happy 5th birthday addie ann!

A little glimpse of who she is at five...

1.     What is your favorite color? Pink and Purple...and red
2.     What is your favorite movie? Paw Patrol 
3.   What is your favorite song? I don't know. A song about roses I think. 
4.     What is your favorite toy? The La La Loopsie Princess Doll
5.     What is your favorite book? Tallulah
6.     What is your favorite activity? Do art 
7.     What do you like to eat for breakfast? toast with jam on it
8.     What do you like to eat for lunch? peaner butter and jelly sandwich
9.     What is your favorite snack? fruit snacks
10.  What do you like to eat for dinner? mash potatoes
11.  Who is your best friend? Elizabeth...she's my best friend and my sister
12.  What do you want to be when you grow up? a teacher...just like you!

addie's princess tea party

We had a great celebration for Addie, full of family and friends but unfortunately it did not go off without a hitch. I had this grand plan of having a princess character come and entertain all the little princes and princesses but she was a no-show! My only saving grace was that it was a surprise for Addie and she had no idea. I couldn't wait to see the look on her face when a "princess" came through our door. My heart breaks just writing this, but I'm glad it's just my heart and not hers. 

All in all it was a great day...until I later learned that all of the pictures I had taken were lost. Gone! Again HEART-BROKEN! Here's a few pictures that our friends had captured for us of her party. We are so grateful to friends who took these, friends who were calling trying to get ahold of Storybook Princesses, family who helped me with all of the food and decorations and everyone who came to help make our girl feel special! We love you Addelyn Ann you are so special to us!

sleeping babes

I was recently able to upgrade my camera and while researching it, I was told by a friend that the camera was so powerful that I could take pictures of my kids sleeping with just the light from the hallway. So...what were some of the first pictures I took?! Yep, my sweet, sweet babies sound asleep.

our 2014 easter

We started our day off with a little Easter Bunny action. Then headed over to our friends, the Gapols for an Easter egg hunt and lovely brunch! After that, it was back home to decorate eggs and then we had our own special dinner. It was a good day.

future fashion designer

This creative, ambitious and spunky girl! She worked tirelessly on this outfit she had concocted in her head!

what's for dinner

hmmm...tractor or taxi?!

it's the simple things...like flying a kite

time well spent

spending time with friends is the best!

At Allie's first theatrical debut!

Hanging with Q at the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley! 

We were just missing big sis McKenna.

mini murphs

We have a Papa Murphy's just up the road and it is a beautiful thing when I want to take a night off of cooking. Around the time Liam was born they started making these little pizza kits for kids. So we would buy one for Addie as a treat and something fun to do. I recently realized it was probably time for little brother to start joining in on the fun, so I bought him his first Mini Murph and he was ecstatic!!!

real

Found this little gem of a picture and I love this because everything about it is REAL. It's a rare occasion that someone takes a picture of me doing the everyday things of being a mama. (Thank you to my mom for taking this.) At another time I might have only seen my unmade bed, cluttered room and Addie's ragga-muffin hair, but now I see my sweet baby boy looking up to his big (but oh so little) sister. And me beaming with love for him and the life I've been so blessed to have been given.

chugga, chugga, two, two!

We had a little gathering for Liam's birthday at the Western Railway Museum. We ate a picnic lunch, played with bubbles and kites, opened presents, enjoyed some cake and then took a little train ride. Thank you Grammy and Auntie Pam for all of your help that day and thank you to our friends for a nice little afternoon! I know our little two year old felt pretty special and loved! 

I did a little in-home photo shoot with our happy little guy and thought I'd add those too...