Anna Kate is just the most adorable 2 year old you can think up!  She says the funniest things and is constantly being cute and courteous!

Pretending to be a ghost with kanky… those of you who know us, know whose kanky this is… lol!  When Anna Kate saw these pictures, she said, “Silly Anna Katey!”  And there you have it!

Noelle and Julia have been asking for quite a while to have a sleepover, so Riann and I decided to give it a try… and they loved every minute of it!

We had chicken nuggets, strawberries, and berry sherbet with sprinkles for dinner and dessert!

The girls ate so good and were ready for some fun!

First, we listened to music and danced on the ottoman (of course). 

This picture was too weird not to post.  Noelle is in mid-air and looks like she’s flying, or suspended.  Weird, huh?  Lol!

Next, it was off to painting toes and putting glitter on top!

The girls were SO proud of their sparkly pink toes! 

Then we ate lots of popcorn and watched one of the girls’ Barbie movies!  Julia would make this silly face and then bust out laughing (see below) – she’s a crack up!

The girls getting down!

We read books and sang songs starting at 9:00, and they finally crashed around 10:30!  Julia will be 3 in June, so she is still really little.  I couldn’t believe she stayed through the night!  When I was tucking them in, she said to me, “I’ve been loving you tonight!”  What a total sweetheart!  She didn’t even want to go home the next morning.  She waved goodbye and said, “See you tomorrow!”  I would call our first sleep over a huge success!

Now for the sad part.  Noelle woke up and said she needed some water for what she called a “burping allergy.”  We were so confused but gave her some water.  Right before Julia’s Mommy got here, Noelle threw up all over the living room.  I quickly gathered up Julia’s stuff and started to walk her home when Riann met us at the door.  Mike was giving Noelle a bath, and I started cleaning up the mess.  So, that’s what we did for the rest of the day – loving on babies and cleaning up throw-up.  Fun times!

I am enjoying church so much!!!  The girls are making new friends and love going to church!  I feel rested after I’ve been and that’s an amazing feeling!

This was my favorite part of the service last week.  It’s a prayer by William Arthur Ward.  Every time I read it, something else stands out.  It’s lovely.

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ indwelling in them.

Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life.

Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.

Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.

Fast from worry; feast on trust.

Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.

Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.

Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.

Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.

Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.

Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.

Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.

Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

Gentle God, during this season of fasting and feasting,

gift us with your presence so we can be a gift to others in carrying out your work.  Amen.

Here’s 11 lbs 2 oz of cute right here! 

The big sisters loved getting stickers and lollipops at Rose’s check-up!

Anna Kate’s expression is just precious in this picture – she’s always so anticipatory and excited about life! 

Both times Rose has gotten shots, it immediately knocked her out.  She sleeps so hard right after them.  It’s weird because neither of the other girls responded that way to them.  Sweet baby Rose – love you girl!

We signed Noelle up for kindergarten last week and here are the girls right after we finished in front of the library.  Noelle already started meeting lots of little friends while I was filling out the paperwork.  They were busy reading American Girl magazines and looking at the fish in the fish tank.  Man, this is so exciting and hard all at the same time!!!

I have to say the girls are so amazing with Rose!  They are gentle and kind and don’t act annoyed with her constant crying.  It’s like they don’t even hear her.  I am so proud of them.  Our hearts are big and full of love around here. 

Thursday was a VERY busy day, and Noelle didn’t get a nap.  I went to tuck Anna Kate into bed while Noelle was supposed to be getting dressed for bed.  I came back to check on her and found her asleep on the bathroom floor.  It’s going to be hard for my big baby to give up her naps next year.  We are going to go to bed earlier, but we are going to wake up earlier too, so it’s just going to take some time getting used to no naps.

I had to be creative to get a good shot of Noelle and Grandpapa together getting ready to leave for school.  Grandpapa has been taking Noelle to school for us in the mornings, and he has been a lifesaver.  Of course, he and Noelle are making memories that will last a lifetime (I still remember my Pawpaw picking me up from kinder).  These are sweet times right here!