The Daddy

 I feel so blessed to have a husband that is willing to be so involved with our family.  There are so many times I laugh out loud at what the girls have gotten Joe to do with them.  He gets involved in their little worlds every day and I appreciate that so much. 

 The girls were all about playing "doctor" and "nurse" as much as possible after Joe had surgery.  They also just liked having access to Daddy all day and tried to keep him company in many different ways!!!  I walked in and caught Aubrey in action while Daddy was dozing.  Poor Daddy with baskets stacked on his head.  The girls love the book, "Caps for Sale" which is where I think Aubrey got this idea! 

                                                It was raining and pouring.....while reading.

Aubrey is so many characters everyday,we can't even remember what she was calling herself in this one, but she was being Joe's doctor and covering him up with all sorts of things. 

The Steve Shirt

When Bailey wakes up in the morning, she lays by the door waiting for Mommy, Daddy, or Aubrey to let her out.  Sometimes, she'll say, "May I please come out?" and I can see her eyes peering under the door waiting for some help.  She usually brings her favorite blanket ("Pinkie), her stuffed animals, and lately this green striped green shirt....AKA.. "The Steve shirt" with her.  If we agree she can wear the "Steve shirt" she bursts with excitement and big smiles.  She loves Blue's Clues and is especially fond of "Magenta" and "Steve"-the guy who wears a striped shirt just like this in the show.  She would like to wear this shirt everyday if she could.   

                                        She looks pretty cute in other clothes too...and pigtails!!

3 Months Old and Chubby

Sally Grace just turned 3 months old!  I know I mention that she is chubby a lot but I can't help it--her rolls are irresistable!  She weighed n at 15 lbs 4 oz at 2 1/2 mos which explains why she is already wearing anywhere from 6-9 month clothes...mostly sleepers these days because Mommy is so busy.  Although I feel sad that I'm not always dressing her up in a matching ensemble, I don't think she feels too bad being carried around in comfort and not style.

Giving Thanks

 This is the 2nd year that our family had the privilege of celebrating Thanksgiving at home.  I look forward to sitting around the table with whoever can join us.  This year, we had Aunt Mandy and Uncle John and Uncle Bobbo.  We have a few traditions this time of year, one of them writing down what we are thankful "4"!  I like to go beyond the usuals and get specific.  Being thankful is a practice.  I know being thankful makes a difference in how much joy you experience.  My hope is that I will continue to practice this discipline not just at Thanksgiving but everyday through the triumphs AND trials.  The triumphs are easy but the trials are for me a great opportunity for growth in practicing thanksgiving. 

                              The girls wanted to put on their best dresses for our special dinner. 

 We considered making her a onesie that said, "I ate the whole turkey!"  Little Gracie is certainly roly poly. 

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 Another tradition is snowshoeing in the mountains and finding the perfect Charlie Brown Christmas tree.  The hike gets shorter and shorter every year as our family grows and we have to carry children part of/all the way Thankfully, we had plenty of help again this year!

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Imagination

 I TRY to keep up with who the girls are pretending to be but it changes so frequently I get mentally exhausted.  Lately, they have been "Mary" and "Laura" from Little House on the Prairie...thus I am called "Ma", Daddy is "Pa", Kirby is "Jack" and Baby Sally becomes "Baby Carrie".  They ask me to pretend to wake them up so they can go milk the cows and collect the eggs.  Under Aubrey's bed is the henhouse where they collect all the eggs(balls), and occassionally when I check on them, they themselves become the hens laying the eggs.  We move from one thing to the next and back again.  Typically they become whatever characters are in a movie we've watched or book we've read.  Occassionally, they pretend they are people they admire, and sometimes it's totally random like today I had 2 little girls named "Andy".   I appreciate the silence that the very end of the day brings after the little chatterboxes have gone to bed.  However, I can't help but recall all the great imagination that occured in just one day and feel so blessed to have been immersed in almost every part. 

Little Gracie

Sally goes by several names already...some of our favorites Sal Pal, Sally Gracie, or just Gracie.  She is getting very smiley and interested in faces, sounds, and toys.  She absolutely loves to sleep right up against the sound of a heartbeat. I really look forward to this snuggle time!  Aubrey really likes to snuggle and kiss her before she goes to sleep. 

Our Little Pink Table

There are certain things in our house that actually make life easier and better.....like our little pink table made by Aunt Mandy.  We use it for snacktime, storytime, crafts, playdough, teaparties with stuffed animal friends, Aubrey and Bailey Cafe, school, and oh as you can see the chairs can become a car!  It's cute to see them climb up in their chairs and get ready for some fun!  My favorite thing at the little table is snack and story but then again teacher Mommy loves to do school at this spot too. 

Surprise!! Amber...Blogging?

My sister-n-law is a new blogger and now I am too!  We'll see how long this lasts...I hope I'm as good at the follow through as she is.  Thanks Carrie for the great suggestion....here it goes!!