Sleeping Beauty!

Evie is always exhausted on school days due to a short nap. I usually let her watch a movie or read when she gets home so she can rest a bit more. It was fairly warm this afternoon so we headed outside for a bit. We came back in so Henry could nap and Evie decided to rest in the Moses Basket. She sat there reading long enough for me to read a magazine. Then, Henry woke up, so we headed upstairs. Evie wanted the Moses Basket in her crib and told me that she was tired and needed more rest. I went to change Henry's diaper and when I came back she was sound asleep.

Riding Along in my Automobile!

Evie is really into cars these days specifically pink cars. Shocking, I know that Evie has a color preference even with her cars. Evie has been requesting way too much TV. It's so easy to get stuck in a rut with show after show. There is only so much Caillou that I can handle without losing my mind. After nap, I decided to pull out my transportation unit from when I taught first grade. Evie LOVED having her own road and spent the longest time driving her little cars. Be sure to notice that Evie is wearing her shiny shoes. She likes to be fancy even in her pajamas. Henry had fun too and thought the road was quite tasty. Evie was quick to tell him not to do that. "Hen Wee, we drive on roads not taste them."

I will definitely pull this activity out again. One thing about cutting back on TV is that the house gets a lot messier but it sure is more fun to play. Evie is so sweet! She said, "it was the best day ever" when I was putting her to bed tonight. Just a little construction paper, that's all it take to make her day.

Happy Birthday, Evie!

Dear Evie,

   You are 3! That just seems so big and you are so proud to be 3. You asked for a big girl bed and keep telling me that you are a grown-up. What a silly girl! You have changed so much this year! Everyday brings new experiences for us all as you begin to navigate your own little world and we step back a bit to allow you to grow. Daddy and I still marvel that you went from this tiny little baby to a real little girl in what feels like the blink of an eye. Sometimes I can not even look at the pictures, it just seems impossible that this is all happening so quickly.

Baby Evie!

You weigh 35 pounds and are 39 inches tall. You sleep for 12 hours a night and take three hour naps when you are home. Sleeping is one of your favorite activities. You have started sleeping with way too many objects. Let's see you have your old favorites of Raffi and blankey but you have added: mouse, hippo, pink blanket, pillow and a flashlight. That was your Daddy's idea and it keeps you busy until you fall asleep. Bedtime is always a nice respite for me but I am always ready to hear you calling "Mama, come get me" every morning. You gather up all of your snuggly things as you call them before heading downstairs ready to start the day.

You are quite independent and want to do everything yourself which is wonderful for Mommy. Every morning, I give you some clothes and a few minutes later you are dressed. This works much better than trying to dress you myself because then you like to turn it into a game of chase. We try to work with your independence instead of against it. You brush your own teeth, climb into your car seat all by yourself and carry your own backpack. Sometimes your independent streak works against us! You can be strong-willed and know exactly what you want in life. That makes us proud even though it can be aggravating in the moment. It's important to know what you want and to make it happen.

You go to school on Tuesday and Thursday. Ms. Molly and Ms. Jen have taught you so much. Daddy and I love to hear you sing new songs, tell us new stories and show us your latest project. We love to hear you talk about your friends especially Molly and Vivi. School has been a fantastic experience for you allowing you to gain more confidence and learn to trust other adults. Mommy likes it too!

You are truly a sweet little girl. I loved it when you said, "Thank you for having a party for me, Mommy. I liked it." Manners are important and nothing sounds more precious than your little voice saying, thank you. You tell us "thank you" without prompting a lot and always at the most appropriate times.

You say lots of funny things! It's so cool to see you making connections and watching you grasp new concepts. You point out objects that are similar and note that they are friends. Your imagination is amazing and it takes us on all kind of adventures. Just this morning, we visited the beach, went swimming in the pool, shopped for cupcakes at the grocery store and sang on stage with your sparkly wand and your dress-up clothes. Sometimes, you tell me exactly what response you want from me. "Mommy, say Evie is a good singer or Evie looks so pretty in her pink dress." I have to say it exactly as you indicate or you want me to start all over.

