Beach Day

We spent the entire day at the beach yesterday. Elle's swim team met there for practice at 9am. The picture of her running in the hula attire was for a relay race they did. It was so, so cute. I packed all 3 girls up plus all of our supplies (which are a lot these days) and hoped for the best. Elle had practice from 9 to 10 and then we just stayed put on the sand. My Lily had her morning nap in my arms in a beach chair. It was heaven. Elle and Gwen played non stop with their friends in the sand and waves all day. We didn't pack up until 5pm. Yep, 8 hours on the beach. It was heaven. If it weren't for Elle's legs covered in aloe vera gel today I would have gone back this morning. I have lots more pictures from our beach day too but I hear my Lily calling me from her crib. More tomorrow...

The Party

Elle had a pool party this year. It was very casual and very fun. We had lunch, a water-balloon toss, mermaid races through hula-hoops in the water and of course birthday cake. Elle's main request was to have a chocolate mermaid cake with pink candles. The girls loved swimming and had so much fun. The party favors we handed out were matching purple towels with pineapples on them for all of her friends and candy necklaces. Elle is so fortunate to have such a sweet and fun group of girlfriends. She had a big smile on her face the whole day. A super fun day for everyone. Happy Birthday, Elle.

Elle turns 6!

Elle turned 6 years old on the 21st. We all woke up early and headed to the donut shop for her favorite rainbow sprinkled donuts. She made sure we remembered to take our fancy 'happy birthday' plate with us. That plate is a big deal and it was so cute to see how excited she was the night before to get it out of the armoire where I keep it. She had a swim meet that afternoon so we had to have her party scheduled for the next day. She loved that idea because she was then able to celebrate for two full days. She was my first baby and I hold a special place in my heart for this sweet girl. Elle loves to be held, hugged and snuggled. She is the most affectionate of all of my girls. At different times of the day she will just walk up to me and hug me and will say, "I love you, mama ." She loves to please and loves to have as she calls it, "mommy time". She is an amazing older sister to Gwen and Lily and loves to take care of them. I often tell her that the best day of my life was _____. She then always smiles and says, "when I was born." I couldn't say it any better myself. I love you, Ellers. Happy 6th Birthday.

Sunday Morning

This was my Lily-pie this morning. Cruising the house in her jammies with ruffles on her buns and carrying her favorite toy...my keys. If I could only freeze her at this age. I love, love, love having a baby in the house - especially this one.

Elle

photo by nicole hill

Elle was able to be in a photo shoot a few months back with the talented photographer, Nicole Hill. The best part was it was with a bunch of her little friends. The photos were all taken at the beach at Emerald Bay in Laguna. Click here for the link to more of the fun photos.

Love

I love you, Lily.

" The feeling you have for your child is so indescribably deep and consuming that it must qualify as one of the few transcendent experiences in your plain old ordinary life. It arrives spontaneously. It is miraculous and supreme and irrevocable. It makes all things possible."

karen maezen miller

Homemaker

A few years back my mom somehow rounded-up all of my sisters' and my brother's hand prints. We had all done them at some point during elementary school for mother's day and Christmas gifts. She even happened to find one of her own handprints in clay from when she was a child. She has them all framed together and it is one of my favorite things she has. I decided that I wanted to make sure I had my girls' handprints in clay as well. I had Elle's and Gwen's done a few years back and they have been hanging up in our kitchen ever since. I had Lily's done a few months back and just went and picked it up the other day. I hung hers right with her sisters' on cream grosgrain ribbon. It is probably my favorite thing in our house. I love looking at them and so do the girls.

The linen covered chairs that flank my antique green chest are back together again. One of the chairs had broken and it took me quite some time to get around to getting it fixed. The carpenter dropped it off yesterday and I love having the set back. They were an amazing find a few years back from one of my favorite stores...French Blue & Co.

And last but not least our front door and new wreath. When we first bought this house our front door was a faded, splotchy aqua color. It had just as faded splotchy (ugly) aqua shutters to match. The first week we moved in I painted both the shutters and the front door a glossy black. It transformed our house and I have loved it ever since. My wreath I had made from my favorite florist. I had the branch wreath and have switched out what is tied on top of it a few times. Recently I asked her to make me a plain moss wreath to add to it. She did and it looked beautiful but since my front door has full sunlight it turned brown and dried out much faster than I had hoped. I took it back to the florist for some other ideas and she then made me this amazing faux moss wreath and tied it onto the branch wreath. Faux greenery usually equals bad (really bad) but I think in this case it worked.

I really, really love our little house. When we first bought this home almost 6 years ago it was just a house. We have re-done almost every square inch of this place. I truly feel now that it reflects us as a family. It is not just a house anymore. This is our home.

Summer...

has officially begun.

Happy 4th of July!

