Sunday morning pictures (the uneditted version)

I got a new dress for Allie from the thrift store when Allisha and I went on a little shopping getaway.  She was thrilled and insisted on wearing it to church.  Auntie Mandy had done her hair the day before (complete with braid and curls from the curling iron...WHAT-she never lets me do that) and she insisted on keeping those in too.  She also asked to have her picture taken with Brailie.  When I had them go outside to get some "good" shots this is what happened:

And that is pretty much when I decided that we had had enough of a photo shoot for one Sunday morning.

Proof that I can sometimes dress my daughter to look stylish

Most of the time she couldn't be bothered with looks (which I am super grateful for) and hairdo's and cute outfits.  Sometimes though she likes to have on something stylish and go to dad's school at lunch to show him her outfit.  I thought this one was really cute and she is letting me put her hair in ponytails now which is nice.

 Brailie wanted her picture taken too in her dress.

 And she thought everyone needed to see the back of her hair too (yep-typical messy mullet-someday she will have a different hairstyle).

 Brailie's favorite thing right now are her rain boots.  She wears them pretty much everywhere.

 Trying on hats.

 She makes a cute cowgirl. 

Allie turns 4

On Sunday April 15th Allie turned 4.  She is such a sweet girl.  We are so grateful she is part of our family.  Some stats about Allie at 4:

She weighs 40 pounds

She has blueish green eyes

Her favorite food is tacos and beans.  She also loves macaroni and cheese, hamburgers, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, orange yogurt, fruit snacks, muffins, pumpkin bread...well the list goes on.  She is a really good eater

She loves playing with Brailie, swinging in the back yard, playing in water, digging in dirt, singing and dancing and playing dolls and dollhouse

She loves having a bath and usually doesn't want to get out

She still likes me to help her get dressed though she can do it herself

She loves nightgowns and princesses and strawberry shortcake

She loves to play with friends.  If I could have one wish for her it would be for her to have more friends.  I wish we could have a family move in with a girl just her age who would be in her class at school and church.

She knows how to spell and write her first name and spell her last name

She knows her address, phone number and the country she lives in as well as the pledge of allegiance

She is learning to sound out and read words like cat, hat, pot, dot, sit

She is really good at counting, cutting and gluing.  She knows all her colors and shapes 

She does not like to color

She loves to have stories read to her and to go to the library

She knows lots of primary songs and really loves Nephi's courage and The Armies of Heleman

She is a good helper when she wants to be and is excited to have a new baby at her house



We wanted to get a few pictures before church and the girls were willing so we snapped away.  100 pics later we had to weed down our favorites.  Here are mine:

Even though she isn't looking at the camera I like that this picture shows her calm quite side-which we see occasionally.

We had to include Brailie

Cute little sweet girl

Doing a crazy picture

This one looks like she is leading the music.  She is really cute when she does that in FHE

Giving daddy a kiss

The blue eyed girls

Giving mom a kiss

Proud dad with his sweeties.

A Rainbow Birthday Party for a super cute 4 year old

My little girl turned 4.  For months I have been asking her if she would just like to stay 3 and every time she would get quite defensive and tell me that she wanted to turn 4.  I offered stay little pills and get small pills and told her being 2 or 3 would be fine but to no avail-she just had to go and turn 4 on me.  I actually like 4-I am hoping with 4 there are less melt downs and tantrums (if you know otherwise please don't pass the info on to me and let me live in my dream world a little longer).  She is so smart and funny and a good helper and a good big sister.  Her and Brailie are playing so well right now it makes every day of frustration with a newborn and a 19 month old worth it. 

We had a rainbow themed party for her.  I couldn't really think of what she is into right now so rainbows seemed happy and springy and that is what she is (most of the time).  I don't get to throw parties very often and that is one of my favorite things to do so I had to do as many cute and fun things as possible in one night.  It turned out perfectly-even though we had to have it in the house instead of inside.  We had a few friends and Greg's parents and my aunt and uncle from Springville.  It was the perfect amount of people and Allie was thrilled to have them all here for her.  I am going to post the details on my Small Fry blog as I have been missing that a bit.  Here are just some highlight pictures.

 1. These are cupcakes in a jar-the rainbow version-pretty much my new favorite thing.
 2. Rainbow banner made with paint chips
 3. A second rainbow banner made with paint chips (they are the best thing to use for rainbow parties)
 4. Rainbow cake pops made by my fabulous brother and best uncle ever.  They aren't even the cheaters method cake mix pops-these babies were homemade cake and homemade frosting and Greg summed them up perfectly when he said, "these are the most wonderful, delicious thing I have ever had.  I need 40 more."
 5. Rainbow napkin rings
 6. In all the festivity planning I forgot a little cake to put the candles on so my aunt and I went to the store and bought this very over priced mini carrot cake.  I scraped the carrots off the top and sprinkled it with colored sugars I had.  It was perfect for Allie to blow the candles out on.
 7. Rainbow sugar cookies.  These were made with a recipe I found for edible playdough (check the small fry blog for the details).
 8. Rainbow punch (cheaters method).
 9. The party spread (before the punch).

It was cute because she didn't want to have anyone sing Happy Birthday but then when it started her face just lit up.  I don't know what she was expecting to have happen but she was all smiles as everyone sang and knew just what to do after the song ended.  Cute girl.

The picture caption says it all.  She is a beautiful 4 year old and was so sweet to make sure Brailie was included in party stuff.  It was really cute.


Here are a few pictures of Allie opening presents.


