from the playset, "MOM, DAD, FIVE YEAR OLDS CAN SWING THEMSELVES!!!" She was pumping her legs back and forth and swinging all by herself.

What a cute little milestone that kicked in right as she turned five! Perfect timing since BJ and I had acquired a hand me down swingset for her, for her birthday, to be given to her the following day.

Hayden Jadie-Elisabeth...oh how you rocked our world at 3:44am, 5 years ago! You are a genius & make the world better. I love everything about you and who you are.You are so full of energy & zest for life. When I grow up I want to be just like you ;) Have the BEST day ever little boo-boo. We love you for ever, we'll like you for always, as long as we're living, our baby you'll be.