Vacation!

So we went on our first family vacation this past week! We had a great time! We went to a close family friends wedding in Virginia, headed to Williamsburg and Yorktown, then headed to one of my best friends house to stay for 5 days. We ended the trip with Clay running a crazy trail marathon. We packed tons in and had a great time! Here are some highlights! Thanks Christa and Darrell for the great time at your house and your wonderful hospitality!

First family hike!

 BK carrying her baby on the WHOLE hike =)

Strong girl. That baby didn't leave her sight! (Thanks Nina!)

 Learning how to pull apart the wool to make a tool

 Learning to make bricks

 My little colonial princess

 Best friends, Bailey Kate and Kezia (Christa and I have known each other our whole lives and our girls have known each other there whole life =)

 We took the metro to DC and spent over 12 hours sight seeing. The kids were amazing and we had so much fun!

 We had yummy cupcakes in Georgetown

 Pizza overlooking the river in Georgetown

 Future husband and wife =) Jude and Kaelyn, just 3 weeks apart =)

Daddy getting to run his race

 Waiting for daddy to finish his marathon

 silly baby

 passed our from an amazing vacation

our last stint was 5 hours without stopping...this is how we made it =)

Bailey Kate turns 3!!!

 She is so fun...and ALL girl!

So, for Bailey Kate turned 3 on May 15. Since she LOVES all things princesses we decided to go to Disney and meet the princesses instead of having a big party. So, Nina, Mimi, Jude, Mommy and Bailey Kate packed up and headed to meet all the princesses. I got her a sleeping beauty dress from Target (I couldn't bring myself to spend 65.00 on a dress at disney.) She dressed up, did her hair and make up and we were on our way! It was a really busy day, but we ended up in the fast pass lane by accident and luckily the attendendent was super nice and let us through. It took all of 10 minutes!!! We headed into the room and as soon as she saw the princesses she kept saying, "it's not peetend (pretend), they is not peetend!" She was in awe!!! As mom and I video taped and took pictures Bailey Kate danced, chatted, and generally worshipped each of the princesses. It was a forever memory!!! As I watched my little princess in her own little heaven and marveled at how much I love that little girl, I realized how much my Father in Heaven must loves me. My heart was so full it almost brought me to tears. At that moment I got it! He loves me so much that He would send His only son for me! John Pipers quote, "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him," kept repeating in my head, making that day even more special.

If that had been all we did that day it would have been just fine, but we still had lots to do. Bailey Kate danced around the whole park, rode a few rides, saw the castle, and then we ended the day with tea with the princesses. She had SO much fun (but probabley not as much fun as the Grandmas and me =)
It was the perfect birthday for my sweet girl

3!!!

 

Family party at home...homemade pizza and pink cupcakes...All the princesses requests! (don't mind the bandaid, it's just for looks =)

Yum!

Diva!

It's exhausting being a princess!

(the rest of the princess pictures are on a different camera, I'll post them eventually)

10 and 11 months

 Easter 2012...Almost 10 months old!

 Jude loves his "Bubbas"

Practice cupcake for BK's birthday

Stuck in the toy basket...i love those chunky thighs =)

So, by the time I got around to posting about Jude being 10 months he was almost 11 months, so i decided to combine them. I can't believe that in a few short months my baby will be one. The more babies I have the more aware I am of how fast this all goes by, and the more I savor every minute. Here are some stats for the last 2 months

-he is a master crawler...super fast!
-LOVES to climb the stairs (the gates are in full effect!) a few weeks ago I brought him downstairs to start making dinner and the next thing I knew he was at the very top of the stairs. 
-He cruises on all the furniture (and any human around)
-he could walk if he wanted to, but he is my cautious child (we'll see how long that lasts) so when he realizes he is standing by himself he slowly lowers himself to the ground
-can stand for a really long time by himself
-LOVES to wrestle....he thinks he is one of the big kids and gets right in the middle of the chaos
-he can say bye bye, mama, dada, pop pop, papa, Mimi, bubba (what he calls the boys) 
-waves bye bye to everyone
-is developing a bit of a temper (oh dear)
-smacks his tongue when he wants more to eat...or more of anything 
-weighs about 23 pounds and wears 12-18 month clothes.
-is sooooo easy and laid back
-LOVES daddy so much...when clay walks in the room Jude lights up, calls his name and waves. It is so precious!
-eats everything in site and is down to nursing 4 times a day
I'm so blessed to be his mommy and can't imagine my life without him.