We had a fun 4th filled with family and fireworks. Crazy to think Lily was still in my belly just last 4th of July. This year she was just one of the girls. They all had a blast last night. This has always been one of my favorite holidays and last night made me remember why.

ballet

I found this picture of me the other night after my first ballet recital. I was 6 years old and in Kindergarten just like my Elle. I remember getting these flowers after the performance and feeling so special. I hope my girls felt as special and loved on their special night as I did (30 years ago) on mine.

Center Stage

Today was the dress rehearsal for the girls' big ballet recital. No photos are allowed the night of the performance so today I made sure I had my camera. It was pretty much a nightmarish morning for me sitting on the theatre floor with Lily who had missed her nap and is teething, Gwen who constantly was complaining about her itchy leotard only to take it completely off (tights and all) just as they were calling her dance to get on stage and I must not forget the spilled family-size bag of pretzel sticks in the dark compliments of a McGee girl who shall remain unnamed. To sum it up, we were a mess. With all of the craziness however, once the girls had their turns on the stage they were in heaven. Both of them beamed. Sadly I did not get a photo of Elle onstage because of the circumstances described above but she was adorable and so sweet. I will have to sneak one of her on Wednesday night. I did happen to get this photo of Gwenners. Now you can see why I put up with all of the "crazy". It is totally worth it.

The Whole City

This past year, I signed up Elle for the "late-bird" Kindergarten class. She didn't start until 11:05 (best decision ever). With her home in the mornings, on Tuesdays she would go with me to drop off Gwen at preschool. I know this sounds funny but it was something she really looked forward to. Gwen's preschool sits on the top of a hill and has an amazing view. There is a long outdoor hallway and each time we were there she would say "mom, can I go see the whole city"? The whole city. That made me smile every time. So each Tuesday we would first drop Gwen off in her class and then we would head up the stairs to her favorite view spot. She always wanted me to hold her and then we would look out at "our city". The day I took this picture it was cloudy but all that gray in the background just past the palm trees is the ocean. One of the cutest things she would do is when I was holding her she would make her hands look like she was holding a camera and she would pretend to take a picture. I would give her a big kiss and that was our ritual every Tuesday morning. It seems so silly but it really was so sweet and will always be a favorite memory for both of us.

Gwen's Last Day of School

This year Gwen has been going to a one-day-a-week preschool. It was just what she needed to feel grown-up like her big sister but still get lots of time home with me. Every Monday night as she would drift off to sleep I would tell her, "you have a very fun day tomorrow..." She would always give me a huge smile and say, "my school!!!". She loves "her school". Today they did a performance for their parents complete with face paint. Super low-key and super cute. I love this little girl so much. My Gwen-gwen. She's growing up and I love it but want it to slow down all at the same time. I can't imagine life without this little one and her huge kisses and hugs. I am one lucky mama.

Father's Day

We had a really fun Father's Day. The girls woke up early and were so excited to make Jon breakfast. The first thing they did was open up our cupboard to get out the cutting board. In our house the cutting board = a breakfast in bed tray. The girls were practically tripping over each other as they hurried up the stairs to deliver everything to their dad in bed. I really need to video more often because their voices and pure excitement melt me. Our gift to him was a remote control helicopter. Jon loves stuff like that and when the girls and I saw it at a kiosk in the mall we all knew it was the perfect gift for him. He loved it. The girls hurried jon through breakfast because they were soo excited about the helicopter. All 3 of the girls had so much fun with it this morning. We all went to church together and then when we came home, Elle and I started cooking. Jon got to choose anything he wanted for the Father's Day lunch.

The menu ended up being:

Baked Swedish Spaghetti, Salad, French Bread, and homemade Chocolate Cake for dessert.

The dinner picture isn't so great but I still love it (gwen's eyes are half shut but in all the other pictures I took she had her hands covering her face because she kept waving them and yelling, "happy father's day!!" while I was trying to take the picture. elle is holding up 6 fingers because it is almost her 6th birthday...can you tell she's excited?)

We each went around the table and said our favorite things we love about Jon/Dad.

Elle said, "I love daddy because he rides bikes with me and plays with me." The cutest thing was at the end she added, "I am so glad that I was sent from heaven to him." I loved that.

Gwen said, "Daddy gives good snuggles and scratches my back and is funny and makes princess beds for me." (Princess beds are these amazing pillow/blanket/cushion beds that jon makes on the couch for the girls when we watch movies together.)

And last but not least, I must add...

I love Jon because he is an amazing dad to our girls. He makes me want to be better in all areas of my life. He is the kindest, most sincere and loving person I know. He always hugs me in front of the girls and tells them that I am his girlfriend which I love (and they do too). Most importantly, I love that he is setting an example for our girls as to what a husband and father should be.

I love you Jonnie...Happy Father's Day

My Lily-pie

Here's my Lily-pie. 10 1/2 months old. How cute are the two bottom teeth she has popping through her little smile? I have neglected her baby book so this blog is going to have to be my record of her first year. She is still the happiest baby of all time. She has to have visual contact with me still at all times but I don't mind that a bit. Lily is my first baby to be a picky eater. After trying almost every variety of food and different combinations I have finally found something she will eat...rice cereal mixed with squash. She loves it. She giggles when tickled and also when Elle and Gwen act silly in front of her. Whenever Lily hears music she wiggles back and forth and smiles from ear to ear.

