Birthdays in May

I'll go in order of age..not birthdays (since I downloaded them in reverse). Lucy turned 3 this year! She is a growing, bubbly, loving little girl. You could sit and have an adult conversation with her at anytime of the day. She has the best imagination. She tells me stories about her own house (she actually has 2 a dora one and a princess one)--that is filled with many dora and princess things. Her "friends" stay with us regularly, when they are not at work. We laugh quite a bit over here at what she comes up with, there is never a dull moment when Lucy is around.

We also think Lucy is in line to win an oscar. She is so dramatic--both good and bad. She was very excited to celebrate her birthday with a dora theme, and a pinata. The kids did a great job hitting the pinata, I was impressed. Jim did get a little carried away with his job as the rope holder and broke the handle off just in time to rip it open and find all the treasure inside!

We unfortunately don't have any good close ups of Lucy. The poor girl got attacked by mosquitos in her bed the night before her birthday. She is sensitive just like her dad when it comes to their bites. She swells up like you wouldn't believe, so she celebrated in style with an eye that was so puffy it would only open a crack. (she jumped up and down a couple days later when her eye wasn't "cwooked" anymore!)

Our first celebration was for Kadence who turned 1! We had a party for family at our house on Mother's day. What a beautiful little girl who really has just blessed our family. We opted for a rubby ducky themed party, partly because I think it is so cute how she "quacks". She puts her lips together, purses them out and moves them up and down so fast as she almost growls. She does this for pretty much any animal sound. It makes me giggle everytime!

She wasn't too sure about her birthday cake, we still haven't had a kid dig in and make a mess with their cake. We let the rest of the kids go to town on it. She finally took a fork and did make a couple attempts at some frosting. My neat little girls!

Kady tried and help open her gifts. Lucy was so good about opening them and then showing her what she got. It's great to always have a big helper around!

The famous duck cake!

I count my blessings year round, but are continually reminded of them in May! God has truely blessed us with healthy, independent, beautiful girls! They are so different...it's amazing they are sisters. We celebrate each as an individual and what makes them unique!

wow

It was like Christmas this afternoon when I ran to my mailbox (I seriously have felt like the kid on the Christmas Story) and found my package from hong kong. A usb cord! The simple joys in life. Especially because I had erased all the pictures I could and took my last one this morning.

She is just so cute. I asked her to get her flipflops on this morning before heading out. I heard her door shut for this activity...it usually means she isn't doing what I asked her to do. Out she comes.......I didn't have words for this outfit, but she informed me that she needed to wear her socks all the way up because they were her ballerina socks. She needed to dance, and what mom can argue with that?

updates

To those of you who still check my blog (bless you!)....my usb cord for my camera has been ordered. I know am anxiously awaiting a package from hong kong so I can keep on blogging!

2 going on 13

I've given up on the fact that I am going to get a new cable cord soon, to download my pictures to the computer, to then download here. I don't really like posts without pictures...they're not as interesting to me.

Lucy "Oh my gosh"---now I knew the day was coming because I heard the little neighbor girl use the phrase while playing with Lucy. I wasn't aloud to say this as a kid, and really don't think that it sounds right coming out of a two year olds mouth. Much less that she has been saying "oh my goodness" for quite awhile.....To get the whole picture Lucy was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for me to get her lunch made and served. All I heard was this "oh my gosh mom" (if I hadn't been looking at her I would have thought she was a teenager), like I was taking too long to get her and Kady lunch. I nicely said that we did not use that phrase in our house and if she wanted to say something she could use oh my goodness. Her reply: "(we can't use it) oh like the word vomit." (Jim had made that word unacceptable too after a bout of the flu at our house and a non-stop running of the word vomit).

"yes Lucy, like the word vomit"
"well I didn't say vomit mommy, I only said oh my gosh"
"we don't say either of those things Lucy"
"so I can't say vomit or oh my gosh"
"no"
"well I pwomise not to say vomit or oh my gosh"
"thank you Lucy"
"I can say oh my goodness, but not oh my gosh"

Seriously this conversation continued until she used those words at least 20 times. Smugly smiling all the while..... 2 going on 13.

So when I get home from work last night one of her first phrases was: "I can say oh my, but not oh my gosh".........................and so it begins!!

spring is finally here

Kady enjoying some of her easter basket from Grandma and Grandpa Cochran


Lucy and Reagen before the easter egg hunt at Grandpa and Grandma Koops' house

Kadence's best friend Ty

There have been many new babies that have been born this spring. Lucy is pretty into the whole baby in their bellies and how they come out. Seriously do I need to explain this to a 2 1/2 year old???? So one night I went in to kiss her good-night...I wondered what the bump was in her pjs.......

Yup, her very own baby bear. Oh Lucy

So no, I wasn't waiting until spring finally came to add another entry...there were technical difficulties in downloading more pictures. I'll just leave it at that! :)

We have been so busy here. I have changed my work schedule so I am working mostly weekends, that way I can be home with the girls during the week. I'm surprised at how much I love being home, yet still love working. I do believe that I am a better mom because I work. I'm still adjusting to getting/keeping a schedule between mommy stuff, house stuff, and work stuff.

We have been enjoying the sunshine the last 2 days with walks, picnics, and just hanging out.

The girls are getting so big. Kady is wearing stuff that Lucy wore still last summer. She is army crawling everywhere, who knows if she'll ever really crawl. She loves to stand, but can't really pull herself to get there. She is much more relaxed with this bit of independence.....but it's proving to be quite the adjustment for Lucy now that Kady can reach some of her things.

A tribute

Welcome to the 30 club Chris....glad you're old, just like us!

Mya Kate Engbers

One week ago we welcomed our newest niece into our family. Jim's sister Laurie, Ben, and Reagen are now a family of four! Everyone is healthy and doing well. The girls and I got to have a sleep over with Reagen until Laurie, Ben, and Mya came home from the hospital. All was well, and only one little mishap....locks on doors we found out can be a little scary when 2 year olds work them. It was a good thing Reagen and Lucy couldn't see my face while I was standing in the hallway trying to figure out how I was going to get them out. Good thing I have such a smart lil girl who figured out how to turn it finally! :)

Mya Kate, how precious 7 pounds 13 ounces

Kady loved the swing at the park

The girls all ready to go!

Reading books while I got ready for the day

Best of friends...Kady can't wait till Mya gets bigger....4 girls

(this is what they were doing when the lockdown began)