Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve with Scott's family in Benicia. We had a great time visiting, eating, watching the kids being crazy, playing games, etc. We missed Dave and Mark's families. Next year, maybe? It was so fun watching the cousins get to know each other better. Thanks Gary and Vivian.

 Ada and Maggie play so well together. We also went up the day after Christmas and spent some time at a park. This park has a huge cement slide and those two girls spent almost the entire time running up the stairs and doing crazy tricks down the slide. They would crash into each other and just laugh.

 The face tells you enough, right? That table cloth was taken off soon after I took this picture. That little one almost knocked the table over a couple of times during dinner.

 A little down time (and break for the parents) before we opened some presents.

 Tired faces. These kids played hard. 

 Ivy's idea of frosting cookies is putting a little dab on the cookies and a big glob in her mouth. So gross. Major sugar high after this activity. We left well after bedtime to go home and it took both girls a long  time to fall asleep.

 Sweet girls!

 Disgusting, right?

Chad joined us for the day and even though he was a little uncomfortable at times, it was nice having him with us. 

It's fun when the brothers get together. They all have the same laugh so it's hard not to chuckle when they start laughing about something. It was such a fun day and we are so glad that we were able to go!

Happy Six To Us!

  

Six years ago today, I made the best decision of my life (and scariest. Ha!). I love you, Scott!

Halloween 2013

We had a couple of different events this Halloween Season. The Saturday before Halloween, we had a ward Chili cook off and trunk-or-or-treating for the kids. Ivy kept her dress on for about five minutes and Ada couldn't wait to start collecting. While outside going from car to car, Ada would say, "Trick-or-treat, thank you!" She is so animated. Ivy was more interested in eating the first piece of candy, which was slowing us down, but once she realized how it all works, she caught the hang of things and joined in. 

 Halloween night, one of my besties threw a big block Halloween party, bounce house and all. It was so fun for everyone. Ada was especially excited for the bounce house and talked about it the whole drive to their house. Ivy had no fear with that thing. At one point I look inside to see her jumping around with a group of big kids. 

 I brought some face paint with me and all of the kids wanted their faces painted. You may notice Ada's butterfly on her face and think, "Wow, Lindsay really can draw." Sorry folks, stencils. And that isn't dirt on Ada's face, it is glitter. I am jealous of those long lashes. I put a touch of mascara on her to see what I could create. 

 Ivy fought me on this costume too. Once she realized how cold it was outside, she stopped ripping it off and embraced her inner butterfly.

 Watch out for this girl, she is trouble! Don't let those big eyes fool you. She always has a trick up her sleeve.

 I wanted to join in the festivities too, so I did a little dress up. Maybe next year, I will pull out my old She-Ra costume. 

 After about five houses, Ivy asked me to hold her and said she wanted to go, "Nigh Nigh." I asked her if she wanted more candy which made her perk right up. 

 What I loved about the bounce house is that it was in the front yard and I think some random kids started jumping in it. Ha.

Thanks Jenny for putting this together (and her neighbor and my new friend, Nicole). 

Ivy Girl is Two!

Words can't express how much we love this little girl. She is a handful, she gets into everything, but she is hilarious and loving (when she wants to be). 

Our birthdays are a day apart so I am learning that it may get tricky celebrating. In fact, it will always be tricky with the four of us with Ada being in September and the rest of us in October. Oh, and mine and Ivy's birthday is pretty much always conference weekend. Anyway, we decided to spend the weekend in the Bay Area with my sisters family. It was so much fun and very much needed. Since the focus is on Ivy, I will save my birthday post for another day. Funny stuff.

This first picture has nothing to do with Ivy's birthday, I just want all of the family and friends that haven't met her  to get a glimpse of her personality. She is just silly.

 Ada and Ivy love their nightgowns and Ivy talks about her nightgown all of the time. She will take her diaper off if she doesn't have pajama bottoms or a onesie on. 

