The girls had so much fun one night over spring break letting Noelle give them make-overs and dress them up!  Although Rose got super bashful once we all clapped for her once she entered the room (lol), they all had such a blast being girlie girls together!

 

I took three pictures this weekend.  Here they are.  The first one was of Rara’s sweet arms when she and I had finally gotten comfortable in the hospital (as much as we could) and were about to try to go to sleep.  I stayed with her until about 3:30AM, then my Dad and I switched out.  He was up dealing with the crisis the night before and I’m a night owl, so it worked out just right that I was able to take the first shift.  The next day, we got to come home from the hospital and get adjusted to a new life at home.  Off and on, Mom has been hurting pretty badly.  Of course, she’s so independent, so it’s really hard to get her to slow down and let us help her, but she’s asking as much as she knows how.  Aunt Joe and Uncle Jim arrived on the scene and helped Dad and I tremendously as we were losing steam.  Aunt Joe can do the tasks that I was doing, so after I gave Rara a mani/pedi (that was seriously so pretty, I must admit), Anna Kate and I decided to head home to help Mike start our school/work week.  We have help lined up, and it will be an uphill battle for a couple of weeks, but we are already thinking ahead to the summer and making fun in the sun plans (well, she is, with all of her chickens, lol, and I will say Florida and Mexico are in the works for our Ra).  That’s important, ya know, and no one will deserve it more than her!!!

The other two pictures are scenes on my drive home today as I was struggling with my heart in two places at once.  There is so much symbolism in the teal door, but I’ll let you make up your own.  I’ve seen this “Far Away Meadows” sign all of my life, but I never felt so far away as I did today on the drive home.  Rainy, overcast, and far away from a sense of normalcy… that places this day about right.  I have a difficult dentist/jaw appointment on Tuesday.  Mom was going to come up for it (as she always does for the big appointments), but we have excellent care for the girls with their teachers, thank God.  Toward the end of the week, we’ll see how things are going for Poppa and Rara and be where we are needed. 

Thanks for all of your well-wishes, phone calls, emails, texts, thoughts, and prayers.  They mean everything during this difficult time for our family.  Rara is soo soo good to everyone, I just can’t even begin to tell you!  It’s time for her to feel a little bit of all the love that she’s given to so many! 

We love you with all of our hearts, Rara!  Please rest up and get well soon!  The sun is about to call your name!  XOXO forever and ever, ThePondFam5

 

My mom fell last night and broke both of her arms.  They are both compound fractures needing surgery around noon.  Right now, she is very uncomfortable.  Please send up lots of prayers for our Rara!!!

We’ve been looking forward to Anna Kate’s 5th birthday party at American Girl ever since her Belle at the Hotel birthday party last year!  It was such a sweet little lunch, full of lots of pretending and celebrating our American girl!   

  

Noelle and Lilly, Anna Kate and Julie, and Rose and baby Ariel (pronounced baby Ar-wall)!

Anna Kate was looking at us in the mirror one morning before school last week and said, “Mommy, people say you and me look alike and I think they’re right!”  Well, Anna Katey, I do too!

 

Sweethearts!  That’s all I think when I look at this picture!

Thank you, Poppa and Rara, for always being there, especially when we don’t look this fancy!  XOXO

 

Rose was busy sipping on her pink lemonade while Anna Kate was seriously loving on her Rara!

So if I look like my mom and Anna Kate looks like her mom, then I guess these two look alike too!

 

Oh Rosie!  I wanted a sweet sister pic at lunch, but Rose was not having it!  I love that her necklace has little angel wings on it! 

 

Oh Rose, help a Mommy out! 

I love the little friendship these two have!  All three of them have special bonds with each other that are only getting sweeter and more intimate with time.  When they take care of each other, there is nothing that makes me more proud!  If you ask her, Anna Kate will tell you, “Mommy and Daddy are in charge of me.  And Noelle too!”  And she’s right.  Noelle is her little lifesaver!

Telling secrets!

Sweet kisses!

Rose wants a kiss too!

My Mommy and me!

I love Rose’s little lips and everything else on her sweet wittle face!

Appetizer

God love her!

 

Surprisingly, it was Rose’s baby who got the time-out, lol!  Everyone who knows Rose, knows this side of her, and loves her to pieces all the more!

