This month brought LOTS of snuggle and cozy time around our house, while the frigid weather kept us INSIDE.
We sort of kept our tree up until the 2nd week of January since we were gone for Christmas, just so we could enjoy it longer (or it had been cleared of all its decorations and was just waiting for a strong, handsome man to wrangle it back into its box).
Lily loved it as a backdrop!
CHEESERS!!!!
Silly Pom Pom Hair Lily created one day playing in the dress-ups
She told me she can't wait till crazy hair day at school to rock this look!
One day my baby girl wanted "curlies" and I just LOVE it when she lets me do her hair like this!
She looks so grown up
So after going through my pics for the month I came across a TON that Lily had taken, probably when mom was still getting up in the morning. Some where weird but I kind of loved seeing the world through her perspective
One day for ward playgroup I planned for us to go ice skating at seven peaks ice arena because on Thursdays they have a mom/tot skate for 3$ per person. We invited Angi and the boys too and good thing because no one else could make it!
Ella pretty much wanted me to hold onto her the WHOLE time which was kind of hard with Lily needing help too. Then my little boy that I babysit got dropped off and it was a bit sticky. But I finally snagged (after some serious stalking and dirty looks) some little stands that the kids could hold onto while they skate. Just a side note if you plan on doing this with little kids and don't have an adult per child, get their early and get these things, they make all the difference in the world. And just so you don't think I was being totally mean, the stalking and dirty looks were directed to the third graders there on a field trip on the other side of the building, who were sitting on them and playing with them, and I'm sorry but if you can ride a bike without training wheel you're probably too old for the walker when ice skating, I'm just saying.....
So I know I just got mad at the other kids for sitting on them, but Lil and Ollie were having a "meeting" for a second
All Done! Ella still talks about it and we will definitely go back.
What's with the hand poses?
That same day after skating, we went to Borders bookstore for story time like we do almost every week and they just happened to have the FLASH fox there and a player reading the stories that day.
One Saturday we went to the Disney Store for a Princess celebration. I love having two girls on days like this when we can just be totally "princessy" and they are just LOVING it!!
We looked at the stuffed animals for a bit before it started
LOTS OF PRINCESS'
Lily wanted to answer every question when they played the "guess which princess I am" game.
Ella wanted to come sit by me about halfway through the game
Then they played a fun relay game where they had to take a sugar cube on their spoon from the bowl to the teacup.
And after all that fun we made fancy goblets that were decorated with jewels.
LOVE this FACE!
I love walking into Lily's room at night to see this, her toys all tucked in for bed. She really loves her stuffed animals and dolls.
For Lily's birthday I surprised her in the morning with the desk I picked up from the DI a while ago, and I cleaned it up and put it in her room and filled it with her coloring books, crayons, and pencils.
I think she Loved it and was a bit surprised!
Birthday balloons
Birthday Banner
Presents (and for the record this is NOT usual, but since we were gone in AZ for Christmas this year, we left almost all the presents here, there are even a couple for Ella, I was so loving the January birthday!)
Birthday Crowns
A picture Lily drew at her new desk of her under the sea ocean party, notice the birthday banner hanging up just like ours, and Lily the mermaid with her colorful presents
A great way to start the day
New Bubbles
Then instead of the zoo like we had planned, because it was a bit chilly, we went instead to the Kangaroo ZOO which is basically a huge building full of bouncy houses and slides.
The girls LOVED it, and dont know why but my camera got really blurry here for a bit
LOVE THIS ONE
Then we had to take Lil to school and then we went back after school, that's why Lily has a Tinkerbell outfit on because it was Peter Pan day at school.
Playing with Dad after getting home from her dance class.
Her "5" cupcakes that I made to take to school, only to realize just before school that cupcakes aren't allowed, sooooo we saved them for her party.
The OCEAN/UNDER THE SEA/MERMAID party
My mom made the CUTEST mermaid outfits for the girls, and they were so happy to get to wear them at the party.
The SPREAD: gummi shark topped cupcakes, swedish fish, blue koolaid, gummi worms/eels, and goldfish
We pretty much used every bath toy we had and hung them all over the house with some crete paper and tulle.
I didn't really go all out on decorations this time but Lily liked it and that's all that matters right?
Balloons as ocean bubbles
The goody bags
Included: Shells, bubbles, tiny umbrellas, bracelets, flip flop note pad, an ocean "jewel", ocean smooth green stones, a tub squirt toy, and treats. (All Lily's ideas)
The ice cream cake that Chad made for the party turned out so cute and tasted good too
Our OCEAN BINGO game
And the "forgotten about in the fridge until after the party" Jello jigglers I made
And the party begins! Balloon tag/freeze dance
Then Ocean animal red light/ green light
I think the girls had fun and I definitely had fun watching them. A couple memorable moments from the party include: At one point Lily having a little crying episode where she told me she wanted everyone to go home (I think 12 girls is just too many sometimes), and then having all the girls pretty much open their presents and hand them to Lily, Barbie was the favorite toy and Lily got 5 new ones, she was in HEAVEN! Now until Ella's birthday in May.....
I don't even have words to say what I'm feeling as I write this post on the night before my baby turns 5. Her little life has been such a miraculous thing for me to be a part of. She is perfect, smart, funny, kind, artistic, imaginative, brave, spiritual, beautiful, curious, thoughtful and sensitive. Since she was born, I have been in awe of the journey that her little spirit is on. My biggest wish for her being that the journey will lead her back to our Heavenly Father who sent her to me for her time on earth. What is really killing me is that I remember feeling how grown up I felt at 5 and how much I remember about that time in my life. I just hope that at this turning point, where my little girl feels more grown up than ever, I can keep it together and let her flourish in her growing independence when all I really want to do is hold on to her tighter than ever. No seriously I might be loosing it, as I just considered home-schooling the girl because she was a little unsure what school would be like next year. She is so smart and her favorite game lately is to pretend to play "school" with Ella and her friends. Because of this one of her birthday presents that I've had for a while is an old mini school desk and chair I got from the DI for 15$! She is
always the first to remind us about family scripture study and really loves learning new primary songs and "helping" me lead the music in Primary. She is MOSTLY very kind, and loving to her little sister and always thinks about her when getting a snack, reading a book or just wanting to snuggle with her. She is still a social butterfly, LOVES to dance, and is most happy when doing a project, wearing a leotard and singing a song! She will always be my baby no matter how old she gets and I am so excited for her big day. Right now her room is full of balloons and her new desk. After she wakes up we are taking her to the ZOO, she is a huge ANIMAL lover, and then will drop her off at preschool with her pink frosted cupcakes and blue Jello cups with gummy fish and sharks inside, dressed up as Tinkerbell because it's Peter Pan day. After she gets home I'm sure she'll want to play with Ella and her BF Emma in the set up "house" they built of pillows, blankets and blocks downstairs. Then its off to her dance class and then Uncle Nick and Liz will come over for dinner of spaghetti, bread sticks and salad. Followed by angel food cake with strawberries, blueberries, and whip cream (all food per your request) with friends. And then we will have her Under the Sea Party this weekend with her friends. Oh how we love our sweet Lily girl!
