Brithdy Party #4

Ok -- last one I PROMISE!! Sunday night we got together with Mike's parents to celebrate Anne Marie's birthday. They asked her where she would like to go eat. She asked for Chinese food, so off to her favorite Chinese restaurant we went. Why you ask is it her favorite? Well, they have a coin-pond & lions outside, they have a pond with fish, water fountain, and walking bridge over the water inside. (Mike likes it for the huge buffet!) Then we went back to their house to open presents & eat some very special cupcakes she made Anne Marie.

Waiting outside for Grandma & Grandpa - very excited about her special night

Grandma even got in on the "monkey theme" - she got her a monkey bath scrubbie

How cute are these chick-cup-cakes?? Anne Marie loved them!

Opening her gifts -- she LOVED her watch!!

Thank you Grandma & Grandpa for a GREAT birthday!!!!!

Birthday Party #3

The night of Anne Marie's birthday we had a "special" night planned just for the 3 of us. It was time (past time) for her to get a "big girl bed". We'd had it for months, but it had to be re-finished & painted, so we decided to make it part of her b-day present.

When Mike got home from work, I took Anne Marie to play & he took the crib down & put up the bed. After he was done we went out to eat & then back home for the "big-reveal". Ruby Tuesday's is the place we've eaten each year. It was by accident really, it was just newly opened on her 1st b-day so we decided to check it out. Then next year, we went again because mom was with us, and she really likes it... so this year, we didn't want to break the cycle, so now I think it's going to be a fun little thing we do each year. And for each of the birthday's we have a picture of Anne Marie and Mike outside the restaurant ... if I can find all three pictures I'll post them so we can see the difference from 1yr to 3yr!!

Anne Marie & Daddy ready to eat!

After her b-day dinner of chicken fingers, mashed potatoes & salad.

Her special Ruby-Tuesday b-day sundae.

(If you think it's big - it was, so we "helped" her with it--Haa!!)

SOOOOO excited about her new bed & gifts!

She got Curious George gifts to go w/ her "monkey-bday" earlier in the day

Ready for her 1st night in her big girl bed

Saying goodnight to our big 3 yr old!!

Birthday Party #2

The morning of Anne Marie's Birthday a group of her little friends came over for a birthday party. Anne Marie has started a "love-affair" with Curious George. (It may be because the only cartoons to watch in our house are on PBS) So, when I came across a Martha-Stewart kit @ our craft store on clearance that was a monkey-party-kit I decided to pick it up & run with it. It had really cute decorations in it, cute cup-cake-toppers, and really cute little monkey cups. I also found little girly-monkey-stickers, and it went from there.

We had a fun day, we played pin-the-tail-on-the-monkey, colored monkey coloring pages, played in the play-room, opened presents, had lunch - peanut-butter an banana & grapes, and then ate cake -- what else does a "little monkey" need?

Monkey cupcakes.

Anne Marie & her friend Avery

Our friend Mira & her mommy.

Our friend Elsie and Anne Marie having fun w/ babies.

Cousin Naomi & Anne Marie ready to eat lunch.

Even some of our friends got in the act -- this is a pool/ beach towel that is made into a little girl monkey -- how cute is this??

And our friends got to have fun w/ gift opening too!!

Having TOO much fun, playing pin-the-tail-on-the-monkey!

Singing Happy b-day & making a wish.

Friends enjoying our cupcakes (for the 2nd day in a row)

Birthday Party #1

All of our family members are so busy right now, there was no way for everyone to get together for one birthday party. So, we decided to have a few "mini-parties". One with my family, one with her friends, and one with his family. We 3 also spent a little "alone" time.

The first get-to-gether was with my family. My sisters, nieces, and mother & her husband all got together at the house to eat pizza & cup-cakes. Anne Marie helped make her cupcakes for our gathering. I made 24 cupcakes (12 for family & 12 for her friend party) but I wanted to decorate the ones for her friends different, so I let her sprinkle the 12 for family w/ what ever we had in the stash. I thought they turned out cute! She had alot of fun & picked peperoni pizza as her food of choice that night.

So, be prepared --- if you don't feel like going through all the birthday pictures from 4 birthday parties ... skip the blog this week, but if you feel like hanging on, get ready for the "mega-week-of-birthday-posts".

Proud of her decorating skills!

Anne Marie & cousin Naomi ready for pizza!

"Big" cousin Stephanie showing the girls her video game -- and something just made them crack-up --- don't know what, but it must have been very funny!!

My birthday girl.

Making her wish.

Yum! Caramel Cupcakes!!

My Baby Girl is 3 !!!!!!

Today, my beautiful child is turning 3 !!

Could 26 months have passed since they placed this child in my arms? This child has turned our world upside down & inside out. Through the thoughtful hands of God, she has taught us a love like we've never known, & laughter that's never been heard before.

Happy Birthday to our girl!

(More later on the parties!!)

Oh What a Bowl of Ice Cream Can Do...

Oh my heart is melting!! Why you say?? Here's my story......

Tonight was just a "mommy & Anne Marie night". Mike had to work late, so it was just the two of us for dinner.

