My Pretty Ballerina

A few weeks ago, Mae went to her cousin Kenna's dance recital. We had been telling her that Kenna was going to be a ballerina and while we were waiting, Mae kept getting more and more excited. When the first dance finally started, Mae was totally mesmerized! She sat there motionless, staring at the stage. When the dance was over, Mae started clapping as fast as she could with such an intense look on her face, still not taking her eyes off the stage. As I watched her applaud, I seriously thought she was going to cry she was so excited! It was after that that we decided we might need to get her into dance. The place Kenna took dance only took kids once they were potty trained, so we told her that once she was potty trained she could be a ballerina. We have started working on it, and she is doing pretty good, but then I actually ended up finding another place that takes kids starting at 2. So we enrolled her in a summer program that starts June 24th to see if she actually does like it as much as we thinks she will-- and got her her ADORABLE costume! The second I showed it to her, Mae started screaming she was so excited! I put it on her, and while I was able to get some cute pics, I soon discovered that was a BIG mistake--and couldn't get her to take it off! I can't wait for the class to start--she makes such a BEAUTIFUL ballerina!

OUTDOOR FUN

After all the outdoor toys Mae got for her birthday, all the SWEAT we have put in to try and get our yard manageable (and yes, there is still MUCH more to do) and the pretty crappy summer we had last year with me being on bedrest, I have vowed that we will be outside as much as possible enjoying this weather before winter shows its ugly head...so get used to outside pics--I'm sure there will be MANY to follow... Mae is still COMPLETELY in love with her "Marley-Dog" (that is what she ALWAYS calls her) and Marley is still THE BEST dog. The second you sit down, she cuddles right up and sucks up as much love as she can--which is usually A LOT when it comes to a 2 year-old!

I love this pic...This is Mae to me, too busy to worry about the mass of bangs hanging in her face to be distracted at play. Even when I do do her 'do (wow!), it never lasts long. Most days she ends up looking like a beautiful orphan. I figure she will have plenty of time the rest of her life to worry about how she looks, and so for now, I embrace her lack of vanity.

So intense...

Miss Lu...not so sure about why I am interrupting her sand-eating moment to take her pic.

Luey LOVES sitting the sandbox---she would do it all day if I let her--and her FAVORITE part is....

EATING IT!!!

This is what happens when mom finally decides that eating sand might not be such a good idea...check out that tear! HEARTBREAKING!!!

My BEAUTIFUL Lu--even with sand on her face! What an ANGEL!!! (at least from the hours of 8:00am-8:00pm. After that, its anyone's guess!)

Seriously, could my life get any better??? I think not! I love my life more than I ever thought possible! I live with my best friend who works so hard and takes such good care of us--not to mention, someone I THOROUGHLY enjoy being around--a VERY good quality in a marriage I think. Plus, I get to wake up every day and play, play, play with my girls! This is such a fun stage and I find myself wishing I could freeze these moments because they are all too fleeting. Maybe this is how every mother feels, but I am so afraid of the day when I will wake up and they will be grown and gone and not need their Mom like they do now. Our days are such whirlwinds that I know that day will come WAY TOO SOON! So for now, I relish every moment I get to be with these sweeties! I sometimes get frustrated when I can't keep the house clean and I end up cleaning in about 10 times in a day or the craziness that our life sometimes is, but when I really think there will be plenty of time to have a spotless house when my girls are older and in these years that go by so fast, I want my children to remember the special times we were able to have and not so much the time or energy we put in to keeping the house clean. I truly feel so blessed! MAE & LU--I AM SO GRATEFUL TO BE YOUR MOM!!! I LOVE YOU MORE THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED!!!

Mae's P-A-R-T-Y!!!

The Saturday after Mae's actual birthday, we had her party at our house with lots of family! She had such a good time!

Coby brought Mae around back and she waited patiently while everyone sang her "Happy Birthday!"

PRESENTS!!!

Coby's parents gave her the CUTEST kitchen set, oven, fridge and sink set!

My mom and Frank got Mae 2 playhouses (yes, I said TWO) and this is the one they finally decided on giving her--I think it's a hit!

Peek-a-Boo!

My grandparents gave Mae a crab sandbox and sand toys---and both she and Lu LOVE it!

COUSINS!!! (could that be ANY cuter???)

My grandparents also gave Lu and early b-day present, a toddler swing for the tree...She looks pretty relaxed even in the get-up Mom made her wear!

Mae's Marley-Dog cake---made by YOURS TRULY!!!

Mae LOVES Happy Birthday! She sings it CONSTANTLY and LOVES it even more when it is for HER!!!

Kisses for Marley-Dog, the cake.

RIP INTO IT!!! We are not timid about opening presents here.

Lu's first taste of ice cream and cake--thanks to Great Grandma Barbara!...Big surprise, she LIKED IT!!!

We had a GREAT time at Mae's party and are sooooooo grateful for all our family who was able to make it! Mae LOVED every minute of it and is still singing herself "Happy Birthday!"

Mae turns 2!!!

I can't believe our Mae-Mae is TWO!!! She has been such a blessing to our lives and makes each day happy! We had a little celebration on her actual b-day just our famiy before her big b-day party that weekend... Blowing out her candles...with a little help from Dadda!
PRESENTS!!!
Jumping with her new "Princess and the Frog" jump rope

Rocking out with her new shovel??? Sweet Lu, so happy, wishing her big sis a Happy Birthday!!!

Later that day, me, Mae, Ash and Kenna all went out for a smoothie to celebrate Mae's big day. The girls were so cute and Mae made a HUGE mess enjoying it!

YUM!!!

WE LOVE YOU MAE-MAE!!!

Mommy's "Bwa"

Too soon...

Happy Birthday to ME!!!

What better birthday could I ask for than a day with my three favorite people, my girls and my hubby?!! Mae woke up with a fever, so we had a pretty chill day just relaxing at home, but I couldn't have asked for a better day!

Happy B-day Cobes! (a little late)

Yes, I know it is June and yes, I am just getting around to posting about Coby's bday---oops! While we were visiting Ogden, we celebrated with a Krispy Creme donut burger that Coby had been wanting to try for a long time!

So-- Happy Birthday Cobes! WE LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!