Daddy and I still refer to you as our Tennessee Tornado because you are wild! You have lots of personality and we would not have it any other way.

Things you like: playing outside, anything pink, hummus, your boys, Caillou and art. You play with your babies so sweetly yet you are just as happy digging in the dirt or riding a 4 wheeler with your boys.

You LOVE to read and spend lots of time checking out your books. Sometimes, you ask me "what that word" is but usually you just chatter away keeping with the general story line. I hope that you will always enjoy books. It makes us so happy to listen while you read to Henry. I read you a lot more books when you were a baby than I read to Henry. You make me feel better about that because you read dozens of books to him every day. After you finish, you always ask him if he liked it and then finish off with an AMEN. That's your way of saying, "the end."

You notice everything! Nothing gets past you. If someone is sad in a book or a movie, you want to know where there Mommy is and "why she not helping." Daddy and I have noticed that you are very aware of our moods too. You say "Daddy, why you not talking" when he is quiet. He reminds you that Daddy does not talk as much as Mommy. You tell us that you like us all.day.long! You make everyone feel so special when you tell them they are the best. You are our best Evie!

Henry adores you! We could not ask you to be a better big sister. You are a natural and love him so much. It's so amazing to see you nurture him and protect him. I hope you will always do that for Henry and that he will always take care of you. You have to stick together! That's what siblings do for each other and for their parents.

Mommy is a planner and likes to map out things way in advance. Just ask Daddy, he will tell you all about my constant quest to create our life as a family. One thing that I never do is imagine you as a big girl. It's happening fast enough right before our eyes. Our greatest hope for you is that you will always be a thoughtful, caring person. That matters more than most anything else. Daddy and I pray that you will continue to follow Jesus and follow His plan for your life. He has plans for you to give you hope and a future. That's Jeremiah 29: 11-14, Mommy's favorite verse for you.

There will be lots of days when we will drive each other crazy and days that you will wish for a different set of parents than us. That's okay, it is part of growing up and then one day you will realize that we set boundaries for you because we love you so much and because we want you to reach your full potential in life. I feel so fortunate to have the privilege of being home with you every day. Daddy works hard to make this happen and I will be forever grateful to him that I am here with you teaching you about the world. Being you and Henry's mother is my favorite role that I have ever played, you are the magnificent little girl, the one that I always dreamed of having one day.

Daddy and I are so proud of you! You are an extraordinary little girl and we are still in awe that you are our precious daughter. We love your sweet smile, your happy laughter, your endless cuddles and your amazing spirit. You have made our lives richer than we ever imagined and more fun than we ever dreamed it would be.

Happy Birthday to our very best Evie!

Love,
Mommy and Daddy

1 year old Evie!

2 year old Evie!

3 year old Evie!

Weekend Wrap-up!

We had a super fun weekend! Yesterday was busy with Evie's birthday party. After naptime, Carl and I snuck out for a quick date. Evie was thrilled to show Miss Shannon all of her new toys. I booked a sitter when I found out that there was a boat show this weekend. I knew that Carl would love the chance to go check out some boats even though we are not in the market for a boat anytime soon. Nashville is not the most boat-friendly city but it sure was fun to dream. Carl picked out the perfect boat for our family.

It was fun to dream and check out some interesting stuff! After the boat show, we headed out for a bite to eat which proved to be a lot more difficult than we had envisioned because there was a hockey game. It was entertaining to walk the bustling streets, listen to the live music and try to spot a few stars. Carl thinks he saw Vince Gill and Hank Williams Jr. was in a bar that we passed. I am HORRIBLE at star sightings! There were tons of people hanging around where Vince Gill was so that was our BIG clue then Carl overheard someone say that it was Vince Gill. We kept trying to find a place to eat with no luck so we decided to head back to our area of town. Local Taco is always a hit so that is where we went. It was not busy at all since everyone was at the Predator's game. We got a cozy spot by the fire and enjoyed some yummy dips and fajitas. I could eat there every night! Henry is tolerating dairy in small amounts so we split a brownie with ice-cream. Keep your fingers crossed that he does okay with that! I skipped the cheese dip but that brownie was too tempting.We had such a great time and need to get out more by ourselves. Although, our babysitter cost more than our dinner! Kids really do change everything but we LOVE being parents.

