The Big.... Three!

Yesterday was Sarah's birthday... it was such a fun day! When she woke up, Dennis and I told her it was her birthday and she said, "No! It's tomorrow. It's too soon!" We cracked up laughing. We have been telling her for weeks that her birthday was coming soon, but she doesn't understand time yet. What a cutie!

Ever since we started talking about her birthday, she was insistent we have a "horsey" birthday. She requested Rainbow Dash (the My Little Pony) for her cake, and I had a great time decorating it. She LOVED it... she talked about it all day!

I can't believe it's been three years since Dennis and I were given this little one. She has been a joy since that first moment. I remember the instant I saw her... I just knew she was meant for us. Sarah has always been a delight. She was a great baby, and is such a fun little girl. I'm so grateful that I get to be her mom!

One day old

Two Little Princesses

I've mentioned it before... as most three-year-old girls, Sarah has an obsession with princesses.

We had a plastic princess crown for her to wear around the house - that broke.

Then, I made some paper crowns - those broke.

What's a mom to do?

I came up with a great idea (if I do say so myself). I decided to make each of the girls a crown made with felt. Yeah! It worked... no more broken crowns! One hard day of designing and sewing has already paid off with countless hours of smiling faces.

Kiddo Tag... continued

Here's the rest of the installment of kiddo tag! First we'll do Emma...

Emma
1. Emma has a great smile! I think Emma's smile is the cutest thing I've ever seen - seriously. She loves to ham it up, and always says "EEEEZE!" instead of "cheese." She loves to have fun, and you can always tell when she's having a good time.

2. Emma loves food. Ever since she started trying out different foods, we knew Emma could hold her own at the dinner table. She even out eats Sarah, which isn't too hard I guess. There are very few things she's ever refused... other than orange fruit snacks (for some reason she spits those ones out).

3. Emma is a big-time cuddle bug. It took until she was about nine months old before she would cuddle, but she hasn't stopped since. She wants to cuddle when she wakes up, in the middle of the day, when Dennis gets home, before bed, and any other time. She just loves to be held and hugged. She also gives great kisses while she cuddles and says, "NNNNNUH!" Andrew is often the object of her affection!

4. Emma looks a lot like me. I take pride in this simple thing. It might seem weird to some of you, but I love that I have a child that resembles myself as a kid. It's fun for me to see old pictures of myself and think, "That's totally Emma!"

5. Emma's best friend is Sarah. They laugh and laugh all day long, playing together. Today they've chased each other in circles, taken turns climbing over the back of the couch and flipping down, and had a party while they're supposed to be napping. I hope they stay friends forever. I think it's great they've got each other to grow up together.

Andrew
Well, Andrew is six weeks old today so let's see if I can list five things about him. That's almost one thing a week!

1. Andrew looks sooo much like his Daddy. From the first moment I saw him, I thought he had Dennis's nose. He also has his daddy's lips, and we'll see as he grows what else they share. I think it is so cute to look down at my little boy and see my husband in him.

2. Drew is the 14th grandchild on both sides. Big families, huh? And there are more coming!!

3. Andrew has his nights and days figured out. Drew is still eating pretty much around the clock, but after he eats at night he goes right back to sleep. It is such a blessing. All I have to do is feed him, change his diaper, and put him back in his crib. What a baby!

4. Andrew is very patient! You wouldn't think you could tell at this age if a baby was patient, but Drew sure is. He puts up with hugs, squeezes, kisses, and pokes from his sisters all day long. He hardly ever cries about it, so I figure he's a pretty patient little guy.

5. Drew loves the dryer. If Drew is really fussy and we can't figure out what's wrong, then we put him in his car seat on top of the dryer. Within a few minutes, the sound and rhythm of the dryer settle him right down. It's nice to have a last resort to soothe him!


Okay... we're tagging anyone who wants to be tagged. How's that?

She thinks my tractor is....

Most of you know that Dennis grew up on a farm, and that his dream is to live on a farm again one day. Since we've gotten married, I've shared in that dream because he loves it so much that he's made me think that it would be amazing also! So when we talked about decorating Drew's room, we didn't take very long to decide what to do... tractors!

I wanted to make Drew's bedding because I really enjoy sewing, especially when it is for my own house. I had an idea in mind of what I wanted, so I asked Dennis to draw up a simple model for me to use on the bumper pads. I didn't really take into account Dennis's pure love for all things farm... He decided that he wanted to have FOUR different kinds of farm equipment on the bumper pad - each one having been used on the family farm when he grew up. Then, we had to add a lot of detail so that each one would be distinguishable from other models. So we ended up with three different tractors and one combine , each with 15-17 separate pieces appliqued on and sewn. Dennis helped me a ton, staying up late each night drawing, tracing, and cutting out. We made four pieces of each model. Two for the bumper pad, and two for the quilt that I haven't completed yet. It was a lot of work, but hopefully it's something we'll hold on to forever.

The finished product in whole

Quick view of the other side of the room -
His name in vinyl lettering (which I sell if anyone is interested)
and his cute little tractor lamp

The three tractors... John Deere 520, Steiger ST-310, and John Deere 4230

The John Deere combine

Kiddo Tag

I don't know how many of you have seen this, but a kiddo tag is going around. The tag is to tell five things about your little ones. All my kids were tagged, but I'm going to start with Sarah today and do the other kids another day.

