Swiper, No Swiping!

When Madi turned three I had planned an elaborate Dora birthday party, so as Tyli's birthday approached I figured it would be pretty easy to throw her the same birthday party, especially considering I had the party all planned. Tyli loves Dora so she was excited about the party. I told her that Swiper would be coming to her party. She was so excited and her Dora party quickly turned into a "Vipo" party. If anyone asked she would tell them all about her "Vipo" party.
She invited all of her friends and we had an awesome Dora/Swiper adventure. Swiper stole the key to our treasure and hid it in Balloon Alley. We had to find our maps in our backpack to find out where to go. We then had to go to Crocodile lake where we had to help Boots find his boot (aka pin the boot on boots.) Then we went to Hay Hill where we got to find all of the hidden candy, then we went to balloon alley to hunt for the hidden key in all of the balloons. We found it and were able to open the treasure.
Then we went to have cake and icecream, but swiper had stolen the cake! All we had was a picture of him with the cake. The kids had to hunt him down so he could tell them where the real cake was. Then they all made friends with Swiper. He joined us for presents, cake and icecream and a few games.
Tyli LOVED it! She couldn't stop talking about Swiper and her adventure. Whenever we had to go anywhere (even downstairs) she would say "Wait! I have to check my map!" Then she would pull out her map and check it for where we should go. Being three will definitely be an adventure!








Other birthday pics...



For those of you who want to hear about Ty's bday party in her own words here you go.

Ty Ty's birthday

Today is my baby's birthday. I am pretty sure it is taboo to be called a baby at age 3, but those are the rights of a mom for her youngest child. I have seriously been emotional about this approaching birthday. Is it normal to get more depressed over your children's birthdays than your own? For me, birthdays are a fun day. You get presents and get to do fun things. I don't really have that sense of "one year older" for myself. Yet, for my children, I feel the time passing too quickly. I remember so fondly holding them for hours as infants, feeding them their first solids, watching them learn to crawl and walk, reading with them for hours. So many memories that I remember as if it was yesterday. But it's today and Tyli is growing and changing right before my eyes.

Today I snuggled her up in her blanket and held her like a baby. Ok, I admit it, I do this almost every day before her nap. We pretend (at least I do and Ty is good to humor me) that she is still a baby and we snuggle close for a few precious moments. The moment passes and then I have Ty assuring the that "I not a baby! I a big gorl!" Usually I am leaving the room with both of us giggling, but this week I could have broken down in sobs every day.

Tyli and I are definitely too much alike for our own good, sometime this causes us to clash. But lately I just LOVE this little girl. I love her giggle, I love way she talks, I love how she reads to herself for an hour a day, I love dancing with her, I love snuggling with her, I love how she misses me when I am gone and gets really excited to see me when I get home, I love her hugs, I love her passion for Cinderalla, I love her adoration for her "sis-o", I love how she asks where her dad is each day...well, I could probably go on forever. I just really can't imagine my life without this little person in it!

Some of Ty's favorite...
Movie- Cinderella
Princess- Cinderella
Costume- Cinderella (You get the picture!)
Food- kids yogurts (she eats 3 a day)
Book-Princess handbook
Color- Pink
Thing- Lipstick (I bribe her with this every morning so she will let me do her hair.)

I guess it's obvious! This little girl thinks she is a princess, and to us she is! Happy Birthday Shmy!

I am Thankful For....

I LOVE Thanksgiving. There is something amazing about taking the time to stop and think of all of the things in your life that you have that are good. There is also something about taking the things that don't seem good and trying to make them seem good. This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving poems...

I am Thankful for...
The mess to clean up after a party because it means
I have been surrounded by friends.
The taxes I pay
because it means I am employed.
The clothes that fit a little too snug
because it means I have enough to eat.
A lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and
gutters that need fixing
because it means I have a home.
All the complaining I hear about our government
because it means we have freedom of speech.
A parking spot at the far end of the parking lot
because it means I am capable of walking.
My huge heating bill
because it means I am warm.
The lady behind me at church who sings off key
because it means I can hear.
The piles of laundry and ironing
because it means my loved ones are nearby.
Weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day
because it means I have been productive.
The alarm that goes off in the early morning hours
because it means that I'm alive.

May Gratitude fill you heart the love fill your home...
Happy Thanksgiving!!

Laura's Babies

Photography has always been a love for me, but I have so much to learn. Luckily I have kind, patient friends that are willing to give me a chance. This week I had two of those. (Thanks friends!) Laura's babies were so cute! I have to admit it was hard to put them down because I just wanted to snuggle them. Even now my arms are missing them a little. They were so adorable and even cooperated through all of my lighting experiments. Here are some of our results.

The Seeleys

Who wouldn't want to spend an afternoon hanging out with some of the coolest people in the world. Seriously. Aren't they a picture perfect family? I love my Sillies!

Hand Faces

During church we are always looking for ways to keep the girls busy. One day Jon started tracing their hands and then drawing funny faces in them. Hence, the "Hand Faces" were born. I have to say that they have drawn some very creative things. Since then, Madi and Tyli have been drawing them all of the time. Tyli loves to draw her very own hand faces. I find them in all sorts of random places. Here are a few of their masterpieces.

Some of Jon's...
Some of Madi's...
Some of Tyli's...
Some collages...

Not hand related, but cute all the same...