 

I think this is my favorite face Anna Kate makes!  So sweet to capture it on her birthday! 

Along with the pin marks on baby Ariel’s face, she now has muffin crumbs to match!  It’s so interesting to observe the girls and watch each of them with their dolls and playing pretend.  Rose was the only Pond girl who put real food on her doll’s plate!

 

Next up, mini hot dogs, hamburgers and singing “Happy Birthday” to Anna Kate!

 

Do you know any other 5 year old who asked their sister to help them blow out their candles?  I heard Anna Kate ask Noelle on the way to American Girl, but I didn’t think anything else about it until she wouldn’t blow out her candles until Noelle knew it was okay to help!  This was by far the most memorable part of the day for me because Anna Kate is just that sweet!  Sure made this Momma girl tear up!

 

It’s my special day!

 

 

Noelle and I went shopping a couple weeks ago when Anna Kate was on a trip to Poppa and Rara’s house.  While we were out and about, she found this project carrying case and bought it with her own money for Anna Kate.  She told me that Anna Kate didn’t have anywhere to put her artwork and just had to have it.  Sure enough, Anna Kate has carried it around the house all week.  These girls love each other with all of their hearts!!!

 

 

 

What a sweet little perfect birthday for our middle girl!  Love you, sweet Anna Kate!  You are so precious!  You are so loved!

 

Super great awesome start to a super great awesome day celebrating a super great awesome kid!

This is exactly what the birthday girl ordered for her birthday breakfast this year!  She’s had a sprinkle donut with a purple 5 in her head for the longest time.  She even told us to all wait at the table for her and call her in and then she would come sit down and we would sing “Happy Birthday” to her.  Once everyone got into position, we called her to the table and followed each of her wishes!  Too fun!

The girls were SO excited to start Anna Kate’s big day of celebrating, family style!

I joked around on Instagram that after I got 3 of the 7 girls in our house ready, I was wiped out!  I thought Anna Kate’s birthday was going to be easy this year because it was a family party, but I didn’t consider all the extra guests I had to dress, lol!  The excitement was building for Anna Kate’s American Doll Bistro Birthday Party!

 

We had the best day celebrating you!  Your love, humor, and cuteness are never ending!  You have a really crazy fun imagination and you are such a sweet and genuinely good kid.  We are beyond grateful to have you in our lives, and when you are around, everything is so much better!  Cheers to you, girlfriend!  Love ya!  Mommy and Daddy

 

Noelle and I have had so much fun playing with her hair lately!  She’s having me learn new things left and right, and I love it!  #girltime

 

Rose calls our friend Kara, Miss Ka-wa!  It’s the cutest thing!  The girls absolutely love her spontaneous visits to come play with us, and she’s usually got something girlie up her sleeve (treats) that the girls go crazy over.  Her bag of tricks are never-ending, but I’m not too far behind her.  She has taught me well, lol!  Due to her busy life, she’s always popping in and out, which is perfect for our crazy life too!  Noelle, Anna Kate, and Rose each look up to Kara in different ways, and it’s so special to see the way they each interact with one of their role models!  Kara plays with the kids, while Mike and I get supper on the table, then we all get to hang out during dinner time, then it’s off for showers, one more snack, brush teeth, books and bed.  Kara just mixes right in with our night time routine, and as much as she helps move the girls along from one activity to the next, you’d think she does this for a living!  She is so versatile in her many talents; She can do whatever she wants to do in life!  So proud of our Ka-wa!

*Rose got a Madeline Alexander Baby Alive Doll for her birthday.  She is so excited to have a similar doll to the big girls’ American Girl Dolls, but our family tradition on that is when one of our girls turn 5 years old, that’s when they get to pick one special AG Doll that will be theirs forever!  This is a special tradition/milestone we enjoy looking forward to with our kiddos.  Speaking of 5 year olds, Anna Kate just got her Julie doll this week for her very special American Girl Birthday coming up in the next few weeks!

We’ve had so much fun this week on spring break!  We’ve been all over town shopping for warmer weather, riding the carousel, splurging on pedicures with friends and eating out for lunch, more shopping, frozen yogurt, sleepovers and play dates… little treats that make spring break so much fun!