Abby May is Three!

We are back! Instead of trying to catch you up on everything that has happened in the last 6 months, I am going to start right where we are. Abby's 3rd Birthday! It is still hard to believe that our little baby girl is 3. She has so much personality and keeps us constantly on our toes. I like to capture who they are and what they like close to their birthdays. So here is a glimpse into Abby's world. 

Abby...age 3

My favorite color is blue.

My best friends are Andrew and Kate. 

My favorite books are Brown Bear Brown Bear, Clifford's Peek-a-boo, Counting Farm, and A Cow Says Moo.

My favorite toy is my new bike. 

My favorite song is anything on K-Love. (She is always singing along)

My must haves for night-night are bunny, ruff-ruff and pink mimi (blanket). 

My mom would describe me as independent, talkative, demanding, sweet and ornery.

My favorite foods are blueberries, mac & cheese, eggs and grape juice. 

My favorite cartoon is Max & Ruby. 

Some of my favorite activities are riding bikes, jumping on the trampoline, swinging, wrestling with daddy (she is by far the toughest of them all) and following Andrew and Kate everywhere they go!

Abby has brought so much joy into our lives. Whenever she tries to tell a story her expressions and body movements speak more than her words. She is the most physical child that I have ever been around. She seems to have amazing strength and coordination. She will start gymnastics in the fall, which should be a perfect fit for her. And while she is a challenging child, being demanding and stubborn (as are most 3 year olds!), as the 'baby of the family' she has taught us to laugh more and cherish each moment.  

Here are some pictures from her party!

Shutterfly Promotion

I am very excited about a promotion that Shutterfly has going on right now. In return for writing a post about their new holiday collection, they will give any blogger 50 free Christmas cards! First of all, I LOVE making Christmas cards. And secondly, Shutterfly makes it incredibly easy. They have almost 200 different design options and most of the cards have space for pictures on the inside and outside. I already have in mind the picture that I want on the cover of our Christmas cards, but it is only of the girls. So it will be really nice to be able to have a picture of Andrew on the inside so no one gets left out! I am posting some pictures of my favorite card designs. It is just too hard to decide. They are all adorable! Another great thing about Shutterfly is there is space on the inside of the card for a typed personalized message. With the pictures and the personalized message the cards will be treasured by everyone who receives them. So if you are needing to make Christmas card go to Shutterfly, all Christmas cards are 20% right now! Also be on the lookout for our Christmas card! I can't wait to start designing it!

Mission Impossible 2010

Getting a decent picture of all 3 of our kids is almost impossible. Abby won't sit still, Andrew has that awkward forced smile most of the time, and then there's Kate who does whatever the photographer says and is always smiling at the camera. Thankfully I am blessed with multiple friends who have their own photography businesses. Here are some from Love Abounds Photography. She does a great job at being patient and just going with the flow. So many of these pictures turned out great.

An Interview with a 5 year old!

Here is a glimpse into the life of Kate. I still can't believe that she is 5 years old.

My favorite color is: Pink and Purple

My best friends are: Katharine and Easton

5 things I love: Mommy, Daddy, playing with Andrew, Max (if he don't bite), and Koda

My favorite toy is: Play Cash Register and Shopping Cart

My favorite book is: Reading 'Brown Bear, Brown Bear' to Abby

My favorite songs are: Old MacDonald Had a Farm and The Itsy Bitsy Spider

My favorite foods are: Spaghetti, Mac & Cheese and Pancakes

5 Words that describe me: Joyful, Helpful, Sweet, Kind and Caring

My favorite things to do are: Play games with Mommy (memory, go fish, guess who), go on walks with Koda, going to Cubbies and playing outside with Andrew.

Kate makes being a mommy so joyful. She is always wanting to help and loves being a big sister. Her room is always clean and she makes her bed everyday without having to be asked. She is very smart and quick to learn new things. I showed her how to tie her shoes twice yesterday and she can now do it all on her own. She is very determined to do everything to the best of her ability. She has even taught herself how to curl her tongue. She was the only one in our family that couldn't do it, but not anymore!

The place that Kate chose for her birthday dinner was Hu Hot. I think it was mostly because of Andrew's influence though.

We had Kate's Birthday Party at a Lake Shawnee Shelter House. She invited some of her best friends. Ally, Luke, Easton, Caleb and Katharine. Her party was a flower theme. We all had a great evening with PERFECT weather!



Luke and Drew



Katharine and Kate

Caleb and Kate