Love this smile

Silly Berlin. Couldn't get her to keep a hat on her head all winter. Now it's June and she thought it would be fun to wear a hat around the house. I really just love both of these pictures and couldn't decide which smile was cuter so I had to post them both...gosh, I just love this girl.

Walking Through Life

I love it when Tryn lets me hold her hand. I don’t get to much anymore, she is a big girl after all and under the impression that hand holding is for babies. However, when we walk across a parking lot (if I am not already holding Berlin, pushing a cart, carrying bags of stuff, or holding Berlin AND carry bags of stuff) I have Tryn hold my hand. Partly for her safety, but partly because it makes me feel like she still needs me. She still depends on me and still requires me to do many things for her, but each day is a step toward making it possible for her to someday live on her own and to not need me anymore. In little things, such as having her hold my hand when we cross the street, we are teaching her not only to be careful of oncoming cars, but to also not jump into things without looking where she is going. So that someday she can not only talk a walk safely alone, but she can also decide if she should get in the car with her friends who are leaving a party after having a couple of drinks.

This last weekend Tryn and I took a quick run to the grocery store for some ice cream. I had her hold my hand as we crossed the parking lot, and this time she didn’t immediately let go as soon as we reached the curb. She held my hand as we walked into the store, and I was not the one to finally let go. The best part about holding Tryn’s hand is that it is like trying to hold onto a flittering fairy. When she is holding onto my hand every stair needs to be jumped, every step needs to be skipped, and there is dancing among all of it.

It’s funny because when she walks alone, she just walks. But when she holds my hand it is like she feels safe and free to wriggle, jump, and dance through each step, because I am holding her hand and I won’t let her fall down. And she is so happy. She laughs and giggles, and even if I am trying to hurry I can’t tell her to stop because she is having so much fun holding my hand. I try to imagine what is going on in her mind and what her steps would be like if she was constantly holding my hand, she would, I think, literally try to fly through life.

It is also these sweet times when I realize that my kids are not the only ones learning from these experiences. It makes me realize how much our relationship with God can be so much like a child and parent. That when God calls himself my Father that he is probably feeling the same thing that I am feeling towards Tryn…that I wish she could hold my hand like this every day for the rest of my life.

Come thou, oh long awaited...Birthday Pictures!!

Yay!! I am not a dummy anymore! Well...nevermind. I at least figured out how to get my edited pictures onto my blog and so here are the long ago promised pictures of Trynica's third birthday party. I have never done a themed party before. I have had Christmas parties and such, but never a full on themed party. Three years ago I would have never agreed to throw a princess themed birthday party for 30 people. No way. Three years later...

We made colorful construction paper princess crowns with jewels on them.

Our daughter was given not one, but two pink princess dresses. The other one actually sparkles and lights up when you push a button.

We colored pictures of princesses.



Played with new princess toys which included dressing and accessorizing princesses (or princessessessess, as Tryn calls them).

And had princess napkins and paper plates, oh help us.

Remember how I told you that Berlin threw a princess style fit when she thought she wasn't going to get a cupcake?

Rest assured that she did indeed get that cupcake and made such a royal mess.

Paisley, just cause she's cute and I really like this picture :)

Princess Trynica hopping around with her delivery of a bouquet of helium infused balloons.

Opening princess birthday presents (this one was a set of four pairs of princess shoes, which Tryn loves and wears obsessively now).

Taking a break from opening presents to read a new princess book to Larissa. Princess books were one of the presents that Tryn actually asked for when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday. She is also quite obsessive AND possessive about these.

Struggling so gracefully and princess-like (not!) to open this present!

And even with all the princess presents and princess things, my baby still likes her cars and trucks. :)


Happy Birthday Tryn!

Oh, and just as a small example, incase you are wondering about the difference between edited and non-edited check out the two pics below. This is not even my favorite example of the difference it can make, but I love this picture and forgot to put it in the with rest, so I am adding it now :)

I am NOT a dummy.

Apparently, Lightroom should come with a manual for dummies. I have figured out how to do a few things, but I managed to split the screen into this duel view thing that I really wanted to turn off. I finally figured it out after fifteen a few minutes, but now I am frustrated. I am going to set things aside for tonight. In fact, the below pics were actually edited, but then, when I uploaded them to my blog, lo' and behold, they were the unedited versions...have no idea how that happened. Still going to post them anyway because I just love them!

How terrible am I, but these pictures aren't even of the birthday girl! Berlin just keeps making me laugh, and I love these photos of her. She is funny. She was watching this whole thing, watching all the big kids get their cupcakes, and then, when she thought she wasn't going to get one too, burst into absolutely hysterical tears. I didn't even think she knew what was going on, but I guess I was wrong. They were such sad tears too! These are a few pre-tears pictures...

Laughter, Good for the Soul

One really fun part of being a parent is getting to laugh at your kids. I mean, let's be honest, while we are often embarrassed by the loud outbursts and proclamations, it makes a great story and it is fun to be able to laugh about it later on. So, while I have had a hard time posting any pictures lately because I am getting a new photo editing program tomorrow (SO EXCITED!!) and all of my pics will look better/more like I want them to after that, I just couldn't wait to share these pictures with you (maybe I will repost these after I "fix" them:).