I adore this baby.

Dads and Donuts

In honor of Father's Day, Elle's Kindergarten class put on a "Dads and Donuts" performance today. Elle was sooo excited she could hardly stand it. I was in charge of bringing some of the donuts and as we were in the donut shop this morning she told every person in there what we were ordering the donuts for. As we were driving to school she said, "mom, my cheeks are hurting from smiling so much. I am so excited." They wore western attire because they performed to the songs, "Boot Scootin' Boogie" and Reba McIntyre's, "Why Haven't I heard from You" complete with cell phone props in their pockets (Elle's favorite part). It was 100% adorable. My favorite part was watching Elle and Jon. Elle didn't take her eyes off of her daddy the entire performance. She was so proud that he was there for her. She presented him with an art project she made for him that had the words, "My dad likes______".

Here is how she filled it out in her own spelling:

My dad likes: me

My dad likes: gofing

My dad likes: bing a gud dad

My dad likes: spending time with me

My dad doesn't like: bing a bad dad

Secret Spoon

Gwen and I made cookies today. I had no intentions of taking any pictures but she looked so darn cute sitting up on the kitchen island with her face covered in chocolate...I couldn't resist. Whenever I make cookies the girls love to have some of the cookie dough. They always try to secretly sneak spoonfuls so we just started calling it "secret spoon". Now they just ask for a "secret spoon" and I know just what they want. Gwenners comes across so serious in pictures but she is quite the opposite in "real life". She is really funny. Very talkative and really animated. Whenever I ask her to do something she says, "suuure, of curse." It kills me every time. That's exactly what she said when I asked her if I could take a few photos of her before she jumped off the counter. So cute! I love you Gwenners. I had so much fun with you this afternoon.

Kindergarten Open House

I can't believe this school year is coming to an end. We got a babysitter for Lily and Gwen and went to Open House Night at Elle's school. She was so proud to show Jon and me around her Kindergarten classroom. It has been such a great year for her. Her teacher is Miss B. She is an amazing teacher and I feel so fortunate that Elle was able to be in her class this year. She has given Elle such a positive start to her school career. I told Miss B that she has celebrity status in our home with how much Elle speaks of her and adores her. Elle has grown-up so much this year. We had so much fun watching her give us the official tour around her room. She ended the night with her greatest accomplishment...forget about learning to read...Elle was most proud of what was out the back door of her classroom. Elle ran straight to the swing set and showed us how she can get a running jump on to the swings and can pump all by herself. Before the year started I remember her being so nervous about the fact that she had not mastered this yet. She was beyond proud of herself on this accomplishment. So cute. The night ended with her getting to choose anyplace she wanted to go for dessert. She chose, Juice it Up and ordered her usual, The Mango Tango. My baby is off to first grade!

My Jon

I really love this guy. A lot.

(photo of us taken by my brother on our vacation to mexico a few weeks ago)

Memorial Day

We had a really fun memorial day. Grandma and Grandpa McGee came down with Jon's sister Erieka and her family. Lots of good food and lots of cousins = a lot of fun. It was Lily's first time in a pool. She loved every minute of it. We put so much spf 50 sunblock on the girls that their skin looked purple. Gwen and Elle played non-stop with their daddy in the water. The girls kept yelling, "cannon ball" and then would jump to Jon. I loved watching him with all 3 girls in the water. He is a good daddy. I am excited for school to let out so we can have a lot more days just like this.

Butterfly Princess Gwendolyn

Ballet Costumes

Elle and Gwen's ballet recital is coming up. This morning in their classes Miss Carol handed out their costumes to make sure everything fit. You would have thought it was Christmas morning in that room. All of the little girls were soo excited. They looked adorable. Ballet mornings are fun for the girls but really long for me. It starts early and I have to have Elle also packed for school with her lunch, backpack and change of clothes before we leave. I then sit in a crowded hallway on the floor for 2 hours with Lily who should be napping at that time. As soon as they are let out I then have to race all 3 girls into the car to help Elle change into her school clothes to make it to kindergarten all in under 15 minutes. I know that is a lot of boring info there but it really made me dread those mornings. Seeing the girls get their costumes this morning and their faces light up made me realize that all of those busy mornings have been worth it.

Teething

Lily-pie is teething. A lot. She now has 6 teeth. 3 of those teeth arived in just one week. To say she is miserable is an understatement. I am trying my best to keep her comfortable. Motrin, teething toys straight out of the fridge and of course lots of time in my arms. Her eyes are red and teary pretty much all day. Breaks my heart. This morning she looked so cute watching her baby einstein video with her bottle. Jon took Elle and Gwen to swimming lessons for me today so that I didn't have to strap Lily into her carseat for a miserable hour. Just the two of us at home. I wish I had more time like this. Hopefully we will pull out of this teething phase soon. It is making both of us sad.