December Catch Up: Cassidee's visit and Brooklyn's Party

While Kendra and Jeremy went to the Carribean for a week, we got to have Reagan's BFF Cassidee here!  It was so great.... they played and played and played.  Complete 4 year old heaven around here.  We did make a couple of outings (zoo, movies, etc), but mostly just hung out.  And I only have pictures on my camera from here, so that is what gets posted.

Here is our first morning together, sweet girls having a little conversation over muffin mix.

 Sorry Kendra, but they are mostly unclothed in these pics.  Because they changed outfits probably 25 times a day!  But I promise they did wear actual clothes.

Breakfast Tea Party.

 See?!?!  4 Year Old heaven.  Gorgeous Princesses!!

 The girls painted Dora posters for decorations at Brooklyn's Dora party.  We put them up somewhere to dry then forgot about them.  Thankfully, the girls never remembered.  But they were cute!

 Reagan "reading" the book to Cass.

 My little helpers decorating the Christmas tree.

 We have about 12 pictures just like this.... Cass asked to have her pic taken with almost every ornament.  :)

 Mommy with the tiniest helper.  :)

 It was a fun night.... Veggie Tales Christmas movie, hot chocolate, and tree decorating.  FUN times.

 The movie was sometimes distracting...

This was their other activity of the evening... jumping off the arm of the couch (which served as their stepladder) into the pink chair.  I love this one in particular because you can see the spots where the ornaments were hung... only reachable spots.  They let me redistribute them a bit later.  :)

 A different night... popcorn and movie!!!

 More Dora art..... and more happiness!!!

 BIRTHDAY PARTY!

We had just a small family party for Brooklyn's birthday.  Mom and Dad were able to come in for the weekend... here's a "happy to see you" kiss for Grandmommy.  LOVE it.

 I was rushed on this cake, and it was NOT my best work.  Sorry, Brookie.  But still yummy, and she recognized Dora and squealed, so all is well.

 Happy boy, Jonathan David!!!  He was doing LOTS of smiling in Aunt Mary's lap.

Another happy boy, Nathaniel!!

 Still another, James Austin!

 Reagan and her sweet friend/cousin Melissa.  Melissa is also the "principal" at Reagan's school, so it is nice to be good friends.  :)

 Why does Brook NEVER seem to smile when I want her to for the camera?!?!? 

 Love this one though... this was the look we got while she was being sung to.  Sweet girl!

 Remember last year when cake was her first real food?!?  Yeah, we're pros now.

 Big Kid's table.

 PRESENTS!  Brook definitely had some help.

 Thank-you hugs.

 Play cell phone = hit.

 Sweet girl just LOVED all her new things.  Sat there with me for quite some time and just played.  It was awesome.

 Then sat even longer and played Weebles with Granddaddy.

 When the covers off of the pink chairs had to be washed, the girls built a giant bed with the foam parts.  PERFECT place to play the fishy game, don't you think?!

 The morning Cass had to leave, the same morning of singing in church.  This was ALMOST the Christmas card pic, but got booted.  I do love it though!  Should have edited it some before posting, but again, no time for such things!!  Gotta catch up! 

December has been so much fun... I'm officially in post-holiday blues.  All the pictures are making me happy though!

December Catch-Up: Singing at Church

Gotta play catch-up with all the December fun!!

One Sunday, the PeeWees sang their Christmas song in big church.

Here is Reagan as all the kids filed in. :)

 This was before Brooklyn started walking for real, but her sweet friends Caleb and Mrs. Jen held her hand as she walked in, sans walker.  :)

 I looooooooove this picture of Caleb looking at B.  (I'm too far behind, or I would play with editing these some... maybe later... but for now they'll just have to be bright.)

 Hand motions!

 Thank you Jen SO MUCH for loving Brooklyn the way you do!!!

 We have this all on video, but it is way long and not on the right camera to post it.  But Reagan bullied her way to the front to try and take over the microphone.  Levi was having NONE of giving it up!  This shows him pushing her back!  It was so funny... she wanted the mic SO badly.

 Brooklyn leaning in for a spontaneous kiss with Mrs. Jen.

