Consigning the girls clothes is so much fun!  I love making money with their outgrown clothes and in turn, get to buy new stuff for free!  Every time I consign, the girls feel like it is Christmas.  They will bring me toys they don’t play with anymore, anything they are not wearing for one reason or another, so I can sell it, because they know that just means I’ll get to shop for lots of new toys and clothes!  In addition to shopping the sale, the money I make actually carries my clothing budget for the girls through the year, so I’m dressing them for free, or pretty close to it.  It’s my little way of helping the family budget!  If you don’t want to consign yet, but just want to come check it out and shop, I’d love to see you there!

Here’s a peek at some of the clothes I am selling.  There’s a memory for every outfit, some you can probably look through here and remember too just from reading the blog.  The one that stands out to me in this picture, is the checkered sky blue/brown dress on the top in the middle pile.  Noelle first walked to me in this dress… but Mike and I always say, “Hold the memories in our hearts.”  We keep keepsakes, but every outfit is special to me, so I really have to hold some of the memories in my heart and let the outfits be enjoyed by others.

 

Baby Noelle with Brother Man in a dress I’ve put in the sale for $4.00!

 

The Sunday after Rose’s party, we were wiped out!  Pjs, make-up, movies, chillin… we were ready to relax!  I love all of their feet in the second picture (they just make me laugh)!  This is the real deal right here.  We party big, and we rest big!

Noelle watched a Youtube video on how to do her make-up like Marilyn Monroe, minus the red lipstick because she couldn’t find it.  She told me, “The only difference is that I have long straight blonde hair, and she has short curly blonde hair.”  I didn’t even know she knew who Marilyn Monroe was, or even cared for that matter.  But if you’re into fashion, I guess fashion history is part of the fascination. 

                            

What beautiful lucky little girls and what an awesome amazing Daddy who is equally as lucky!!!  Anna Kate will be 4 years old in March, Rose just turned 2, and Noelle will be 7 in May… time is flying by so quickly, and we are treasuring all of these special moments in our hearts!

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

All I can say is the girls had a blast going to a real dance at Noelle’s school!  Mike and Noelle went together for their “date” and the littles and I came a little later to join in the family fun night!  The pictures tell the story… they had a ball dancing the night away!

              

Chickfila hosts the most amazing Daddy/Daughter Date night each February, and the girls always look forward to a night out with their Daddy!  Rose still had pneumonia, so she wasn’t feeling well enough to go. 

Tonight, the big surprise for the girls, was a limo ride after dinner, flowers and a special favor box with a butterfly necklace and lip gloss!

When they got home, Anna Kate told me she drew a big sun around her ice cream, but I had no idea what she was talking about.  When Mike showed me this picture, it all made sense.  Creative and cute, as always!

At the front of this picture, is Anna Kate’s purse and her “K.”  You can see Noelle working on her special message: “I love you Dad!” 

One thing I learn every day from Anna Kate is to live life full out!  This was 3 days before her allergy reaction.  She’s always this excited about everything.  She’s a very happy kid!  The other night, she even thanked Mike and me for our house and letting her live here (and the pretty decorations, what!?! She’s 3!).  It melted my heart!  I can’t express what a cool kid Anna Kate is!

Daddy’s beautiful dates were very excited to get in the limo and go for a ride around town!

Noelle was right at home (lol), but Anna Kate was a little reserved, being a little precautious.  The lights kept changing colors, and Mike had two giggly girls on his hands!  So thankful they got to share this fun night together!

 

Rose had the best birthday party ever!  It was so sweet and special, and the emotion of thankfulness was so real in the room.  Our children mean the world to us, and tonight we celebrated Rose with so much joy!  Anna Kate and Noelle were not feeling well, but the party girl was in full party mode!  She knew tonight was all about her, and she was in heaven!!!

For each 2nd birthday, we have always done a theme that our kid is into at that time.  Even though they are little, they still have such big personalities and are truly unique.  For Noelle’s 2nd birthday, we had a clock party (she spotted them everywhere and they were her favorite thing), for Anna Kate we had a flower party (she loved picking flowers and pointing at them everywhere we went), and for Rose, we had a shoe party, because this girl is all about shoes.  It couldn’t have been more up her alley!  She recognized the shoe on her cake and thought it was so cute.  She actually said, “Cute, Mommy!”

