My Little Spitfire

Here is a picture of me and my little spitfire; I don't even think they had a mold when they made her, she is one of a kind! I don't know if I could handle another one just like her, so I will just keep the little spitfire I have and love her all I can! Her latest obsession: taking dance lessons, almost on a daily basis I am asked, "Do I get to start ballet today?" How do you explain to a 3 year old that she still has three months before I can even register her for dance? I can't wait either; she is going to be adorable in her little leotard (which I am sure she will want to wear 24/7). Brooke also will be starting preschool next year (just two mornings a week). When Braden started preschool we wondered if he was ready for preschool, with Brooke, we wonder if they are ready for her.

*By the way, Braden took this picture; I guess he is catching the photo bug from his mama.

Just For You Mama

This is just for you Mama; you always say there aren't enough pictures of me on the blog. Rich took a few pictures of me on Sunday, and here are a few of them. I told him that I wanted to make sure my cuties know what I looked like, since I always seem to be behind the camera. :)

Our little walker~nothing is safe now

It took Emma 13, almost 14, months to begin walking, but she has finally entered the wonderful world of walking, and now nothing is safe! I thought she got into everything before, but now I know she gets into everything! Here is a picture I took of our little walker in Myrtle Beach; I love this picture!

These are the Days

Here is a slideshow of the pictures we have taken over the last few months; you will probably need to scroll down to the bottom and turn the music off first on my music player in order to really enjoy it. Looking at these pictures reminds me that these are the days, the days I will remember and the moments I will hold dear for the rest of my life; I hope you all enjoy watching the slideshow as much as we enjoyed making the memories!

Braden's Preschool Graduation

Well folks, it is official; Braden is now a preschool graduate. How is it possible? How did my little baby grow up so fast?! How did my sweet baby Braden go from this

to this

or this

Time goes by way too fast; no matter how tight you try to hold onto the moments, they still seem to slip through your fingers. I think that is why it is so important to make each day count, and to go along with this philosophy, I also believe you should celebrate every milestone, including preschool graduations. Thursday we had a small graduation party for Braden complete with a huge sub sandwich, chips, soda, fruit, cake, and of course presents. Mama, Daddy, Grandmama, LaNae, and Jessica attended, and how could I forget our awesome family from California, the Kirbysons, who used their vacation to come visit us. Braden loved it: the attention, the food, the gifts, and graduation! The graduation was fantastic! I loved seeing my adorable soon to be 5 year old recite a scripture, announce to the world that he wants to be a rock and roll star when he grows up (because they are cool), sing Peace on Earth, and look absolutely adorable as he strutted across the stage to collect his diploma; the best part of all though was that he was surrounded by everyone who loves him. I am so glad that Braden knows that he is loved and adored! I think it is so important with the world being what it is, that children know that they always have a safe haven to come home to and a soft place to fall!

My Preschool Grad

I just wanted to post a picture of my new preschool grad and I; I will have to post the rest of the pictures along with details of the grand event later. It is getting late, and we are all headed to Myrtle Beach tomorrow morning. Oh, how I LOVE going home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, how I love my sweet Emma!

How cute is this face?! I love this picture, because Emma's sweet spirit and larger than life personality just shine through. And that smile, oh that smile; just looking at this picture brings a smile to my face.

And what exactly do we know about this adorable 19lb. 13 month beauty? What do we know about this little package of charm, vivacity, and sweetness?

We know she has sweet precious feet.

We know she has sweet precious hands.

We know that she is able to pull things from high places (in this case it was Brooke's bowl of cereal).

We know that Emma loves to climb into the refrigerator.

We know that Emma helps herself to any food she finds (whether we want her to or not).

And as you have gathered, Emma loves to eat!

We know the dishwasher is like a magnet to Emma. If it is open, she is there (usually pulling out everything I have just put in it).

We know Emma likes to play peek a boo, by herself and with someone else; this is a picture of how I found her one day (happily playing peek a boo in the kitchen all by herself).

We know Emma likes to pretend to talk on the telephone.

We know Emma has a destructive side; well, she doesn't do it intentionally. I guess it would be more accurate to say that she has a VERY inquisitive nature (just like her Daddy).

We know Emma has a slight temper; let's just say that she is more than capable of holding her own with her older siblings, or anyone else who crosses her path. She also has mastered the fine art of tantrum throwing (much to my chagrin).

We know Emma HATES wearing shoes and will stop at nothing to get them off of her feet!

We also know that Emma loves being read to, she loves being where her brother and sister are at, she loves music, she loves to dance, and she loves life. She loves scrambled eggs, bananas, goldfish, orange juice, and anything sweet. She loves to take baths, wave at everyone she sees, and laugh. There are so many more things I could tell you about our Emma, but the most important thing to know is...

...that we LOVE our sweet Emma more than words could ever express!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What dog breed are you?

I went on a friend's (Beth) blog, and saw that she had taken a test to see what breed of dog she would be; I thought, hey that should be interesting, so I too took the test. Drumroll please, the results are in!

Labrador Retriever
The Caretaker

Your family is what makes you tick, and you never "flea" from an opportunity to hang out with the whole gang. A family picnic complete with hot dogs, deviled eggs and a refreshing swim in the lake is hard for you to stray from. Your sparky temperament and dogged intelligence mean you are not only a blast to hang out with, but great to work with as well. Your close pals appreciate your patience and forgiveness, knowing you'd rather let sleeping dogs lie than dwell on the mishaps of the past. Your dashing good looks may one day lead to a modelling career, if only you can tame the unfortunate clumsiness that sometimes causes you to go flailing from the catwalk.

*Okay, I don't agree with the clumsy part; I didn't take ballet for nothing!