Well, can I just tell you, dinner was, for lack of a better word, "yucky" -- I will not use that recipe again. So, we ate our veggies, and I grabbed a piece of fruit for each of us, and that was our dinner. Well, I decided that we needed a treat after that, so I brought out the strawberry ice-cream. YUM - much better!

Well, as we were eating - she looked @ me and said "you know what" -- well I knew what was coming, she, Mike, and I always play this game - one says "you know what" and the other says "what? "and then comes the "I love you so much" .. and so it goes back & forth until everyone has been covered. We've been doing it for months & months, it's our cute little game we play. Well, she says "you know what" - and I say "What?" she says "Your my best friend for ever and ever".

OHOHOHOHHHH be still my heart!! I wanted to cry -- and then I wanted to write it down! (Also for when she's 14 and swears she never said it I have it in print! haa)

Too Many Clothes???

Is there such a thing for a little girl? Well, Mike will tell you YES! Definitely YES! Today I decided to get all the boxes of clothes down from the attic - last years summer clothes (to see if any of them will still fit this year) - the ones I've already bought for this summer (just to double check they all will fit) - the winter ones for next year (to put some of the winter clothes this year that might fit next year) - and the winter clothes from last year (for the ones from this year that will not fit next year)

So, I had a HUGE mess of clothes all over Anne Marie's room Saturday! Mike thought it might be funny to take a picture.

But you moms get this right??

I will say that after I found that she had a HUGE tote full of clothes for this summer (and a couple more outfits coming for her birthday in a couple weeks) So, I will NOT need to buy anything else!! (Happy Mike?) (Maybe some summer jammies??? haaa)

Happy Birthday Grandma!!

Happy birthday a little late that is... After the craziness of the last few weeks everyone's birthday got pushed back a little bit --- including Grandma H's birthday. We were finally able to celebrate with her this past Saturday. Anne Marie was very excited to get to go out & eat with them again & give her the card that she made her. (with a little help)

The card Anne Marie made for her Grandma (I accidentally deleted the one of her holding it & smiling, so this will have to do!) :o(

Helping Grandma open her birthday present.

Telling (Screaming) Grandma "I made 'dis card for you!"

Happy Birthday Grandma!!! We hope you had a wonderful day!!!

Like Father ... Like Daughter

Saturday was a "hanging-out-family-day" at our house. Most of the day was spent going through fall/winter & spring/summer clothes. (Come back soon for a post on that MESS later).

Mike always tells me that he sees so much of me in Anne Marie. We always joke that God knew exactly what he was doing because this child has much of my personality. He's not the only one, my mom always laughs when we're around because she constantly is saying "you used to do that" or "that was you when you were little" or "you know how I felt now". It is amazing what wonderful plans our Father has for us if we're willing to follow his path, and we are so blessed to have this child, and I can not explain how much she just "fits" in our family.

But today, she was not her mother's child - she was daddy's shadow. I well up inside when I see the two of them interact sometimes. From the second we woke up today she asked for her dad. She went into our room to wake him up & ask him to fix "morning dinner". (That's what she calls breakfast!) She begged for bacon this morning ... what kid loves bacon? SHE DOES! And I think it might be one of Mike's favorite foods! Then, she found a blue hat in her clothes boxes and grabbed it, put it on & ran to daddy to say "I got a hat just like you dada!!" (He has a NY Yankees hat he wears all the time). Then I walked in on them laying on the bed just "chatting" with each other -- see the picture below -- Oh how sweet it was!! She even had her arms behind her head just like him. She may act like me, but aspires to be just like daddy!!

For the love of.....bacon!

My two most favorite people!

My Birthday

We finally celebrated my birthday this weekend. With everything going on with my mom over the past few weeks, we just put it off until everything "calmed down". So, Friday we spent the evening out with Mike's parents. They took us to dinner. We had a very nice time. We got a little dessert after our dinner & Anne Marie REALLY enjoyed the carrot cake I decided to split with her! Thanks Grandma & Grandpa for a lovely evening!

Happy Family!

Enjoying YUMMY Carrot Cake!

Having a little fun with Grandpa

Beach Weather...

Well, after a "snow-storm" at the beginning of the week, we're having 70deg. weather this weekend! We took a trip to the mall today to visit some friends of ours & meet for lunch. Well, I went armed w/ a Gymboree coupon!!! Watch out!! Well, I just HAD TO HAVE this bathing suit & hat! When we got home Anne Marie had to put in on to show Daddy & declared "I wanna to go to the beach!!".. Ditto that girlfriend!!

Snow-Ice-Cream!!

Yesterday while we were out playing in the snow we filled a bowl with fresh snow. I put it in the freezer overnight so that when Mattie came to be with us on Tuesday we could make snow-ice-cream. The girls had the best time making ice-cream...and eating it.

Scooping snow.

Our bowl full of snow.

Pouring the milk

Dumping the snow in milk, sugar & vanilla.

I let the girls pick out sprinkles to put on top.

The girls enjoying their ice-cream - YUM!!