We had her party at a fun private play land this year, and it couldn’t have been more age appropriate, easy and fun!

Noelle helped me set the tables (with the Prince girls… thank you so much guys!!!), and I love how she placed the juice boxes close to the edge because that’s how far her little hands could reach; so special!

 

Poppa and Rara came up for the weekend, and Rose enjoyed having them here so much!

We had a picnic-style dinner with croissant sandwiches, turkey roll-ups, chips, etc… and cookie cake for dessert, of course!

 

Sharon and Bekah… I don’t even know what to say!  You guys are the best!  I don’t think I can throw a party without you.  Thank you!  Rose was SO excited when Kay Kay and Grandpapa arrived.  She was laughing and giggling… she felt so loved!

Here’s some of my sweet friends, Susie, Tanna, Megan, and Heather with Audree, Rose, and Logan!

Madison loves baby Rose because she has a new baby sister of her own and practiced taking care of Rose before Eden arrived.  Madison’s mom is Mindy, and they live down the street.  We have fun talking about girls and fashion together!

  

Avery, Sydney, and Rose in the play land!

Rose was so high in this picture… she had a blast climbing everywhere!  She only got stuck at the top once, but I climbed to get her.  I’ve had to do that a time or two with the other girls when they were that age… I’m an old pro!

Angela, Riann, Holly, and Susie are our sweet neighbors and friends.  We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends in our lives!

Our pastor, Phil, got to come celebrate Rose with us!  His heart is so full of love and thoughtfulness, along with his wife, Stephanie.  We are so blessed to have such true friends to walk this journey with us!

Here’s a fun picture with my friends Stasia, Kara, and Tanna (and Audree).  Kara owns Ella Bella, and is the best, along with my shopping buddies, lol!

Kelli, Anna-Kate, Phil and I… loved having our church friends come celebrate from Ft. Worth.  It was so special having them with us!

Aww, look at these cute red-headed teenagers.  Everyone kept saying, “Who are those cute red-headed teenagers?”  Toria’s 21, lol, but she’ll be thankful one of these days she looks so cute and young.  Love.these.girls.  Not much else to say, we’re lifers!

 

Rose was in the zone… she was having the time of her life.  Here she is hugging her friend Berkeley who lives down the street.  They are so cute!

Heather (and Logan), Jon, me, Ty and Mike were cracking jokes and having fun, as usual.  It’s good to have friends that know you inside and out and still think you’re pretty cool.  These guys mean the world to us!  Jon’s saying in his head right now, “I didn’t say you were cool, Mo!” but he knows he thinks it. 😉

Anna Kate had lots of buddies come play too!  Avery, Malia, Brylee, and Madison are all Anna Kate’s big buds!  So happy they were here to make her feel better.  She still had a double ear infection because she couldn’t start the new round of antibiotics yet.  It was an all-around miserable week for our sweet girl!  They all gave her grace and were really good friends tonight!

Anna Kate wouldn’t go to the top without me, so up I went.  She is still a little timid (at almost 4)… where Rose (2) was all over that thing!  They’ve all got such unique personalities and boundaries.  Although Anna Kate’s timid about a lot of things,  you’d never know it when she gets in her entertaining mode!

We had 35 kids here to celebrate Rose with us (so thankful for each and every one of them) but not everyone made it in the group picture.  I love all their little personalities in this picture and how the babies were all crawling around.  So perfect!

 

I asked the kids to do funny faces and Rose totally knew what to do!  Logan and Hudson looked too cute sitting there next to our silly girls!  Here we are about to cut the cake… Rose was so excited!

After we sang, “Happy Birthday,” which Rose sand the whole song at the top of her lungs, might I add, she clapped as loud as the could and said, “Yay!  Yay!”  I was looking forward to this moment all week long.  I knew she’d “get it” that this moment was all about our love for her.  Her happiness was so contagious!

 

Love these blowing out the candle pictures… so adorable!

