Photostory Friday and Party Girls

The girls had quite the birthday party bash last weekend. It was definitely more fun to plan this year and watch the girls REALLY enjoy all of the activities. They loved all the attention that they received from friends and family. It was more like their birthday week and not just one day.

Steve has started a tradition of making the girls their own individual cakes every year. He is actually really good at it!

Makena, Riley, and Alyssa enjoying their moment of glory!

Riley making a wish....

The girls loved having their very own jumpy house in the front yard for a few hours.


We couldn't let the sugar overload stop at the birthday cakes. Bring on the pinata!

The girls loved their princess bikes from mommy and daddy.

Alyssa can't wait to keep all her "monies" in her new pink piggy bank.

Our 4 year-old princesses

As much as I love watching them grow up, it all seems to be going by way too fast.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Click here to see our guest list and add your link.

Hold still will ya?

It's always interesting when I try to get the girls to hold still for 5 seconds so I can take a picture. It's like living with the 3 stooges.

For more Wordful Wednesday

Visit Angie at

1,460 days

I sit here in amazement this morning, wondering how the last four years have flown by so quickly. We have been blessed with healthy, happy girls who bring joy into our lives every single day. I am so thankful to be your mama. Thank you for making the last 1,460 days so special.

Happy 4th Birthday Makena, Alyssa and Riley!!!

Big girls

We survived the transition to big girl beds! The girls have done fabulously and our bedtime routines have not been affected at all. I am a lucky mama! We've only had one monkey fall out of the bed so far. I make sure to scoot everyone towards the wall when I peek in on each of them after they are asleep. All of the bedguards I have found online won't fit on the style of twin bed they have, but so far it seems like they won't need them.

I forgot to mention in my last post that the girls new bedroom furniture is their birthday gifts from Lolo and Lola (my in-laws). We can't thank them enough. The girls LOVE their new beds. They also have new dressers and nightstands.

Miss Makena

Miss Alyssa...who informed us that all she needs is a t.v. in her room and she is all set. Sorry girlfriend~you can buy that t.v. with your first paycheck!

Miss Riley

Six days to go until their 4th birthday!!

Photostory Friday and The End of an Era

Big changes are happening tomorrow. We are saying goodbye to cribs and transitioning the girls to twin beds. Although, the thought of leaving them in cribs until their 18th birthday has crossed my mind frequently, I'm pulling up my big girl pants again and making the transition. My babies just aren't babies anymore.

Remember this video of the girls trying to climb into Alyssa's crib?

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Click here to see our guest list and add your link.

Birthdays and the Secret Photographer

August is filled with birthdays among our family and friends. We kicked off the month celebrating Aiden's 5th birthday (my BF Ly's son). The girls munched on popcorn, had their first snow cones, played in the jumpy house and enjoyed a water slide!

The birthday boy Aiden

Aiden's big sister Ashly is a budding photographer who was busy snapping away pictures of the girls. It was so fun to see all the action that I missed while the girls were busy playing. Below are some of my favorite pictures that Ashly took.

Did someone say jumpy house?

--my three jumping monkeys


My girls with three of their jumping buddies (my college roomate's girls).


One, two, three....JUMP!

Alyssa with Ashly (Alyssa LOVES her Ashly)

Ashly with Riley and Makena

One of my favorite pictures....Alyssa with a sparkle in her eye!

Makena and Alyssa couldn't get enough of the waterslide, especially once the big kids cleared off of it. They were hesitant to try the slide at first, but as you can see in the video, they quickly got the hang of it.

Photostory Friday and Livin' on the Edge

BF Jess and I took the kiddos out for an evening stroll one night this week while they enjoyed their summertime popsicles together. Little did we know that a gigantic mess was in our future. There happens to be a sandpile at the end of our street that the kids talked us into letting them play in. And by talking us into it I mean they ran full steam ahead and jumped right into it.

POPSICLES + SAND = STICKY MESS

Makena and Calum enjoying their evening walk

Alyssa (Always the last one eating her dessert. She savors every last bite!)

My inner mommy alarms were ringing high at this point....dreading the clean-up that I would have to do after this adventure. But, I pulled up my big-girl pants and chilled out. Had to remind myself that this was SO much fun for the kids.

Alyssa and Riley making sand angels

My sweet Lissy Bear...that smile lights up the place!


Makena...with a look on her face like I caught her in the middle of doing something naughty!


Riley...getting buried in the sand


Brave Calum letting the big kids bury him. We won't talk about the handfuls of sand that got inside his ears. I'm guessing BF Jess will be working on "project ear-cleanout" for awhile!



I'm so thankful that my girls get to grow up with BF Jess's boys. What awesome memories they will have together!



Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Click here to see our guest list and add your link.

Wordful Wednesday

The topic for my post today was a toss up. I could write about how it has been 19 days and my Tahoe is still at the dealership needing major work done with no current estimate of when I'll get the car back. I could write about how I'm so frustrated with this whole repair fiasco that it might be easier to start the car on fire, push it over a cliff and just start over.

But that kind of a post isn't all the fun and puts me in a bad mood.

So instead, I'll tell you about the gigantic ice cream cones that my kids devoured with no help from me on one of our recent nights out. Because ice cream ALWAYS makes it better!

I'm going to try my best to bury my frustrations at the spa today with two of my favorite people. Celebrating 20+ years of friendship certainly brings a smile to my face!

For more Wordful Wednesday

Visit Angie at