Henry surprised us all and slept 9 hours straight! We woke up so refreshed and made it to early church just in time.

Evie and Henry looked so adorable in their snowman outfits. Henry was the star of the nursery. They just adore him which makes me feel so comfortable leaving my sweet baby boy in there. Evie and I picked him up and they were all gathered around Henry while he entertained them with his big grins. One of the workers told me that since Henry was leaving they could give the other kids some attention. Henry is the happiest, easiest baby. I took the kids back in church. As we were leaving, Evie told me that she needed to hug Jesus. I was not sure what she meant at first but figured out that she meant Father Dixon. He thought that was pretty funny and it made his morning after a tough sermon.

We stopped for bagels on the way home. It was pushing our luck with Henry since he is not taking bottles again and needed a nap. He did fine! Evie loves her strawberry cream cheese so everyone was happy.

We enjoyed a low-key Sunday at home. Those are the best kind of days! Evie played with her new toys, watched her Madeline movie, and everyone took naps. Henry tried a new food tonight - Organic Brown Rice and Lentils. He was a big fan. Evie asked me to taste it . I was not a fan. Evie was curious about why Henry liked it if it was not tasty. Oh dear, nothing gets past our Evie.

Evie's Birthday Party!

Evie had her 3rd birthday party yesterday! It was so much fun. Evie enjoyed having all of her little friends celebrate on her special day.

Heidi and Beverly at Sweet Birdie's Nest designed a super cute invitation using the park theme of our venue. They are always a pleasure to work with and do a fantastic job!

Evie has been talking for weeks about her birthday at the park so we were hoping that she would be just as excited on the big day! She did not disappoint because she was so pumped to be heading to her own birthday party. We let her open a few presents before we left and then it was time to go. Morning parties have lots of good points especially that we did not spend the entire day telling her that it was not time for her party yet.

Inside Out Play Park is new to our area and it's a park that is inside just as the name implies. It's perfect for cold days so I knew it would be a fantastic spot for a January birthday party. Inside Out did an amazing job and I highly recommend them. They did all the decorating with the supplies that I dropped off, ordered the pizza, cut the cake, and cleaned everything up. We had our own party planner, Drea, who orchestrated the party perfectly herding the kids for games, pizza and cake. She did everything for us so that Carl and I were able to enjoy the party too. Henry hung out with Carl and checked out all the big kids. It was the easiest birthday party and fun too!

Here's a peek inside the park before the kids arrived.

We all enjoyed playing a bit before the party started.

Evie was so excited to see everyone as they arrived! She had a ball with all of her friends. I was standing behind Evie during lunch and she asked to me to go over there. She wanted to have some girl talk with Molly! Evie got so excited to see Abby that she went to get Carl to show him too. That girl loves all her friends. We hear about them all the time!

We had cookie cake from Publix and it was so yummy! Not to mention easy to cut and a lot neater than cupcakes or sheet cake. Everyone loves chocolate chip cookie - it was a hit. Someone took a little swipe of icing before my picture but that's just a three year old thing to do!

After cake, it was time for the birthday surprise. Drea took Evie for a ride around the track on a four-wheeler and gave her some princess attire to make it even more special. Evie loved it and did not want to get off when her turn was over.

Party time was over and it was time to pass out the cute favors from Cakeology. Kayce designed tree house cookies for Evie that were replicas of the tree house at Inside Out. I did not take a picture but they were adorable. She did an amazing job decorating the cookies and shipped them to me without a single cookie breaking on the journey from South Carolina. They were beautiful and delicious.

We came home with lots of wonderful presents from her thoughtful friends. Evie loved opening all of them and has already had so much fun with her new toys.

We had a blast celebrating Evie's third birthday with all of her friends. Evie makes everyday an adventure and we are enjoying the ride with our sweet, adorable daughter.