Here’s a picture of Mike’s sweet family, who were all able to come to the party!  Susana, Stephen, Grandpapa, Noemi, and Kay Kay!

Ty and his brown-eyed girl, Emme!

 

Enjoying her cookie cake with Toria.  Rose likes cookies better than cake, so she’s our first kid who we got a cookie cake for… she loved it!

 

Here’s some pretty special people right here!  By this point, I looked exhausted because I was exhausted.  My heart was so full, and I was having the best time ever, but the week just caught up with me… hardest week, hands down, of my life.  Just so thankful that our girls are healthy, happy and safe, and I have the best friends in the whole wide world!!!

Rose and her cousin Noemi look so cute every time we get them together.  They are both growing so fast!  Love that they have each other, and that Susana and I have each other too.  We love our Pond boys!

Rose is crazy about her friend Katie, and they always have so much fun being together.  It seems like they’ve always been friends.  I guess, technically they have, but their little hearts get each other.  Even before they were talking, they connected.  It’s so sweet to watch them interact!

 

Rose and Katie… heart friends!

After all the food and fun, we opened such thoughtful gifts for baby Rose.  She’s been needing some things to call her own around here, and everyone that came, seemed to get her just what she would want.  Our friends know her so well and love her big.  I think part of that is because she loves big right back, with arms wide open and a grin that will make anyone smile back.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Rose!  I can’t say enough sweet things about you!  You’re so cute, you’re my buddy… I love your passion, spunk and joy!  Your energy, happiness, and love are so contagious.  I want to be like you when I grow up!  You are special, you are important, you beautiful and you are loved!

 

Today’s the day God gave us you, Happy 2nd Birthday, Rose!

 

This was the cutest blowing out the candle sequence I’ve ever seen!  She huffed and she buffed… she couldn’t have been cuter!!!

We had a shoe themed party for Rose this year, because she’s all about shoes right now.  They are her favorite toy and accessory.  You only live once, so we lived it up Saturday night.  We laughed and talked and hugged and played like you wouldn’t believe.  Just being there celebrating Rose’s life together was so incredibly special and moving, magnified by the week we’ve had.  Yes, she’s only 2, but I was so excited to give her all my effort and attention to make her feel so special and loved!  I always tell the girls, “You are special, you are important, you are beautiful, and you are loved.”  We say it in the shower together every night.  I want them to believe it with all of their hearts, because it’s true!  All little girls need to hear these words about themselves and believe it with all their hearts!  This party was just a little extension of proving how special, important, beautiful and loved Rose is to us!  I have so many party pictures to post… can’t wait!

In the meantime, HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, SWEET BABY ROSE!!!  Today is your special day, and you are so happy and down right adorable that it will be great all the way around!  Can’t wait to sing Happy Birthday with you at least 10 more times today.  You’re the best little singer and clapper!  We love you, sweet and sassy little miss!  And no matter what, you will ALWAYS be our Sweet Baby Rose!!!  Love you forever and ever, Mommy and Daddy

I’ve enjoyed these videos so much since the Ella Bella fashion show week before last!  Thanks, Mike, for helping me post these videos for everyone to see.  I hope they put a big smile on your face!  My favorite is Noelle’s first walk down the red carpet in high heels with Anna Kate running on and off the screen with the silly blue hat on her head… you can hear me say, “This is hilarious!”  Both of their personalities on full display!  This night was more fun than I can put into words.  We’ll remember it always!

After a decade of back pain and numerous consultations, I am undergoing a series of back surgeries (minimally invasive) that will help with managing my pain.  I don’t want to go into detail, but it’s been a hard month for our family in many different ways. I would move heaven and earth for Mike, Noelle, Anna Kate and Rose if I could!  Even when I am weak, I am hoping and praying, that He will make me strong!

Rara got here last Friday to help Mike and me with the girls while I was recovering, and the first thing Rose did was get into her suitcase. I remember when Noelle was that age, she used to do that too! Here’s a couple of pictures of Rose trying on shoes, as usual. She always makes me laugh with her shoe obsession! Every time I turn around, she’s always wearing someone else’s shoes. If they are reachable, she will have them on at some point!  Love you, silly girl!