ONE

miss baby had her first birthday!  (and i managed to get a picture of her each month... i only accomplished that with my first and last daughters) 

a little collage of her first year :)

and pics from her 1st b-day

opening gifts (what is with my finger looking freakishly long?)

the party guests (my sis and nephew)

new boots!

we're excited for the cupcake!

mmmmmmmmm

cheers!

cutie patootie nephew

showing off her new sweet ride from grandma d ;)

and previously:

at the hotel in okoboji celebrating with hubby's fam

great grandpa and grandma stopped in the week before her big day as well

well, this will be the last of the monthly updates of miss baby.  (can i still call her miss baby? yes. yes i can.  she will always be that, i believe)  big things this past month:  she is getting way more steady on her feet and when there is an open door that is usually shut she makes a speedy b-line for it, she transitioned to milk instead of formula without much fuss and is almost off the bottle too, she loves food (hmmm, sounds familiar), she loves music, she loves tv (yikes), and she loves her mommy (YAY!). well she loves her whole family but she loves me best and is a mama's girl.  i love you too baby girl.  my heart swells with pride as i look at you and your beautiful sweet face. happy birthday and many many more!

six is super-duper

dd #2 turned 6 this month

a tradition started several years ago with hubby's side of the family is to go to a hotel with a waterpark on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  since this always falls near dd's b-day we celebrate at the hotel with that side of the fam.  this year we went to Bridges Bay near Okoboji.  that place was AWESOME! and much quieter than the hotels in Sioux Falls that we usually go to.  so very much fun. 

and the pictures:

swimmin' in the lazy river



opening her gifts (miss baby eating the wrapping paper)
she was last in line to open as there are 4 december birthdays to celebrate



grandpa's favorite team... he is trying to coax all grandbabies to cheer for them as well

silly faces... this one cracks me up (check it out, even miss baby is doing the silly face thing, lol)

celebrating on her actual birthday

opening the gift from Grandma D... i love her face on this as she realizes what it is

her BEAUTIFUL quilt! Grandma D is amazing and once again pulls of a gorgeous quilt as a lifetime keepsake

she has always been so expressive... she can not hide her emotions which is great when she is truly excited for something :)  here is a long awaited Princess Jasmine "polly"

a few days after her b-day she got to have an all day play date with a friend :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY my sweet sweet girl.  You continue to bring such joy to our lives.  I love how you "notice" everything.  You take it all in and remember the tiniest details.  You truly care about others and have such a big heart an infectious laugh and smile to light up the room.  We pray blessings over you in this next year!

Eleven

almost caught up!

miss baby is walking... i didn't encourage it but she did it anyway ;) i'm not ready to pass from the baby to toddler stage, however she apparently is. she took her first steps on Halloween and every day after that continued to improve her skills. her personality is really starting to come out as well. she knows what she wants and goes for it. she protests when her sisters bug her or take toys from her. becoming a bit of a stinker as she gets into things even if she knows they are off limits (ie: the fireplace... charred wood isn't poison is it?) our living room furniture is all rearranged daily when she is in there to block off things, i'm sure visitors would think my decorating skills are quite lacking (doesn't everyone shove a coffee table up against the fireplace?)

big sis wants to get in on the picture taking action

thankfulness

just a little reflection on thankfulness on this day of thanksgiving. 

our pastor this morning said something that resonated with me and i have been dwelling on it all day.  he said "we should be grateful for dirty dishes..."  and i thought, "huh. am i grateful for the dirty dishes that are piled up high in both sides of my kitchen sink at home right now?"

not so much. 

but i should be.

because having dirty dishes means that we have an abundance of food to eat to make those dishes dirty. 

i am thankful for heaps of laundry because that means we have more than enough clothes to cover our bodies and keep us warm, soft sheets and blankets to sleep on in our comfy beds, and fluffy towels to dry ourselves off after our daily hot shower.

i am thankful for sticky dirty floors to mop because that means i have a strong and safe home that gives me shelter each day. 

i am thankful for icky toilets and toothpaste covered sinks to clean because that means i have running water to keep us clean and sanitary.

i am thankful for dust in my house because that means i have "stuff" i love to showcase and entertain myself and family with.

i am thankful for the daily mess in my bedroom of a bed to make and clothes to put away because it reminds me that i have the love of my life to share that room with.

i am thankful for everyday messes, the "art cabinet" that is overflowing with paper, the toy that jams into my foot when i step on it, the sticky spots on my table and smudges on my windows because that means i have been gifted with four daughters who i love more than i can possibly grasp.

i am thankful for my tears and anxieties because it means God gave me a heart and a soul that feels.

i am thankful when i mess up because it reminds me of God's grace and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

i am thankful for all of God's good gifts (SO many more than i mentioned above), whether they seem "good" or not.  it is all in how you choose to view them.  my prayer tonight is that God gives me the grateful heart that chooses to see ALL things as blessings. 

holiday cards

as we near Thanksgiving I am reminded that time is beginning to tick on getting my Christmas cards ready...
i considered not sending cards this year.  the budget is tight and it seems like an "extra" that could be trimmed.  however, i love getting everyone's cards in the mail and seeing how families change each year.  with many of my friends this is the one time of year that we correspond.  i hate to miss out on that. soooo... i came across an offer from Shutterfly.  the deal is pretty simple:  write a blog post about their holiday cards showing off some of your favorites and then you get some FREE cards! yay!  they have some of the cutest cards:

love the fun look of this one

a great option for me to have individual pics of my girls rather than that illusive perfect family photo ;)

love the pine cone toile on this one

simple and adorable

it's going to be hard to choose! but that is another great thing... i can choose more than one design!   now i just need to start taking some pictures for that "perfect holiday photo shot"  (or just settle for that real-life-less-than-perfect option!)

they have other great stuff too.  some of my faves include:

how fun to drink your coffee from a personalized mug like this!

cutie-patootie birthday cards

hosting a party?  how cool is this invitation?

a great gift for a grandparent and can be personalized with everyone's birthdays and other big days

fun stuff!

halloween

some props for myself:

halloween party starts at 6pm
i start getting everyone ready at 5:30pm with no plan as to what each will wear. 
end up with 4 cutie patootie girls dressed as a 50's girl (thanks Daisy and Marissa!), a flower girl (same as last year, struggled with this one cause she has outgrown most of her dress up stuff), a butterfly princess and a miami dolphins cheerleader.
we make it to the chaotic tangle of sugar induced hyperactive kids, strollers, and parents party shortly after 6pm.  woot!

good times people, good times.  as we were leaving both chad and i breathed a sigh of relief and said "well that's done for the year. a whole 364 more days until we have to do that again." : D

10 months

miss baby is getting pretty impossible to get pictures of on the chair.  chad was nearby trying to help but a decent shot was not to be had.  oh well, it is a picture of our reality :)

so since this is over a month ago, i will once again claim mommy-brain as far as remembering milestones for this past month.  (hey, at least i got the picture taken)  seriously.  it all blends in together.  she just keeps growing and developing despite my attempts to keep her little.  i do appreciate that she will snuggle with me and loves to give kisses (pretty much licking you all over your face... somehow, not gross when it's your own, right?)