Fair Day 2008

Last Monday was FAIR DAY! It was so fun to experience it through the eyes of a child....

F- Fun, fun, and more FUN!

A- A LOT of sugar.

I- "I want to stay here forever!" Maddie cried!

R- Rides that make you laugh AND cry!

D- "Do we get to come back next year?"
A- Amazing oohs and aaahs where ever we turned.
Y- "Yes, yes, YES! This is the best day EVER!" Ally exclaimed.


The excitement that they felt could not be contained. The energy and excitement they felt would bounce back and forth between them until you couldn't help but feel the child-like wonder yourself. They were on a natural high of cotton candy, games, prizes won, rides and face painting- tell me what more could a little one imagine!
This WAS the best day ever!

It is hard to describe the amount of fun the girls had at the fair. For Maddie, this was her 2nd time and she knew a little of what to expect but for Ally, it was ALL new for her and her eyes were huge the whole time, taking it all in. Including the rides. A few tears fell from her big eyes after she thought she really wanted to ride like Maddie and then when it actually happened....she had changed her mind....poor thing!

But then there were the rides that KEPT a smile on her face.....And it all ended with sopping wet feet that looked like really pale "old man" feet! They were the funniest looking feet that I have ever seen and when we saw them on the train ride home, it sent us all into uncontrollable giggles. Again, poor Ally!
It was a really fun day! I loved to be able to take both Maddie and Ally and spend this fun time with them before life gets busy with a new little one. And I am so glad that they both showed me how to experience it all through the eyes of a child.....what could be better!

In an Instant

Isn't it amazing how God can change our life in an instant....

One minute we are blessed with TWO beautiful girls and the next minute we find out that we are actually blessed with THREE!! Yes, THREE! Who knew that all of our three bedrooms upstairs would be filled with light pinks and dark pinks and hot pinks (and yes, Maddie, LIGHT GREEN too!)



As I checked on the girls tonight as they were sleeping, one of my favorite parts of the day, I couldn't help but wonder how it would feel to make my "rounds" to the three bedrooms instead of just the two....This is the time of night that my heart just swells with love and amazing contentment as I looked at their sleeping faces cuddled up under their blankets, stuffed poodles, raccoons and kitties, beautifully tranquil in their "warm spots." They are safe and calm and peaceful and they are the most beautiful that I have ever seen them. And to know that I will have one more incredible face to stare at is an unbelievable thought to me. I can't wait to experience my bed time routine with yet ANOTHER precious GIRL.

It is getting late and I am mentally running through my checklist before bed....lunches are packed, clothes are laid out, backpacks are accounted for and all THREE of our girls are tucked safe in their "warm spots"....check, check, check, and CHECK! In an instant, it went from two to three and I have never been happier!

1st Day of Kindergarten

Well, the day has come and with no tears, I might add. With jittery tummy's and the giddiness of what is in store for Maddie today, this was the start of our day:

5:45- Maddie wakes up and comes downstairs.....she is up but not really. She sleeps in our bed for a little bit until I get up at 6:20- Then she is REALLY UP!

7:00- "Let's go, Mom, I am going to be late!" she says! I respond that school isn't open yet and besides Ally isn't even up yet!

7:40- Pictures outside and then we are on our way. Maddie has a beaming smile on her face. "I am so glad that I am big now!" she says.



7:50- We have arrived at Armstrong Elementary! I have barely parked when Maddie exclaims, "Mommy, unlock the door, unlock the door, PLEASE unlock the door!"

7:52- Maddie sees her friend from Bearfoot, K.K., they are not in the same class but they walk in together chatting about their backpacks and hair. :-)

7:55- We say our goodbyes in the classroom, Maddie says "Hello" to her teacher and sits down at her table, across from our neighbor, Hudson, and is already laughing with him! Her beaming smile hasn't changed a bit from this morning, although she already looks bigger sitting in that classroom.

This year is full of change and excitement. Maddie is going to Kindergarten, the new baby is on the way, I will start working part time in order to pick up Maddie from school, and Ally will be starting a Mother's Day Out program at a local church next week while I work on Tuesdays and Thursdays. My mind is reeling will all that I have to be thankful for right now. This is an amazing year and it is full of new things to come and I am ecstatic to see where this "path" takes us!

With a jittery tummy and the giddiness of what is in store for our family, I feel like it is the 1st day of Kindergarten for ME too! I don't know what to expect but I know that I will LOVE it!

Thinking about Maddie

(Maddie had spent the night at Poppy and Baba's. Ally was missing her and had been thinking about Maddie all morning....)

A quote from Ally this morning on our way to school~
"Maddie is WILD, wild like a wolf! AND a lion!"

Oh Ally! You hit the nail on the head! :-)

A Proud Mama

There are many reasons that I am proud of my girls that I have never written out for the "world" to see; however, today I am compelled to write about the recent events that have led to me think of how REALLY proud I am of both of them. Here is a proud Mama's take on it all....

