This Just Warms My Heart On a Cold, Rainy Day...

Kara Turns 1!

A year ago this sweet little thing just slept in my arms all day long and slept really well at night too.  She is still so very easygoing and happy and affectionate and we couldn't love her more than we do already.  So hard to believe my BABY is 1 and this is the last time we'll have a 1 yr old.  I have to admit, I woke up on her first birthday, pulled her into bed to snuggle and nurse, and cried just thinking back to the first time I held her in my arms and wishing she could just stay my little baby forever.  Love, love, love this sweet girl.

We made some owl balloons to hang around for her party.

I hung up all her month by month pictures to see her growth.

Little owl favor bags.

She was so excited to open each gift and loved seeing what was inside!

Her owl birthday cake.  I cheated and wrote her name nice, but ran out of time to make the owl cake I had thought I would!

Made a cupcake for her and after playing with the frosting a bit and eating a couple bites, she was done.  We were so surprised she didn't devour the whole entire thing since she loves to eat so much!

Her first piggy bank she got from Magaw and Papa filled with all their spare change from her first year of life.

Sitting pretty with her sisters who somehow all managed to find owl shirts in their drawers!  Happy, happy birthday sweet Kara girl!

Matchy Matchy

LOVE these matching coral outfits that Magaw and the girls picked out!  They are just adorable and the girls wear them ALL the time!

Repurposing the Old Pesky Swivel Chairs

 We have 4 of these kitchen barstool chairs and the microfiber is constantly needing cleaning.  Somehow or other my children manage to spill their milk from their cereal on them EVERY.  SINGLE.  DAY.  I just don't get it...

 Anyhoo... unscrewed the seat from the base and wrapped some pretty fabric around and covered it with a plastic vinyl too, to make cleaning up the soggy milk messes so much easier!  I simply staple gunned (yes, that is an adjective, I just used it--so it must be!).

 Screwed those puppies back on and voila!  Lovely new chairs.  I really, honestly, absofrickinlutely LOVE them.  They make life so much easier now that I'm not spraying and rubbing out applesauce/yogurt/milk/otter pops/juice....seriously, can my children not just keep their food in their mouths....  Oh well, thanks to my messy eaters I have newish looking, pretty chairs.  And yes, I'm sure "newish" is also an adjective...

Classy Kendra

 

Kendra is so fun to photograph!  She is sassy, sweet, and silly all at the same time.  I swear this girl has more class and style in her left pinky than I do in my whole body.  I tried to get some pics of Kara too--let's just say they didn't turn out as well! lol

St. Patrick's Day Fun!

 We went to the Leishman's with the Stewart-Walls and had a yummy dinner of green jell-o, green breadsticks, pesto pasta, and green beans.  Love our family traditions and it's even more fun with friends!

Beauty and the Beast

 This girl does NOT like makeup and mas so mad I made her wear some that she couldn't even force a fake smile out.

 Mrs. Potts and Chip.

 The wonderful and amazingly talented cast of Beauty and the Beast.  Directors: Heather Payne, Christine Havens, Maggie Hepworth.

 Kara wasn't so sure about all the costumed characters!

 On the the nights when Mikayla wasn't playing Chip, she was a villager and a dancing spoon in "Be Our Guest."

 Dallin Havens as Gaston

 The girls loved how funny LeFou was!

 Brennah Payne as Belle

 Sydney and Charlie came to see Mikayla too.

I am so proud of Mikayla and all her hard work.  She was brave enough to audition for the role by reciting a poem (Three Little Kittens) and singing a solo(Reflection from Mulan).  I was nervous at the audition and shaking and could barely talk, and this big 9 yr old smiled and told them her name and did a GREAT job!  She practiced hard for 8 weeks.  Nightly practices for 5-6 days a week plus schoolwork and dance made for a busy, tired girl, but she did it.  She shines on stage and we are so grateful she got the opportunity to be in such a fabulous production.