I’m telling you guys, Anna Kate never stops cracking us up! I gave her one square of chocolate, one little square of the chocolate bar… and this is what happened next! I ran to my room to grab the camera, and since she followed me, I quickly took her picture and then washed her hands!
Noelle drew this for her lifelong buddy Zane the other day because she misses him so much! Allison and I both had babies last year, so we’ve been busy, and we live an hour away, but that’s enough excuses… we’ll get together soon! We love you, Zane!
This is the first time Zane and Noelle met, when she was in my tummy!
This kiss was at Noelle’s 1st birthday party!
From summer swimming…
wagon rides…
…to hay rides and baby showers!
And lots more… they sure have had a blast together!
Landry (birthday girl), Ava, Carson, Anna Kate, Emma (birthday girl last week), and Carson having a good time at Pump It Up!
We bought a Pump It Up party at an auction this fall for Anna Kate, but we told her that if she wanted her birthday here she had to be a big girl and go down the big slide! She was so nervous, but laughed so hard at the bottom. She was SO proud of herself for facing her fears! We’ll see you back here in March for her birthday!!!
Rose loves socializing and being out and about too! She’s definitely a go baby! Anna Kate, Ava, and Carson (little soccer sisters) reunite again! Can’t wait for soccer to start up again i.e. weekly play time for these guys!
I was up and down all over these bounce houses today… I had a blast and felt like a kid again. It was fun, and Landry’s parents are so cool, it made goofing off easy!
Noelle’s school buddies Emily and Nyla are such sweet play mates! What a fun day!
Thank you Emma and Landry for inviting us to your parties! We had a blast!
Noelle’s been talking about her school fund raiser all week… it’s so funny to me how the school pumps the kids up and then they come home so excited, but not about the product but about the prizes, of course! They don’t focus on selling techniques, like what the money goes to buy, how much the bars cost, or how to make the chocolate sound like a must-have… they sell the kids the prizes! Noelle was raving about the bounce house party, the ice cream pass, and most of all, being king or queen for the day (the top seller of the whole school). She said in the sweetest little girly girl voice, “You get the royal treatment, Mom!”
After I read the letter, I explained to her that only one kid in the entire school gets “the royal treatment.” Anyway, she and I talked about selling techniques and she pretending to sell the candy to me for the rest of the day. We practiced math a bunch based on how many bars I decided to buy. I kept putting them back and changing my mind on the quantity (most fun math lesson ever, we were both cracking up), and I was a tough sell. I said, “How do I know they are fresh?” and she said, “Because they are made OF scratch, Ma’am!” Haha! And then Anna Kate piped in and said she doesn’t want any because they have sugar in them and that they’re not healthy, and Noelle said, “Wow, Anna Kate, that’s a good observation!” Our kids are so cool!
I need to record her sales pitch. She’s a natural! I LOVE it when the kids bring home something you actually want to buy that doesn’t cost more than a couple of bucks. That’s my kind of fund raiser. I bought all the Milk chocolate with Almonds… our favorite! The last time I tasted the World’s Finest Chocolate was when I sold them in middle school choir, and I’ve dreamed about them ever since… or at least never forgot they were the best chocolate bars I’ve ever had! Score with a fund raiser that’s actually fun too!
First Picture: Baby Rose (11 mos), Anna Kate (2 yrs 10 mos)
Second Picture: Baby Anna Kate (11 mos), Noelle (3 years 8 mos)
Baby Anna Kate was content to just sit there but Baby Rose is on the go!
Anna Kate and Rose are our little baby sisters! Mike asked me what was on Rose’s head. I said, “A flower, of course!” He said, “Oh, I thought it was a growth!” He better watch out because I could go bigger. He has no idea how big I could go! Don’t worry, you bow haters, this is my max, although every girl Mom loves a good bow (or flower)!
So, at our church, we always eat dinner together. It’s no secret that I don’t like to cook, and since it’s potluck, sometimes, let’s just say, I get shown up. Those of you who go to our church, know exactly what I’m talking about. Long story short, one week I bring cheesecake with strawberry topping (from Costco) and Nick brings homemade cheesecake (giving him the nickname “Homemade Nick,” sorry Nick, it’s stickin’). The next week, I bring brownies and even sprinkle them with powdered sugar but oh no! AK brings brownies with a layer of oreos and a layer of cookie dough… what are the odds someone would bring the EXACT same dessert (only better) the last two times! Trust me, it’s way funnier if you were there when I was being shown up… pretty hysterical.
Anyway, this week we were supposed to bring a food that started with the first letter of our name. So, Mike got all fancy with the double “M”s… if we weren’t going to win the fancy shmancy food award, we at least got the double initial award (which counts for something). Top that Betty Crocker Kitchens! (I just said that because Noelle and Anna Kate watch that EVERY day and are obsessed with how-to cooking videos… I guess I need to be too, oh snap!)
*What makes these cookies Homestyle anyway? We were cracking up when we read that on the label. And the rest of the story is… our store bought “Homestyle” cookies were SO good!
Bailey had his tonsils and adenoids removed last week, and although the day was so difficult, he handled the surgery like a champ!
Noelle sent him a pencil box, stickers, and a get well card that looks like it did the trick (put a sweet smile on his face)! Please keep praying for Bailey as he recovers. His throat is still very sore, and it is hard for him to talk! And oh my goodness, do we ever miss Sadie bug!!! She sent this picture to Anna Kate, and Anna Kate has been tickled about her bumble bee buddy all night and keeps asking to see it over and over!!! *Love you guys!
Baby Rose (11 months) and Anna Kate (2 years 10 months)
Baby Anna Kate (8 months) and Noelle (3 years 8 months)
I love comparing the girls in matching outfits… I can really see how their personalities are different too because I remember their demeanor when taking these pictures. Baby Anna Kate was content to just sit there and smile and baby Rose was on the go! Big sister Noelle was not really interested in taking pictures and was doing it for a bribe, and big sister Anna Kate was just standing there smiling just like she did when she was a baby. Noelle and Rose’s personalities seem to be the most similar, but of course, they are all unique in their own little ways!
