First Comes Love...

There aren't many people who love birthdays as much as George, which makes celebrating him especially fun! George has been talking for a while about a Chuck E Cheese birthday party (thanks YouTube channels 😏) so we finally gave in and everyone had a great time.

Alright, little man - it's your turn!

G Man is four and half, and you can be certain he's one proud dude! George takes birthdays very seriously (namely gifts / toy procurement) and while he didn't receive any gifts today, we did splurge on Girl Scout cookies with a candle and song which had him giddy with delight.

I've decided that I will never stop calling my little girl my baby.  Abigail may have just turned six and a half, but she will forever hold a place in my heart as my first precious baby.

George gets the award for kid most excited for Christmas this year and his Christmas Social earlier today takes the cake! He's been walking around with the invitation to his party in hand for more than a week now and asks us to read through the program multiple times a day.  He was so excited to perform their three songs (Red, Red Hat, 5 Little Gingerbread, and Silent Night) and decided to wear his suit 😍  In addition, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, and Mamie joined us which made it extra special for our little star! Here are pictures and video from his big day: Off to school - it was also pajama day for K-3 (invitation in hand)

Tonight we joined St Joe's for the annual Christmas Concert at Mary, Queen of Peace. The Kindergartners performed two songs (which we've been hearing Abigail practice for a few weeks now) and they were just adorable. Abigail was so excited and confident and the boys loved dressing in their suits to honor her big night  (although Ben went home with Kevin immediately following Abigail's performance - sleepy 2 year olds...)

My smart, amazing middle man turned four this past weekend and we were so excited to celebrate him!

It seems impossible, right?  But it's true!  Our baby is now a caring, thoughtful, and kind little six year old girl.

G, you're the sweetest.  Here is your first birthday interview.  You loved being in the hot seat; all the attention on you.  Hopefully by the next interview you'll learn to ignore Sissy and answer the questions for yourself  😉 (I realize after re-watching this how annoyed I was with you two, but no doubt I'll look back on this someday thinking how cute it was.  Go figure!)

Your half birthday skipped by without notice this month, but I didn't want to get away without a Birthday interview, so here it is!

Is there anything more adorable than children's Christmas performances?  Especially when it's your own kids?? Nope 😍 This past week George and Abigail had their school Christmas concerts and parties.  George's class was mainly a party with a couple welcome songs, while Abigail's was a concert with three well memorizes songs + choreography  ;) Abigail and I attended George's party on Thursday.  The three of us had so much fun making Christmas cookies, painting and decorating ornaments, and being serenaded by 3 year olds! Here are some pictures (and video) from his party:

Back on Valentine's Day , we decided that before Baby 3 makes his way into the world, a week away would be essential. We love Maui and have so many great memories there, but we wanted to try something new and had been curious about Kaua'i. It was beautiful! Aptly named the Garden Isle, we were surrounded by jungle-like vegetation, Jurassic worth mountain peaks, and complete with an overdose of wild chicken! We left Seattle early Friday morning and returned the following Saturday.  Having 8 nights away was such a luxury and helped us really settle into relaxation-mode. Highlights include a boat ride up the Napali Coast, renting a beach bungalow for a few days to relax by the ocean, lots of great meals (the Grand Hyatt patio, Tortilla Republic, The Dolphin, The Crack, and Shrimp Factory being among our favorites), and a drive to the Waimea Canyon. While there, Kevin got familiar with iMovie and put together this little video: Also, here are some (out of order) ...

Kevin and I are leaving in 12 hours for Kauai!!! but before I go, I wanted to share pictures from Mother's Day Tea at Abigail's school! I received an invitation a week ago.  Since then the kids have been working on projects preparing for the big event. Upon arriving, us Moms were asked to wait in the hallway where we would be greeted by our child, then escorted into the classroom (this alone made my heart burst!  Seriously, how cute is THAT?!)   So here I was waiting for my little one when Abigail shyly rounds the corner, looking down, clearly intimidated but oh-so-excited. "Mama, you come with me",  she said. What she was suppose to say was "Welcome to Mother's Day Tea!  Will you please join me?" (It's all just too cute!) So in we went and sat at a table with her friend Grace and Grace's Mom.  After making bracelets, the kids served us strawberry shortcake with lemonade and iced tea. Then after everyone was finished, the kids...

I hope this finds everyone enjoying this first (sunny and beautiful!) day of the new year. We were busy, busy, busy this holiday season, but with Kevin off work from Christmas Eve through this coming Monday, we've had time to decompress. It's been really nice. We hosted Kevin's family for Christmas Eve (our first holiday host in the new house!) and had such an amazing day hanging out, opening gifts, enjoying delicious food, and spending time together as a family. While hosting a holiday carries its own set of stresses, I really enjoyed getting the house ready, decorating, and setting a formal table. There is a special place in my heart for fine china, cloth napkins, formal serve ware, and silver. I just love it! Then it was off to bed for Abigail. Santa was on his way with (kitties!) in his sleigh, and the last thing we wanted was a foiled surprise. Hiding her in the bathroom Christmas morning was tricky. Ab...