One More Sleep

We have been counting down how many more sleeps until Elle's 4th birthday.  The first thing she said when she woke up this morning was, "only one more sleep 'til my birthday"!  A few months back, I bought a vintage china plate that says 'happy birthday' in the center of it.  I thought it would make birthdays a little more special if every year the girls got to have their birthday meals on this pretty plate.  I showed it to Elle and let me tell you, she has NOT forgotten.  It makes me smile...she tells me how much she LOVES the gold on it and speaks of this special plate with almost a sense of reverence.  For the last two weeks she has gone to the armoire where I keep it a few times a day and just stares at it longingly, asking when it will be her birthday so she can use it.  Today I finally let her get it out.  I am happy to report that we now have it all washed and ready for her birthday breakfast tomorrow morning.  How sweet are the simple pleasures of a 3 (almost 4) year old.   

Little Friends

One of the cutest things for me to see as a mom has been my girls developing little friendships.  Meet Miss Malia.  She is Gwen's partner in crime.  My friend Christy (Malia's mom) has 2 girls that are the same ages as Elle and Gwen.  These little girls do almost everything together.  I had Malia over yesterday and it was so cute to watch the two of them interact.  Whenever they see eachother they run straight into a hug.  Together they are learning to not hit and to share and they laugh at almost anything.  They are learning the art of friendship.  One of my favorite lines from Winnie the Pooh is when Pooh says to Christopher Robbin, "The best part of the day is when you and me become we".  I think that sums-up these two little buddies.   

Mama Elle

We brought home a few treasures from my mom's house last week.  Her rocking chair from when she was a little girl and my great aunt's baby doll.  When my great uncle passed away, it was found in his basement.  The whole family met at his farm in Idaho to "auction" off who wanted what.  We were each given a certain amount of tickets and could use them to "buy" what things meant the most to us.  When I saw that little doll, I knew exactly what I would save all of my tickets for.  I was single at the time and just kept it at my mom's house.  This past trip I rediscovered it and knew that Elle would just love her.  We have been home for almost two weeks now and Elle has not let this little dolly out of her sight.  She sits with her in her carseat, next to her at the dinner table and most importantly snuggles right next to her each night in her bed.  Elle has named her Samantha.  As I was taking these pictures I was talking to Elle about her little dolly.  I asked her, "where did you get this little baby"?  I was expecting to hear from Grammy's house but that was not the case.  Elle looked at me and said, "Mama, she came from my tummy".  Oh of course, how silly of me to question that!  In fact, as I was talking with her, she stopped mid sentence and walked over to the couch.  I told Elle that I wanted to take just a few more pictures and she said, "but mama, I need to change Samantha's diaper".   It is so sweet to see her "mother".  I hear her whispering to her little dolls and stuffed animals and gently kissing them.  She carries our dog Tiger around in a baby blanket and pushes him in her dolly stroller.  The nurturing gene is extra strong in this little one.  I hold Elle like a baby sometimes even though she is getting too big for it.  I tell her that she can't grow-up anymore and has to be my baby forever.   She always reminds me that she HAS to grow-up.  The other night I was telling her this again and rocking her and she said, "mama, I HAVE to grow-up but I promise even when I am a mommy when I visit you, you can still hold me like a baby".  I don't know if she will want me to hold her like a baby when she is a mommy, but one thing I do know is that she will someday be an amazing one.  

W.W. McGee

W.W. McGee.  This is what we call our little Gwenners.  Wild Woman McGee.  I sit and look at these pictures and she seems so mellow and sweet.  Well, the sweet part she is.  For Sure. Mellow though...not so much.  What makes it manageable however is that she has such a happy demeanor about herself as she runs around.  She literally just runs around the house with a big grin on her face, laughing.  I haven't figured out yet where she is running or what she is so happy about but there she goes, whizzing past me.  I took these pictures just moments ago. Right now my little wild child is as-snug-as-a-bug in her crib taking a nap.  One of the most endearing things about Miss Gwenners is that even with as much energy as she has, she is still as sweet as can be.  A complete and total love bug.  The minute I walk into her room, shut the shutters and sit on the rocker with her, she collapses her little head on to my shoulder.  It is our little ritual.  She just snuggles right up onto me and I feel like time stands still.  I lay her in her crib and she blows me kisses with her chubby little hands.  It makes all the wild times well worth it.  

Home

It's so nice to be back.