Showing the 4 wheeler she got from mom and dad and opening a book of Beatrix Potter stories from Aunty Helen and Uncle Doug.  They also gave her 20.00 and gave Brailie 5.00



Opening a box from Grammy.  She got a set of 3 more sweet streets houses and a big bag of accessories.  The girls love these little houses and people and they are a big hit at basketball games.

Thrilled about this little pack of ice cream erasers

Opening paper dolls from Grandma and Grandpa.  She loves these

A great set of mini strawberry shortcake dolls from Uncle Steven.  They are a huge hit also.

Here she is displaying her cowgirl skills with her new cowgirl hat and gun from the Hunt boys.  It is the most appropriate gift from them as every time we go to Coby's (which is the number 1 requested place to go) she plays guns with the boys.  She was so excited to have her own gun to shoot Kole with now.  Pf course now Brailie needs one too. 

Look at those gun skills.  Ahhh I've been shot.

Almost 4 Pictures

I wanted to try and get a few pictures to use for birthday invitations to Allie's 4th birthday party coming up so I decided to take a few shots at the park.  She wasn't really thrilled about the idea but I ended up getting some cute ones just the same.  I didn't end up using them but they are a treasure to have.

Allie" Basketball Shorts

I took the girls to the thrift store the other day in search of treasures-it was a nightmare to say the least but I did end up finding Allie a couple of pairs of shorts for summer.  One was this pair of basketball shorts.  With her you pretty much just have to tell her that something is for basketball, or like the basketball girls have and she is sold ( I think my chance of having a ballroom dancer are growing slimmer each day).  She wanted to wear them the next day and the day after.  I think they make her look older.  What a cutie.

Allie

Just a few thoughts about Allie.  I have noticed that this little girl loves to play.  She is always wanting someone to play with her.  Thank heavens she has Brailie but even then she is often asking for a friend.  I feel bad because I am not a good friend maker and so it is hard for me to put myself out there and find friends for her.  I have been surprised at how willing she is to make friends.  Like when we are a ball games and stuff she is looking to see if there is another little kid to be friends with.  The other night in Price she saw a couple of little girls sitting by us and she wanted to be friends so she took her Dora book over there and laid on the floor right by them and just started chatting.  They eventually started chatting back.  I was so proud of her.  She did not get that ability from me.  When we go to the park and there are friends there she is so happy and asks if they can come over for lunch and to play and for supper and the next day and the next.  I wish I was a bit more brave so I could find her some more friends.  I am so grateful for friendliness being a part of her personality and I want to foster it as much as I can.  She is so much happier too when she has had something fun to do with someone else.  I wish my friends that have kids that I am so completely comfortable around lived closer so that it was just an automatic thing to have my children have friends too.  I know that they could just come over or we could go to their house and I would be 100% comfortable sitting and visiting while our kids just played.  For now I am so grateful for Brailie being a good playmate and for the times we bump into other kids at the park because it is the best part of Allies day for sure.

Just like dad

I remember being a young girl and wanting to do things just like my dad.  I think out of the two girls Allie is definitely more likely to follow in her daddy's footsteps.  She already has good hunting form and has asked for her own gun and bow and arrows.  What are they aiming at you ask?  A snowman on the window sill.

When we're helping we're happy.

Yep that is true for my kitchen help. 

Get Your Loves Back Mama

  The morning routine is by far my least favorite time of the day-getting girls to their rooms, clothes on, hair combed, teeth brushed.  It seems to take a year (though it is really only about a 1/2 hour maybe).  It just causes me frustration, especially when we actually have to get out the door to go somewhere.  The other morning I was brushing Allie's teeth and expressing my frustration and she said, "mom you have got to get your loves back and your goods back so that you won't be frustrated all the time."  I considered myself smacked upside the head and have taken note and worked harder ever since.

No news is good news

And that is pretty much what I have-no news.  I uploaded all my pictures from my camera and guess what I only had about 7 of the girls.  We have been doing stuff but I guess just ordinary-not picture worthy stuff.  We have hit the park 3 or 4 times this week-I think 3 actually, we went to the library, we checked out the Thrift Store and we have played inside and outside and that is about it.  We went to a BYU women's basketball game with Greg's team on Friday and my girls have been chanting "Go Cougars" ever since.  I am one proud mom.  Thus begins the plugs for BYU as their number one university choice for the next 16-18 years.  I just wanted to include these pictures for Uncle Steven.  He bought this cute green coat for Allie 2 Christmas's ago and she wore it but wasn't overjoyed with it but Miss Brailie is in love with it.  She is so proud of it and always asks to wear it even when it is warm.  What a cutie. 

Oh and I guess I do have other news-Brailie is now an official big girl bed sleeper.  She has been doing that all week.  I usually sit by her for two lullaby songs and then either sneak out of tell her I am going.  She has stayed in her bed every night and during naps too.  I had to let her keep her binkie to make the whole thing work but she has that only for sleeping so I don't consider it a big deal. 

Also miss Allie is adding one new item a week to her Santa wish list.  It is really cute.  I know she will be thrilled with whatever she gets but it is cute to have her want certain things.  I know someday it won't be cute any more. 

And lastly I am including a scan of Allie's name writing book from this week in our preschool. She is so smart and can write her name.   

Through a child's eyes

I finally uploaded the pictures from Allie's camera.  It sure is neat to see what she had captured.

crazy dad

Santa

Her watch and necklace

very random picture of mom

another random picture of mom

the first of what I hope won't be weird and random facebook wall photos

the letter E

Her drink cup



Her hair do ( I think I might have took this one for her).



Her view of the pumpkin patch as we were deciding where to go next.

The big pumpkin mom picked.