Outdoor Babies

*disclaimer on my firsts post: although I try really hard to make things fair in the now for our 3 girls, if anyone compared 1.) the number of pictures, 2.) the number of posts, or 3.) the number of documented milestones (or documented anything!) of the girls and Addie...Addie would win by leaps and bounds!

But to make up for that (or not!), I grabbed a few pictures of the little girls outside the other day.

This fun slide was a gift for Addie a few years ago. It stayed inside in our living room for a long time until it a.) became too big (with the other toys) and b.) became a potential hazard for Addie and Cady.

So outside on the deck it went and was still played with almost as much. Addie still loves it, and now the little girls are going to be able to start enjoying it too! It's just their size!

I love how Audrey Kate is looking at me and Anne Perry is looking at her. They are just so sweet together!

A tad on the serious side, this little girl loves to stand up and hold on but hasn't quite figured out how to go from standing back to sitting...which results in some tense moments.

And this adventurous little girls isn't afraid to get dirty! She crawled right through the hole and onto the cool dirt...and didn't miss a beat!

Now I've just got to get that ant colony that I found later that day after I took these pictures! Thankfully the little girls standing there didn't disrupt them like me moving it did!

Our Easter was very low key this year. I didn't get the girls dresses finished, so I'll have to post pictures of those later. But we did enjoy a fun day with just us and an Addie Easter egg hunt! So, as usual...pictures to come!

A quick story:
Addie's teachers at school used the Resurrection Eggs to tell her class the story of Easter.

Addie came home and was so proud to show me her eggs she found during their Easter Egg hunt.

She sat at the table, and I asked her what she was doing. She told me:

I'm looking for Jesus (as she opened each egg).

Me: Well where is He?

Addie: (very matter-of-factly) All the eggs are empty. He's not here. He rolled away!

Oh how I love her!

"...for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it...The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead!..."

Matthew 28: 2b, 5-7a

A Few Firsts

I'm a {first} born.

Therefore, I make painstakingly sure that almost everything is fair and even with our girls.

Or at least I try to.

5 puffs. 5 puffs.

half a sandwich. exactly half a sandwich.

fill cup half full. other cup half full.

a toy in each hand. a toy in each hand.

3 pictures. 3 pictures.

Except I can't seem to get Addie to let me take as many pictures of her as the little girls will let me take of them.

And just because Audrey Kate can walk behind the shopping cart walker doesn't mean that Anne Perry can too.

And just because Anne Perry hams it up for the camera in multiple pictures at one time and Audrey Kate just smiles, doesn't mean I shouldn't post what I got!

See. Wasn't that a fair mention of each girl?

Nevermind.

So this is a {first}.

A terribly uneven assortment of pictures.

A video of one and not the others.

Thankfully, I don't think anyone is keeping track.

But just in case they are...I'll make it up later ;)

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The little girls have been using sippy cups with soft spouts. But someone (Anne Perry) has figured out that if she tumps it upside down and presses the spout on her highchair tray that water comes out.

Fun. Right?

Not so much to clean up unnecessary soggy food off the tray.

So Addie and I got their big girl cups (with tops) out the other day and gave them a try.

This is what Anne Perry thought of them:

And Audrey Kate gave me the sweetest smile ever!

But the new spout didn't keep Anne Perry from at least trying to get the water out...

Instead she learned a new trick!

And Addie begged me (another almost first) to take her picture with her Addie cup in the double stroller.

I was happy to oblige but had to crop it something serious since her most favorite attire consists of panties only these days!

And remember that {first} video of one that I don't have of the other...did I mention we have a cruiser?

She's getting faster by the day!

It amazes me how quickly these little girls are growing! This was only a month ago, and I can see such a difference in them in so many ways!

(Anne Perry)

(Audrey Kate)

And someone who didn't want her picture taken, but I managed to get one that at least looked like it was intentional (another almost first!).

But same happy girls!

So thankful for their smiles. Their health. Their laughter.

Their love.

And I'm thankful none of those are a first!

Roll the Ball

After morning naps yesterday & while Addie was still at school, the little girls & I walked down to a grassy park near our house.

They ate a snack, stood up next to the wagon, crawled all over me...

...and rolled/threw the ball to each other.

Although not quite as "organized-playing-together" as earlier, I thought they were still super cute rolling/tossing/dropping the ball to each other.

It's never to early to start practicing for those athletic scholarships...is it? (I kid, but there's always wishful thinking, right?)

Happy Friday!



Ps: all of this was done on my iPhone...so please excuse any glitches/cut off heads due to another baby crawling on me & the all around quality of this video production!

the Finnster

yes. I am dedicating an entire post to our dog.

because he's kinda like our 4th child.

he's sweet. patient. mostly calm. and soft as he can be.

consumes his entire dinner, lunch, and breakfast.

sleeps through the night.

oh, and he eat shoes.

we've lost 3 shoes in two weeks to this little guy, 2 of which have been Addie's.

but the coolest thing happened early yesterday morning.

one or the other of the little girls likes to get up somewhere between 5:30am & 6:30am to eat.

Finn likes to head outside and lay in the cool dirt when the little girls wake him up.

this morning was no different.

Anne Perry was up at 5:30 and Audrey Kate up around 6:30.

But I woke up at 6:15 and for some reason started worrying that the workmen might have been in the backyard yesterday and possibly not closed the gate all the way.

I got up without my glasses to get Audrey Kate and peaked out the kitchen window.

The gate was just cracked enough that I could see it without my glasses (ok, so it had to be cracked enough for an almost blind person to see...because that's me without my glasses/contacts).

I calmly went back and got them.

It was open.

I took a deep breath. We've had him two weeks. He's fit perfectly in our family, our life, and our home (minus the shoes he's eaten). We just got him fixed Monday.

I was heading to the backyard praying that he was still back there when I heard a whine at the front door.

And there he was. He was so happy to be inside. So happy to be home!

...and he'd been waiting for us at the front door!

I'm thinking it's confirmed:

he's a pretty awesome dog.

Wordless Wednesday

(captured by Daddy!)

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 

Lamentations 3:22-23