Annabelle - I Heart {This} Face

In loving memory of our sweet Annabelle, I have entered this picture in the I Heart Faces (.com) pet face photo contest. 





This photo was submitted to the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com
Read more at http://www.iheartfaces.com/how-it-works/grab-a-button/#eMLiHkw8eXx37oJL.99

A Few of My Favorite Little Moments {Lately}

"It's the little moments that make life big."

When we make pizza we have to hurry and get the cheese on, before Landon eats it all!

We tried carving the pumpkin we got from the corn maze, but it was hard as cement.
At least she touched the guts this year!

First snow!

"Dada, read Sam."

Girl Scouts Halloween Scavenger Hunt. 

Hugs and kisses in the bucket.

We are potty training. We still need some work!!!

Making cake-pops. Thanks Auntie Sara for the coolest birthday present ever!

First sleep in his big boy bed.

Friday night living room slumber party. 

Sound asleep. 

and just like that she is 6.

Other than those few moments that I gave in and dosed off in pure exhaustion while she slept cradled in the nook of my neck and when Daddy took her to let me rest and gave her her first bath and then that brief time I left her surrounded by our family and friends to sneak away to soak my tired, distorted, weak body in a bath while reliving her birth with my sister --- those were the only moments that I ever spend time away from her on her birth-day. This year there was a special bubble hanging over our morning routine. On her sixth birthday she got ready to spend her day at school and for the first time away from me.

We have a six year old! Our tiny bundle of cheeks has developed into the most amazing big kid around.



Landon made his big sister a birthday cake.

We celebrated and honored our special girl on her day at home with a special birthday dinner, cake and presents. We had it all planned to go out to a special, fancy dinner. She said, "I would rather have mac 'n cheese for dinner. And not that homemade stuff you make mom, I want the kind out of the box." So we stayed home and had mac 'n cheese, sparkling juice and her favorite, artichokes.

He couldn't  wait for cake.

She got her pink bow.

Landon thought it was a good idea to test her new toy before she
got to it.

A Royal Tea Party

It was magic. The little princesses entered a gallery of pink and when they saw the tea party table their little faces gleamed. I figure they each only have a couple more years to believe in the magic of a royal tea party. The dark cloud of growing up, the maturity and influence from older peers will settle over their sparkly pink world and the magic will sadly begin to fade. Pink paper cups, pink raspberry tea, tissue paper pom-pons and streamers will only induce ooh and aws for a short while longer.

The minute her fifth year party ended she was already planning her sixth year party. She knew for a whole year that a princess tea party is what she wanted.

With five short hours to go, she was up and eagerly setting the royal table.

They had a blast!

Snacks, tea, apple cider .... and sugar cubes .... and princess giggling!

A SuperKid Halloween

She likes to plan ahead, way ahead. As she took off last year's mermaid costume she said, "Next year Landon can be Superman and I will be Super-Addi. Mom you can make me a cape with an A on it."

Checking for candy!

We joined Addi and her class at their class party.

 I caught Addi telling secrets to the boys!

Sharing a treat.

We trick-or-treated with our special friend, Jordyn-the-Explorer.

Landon loved trick-or-treating. He was so concerned that when a person went to place a piece of candy into his pumpkin bucket that they were going to take candy out. He would say, "No. Me do it." He would pull his bucket away and fumble with his mittened hand to grab the candy and put it in his bucket himself. He didn't want to stop. "Another house. More door?" 

It was so windy all day. He was so concerned he was going to blow away, "Me blow away?", he kept asking. After he got his costume on and went outside, I told him that he won't blow away he will fly because he has his cape on. So he was saying all day, "Me no blow away. Me fly!", as he watched his cape flutter in the wind.

Addi has more faith in my sewing abilities than I do. She kept saying, "I know you can do it, Mama." She was thrilled even when I sewed her A emblem so crooked. She said, "I like it crooked." I just love her! Her only requests were that it was pink, and extra long, "dragging on the ground like a wedding veil."

Their Super-Dog!

 Sorting through their loot at the end of the night. Addi organized her candy into piles and then counted it. I used to do the exact same thing.