Time Capsule #2....

Edyn Jo turned 3 on December 26th..I think it will always be a challenge to celebrate her birthday due to the business of the season. Oh, if it could just be about the birth of Jesus and celebrating life....**sigh** ...however, she loves it that her birthday is so close to Jesus' birthday. I wanted to do something special for her and  Ellie and Edyn got gift cards to Build-a-Bear for their birthdays (thanks Aunt Jennifer and Julie).  She REALLY wanted to invite her most special friend to go with her to build a bear...her "boyfriend Cooper".  Normally we would freak out about this but we LOVE Cooper's family too and this is a friendship we don't mind encouraging :) My friend Megan met me at the mall and she was SO HELPFUL taking care of Eva while I helped them pick out, fluff, dress and name their reindeers.  Thanks so much Megan, you were a lifesaver!!

Picking out their animals...they all ended up getting Rudolph and Clarice...

Cooper showing Edyn how to fluff their reindeers...he has done this before :)

Getting ready to ride the carousel, posing with their new reindeers :)

Having a blast on the carousel....

Oh, Edyn Jo, we thought Ellie was spunky, you know how to take it to a whole new level.  You definitely keep us on our toes.  You love to swim and you are getting so good at it.  It amazes us how fearless you are and how long you like to stay underwater before coming up for air.  You are constantly making us laugh with the words that come out of your mouth and we are amazed at the things your 3 year old mind can dream up.  You can run laps around the house and up and down stairs in high heels, you like dancing to Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber.  You just love to draw and paint, not just on paper but on walls too.  You love "reading" your Bible and you have such an incredible understanding of it, even at 3.  We love you to the moon and back, Edyn Jo.  Happy 3rd Birthday!

Time Capsule #1....

So...because I'm TERRIBLY behind with blogging and have SO MUCH to catch up on (because this is the only type of scapbooking I do, so I HAVE to keep up), I'm going to send you back in time (a few months) to catch up on all the fun things we have been up to.  First off...pretend this is November 29th...Miss Ellie is 5.  I find myself saying, "It's so hard to believe how fast they are growing up".

She celebrated at Lil Monkey Bizness with 4 of her bestest friends and her sisters. They played hard and had a blast.

And totally crashed on the way home...

And of course, she got to bring cupcakes for snack at preschool.

And the partying continued...we had family over for a little party for Ellie and Edyn.  Ellie loved her Kailan cake that my mom and I dreamed up the day of her party....

This girl LOVES money...and twenty, one dollar bills from grandma Deb made her day!!!

Cousins...

And EVERYONE had a blast with the bathtub crayons...hmmmm. 

Oh miss Ellie Bells, how I love your spunk.  You put a number to everything.  I love that you think I go to the bathroom 40 hundred million times per day (small bladder +4 kids) and that you have 60 hundred billion silly bands.  On December 15, 2010, I listened as you read your Bible out loud for the longest time and I am SO amazed and proud of you at how much you grasp, even at 5.  What I began to understand about Jesus at the age of 19 years old, you already know.  You made me laugh this day as I listened to you...."Then an angel said to Mary, you are going to have a baby, Mary prayed and prayed to God then God said don't be afraid, I am with you, then Mary said, Oh crap, but I'm going to get sick, God because I have a baby in my tummy."

You love to learn.  You were trying SO hard the other night to read a book from the Hooked on Phonic Kindergarten set and you were having trouble and just dropped the book and started sobbing and said, "I just don't think I'm going to make it in Kindergarten".  Oh, sweetheart. You are doing SO well and you will do amazing because you are a hard worker and don't give up easily. 
I love how you love to surprise me by cleaning up on your own or helping me with something when I don't ask you.  You are such a peacemaker and easily give up something that your sisters want so they will stop fighting or crying.  You are one special little girl, Ellisyn Grace.  We love you lots.  Happy 5th birthday.

BLESSED.

These pictures make me smile.

My Little Helper...

...actually, BIG helper is more like it.  Emma wakes up early every morning with Eva and she calls this her "special time with Eva" because she misses her sister SO MUCH when she goes to school.  Emma will change her diaper, play with her and read to her. One morning she even heated a bottle for her and fed her (good thing she told me about that AFTER it happened...)

I usually stay up LATE to get things done, so I sleep in (until 7) and let them have their time together.  One morning I woke up to this...and it was such a beautiful start to my day.

6 months.

 A face only a mama could love...

Tomorrow is your half birthday.  You are growing up so fast and it is so bittersweet. You love your exersaucer. Well, actually it looks like an exersaucer on steroids. You play SO well in it and enjoy the alone time, because that doesn't happen often for you around here.  In fact if Emma is home, she will often lift you out of there because she just can't stand not to play with you or carry you around all the time.

You are SO patient when your sisters try to put you in funny chairs with umbrellas to play "photo shoot".  (Sorry, this one made me laugh, I just had to play "photo shoot" too.)

And thank goodness, you are finally able to ride in your carseat, awake, without screaming your head off.

You are cooing and squealing in excitement which are my favorite sounds EVER.  You are sitting up and you just love your bathtime.  You just started taking cereal 3 weeks ago, and you have had a week of green beans and you are on day 2 of avacados and loving it all. Sleeping...well, let's just say we are still working on that...We love you SO much Eva Faith....all 21.5 lbs of you!