Isabella turns 6

Our girl turned 6! So big!

Pancakes for breakfast before school 

Trying out her new bike before school that morning. 

I brought chickfila to school and had lunch with her. She has a big jolly rancher in her mouth! ha! 

Recess with her good friend Juliet. 

We scrapped our dinner plans to go to family fun night at her school that evening as she really wanted to do that. Her party was the next morning. She had seen a daniel tiger episode a few weeks prior with a fall party and decided that's what she wanted to do for her party. Since Harrison is a couple of weeks old, I wasn't sure about pulling all of this off, but my Mom's came to the rescue and did most of the decorating, food, and games. Thanks so much Mom and Paula!

 Chocolate cake with cream cheese icing

 Love the pumpkins for serving the dips!!!

 Someone snapped this of Benjamin taking a breather outside. Lots of noise and goings on for my boy's introverted spirit. 

Izzy playing, throw the hoop over the pumpkin.

 Pin the leaf on the pumpkin game

 Pumpkin bowling

 Pinata time

 Collecting candy

 Benjamin and Benjamin

 Cake time

 Playing with her new art set post party. She also got some face paint crayons she loved using.

Happy birthday sweet girl!! At 6 you are loving being with friends and people as much as possible, school, going to church, drawing and art, music, mexican food and anything sweet, Magic tree house books, beanie boos, and your favorite color is "rainbow". You still play with your my little ponies and dress up in your princess costumes, but not as much as you use to. You have a great imagination and create fun play scenarios for you and Benjamin to play.
We love you so much! Your bring so much joy and energy to our home.

Benjamin turns 3!

We had fun celebrating our sweet boy for his third birthday! He wanted to have a Thomas birthday (which is also what he had for #2) and he was so excited about it. He woke up the morning of his party calling out, "its time for my thomas birthday!!!" He was very disappointed when he came out of his room and the party wasn't happening and his cupcakes weren't decorated. I hadn't realized, but he apparently thought it would be similar to Christmas morning. When he had been told his party was the next day he thought he'd come out of his bed to a party. Once I explained the party was in a little bit he was OK.

We had an assortment of Benjamin's favorite foods. Bacon, sausage, pigs in a blanket, strawberries, pretzels, and donut holes.

Choo choo!!

Mom came over a few days before and the kids helped decorate the #3 cookies she made.

He was suuuuper excited about his "Thomas nada", the pinata he had picked out. I was afraid he might be really upset when it got smashed to bits, but he was ok with it.

Yay!! Happy 3 Buddy!!

Playing with the bubble machine he got at his party.

His party was on a Saturday, but his actual birthday wasn't until Tuesday the next week. So we saved some family celebrating for his actual day.

Isabella woke up him the morning of his birthday. She was so excited for him to wake up and open his presents.

#3 Pancakes...he mostly just ate sausage! :)

After we picked up Isabella from school we went to oncue to get birthday icees. One of their favorite treats!

He wanted chicken nuggets for dinner. There was a threat of severe weather that evening so we went ahead and picked up the nuggets after we got icees to secure them since one time last spring chickfila closed and wouldn't serve people when there was severe weather. After dinner we sang one last time and he had a little bit of a cupcake left over from his party.

The next morning was his three year old well check. He was 35lbs and I forgot to catch his height, but in 70-80 percentiles for both. This year he has exploded with his language and been singing more and more. He tends to be more of an introvert than his sister, but loves spending time with family and his friends. He loves trains, diggers, seeing construction sites when we are out and about, putting things together and taking them apart, and having singing time with Izzy (which consists of listening to loud children's songs in her room and she gives him a stamp on his hand).
Happy three years Benjamin Gray! You are such a joy!

Last of the month

We didn't take any pictures as a family on Christmas since we were all unbathed and in pjs the majority of the day.
This picture with Benjamin came up in my time hop from a year ago, so I wanted another one for comparison.

2013

 2014

(Isabella is pretty pumped about her gymnastics leotard. It has already been making frequent appearances.)

12/27- We woke up to snow the morning of my birthday!

Michael's birthday pancakes! 

I went to lunch at 501 with my parents, green goodies for cupcakes, and then anthropologie for shopping (dad slept in the car during that part). (I was pretty pumped to be dressed and out of the house after our flu quarantine for several days.) Alan and Paula kept the kids that night so we could go out on a date for dinner. A quiet dinner with just grown ups- so nice! :) 

Michael and Iz did a great job making my cake! 

Benjamin enjoyed his cake and ice cream!

12/30 Bath time with new bath toys

12/30  Lunch at Mama Roja

12/31- New years eve morning- Daylight donuts for breakfast

    I wanted to have a date with Iz while Michael was home. We painted our nails sparkly silver for NYE and went out to the movies. She was so excited when she found out where we were, and was so funny and kind about it. We had a fun time and I was grateful for the rare treat of one on one time with her.

That evening we went to Adelyn's 6th birthday party. Which was really fun since Iz and I missed big Mitchell Christmas we got to see family we missed there.

We went home and got the kids to bed and I made cupcakes for a midnight snack.

The Roberts joined us again this year to ring in the new year.

Cheers! We made it to 2015!! Happy New Year!

We also exchanged our Christmas gifts since we missed Christmas. Heather and I talked a lot about NYC this fall and the things we missed that we had done there past years in the fall. She found these super soft NYC pajamas that have lots of NYC favs. And now we have matching pairs. So fun to have a sleepover with my sister in matching pjs- even in our 30s. :)

Cinnamon rolls, bacon, eggs, and good coffee in the morning.

It's hard to believe another season of holidays and a whole year have wrapped up.
I'm so grateful for Michael's time off work and time for us to be together as a family.