 So, birthday weekend, like I mentioned, we headed up to my sisters. Ivy talked about Luke and Anna's the whole way up and cried when we had to turn back early into our trip because Scott forgot my present.

 At Luke's soccer practice. She loved chasing all of the balls

 Getting dirty, as usual

 Birthday Morning. Ivy wasn't as excited about her birthday decorations as Ada, but she still hammed things up a bit. This is her "cheese" face.

 Perfect reaction when we started singing happy birthday to Ivy. 

 Ada has a scooter that Ivy loves to ride (and is pretty dang good, I might add). Anyway, we decided to get her one for her birthday too and she loves it. 

 One of Ivy's favorite past times, jumping on the tramp

 Catching a ride with the cousins and the neighbor girls

We only caught a minute of her singing, but it is so cute when Ivy sings, "Happy Birthday." It goes something like, "Happy ba-ba-birthday."

So, some fun(ny) things about Ivy Girl:

*She makes the funniest faces. She knows how to stare a person down, then will follow her stare down with a cheesy grin

*She has a fake cry and will pretend that she is hurt too if Ada gets hurt

*She runs outside everyday when Scott leaves for work and gives him a big kiss followed by a really loud, "BYE DADDY!"

*She climbs onto everything (that isn't always funny). What's funny about it is she knows she isn't supposed to do it so she will put her head down and have this sly smile as she slowly climbs

*Ivy gets up pretty early (usually 6 or 6:15) and so we almost always bring her to bed with us and give her a sippy cup with juice. After that, I get Scott and I some breakfast and almost always she is a crab bucket and demands that I hold her, which I usually don't. She will hang on me, wrap her arms around my leg, follow me like a shadow, etc. After all of this I threaten to put her back in her crib in which she immediately replies (sometimes with tears), "I Happy Mommy."

*Whoever she is talking to, she usually will start and end with their name. For example, " Mommy, you have a owie, Mama?" 

*When she wants to show us something she squints her eyes says, "Wook, Mommy (or Ada, Daddy, etc)."

*When she sees something that looks like a bug she will say, "Stomp, stomp," and smash the life out of it with her foot.

*She is very independent and wants to do everything herself. She will out, "NO I DO!"

* And last thing that I find funny. Whenever I give the girls baths, Ada will ask to sit in the front and as soon as she asks, Ivy will yell out, "NO, I SIT IN BACK!" She doesn't really understand that she has it wrong but it is hilarious. She will usually scowl when she yells it. 

Happy Birthday to our sweet and naughty girl. She isn't a baby anymore, but I still call her my baby.

Somebody is Four

Today, is Ada's fourth birthday. I can't believe that is 4 years old. She has been that old since she was two! Seriously, that girl can talk.

For Ada's birthday last year, we had a few little decorations up when she woke up. When I was telling her this year that her birthday was coming up she immediatly told me that when she woke up on her birthday morning there would be decorations and a balloon on her chair. So, the tradition carries on. I did a few decorations after the girls went to bed. Of course, Ada got out of bed (an hour after she was put there) and saw the streamers. I tried to block them and she asked me what they were for. I told her to get back to bed. I went and tucked her in and while I was pulling the covers up, she kept asking me what those "hangy things" were. I kept telling her to not worry about it and that I would tell her in the morning. She got a big smile on her face and that was that. 

Good thing Scott had to go into work extra early this morning because the girls woke up extra early (Stinkers). I was showered and dress (thankfully). So while Scott was showering, I put a show on for the  girls and ran to get donuts. Ada's gift this year was a bike! When I got back from donuts, I brought that bike inside. Scott came out with Ivy first and she kept saying, "Pitty (pretty)." Then she saw the bike. Poor girl thought that it was for her. 

Ada was still glued to her show (of course) so, Scott told her it was her birthday and that there were suprises waiting for her in the kitchen. We didn't have to tell her twice. She came out and her reaction was awesome. She saw the decorations and was so excited, but was over the top when she saw her bike. 