Sarah

1. Sarah is the BEST big sister. It is such a blessing that Sarah is our oldest because she always wants to help and is very loving. She tries to take care of Emma and Andrew all the time. She runs for diapers for me, gives hugs and kisses, and (my favorite) sings songs to her siblings. Whenever someone is crying, she sings Twinkle Twinkle Little Star or Old McDonald. It melts my heart!

2. Sarah is in love with horses. Last year she got to ride a pony at a church activity, and ever since then she loves everything horsey. She has a stick pony at home and a pink cowgirl hat that she runs around with and yells, "Yahoo! Ride the range!"

3. Sarah is pure girl. She thinks anytime someone wears a dress, they are a princess. She spends half her time twirling around the house (even if she's not in a dress) pretending she's a princess. She even has a wand and "glass slippers."

4. Sarah is a Daddy's Girl. There is a very special bond between Dennis and Sarah. They absolutely adore each other. Sarah likes to help Dennis whenever he's home, whether it's working in the garage, mowing the lawn, or just relaxing. One funny thing they do is Sarah will hold up her arms and say, "Tickle me, Daddy!" Her daddy is definitely her hero, and she has got him wrapped around her little finger for sure!

5. Sarah is a tease. Right now, Sarah has learned most her letters and is trying to figure out the sounds that go with them. She'll say something like, "R says ta-ta-ta." So, I'll correct her and tell her that R says rrrr. She grins, giggles a little and says, "No... R says ta!" It's cute, but I don't know how she's going to learn if she just jokes around all the time!

I love my Sarah-pie-honey-bunch!

Visitors!

We just LOVE having people come visit us here, especially when it is family. My three brothers, their families, and my parents all got to come see us these past few days. It was a parade to get everyone out and about, but totally worth every second of it. Including all the kids, we had 21 people!

Emma was a little cuddle bug, as usual. She loved all of the uncles and my dad. She just loves guys! We're going to have to watch out for her as she gets older. Maybe Andrew can help scare away some of the boys.

Sarah thought she was in heaven with so many friends to play with. She kept telling me. "Mommy, do you like your mommy cousins? I like my baby cousins. They're my friends!" She hasn't quite figured out the whole family relationship thing, but I love the way she tried to describe it!

On Monday, we went to the park for most of the day to play in the gorgeous sun. The boys played basketball, we had a picnic, and the kids played on the slide and swings. We even did a little kite flying in the ever-present Oklahoma wind. That night, we celebrated Sarah's birthday a little early so that she could have a big party with her cousins. She really liked her pony cake.

Tuesday was our Zoo day. The OKC Zoo is just great, and I really like to go there when I can. With 11 kids ages 10 and under, it was the perfect activity. Even the adults had fun. We spent most of the day there and then stopped for ice cream on the way home. What could make a better day?

Sarah was livin' it up this week with all her cousins

Sarah couldn't decide which was better: cake or cousins!

My cute dad with Emma - trying to stay cool in the shade

Emma with my brother Scott - he kept trying to get Sarah to say the he was her favorite

When you can't ride a horse, why not ride an elephant?

The whole kid crew

Andrew's Blessing

Sunday, Dennis was able to bless Andrew in church. It was such a great day! We had both sides of our families here with us to celebrate. Dennis's mom and dad and sister were with us from Thursday until Sunday. My three brothers came with their families and my parents from Saturday until today. It was really fun for us to spend time with our families. That is the thing we miss the most living away from Utah or Iowa. It's all about the family!

Andrew's blessing was beautiful, and it made me so grateful for the priesthood that Dennis holds. We are blessed to both come from strong LDS familes where our parents taught us right from wrong. I don't know what I would do without Dennis and the wonderful worthy priesthood holder he is. Andrew is a lucky guy to have a great dad like him!

Sweet Threads

Hey everyone! This is Andrew, and I just wanted to show off my nice threads. Aren't these jeans the best? Mom thinks I look super cute in them, but I know I'm a total stud. She's a sucker for her little man. Who wouldn't want to kiss these chubby little cheeks?

ABC Tag

Thanks for tagging me, Jennie!

ABC Tag...
A-Attached or Single? Very attached for almost 5 years
B-Best Friends? Dennis & Mom
C-Cake or Pie? Pie... I love to make them
D-Day of Choice? Friday
E-Essential Items? Chapstick and a watch
F-Favorite Color? Yellow
G-Gummy bears or worms? Worms - you don't see them much, though
H-Hometown? Clinton, UT
I-Favorite Indulgence? Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nesquick chocolate milk
J-January or July? January
K-Kids? 2 Girls, 1 Boy
L-Life isn't complete without? My Family, Friends, the Gospel and chocolate (I liked your answer Jennie)
M-Marriage date? May 22
N-# of brothers and sisters? 1 Sister and 3 Brothers
O-Oranges or apples? Apples
P-Phobia or fears? Children being hurt, spiders
Q-Quote? "I have learned from experience that the greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and NOT our circumstances." - Unknown
R-Reason to smile? My family
S- Superman or Wonder Woman? Superman
T-Tag someone? Natalie, Katie, Rindee
U-Unknown fact about me? I don't like dogs
V-Vegetable? Corn on the cob or sweet potatoes
W-Worse habit? internet junkie
X-X-Ray or Ultrasound? Ultrasound
Y-Your favorite food? something I didn't have to cook! (unless it's dessert - then I like to make it)
Z-Zodiac Sign? Pisces