Family playdate

Thank you Suzanne, Olivia, Josh and Owen for the Lalaloopsy dolls for the girls birthday!

*pardon the mess! We now decorate the house with recycled boxes **sigh* only for a month and a half at least. The girls prefer dancing on the dinning room table/craft table to their playroom which is why there has been an overwhelming amount of pictures in the same spot in the house lately!

Suzanne and the kids came over today to give the girls birthday presents (which of course they LOVE)! It was fun spending the morning with them. Owen is such a charming and busy little guy. I don't know how it's possible he's 18 months old. Olivia was delightful and the girls love watching her and look up to her. She's a helper which is very sweet.

We had a nice morning, a good visit and the kids expelled some energy. It's always fun getting the cousins together and next time I promise to take some pics!

The sweet strawberry 3rd birthday!

I stayed up late after Royce and the girls went to bed last night and made pom-poms out of tissue paper and decorated. Even with the cake the cost was less than $50 and that included gift buckets filled with goodies (thanks to $1 bins at Target and after Christmas specials on party supplies! Benefit of having strawberry - green and red!).

This morning after the girls woke up we made them banana pancakes and shaped them into number 3's. Topped with whipped cream they were taaaaasty! The girls each opened a present from Royce and I that were a couple "cool" new outfits.

We piled in the car after breakfast and drove to Bylery's to pick up their special cake. It was the only bakery in town that offered a Strawberry Shortcake cake and since that was the only thing the girls asked for we went for it.
Adia pulled the cake off the counter about a half hour after we got home but luckily it landed flat, still in the box with minimal damage. Gotta watch that one every second!

We had lunch and the girls took naps. When they woke up Nana and Papa were here and we opened more presents, celebrated and ate cake.

Jill and Taylor came over after my parents left and brought the girls some sweet gifts and had some cake.

We had a really fun day. Most importantly the girls felt really special, as they should on their birthday!

We are so thankful for Nana, Papa, Skip, Jill, Karley, Patrick, Gabby & Isaac, Chris, Lee and the twins for the sweet cards and gifts. Thank you so much, they are treasured.

happy happy 3rd birthday Rasa & Adia!!!!

baby A

baby B

3 year old questionnaire

A friend of mine asks her daughter the same questionnaire on her birthday and I loved the idea so much I had to adopt it!

Each question was asked with the girls separately so they wouldn't just repeat what the other had said.

what is your favorite food?
Rasa: "I sleep by myself in my bed"
Adia: "pickles and fruit"

what is your favorite toy?
Rasa: "strawberry shortcakes"
Adia: "a rhino and a monkey" (neither of which she has)

what is your thing to wear?
Rasa: "strawberry shortcake shirt"
Adia: "a pink dress that fits me. A pink princess dress!"

who is your favorite person in the whole wide world?
Rasa: "Hello Kitty"
Adia: "Ahhh not anybody"

What is your favorite thing to play?
Rasa: "to help you cook, mama"
Adia: "I like to cook in my kitchen and eat some pickles too"

can you tell me your favorite song?
Rasa: "I like Twinkle Twinkle"
Adia: "a princess song is my favorite"

Where is your favorite place to eat?
Rasa: "Pizza Luce! We can't go to Luce without my pappa!"
Adia: "Pizza Luce!"

Who is your best friend?
Rasa: "Daddy"
Adia: "Pappa"
(Um what the?!)

What is your favorite part about you?
Rasa: "my nose"
Adia: "I like to wear diapers"

Whats your favorite movie
Rasa: "Baby Signing Time"
Adia: "Panda movie" (Kung Foo Panda)

What's your favorite color?
Rasa: "Pink"
Adia: "Pink!"

Do you know what love is?
Rasa: no answer, just a smile as she gave me a big hug
Adia: "huggin and kisses"

What is your favorite thing about having your 3rd birthday?
Rasa: "My strawberry shortcake party!"
Adia: "A strawberry shortcake birthday!"

My babies, my life, my heart

Four days before you arrived!


Every year around your birthday your Daddy and I get back to a place right before you were born and we talk, in detail, about the days, hours and minutes leading up to your birth.

The world stopped, everyone and everything on the earth stood still in anticipation. Waiting and praying. Then in a minute you were here, one after another and every cell in our world celebrated with the greatest joy and love ever known to anyone!

You were meant to be. Each of you created by hand right down to your tiny eyelashes and the taste buds on the tips of your tongues. You were promised to me in my most desperate place and the idea of you overflowed me with peace and happiness instantly. "You will be blessed more than you can ever imagine" were the words of the most powerful spirit I've ever felt in my entire life. Then I let go of my worry, and I waited for you. It wasn't long, just a few months after that I was pregnant with you.

My life has been so profoundly changed by you. I WILL NEVER, EVER, BE THE SAME. Some people spend their lives looking for purpose. I don't have to. My purpose was to be your Mom.

I will spend the rest of my life trying to put into words the love, the deepest love, that I ever imagined possible for you.

My sweet, sweet baby girls I love you more than my heart can handle. I will always be overflowing with awe of you two. You are good, you are wonderful, you are magical!

Happiest 3rd birthday my loves. You grow more beautiful, more intelligent, more compassionate each day. I watch you in amazement! Look at all you can do! Look at all you say! Look at your own hearts and your own love and humility! You are so amazing!!!