 Reagan was singing her heart out.  :)  Brooklyn was enjoying the spotlight and clapping.  All in all, greatness.

 Raising the roof that "Baby Jesus is booooooooooooooooooorn."

Can't believe that next year Reagan will sing with all the big kids!!!

A Year Two Remember

Happy Birthday to Brookie Brook!!

How in the WORLD is she two already?? It blows my mind. We have seen God do absolutely MARVELOUS THINGS for her and through her this year (the past two years, actually!), so I thought I'd go through a year in pictures. To see her post on her first birthday, go here.

~

Last January, the first time I started my day with her STANDING in her bed to greet me in the morning. Pretty much the same everyday since. :) Love it.

The phone obsession is still around, for sure.

In February, she was showing signs of wanting to "pull up," so we got her fitted for her first pair of AFOs. (just got her second pair in November, and they work even better!!)


In love with the swing!

See that hard work?! :)

A little bounce house fun!

Falling in love with accessories.

Pumpkin.

So smart, playing with two toys at once!!!

Her first walker!!! She had that sling thing for balance and to catch her, since she lost her footing all the time!

Second walker! Didn't take long for her to get really good at steering, so she had to get a new one that the front wheels could turn. And we ditched the sling. Made up for it with the BLING.

First day with a bow. :) Of course that MUST be documented.

Some melt-your-heart sister-lovin'.

Some melt-my-heart snuggle-time. Rarely ever falls asleep like that anymore.

The scrunched-up nose smile. DAILY occurence.

Can we tell she likes necklaces?!

Right before we got her straps to help with those crazy turned-in feet!!!

Getting REALLY brave!!!

New straps. SUCH improvement!

Spends a good chunk of time (pun intended) in her high chair. Girl likes to eat, and takes her sweet time doing it.

Check out this ingenuity:

And, this is today. Sweet girl decided on her birthday (while at the mall to see Santa) that today was the day that she was really going to show off her walking. I mean, WALKING-walking. I love this shot. She had just fallen, and is getting up (check out those quads!) all by herself.

Mall-walking with Sister.

We did this for over an hour while David held our place in line. She was in HEAVEN. Open space, dodging people of course, but it meant she had such freedom. And she KNEW she was hot stuff. :)

It's out of focus because she was NEVER still, but this says it all:

To our beautiful miracle, Brooklyn Hope, you are nothing short of a delight. Thank you for being a living, WALKING testimony to the faithfulness of God. I am forever in your debt for sharing your precious spirit with me, and it is a true privilege to call you mine. I love you to bits, DoodleBug.

A few facts for me to remember about Brooklyn at 2:

-only syllable she says is "Mom." It's a BIG DEAL for her, and music to my ears

-her favorite game right now is "Where'd it go?" Her version of I Spy. She signs something, then signs "Where'd it go?" so she can point and say (in her own way) "There it is!"

-she still loves her paci for sleeping and doctor's appts :)

-she loves her crib, and will probably sleep in it until high school if I have anything to do with it

-she worships her sister and copies EVERYTHING she does

-she is obsessed with animals. Horses and dogs are her faves right now.

-she's a Mama's girl, but probably loves her grandfathers more than David and me combined

-she LOVES Signing Time.

-currently uses 80-ish signs regularly

-her favorite food is cheese. And maybe cookies.

-her fave song for me to sing is the Dora theme. For those that are familiar :), she "Uh!Uh!"s at the "Hey Hey" part and "Uhh Uuuuuuuh" for "Oh maaaan" at the Swiper No Swiping part. All with perfect intonation through her nose, just with no syllables

-loves babies. LOVES them. Thankfully she can't talk or she would probably ask me for one

-she's such a lover... will literally smother you in hugs and kisses

-now goes to her own BSF class and is LOVING it

-her booty-dance is the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. And yes, she'll do it in church.

-she absolutely loves to laugh, which works great because Reagan loves to MAKE her laugh

-she is showing signs of being left-handed these days.... we'll see!

-did I mention she is WALKING?!

(might have to come back and add to this list later... thanks for humoring me)