Park City, UT

My sister Megan and her husband Roger

Jon and Me

My Mom

My sister Briar, Baby Eden and Ben

My sister Josie's husband Justin and little Dylan

My brother Jake and Hailey

4th of July

We just returned from a week long family vacation to Utah for the 4th of July.  It was so fun to see my mom, my 3 sisters and brother and their families.  Quite the family reunion.  Elle and Gwen had the time of their lives.  I told Jon one night that I missed Elle because I rarely saw her.  She was always running around with one of her cousins.  We had fun activities for the kids planned each day.  My sister Briar graciously let ALL of us go to her house where we rented a huge bouncy waterslide for the day.  This was especially nice of her considering the fact that she had her third little girl, Eden, just 3 weeks ago!!  Baby Eden is the cutest little thing.  Any free moment Elle had, she would ask to hold her.  On the morning of the 4th, we were all registered to run the Provo 10K.  The night before, I fell down the stairs and broke 2 of my toes. I was soo sad!  I was out but everyone else was in!  I didn't get photos, except of Jon and my sister Josie after they finished the race, because I was in charge of walking all 11 grandkids (with my 2 broken toes) from the hotel to our saved portion of curb so we could watch the Provo Parade. Elle and Gwen loved the parade.  Their favorite floats were the ones that had "royalty" on them.  Elle would yell, "The fairies are coming"!  I got a cute picture of one of the "fairies" waving to Gwen.  That night we headed up to the golf course in Park City where we had a pic-nic and the kids played.  The fireworks are set off at the base of the mountain.  It was amazing.  A perfect day, if I do say so myself.  The last night was spent with everyone at my moms for pizza and the #1 hit...a blow-up pool.  Why do we try so hard to please these kids when a $4 blow-up pool makes them soo happy?!  Jon and I drove home which was a LONG trip with two toddlers!  We had to make lots of stops to get their wiggles out.  At each stop, I had Elle and Gwen run up and down the sidewalk, sing me songs, and wiggle to their hearts content.  At the Dairy Queen, I came out and Jon and Elle were hiding in the bushes and bombarded me with the little "popper" firecrackers.  It was pretty funny.  I'd say we had a fabulous week, for sure.  I know it's cliche' but it really is just fun to be together.  I miss everyone already.  Love you guys! XO

It's true...

I sure love this guy.

What A Treat

Grampie Dune and Nana came for dinner tonight to celebrate both of their birthdays.  It's always so fun to get together.  Elle spent forever coloring a card and we gave them their gifts. Nana got her favorite smelling soap called "Favorito" and Grampie Dune got his favorite chocolates (bordeaux).  Happy Birthday!

Pool Days

My little girls love the water.  If we could be at a pool or at the beach from sun up to sun down, they would be happy (as long as Gwenners gets a nap in there somewhere).  Gwen loves for me to hold her tight against me and spin with her little legs making the water splash.  Elle on the other hand is a much more demanding customer.  She loves the "dolphin" and begs me to do it with her everytime we are at a pool.  She hops on my back, holds her little hands tightly around my neck and we swim around with her bobbing up and down on my back.  She LOVES it.  Every hour or so the pool does a safety break where everyone has to get out of the pool for 10 minutes.  Well, to preface this it must be known that I don't have hearing in my right ear.  That whole situation is a story for another time but I was in the pool doing "dolphin" and did not hear the multiple requests for us to get out.  Elle is loving it and all of a sudden I look up and we are the ONLY ones in the pool.  All of the kids and parents are out of the pool, staring and waiting for us to get out.  I was dying (laughing).  Elle thought it was so much fun that she didn't want to inform me of the pool evacuation.   Needless to say I said a loud, "sorry!" to everyone at the pool and gracefully "dolphined" right over to the steps and we got out.  Just thinking about it makes me laugh.  Well, I will have to be more aware of my surroundings in the future but I can't wait to take my girls on more dolphin rides this summer. 

We Heart Noggin

Elle slept-in this morning which gave me some fun time with Miss Gwen.  She loves to sit up on the stool and watch the music videos from Noggin on the computer.  I love how excited she gets each time the song changes.  She laughs, claps and dances by wiggling back and forth on the stool.  I am starting to get glimpses of her cute little personality.  Every day she seems to be so much more expressive.  I often think about how short this time is that my girls will be so little. It is a lot of work and would be so easy to wish it away.   I don't want to do that.  I want to really be present for them.  I know she won't be little forever so I want to enjoy all of the little and simple moments just like this.  I love this little girl.  

Dance

Elle couldn't sleep last night because she was so excited.  This morning was the first day of her dance class.  My friend Julie has a two week dance camp.  She teaches in her garage and has all of the neighborhood girls over to twirl and sing and of course more twirling (Elle's favorite ballet move).  Julie taught the class last summer too and Elle was in heaven.  Elle LOVES to dance.  Even when commercials come on the TV with music, she and Gwen both hop off the couch and dance.  A big thank you to Julie for loving Elle and being so sweet with her.  

Ready, Set...Summer!

Today was a perfect day at the beach.  The girls and I had so much fun.  Elle spent hours searching for sand crabs and chasing the waves in-and-out with her little friends.  I am not sure what Gwen loved more, digging with the Coke cup or waving to the train each time it passed. The girls were happy, I was happy...a perfect day.  I bet you can guess where we will be the majority of this summer.