Oh, little Berlin. My kids are good for my soul. These pictures just make me laugh out loud (every time I look at them!!)...I hope they do the same for you! This is called Blowing Dandelions.







P.S. LOTS more pics to follow in the next few days of the Princess Birthday Party that we had on Saturday, but I really am going to wait for the photo program before posting any more pics...so you'll just have to wait. Between my brother and I, we got some really great shots of the party, I am excited to share them. Later though.

Happy Birthday, Trynica!

Three years ago today is when I learned that it is possible to love so intensely that I would lay down my life for an almost perfect stranger. Three years ago today I held my baby Trynica in my arms for the very first time. Now, three years later, I find that I love her even more intensely that I did that first day, and wonder how that is even possible. And I wonder how it is possible to love three different people so intensely and to love each of them with all my heart, but I do. I love my baby Trynica with all my heart.
I got Tryn out of bed this morning and wasn’t able to tell her that it is her birthday today, because her party isn’t until Saturday and we didn’t want her to get confused. So all of the emotion and excitement that I wanted to bestow on her by shouting, “Tryn! It’s your birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” was stuffed down and I just held her in my arms and gave her twenty kisses instead. Sigh. I can’t wait for Saturday morning.


Trynica,
Happy Birthday baby! I am so excited that it is finally your birthday! You seriously have been excited for your birthday since before Christmas and so I am glad that it is finally here and that we get to celebrate you! Your daddy and I love having you. We were so excited to learn that we were having a baby girl and we are still so excited today to have you as our sweet little girl.
I love that you are my girly girl. I love that we can already get excited about new shoes together and it is always so fun to have you tell me, “Mom, I really like your skirt/necklace/earrings/shoes,” or whatever part of my outfits catches your attention on any given day. I love to paint your nails because you get so excited about it! You are adorable. I also love that you would wear a dress every day and to bed at night if we let you. We have actually let you wear dresses over your pj’s to bed at night because you love dresses so much.
Ever since you were born you have caught people’s attention with your blonde hair and huge blue eyes, you still do. In fact, we were at the mall last week and when we stopped by to get some ice cream the lady behind the counter gave you a free little bowl of ice cream, just because she thought you were so cute. And you are, of course.
You are so smart! Sometimes you freak me out a little because you are so smart. Your newest obsession is learning the sounds that all of the letters of the alphabet make. You know that your name starts with a T and every time you see a sign or packaging with the letter T you tell us, “Look! There’s T for Tryn!” You especially do this a lot while we are driving around and you see lots of signs out the window. But a lot of conversations right now are about what each letter sounds like and what word starts with that letter. I also think that it is amazingly smart that you have whole scenes from movies memorized and that you can act them out. Your daddy and I play along with you a lot, because you need someone to be the evil stepmother or the fairy godmother, and if we don’t get the lines right – exactly as they are in the movie – you will correct us and make sure we say the right thing, or prompt us if we can’t remember the next part. Your memory is amazing and your imagination is incredible.
Something that your daddy just loves that you do is when you make up songs. You have several songs memorized and you sing them all the time, you can also learn new songs by listening to them just a handful of times. However, lately, you also make up your own songs. Sometimes you will make up lyrics to a melody that you already know, but more often you will just make up your own lyrics and melody, stuff that actually makes sense.
Thank you for letting me still call you my baby and for snuggling with me on the couch. I love you so fiercely it makes my heart ache. I am so thankful that I get to be your mommy; daddy and I are so blessed to have you in our lives. We can’t imagine life without you.
I love you with all my heart, sweet little girl.
Love,
Mommy

Guilty Pleasure

I have to admit that I haven’t had much time to write on my blog recently. I mean, I spend a lot of time cleaning the house, doing laundry, cleaning cars, cleaning kids, cooking meals, running errands, reading princess books, grocery shopping, playing with kids, did I mention cleaning kids?:), and working for 40 hours every week. However, I am here to admit that the reason I have not posted a blog in almost a week is because I have a guilty pleasure. I, along with my husband, have been living in the world of Hogwarts School of Wizardry and the life of Harry Potter.

Yes, as if I don't read enough kid's books during the day, I am obsessed with reading a series of children’s books.

We started reading the first one while we were on vacation in the middle of April. We are now approaching the end of the series and have watched four of the five movies that are out, and are very excited about the sixth movie coming out this July.

We are fully in. We can even get rather high scores on the online quizzes about the stories.

I never got into the series when it was first out and really popular because I couldn’t figure out why in the world I would really enjoy books written to 13 year olds. I remember hearing about people standing in line at midnight to get the next book as it was released and I thought they were crazy. I remember hearing about employees not being able to open the boxes of books until midnight on that said day at the risk of being fired and I thought they were crazy.

I would never do that. I would definitely never go see the midnight showing of the movie that comes out in July…Um, pretty sure I am definitely going to be there at midnight. Shoot.