On your 7th birthday

Dear Olivia,

You are 7!! It doesn't seem real that you are already 7. I remember when you were born and those first few days with you. I remember so many firsts we have experienced together and now you are a beautiful, tall, smart, talented SEVEN year old! It's really true when people say that the days are long but the years are short.

This past year I have watched you mature-not only in your appearance but in how you handle yourself. You started another new school and you adjusted so well. In fact you received an award for your class for being R3-responsible, respectful and ready to learn. You made new friends and learned to handle some mean girls. You were excited to go to school each day and enjoyed learning new information. You are a math whiz-sometimes figuring out the answer quicker than me. You are reading chapter books and you still enjoy drawing and are an amazing artist! In dance you have become so poised and more confident-even in classes when you are the youngest. Watching you dance on the stage is such a joy-you always seem to be enjoying yourself and never let having 700 audience members intimidate you!

You are the BEST big sister, always taking care of Gracelyn, holding her hand and patiently guiding her in the right direction. She looks up to you so much. Thanks for always making her feel included.

This next year will be filled with more new adventures but I know it will be bring even more joy. My wish for you as a 7 year old is to continuing trying new things-even when it's scary! Know that Mama and Daddy are your biggest fans, we are ALWAYS here for you!

All my love and more,

Mama

Easter 2017

We had a fun filled family Easter weekend, with a neighborhood hunt, dying eggs, church, and egg hunts. So blessed to spend the holiday with wonderful family.

Rainbow Unicorns!

Gracelyn played soccer this spring. Her team was named the Rainbow Unicorns and they lived up to their name! Despite never playing before Gracelyn caught on quickly and enjoyed lots of running and some kicking the ball. She even scored a goal her first game!

Father/Daughter Dance

Olivia's school had a father/daughter dance this past weekend.  Olivia had been looking forward to it for weeks and earlier we had gone shopping for her dress. Anyone who knows Olivia knows she hates trying on clothes, but she picked out and tried on around 8 dresses before making her decision. She let me curl her hair and was excited to give Mark a flower our neighbor picked for her. Gracelyn and I volunteered to help with dessert at the event and so I sneaked a peak several times and Olivia was dancing and dancing. She danced 3 hours straight with Mark. So cute!! And I have to say, the decorations were nicer at her dance than my prom :-)

Christmas Morning

While Christmas has come and gone I don't want to forget the excitement of Christmas morning. Such sweet, appreciative girls who enjoyed every moment that morning, made even more special by getting to spend it with both sets of grandparents. 

International Night

At Olivia's school they have an International Night and you can have a booth to represent a country. With lots and lots of help from Kulu and Gramps we hosted a booth for South Africa.  It was a lot of fun for Olivia to see more of her classmates and she handed out the passport stickers. Kulu also made 200 mini milk tarts-can you believe that? They were delicious! Overall it was a fun and exhausting evening. The event concluded with students walking across the stage with music from their country and then we all sang "It's a Small World." Given all the current events happening right now seeing all the students from different countries singing that song made me teary. What a memorable evening.

Merry Christmas

Wishing you a JOYFUL holiday season!

Santa Visit

No tears. No terrified looks or insisting Mama joins in. The girls enjoyed Santa this year and told him what they wanted. Olivia: Wubble, Lion Guard play set, and American Girl sunglasses. Gracelyn: Paw Patrol Lookout tower and pup pad.

Thankful Thanksgiving

It was a beautiful fall day spent with my favorite people and the newest addition to our family-Pickles!!

Fall Colors

Sisters-Olivia at 2.5 and Gracelyn at 3 yrs, 3 months.