Evelyn Turns 4... A photo blog

Breakfast Birthday cinnamon rolls. Its how we roll....

Opening her gifts from us.. Tag Reader books and a puzzle.


Ready for the Tinker Bell party... someone was quite excited!!

The butcher paper was for the craft. A fun Tinker Bell table cloth went on afterwards...

Let the crafting begin. Doug organized a fairy wand making craft. The girls LOVED it and made some pretty cute wands!









Then I read a Tinkerbell story and moved to present opening time...

Best. Sneeze. Photo. Ever. Thanks Christine!!

Cupcake Time!

Most of the girls hung out and played after eating. They seemed to all migrate to Evelyn's room, where Doug read stories. He was SUCH an amazing help and co-host. I love him so....

If there was one thing I would do different about the day is have someone else take pictures. It was hard to be taking pics and hosting at the same time. I missed a lot of shots.. good ones, too. Oh, well...

So overall it was a super fun day for my now FOUR year old. She was thoroughly loved on and spoiled by her friends and family over many days. Doug and I had fun celebrating her too!!

Happy Birthday, sweet pea!

Things Pondered, Part 4

For previous Things Pondered posts, click here, here and here

Dear Evelyn Joy,

Four years ago today, you were placed into my arms for the very first time (after pooping ALL over me.. you always giggle when I tell you that story!) and my love for you has not stopped growing. This year probably has been the biggest year of your life. And the most challenging. And hopefully one of the best!

You became a big sister right before your last birthday, and nothing has been the same since, has it? You have been such a big helper for mommy and been so good about being kind and gentile to Matthew this year. I have seen your imagination and creativity grow as you explored new and fun ways to entertain yourself when I was busy feeding or helping Matthew. The fact that he already says your name (well.. "his" name for you anyway), even before saying MY name, is testament to how much he loves you.. because of the love you show him! Evelyn, I am so proud of you and and thankful for the love you have for your brother.

One of the hardest things for both of us this year was our lack of time together, just the two of us. I have missed that terribly. You still nap.. which I love... but I cherish those times when I kept you up from nap so I could just have some time with you! I am thankful, tho, that you and daddy have had such precious time together during those times I was with the baby. I am looking forward to having more time with you this year, some extra special "mommy/Evelyn" time. Matthew will still require some extra attention (he is a monkey, you know!) but it will be different.. and I hope better!

This year you got your first "real" haircut (after mommy tried and messed it up!), learned to ride a trike, learned to write your name and other names, learned to dress yourself completely (you could wear summer clothes all year long if I let you!), started to read some (you are SO bright, sweetie!), potty trained (woohoo!) and your coloring skills excelled! You love to sing and dance, love your polly pockets and tinker bell, and love to read princess books. You love to be goofy, yet also can be quite dramatic, too! You love to talk and look at yourself in the mirror. In other words, you are ALL girl, Evelyn.. and I love it!

You also have had struggles.. with obeying, using kind words, being honest and more. Learning to do the right thing is a part of growing up. This is the hardest part of being your mommy, teaching you how to do this and also give grace. Let's work on that together this year, okay?

More importantly, I have seen your knowledge and love for Jesus grow this year. I love that you want to pray at meals and bedtime. I love that you know every story in your kids Bible by title and location, and that you enjoy reading your three stories every night. I love that you quote the Bible just out of the blue during conversation. I love that you come home from AWANA so excited to share your verse and to do your lesson. I claim Philippians 1:9,10 for you often: "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ." May you continue to grow in Jesus, Evelyn!

These past four years have rushed by too quickly. Bittersweet, for sure.. but the way it should be. I hope one day you will get to fully understand why I have tears when I think about how fast you are growing up. I am excited to see all the neat things you will do being four!

Being your mommy is the BEST job ever. I love you, Evelyn Joy. Happy Birthday!
Love, Mommy

.. and Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Luke 2:19

I just look at these cuties...

.. and the chaos of December (2 birthdays and Christmas) just melts away. Love my babies!!

Evelyn's first Christmas Program!

My sweet pea sang in her first Christmas program at church this morning. She has been practicing (they sang "Away in a Manger") for weeks and SO excited. So exited, in fact, that she let me CURL HER HAIR!! That is huge, people!! Of course, in true mother of the year fashion.. I got ZERO pics of her before or after.. so its hard to see how pretty her hair looked. She looked so cute, and did a good job. She didn't sing much of the song... I think she was overwhelmed by all the lights and people.. but she didn't pick her nose or anything like that, so I consider today a success!!

Walking up on stage

The "big kids" were finishing a song first

Checking out the big screens!