An overview of the past week: It all starts with a game of hide and seek gone wrong...Ally knocked her front tooth back, on Maddie's knee; a 1st trip to the dentist, Ally didn't eat or drink (except very small sips) for almost THREE days, we were worried about dehydration, a trip to the Dr., she has strep, force-feeding her food and liquids AND medicine.....aaahhhh, she is FINALLY eating! Then an ear infection- all in less than a week- what is next!?!?

It was a traumatic week for Ally (and her mommy :-))but during it all she did better than I had expected. Her 1st trip to the dentist, although not under the circumstances that I was wanting, went remarkably well. Her tooth was sore and she wasn't swallowing but she cooperated, took her x-rays and let the Dr. look at her tooth. My sensitive, precious, funny little Ally was brave through it all, the dentist, the Dr. and back to the Dr. again. She is back to her old self and I am proud of the way she is handling her tooth in a "funny" position and all the medicine that she has to still take including ear drops, which until this time have always been hard for her to take. She is evolving into such a big girl with the way she has been handling certain situations and I am so proud of her. She still reverts to her old ways on occasion, like not wanting to go into her class this morning, but how wonderful it is to see her harnessing her emotions for the better.

And then there is Maddie....through Ally's trauma she stepped up her "game" as the big sister. When Ally was laying on the sofa, exhausted from no nourishment, she would kneel down in front of her to reason with her as only a big sister could. "Ally, I will give you a dollar if you drink something!" and "Ally, if you don't drink something, you will have to go to the hospital and you will cry and I don't want you to cry." She tried her best and was even frustrated when it didn't work. She wanted her old Ally back. (We all did!) Maddie reached out and tried to understand Ally's predicament and I am proud of this sweet spirit to her sister b/c I know that she would do this for any one in need.

I know that God put things in our life to remind us that He is there and to lean on Him through it all. It seems that when thing go astray, our human nature is to plan out what steps to take to fix the problem, instead of trusting God to take care of us and those we love. WE didn't get Ally to eat and drink again, the DR. didn't fix the problem but it was the many prayers offered up on Ally's behalf that made all the difference.

Maddie's Prayer: "Dear God, please help Ally to eat and drink again so she will not be sick anymore and please help her tooth to feel better. Amen" A simple prayer but exactly what Ally needed.

A proud Mama's prayer: "Dear God, thank YOU for blessing me with two precious, smart, amazing and testy :-) little girls who I feared that I would never have. They give me joy and fill my heart with a love that only comes from you. I feel blessed, in awe, loved and in love from all that you have given me. Thank you! Amen"

One, Two, THREE!

Good things that come in threes~

1. Fun Dip- My favorite childhood sugary treat that comes with THREE yummy flavors of cherry, grape and Apple/raspberry.

2. A good book has THREE parts, the beginning, the middle and the end!

3. An "eternity ring" has THREE diamonds representing the past, present and future!

4. The THREE stooges!

5. The THREE wise men.

6. The THREE Olympic medals~ Gold, Silver and Bronze.

7. A genie gives you THREE wishes in a fairy tale.

8. The THREE little pigs taught us a lesson.

9. The sun, the moon and the stars.

10. The Holy Trinity~ The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The number THREE has been consuming me, lately. Can you guess why? For some, you know the reason! Maddie, Ally and the sweet little baby "on the way" makes THREE! I am now 11 weeks and already counting down to the end of January. I am excited and nervous and in disbelief. We are really doing this again! My biggest worry???...how will I fit all the car seats/boosters in my car?!?!? These little things along with my "evening" sickness keep me up at night and keep my mind busy.

And the girls...Maddie and Ally have become so EASY...when did this happen? They fight just a little, Ally is basically out of her tantrum stage as it only rears its ugly head every once in a while, they go to bed WITHOUT getting back out- YEA!, they say yes ma'am and yes sir with only a little reminder at times, and they love helping Mommy clean!....sometimes! (Hey, I will take what I can get!) As with any child, they love to test and whine but they really have become these awesome little people! They are excited about the new baby; Ally wants a girl and Maddie wants a boy. They pray for the baby and for mommy's tummy to feel better every night and I always find it sweet when one of them forgets b/c it seems the other one always remembers the baby in their prayers.

My heart is full and my emotions are on overdrive.(There is so much to do!) This is an amazing time in our life. Diapers and all nighters are in our future and it IS scary b/c our life is so calm right now but it is also wonderful b/c we will see another life develop into something amazing. Thank the Lord for the good things that come in THREES!

Tulle, Makeup and Buns!

The girls have been taking dance at school and we had their dance recital the other day. (Maddie's 3rd and Ally's 1st) They were so excited to perform that they could hardly stand it! Here is a peak into their routines.


For Maddie, this is where she belongs....on stage. She runs to any stage at any time, whether it is the church stage or the stage at the book store, she is made to perform! I can't wait to see where this passion takes her.

I adore this picture! It is the perfect picture to show Ally's personality. She is a wonderful little NUT and she is always trying to make others laugh with her antics!And of course, we all did when she did this during her recital.

The recital is over and they both did amazing. This was Ally's first dance recital and we were so proud of how well she did following all the moves and even adding some of her OWN! :-) You did a great job, girls!

Encore! Encore! (clap, clap, clap)