I love this first picture. Both girls think that the bike belongs to them.

 In this picture, Ivy learned that the bike wasn't really hers. Poor thing. We should have had a present ready for her too. Luckily her birthday is coming up. All Fall birthdays here!

 Uncle Chad got Ada a really cool paint set

 We had a friend birthday party last Saturday and had cupcakes so donuts were more appropriate for today.  

 Sitting on the counter (ALWAYS) and practicing her stink faces

 Sophia Stickers

 She looks so pretty! So, we never do this, but we were outside playing before 7:00AM! The girls couldn't be happier about that. Ada wasn't sure how to work the pedals for the first few minutes, but is getting the hang of it. She did have a little spill out front and I asked her if she wanted to take a break. While still crying she said, "No."

We had a birthday party a few days before her actual birthday.

I couldn't decide if we should just do a small party and go to a bounce house or something, but her primary class alone has like 9 kids. I couldn't invite half the class and leave the rest out so we decided to have it at the park and invite everyone. It was a big party. Really fun, though.

 Playing Hide and Seek

 This little girl always takes her shoes off, then steals other kids shoes!

 A "friendly" game of Tag. Ada looks like she is about to take Aubrey's head off. Competitive little thing.

 

 We attempted to play Red Rover. It was really cute to watch the kids let go of their hands when someone ran through. One couple actually held on tight and they all fell down. It was awesome!

 Shoe Thief

 So I found this Princess Pinata at Winco and I thought it was PERFECT. It wasn't until one of the Dad's asked me if it was a little strange that we were going to be stringing up Belle, and having the kids whack her with a stick. I was dying. It really looked like she was hanging on a noose and the "Children of the Corn" were going to town on her. Another funny incident with the pinata is I brought this massive stick to hit it with. It wasn't too heavy for me, but I realized after we got to the park that the stick was as long as some of the kids! So, we had Scott pull down a dead branch from the tree and that is what Ada started off with. Too bad the wood was dried out and the stick  broke before Ada really got a good  hit. Luckily, one of the Mom's had a tennis racket and a plastic case that the kids could use. We went for the plastic case first (a windsheild wiper case). That broke within seconds. So, we ended with the tennis racket and that was perfect.

 Taking a swing at poor Belle

 Grandma, Grandpa, Maggie, Jenny and Patrick came down from Benicia to join the fun

 Enjoying the nasty cupcakes that she wanted.

Ada just cracks us up. I remember the doctor telling me just weeks before I had her, that she was going to be a little baby (my long torso hides my gigantic babies), but I was pretty sure she would be big. When the nurses put her on me for the first time, I thought to myself, "This is no six pound baby!" She is a big girl in every way (She will probably read this one day and think, "What the heck, Mom!"). Ada has a huge personality that is contagious. She loves life and get so excited about everything. I will get her some toast and she will tell me that I make the best toast ever. Ha. She will wait all day to tell Scott something and as soon as he comes in the house she will run up to him and start talking a mile a minute (really loudly) what she wanted to tell him. We usually have to remind her about her inside voice. We love this girl!

Some fun facts about the Birthday Girl.

1. She is an awesome scooter rider. That girl makes me nervous when she starts going too fast. 

2. She learned to swim this summer (well, really close)

3. Her favorite food is peanut butter and banana

4. Her favorite treat is chocolate

5. She is really big into Sofia the First and Hugglemonster

6. She is very specific with her wants. If she asks me for a drink, she will tell me exactly what kind of cup. For example: Mom, can I have some ice water in a sippy cup with a lid?

7. Ada loves to have friends over or go to friends houses. I guess Ivy and I aren't enough for her.

8. She has to sleep with at least ten stuffed animals on her bed every night. 

9. Ada's five favorite colors are: Pink and purple

10. She loves to pull her play tent out, put all of her stuffed animals into it, plus a "sleeping bag" and go "camping."

We love you, Ada! Happy Birthday