She was singing here.. just not doing the motions.Her and her buddy Elise chatting it up...

She was singing here, too

It was so fun to have her do this... another "first" for us. She really loves to sing and I look forward to many more Christmas programs in the future!!

Oh.. one last thing. Matthew and I went to Sunday school after Evelyn was done singing. I really am hoping he can starting going without throwing a fit. He did GREAT today.. in the toddler room (yes, I guess he is a toddler now... *sigh*). I was in there but didn't play with him much and tried to be not in his line of vision. Next week I am thinking about just dropping him off and seeing how he does. I will miss him, but it will be SO great to be back in church again on a regular basis!

Eating a snack in a big boy chair!!

Happy Sunday... enjoy the week ahead!

Matthew is ONE!!

Yes, I have cried. Yes, I will cry more. Yes, I am sappy. Yes, I will be okay. I guess its harder knowing it's our last child.. our last "first" birthday. We are so thankful for our little man!! He had quite the fun day on the 2nd, his birthday!

He awoke to this waiting for him!

He thought it was cool. Sorta.

Watching his first ever TV.. in his jumperoo! He played more than watched the show, tho!

Birthday cinnamon rolls.. our family tradition!

Singing to our boy!

A hug from "sissa" (that's what he calls her.. he says it pretty cute, too.. mostly just "sssssss"!)

The balloons were a hit!

Unwrapping his present.. more of a rip and shred project!

He LOVE his tube tent.. I need to get some pictures of him playing in it!

Silly Santa girl in the middle of birthday stuff!

Jody came over, too.. Matthew LOVES Jody! Can you tell? ;)

Getting ready to open his present from her.. dump trucks!!

Tonight we met my mom and her husband Doug at Red Robin to celebrate BOTH kids' birthdays (yes, Evelyn's birthday is next Saturday!). It was a "in between the two birthdays" get together. They both had fun and felt celebrated!

Grandma and her boy!

He really tried to color.. but mostly just wanted to put it in his mouth!

Grandma and her Evelyn

Princess stuff.. can't beat it!

She read the card after opening the gifts... of course!

Matthew just wanted to eat his card!

He thought his gift was pretty cool, too!

Neither one of them smiled much when the wait staff came and sung to them. Figures...
But they BOTH loved the ice cream! Matthew's first ice cream!!

Um.. daddy... that is MINE!

Good to the last drop!!

Overall I think Matthew had a great birthday. He won't remember it.. but I hope he can look back at pictures and know he was one loved and celebrated boy!

On to the oldest's birthday now... more Evelyn birthday tales to come!!

Christmas Tree... continued

When we last left the Christmas tree farm, Stephanie had exhausted her camera batter and was quite sad. However, we did find the perfect tree and brought it home.

Doug ready to bring it inside!

Matthew already touching it.. I can already tell it is going to be a challenge to keep him from getting into it!

I was a bit disappointed in how it looked when the twine came off. But I have an AMAZING husband who trimmed and tied up the drooping branches to make it look PERFECT!!

Due to all of us being under the weather, we opted to nap and go to bed early instead of decorate. I finally got it done mid week.

We did get out the nativity, tho.. Evelyn's FAVORITE thing about Christmas decorations! We told her she needed to share it with her brother... so far that's going as well as you might expect!

I happen to love this nativity, too!

I love her, too.. my little helper!

And I love him, too.. my sweet boy!

And here it is.. the final product:

It still needs a skirt (we are trying to find a new one... its harder than I thought it was going to be!) but I think it turned out nice

I love this time of year.. and I love my tree!

I've got nothin'... but love!

For the past three years I have done a birthday post for Evelyn entitled "Things Pondered". The title comes from the Bible, Luke 2:19. That verse has become my "Evelyn" verse. I love it, I cherish it, it just fits. It gives me inspiration to write about my precious daughter.

At 11:53am tomorrow, my baby boy turns one. I want to start to do a special yearly post for him, too. And I've got nothin'. No verse, no inspiring words, nothing. Lovely...

BUT..what I DO have is a thankful, grateful and full heart.

I am so thankful for the gift of my boy. He is one of the sweetest things I have ever met. His joy, his smile, his laugh, his love, his presence... more amazing than words can say. I am grateful, for one, that he came into this world eating and sleeping well. God knew I needed that. My heart is full of the memories of this past year, watching him grow and discover the world around him. He has completed our family perfectly.

I sit here with tears streaming down my face, feeling so blessed to be his mom.

I love you, Matthew Donald. Happy Birthday, buddy!