McKenzie is 2!!

Two years ago today God gave me the most precious baby girl I could ever imagine. I naturally loved her the moment I found out that she was conceived, but i could have never imagined how much that love could grow in just two years. Her smile makes you want to smile with her, her laugh makes you giggle too and her hugs make you never want to let go. I pray one day she will know how truly special she is!

Thank you Jesus for my blessing. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!

McKenzie's Birthday Paw-ty

On Saturday McKenzie celebrated her 2nd birthday with one of her Bff's Jack-Jack. Jack and Kenzie have been doing Little Gym together for awhile and since their b-days are only a day apart we thought it would be fun to party together. They both love dogs so with a little scooby snacks, paw berries and puppy chow we all enjoyed the celebration. Jack and Kenzie truly knew it was their day and enjoyed every last moment of it. It was so fun to see these two in their element with the people they love. We couldn't have asked for a better day.

The place settings for each kid

The birthday couple

Steph and I had fun planning the details

One of Kenzie's favorite thing to do is swing.

All of their friends singing Happy Birthday

They got to ride on birthday boat

At one point everyone was in a circle singing and Kenz and Jack were off to the side popping bubbles. It was adorable.

Jack and his big sister Olivia having fun on the air track

Daddy and Kenzie

Ryan loved celebrating his sister. Kenzie is in the background drinking her juice. I don't think she came up for air once until it was gone.

Blowing out candles

YUMMY!!!!!

Mom's Day

Without these two precious children I would not have the joy and honor of being called "mom". I am blessed because of them and I cannot imagine my world without them.

I had a great time celebrating on Saturday with my mom, mom in law, and sister in law at a mothers day tea at their church. It was fun to be "girly" drinking tea and eating scones. Of course as you can see I brought my sonic coke with easy ice. Hey it was mothers day right?!?!

Sunday morning started off with one of my favorites...whataburger bacon, egg and cheese. YUMMY!! I promise I didn't eat all of that. I was keeping some on the plate for my kiddos. :)

My new fun watch that Ryan, Kenzie and Scott gave me. I LOVE it!!!

Thank you for a wonderful Mother's Day!!!

Bye Bye Baba

One of Kenzie's best beds is her paci (aka baba). Last Friday we decided to limit it only to the bed and she did a great job. She only asked for it a few times and was never upset with the answer. For naptime at school she did great without it so I figured it was time to just get ride of it all together. Kenzie loves baby Cooper, Chastity's little boy, so we talked for several days about her giving it to him. Since she LOVES lollipops I told her that once she gave them to Cooper he would give her a pop. She kept telling me day after day "baby baba pop", "baby baba pop". I think she was informing me that she was ready to get that lollipop so sweet Chastity let me run over there at the last minute and give her dear friends to Cooper.

She was so excited to give it to him. She kept trying to put it in his mouth and was excited that she was giving him this special gift. All of the kids enjoyed a heart lollipop and we all cheered Kenzie on. All was well with the world until bedtime. She cried for almost an hour and woke up in the middle of the night wanting it. After being comforted she went back to sleep and began her morning at 5:30. YIKES!! She went down for a nap and cried about 20 minutes so we are crossing our fingers that it only gets better from here.

I am not sure who it hurts worse because my heart was torn apart hearing her cry for it. She is great sleeper and I hated to take away something that she loves and something that makes her feel comfort. This is only the beginning of my life of parenting and making hard decisions. I am sure there will be many times I will take something away for the best of my children and listen to their tears. I am sure with each time it doesn't get any easier seeing and hearing your child with a broken heart.

Getting them ready to give to Cooper

I think Cooper is excited!!

So happy about the lollipop

Good job Kenz

Her new lovie made by our friend Cindy

Easter Day

This Easter we had a great time celebrating what Jesus has done for us with family and even a special friend. Ryan's friend Sam and his grandmother came over to enjoy lunch and an egg hunt. The three kids had a great time running around the yard and searching for their eggs. The boys were so great about leaving the obvious ones for Kenzie. Each year Mimi and Papa give the kids their Easter Baskets which is WONDERFUL!! Scott and I gave Ryan and Kenz just a little something that morning along with a big breakfast to start off the day right.

Kenzie loves Elmo so she was so excited to see her favorite friend at breakfast

Ryan is obsessed with Superheros and was excited to see his new spiderman lamp. Yes his hair is out of control. We did fix it before church. :)

Emme and Pop with the kids

Ohh he looks so grown up

Mimi and Papa with the kids

Kenzie digging into her basket

Ryan and Sam

Kenzie had fun jumping while all the eggs were spilling out of her basket.

Easter lunch

I often wonder

I often wonder if I will miss hearing my children screaming at each other over a toy or stepping on a car that was left in the middle of the floor. I often wonder if I will miss doing loads after loads of laundry and folding the tinniest pink sock and the smallest superhero underwear. I often wonder if I will miss getting on my hands and knees cleaning hour after hour all of the food that was spilled onto the floor after breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and then dinner. Will I miss the crying and pouting or the hour that it takes my son to get dressed just because he won't do it the first time I ask. Will I miss cleaning up the water that Kenzie has splashed out of the tub night after night or the snotty nose that gets wiped on my clothes each day.

These very things that seem so frustrating at the time might just actually be missed. When my children are all grown up and out of the house the toys will be all picked up and gone, the mess from the bath is one that only I will make and the dinner that is spilled will be from either Scott or I. There will be no more wishing I had a quiet moment because there will be plenty of those.

Simon Cowell says on American Idol "you didn't have a moment". Well, I thank Jesus that I have a moment every second of my day. They may be frustrating moments, but they are mine and they are with two of the most precious people in my life. So when I want to read the book to Ryan a little faster at night because I am tired or I turn on a mindless show so I can do something for myself I have to remember that these are the moments I was given and to enjoy them. The kisses and hugs that I receive and the sweetest smiles that I see and the laughter that I hear are the moments that I often know I will remember and I will miss.

I am blessed to have the life that I live and the people that live in it with me. I often pray as I am walking around because frankly I don't sit down much and I find myself saying thank you, thank you, thank you over and over again. I can't tell Him enough and I often wonder if He truly knows how grateful I truly am for the moments that I have.

The Bagel Shop

Once or sometimes twice a week since Ryan was a baby my parents and I have met at "the bagel shop" for breakfast. Ryan was brought in his carrier as a baby and so was McKenzie. They think this is just what we do on Wednesday mornings and we all look so forward to it. The kids would start out just getting small bites of our bagel when they were little to now splitting a whole bagel and a blueberry muffin. McKenzie fights me for my cream cheese and begs for more. Sometimes we wonder if she would even care if she had a bagel with her cream cheese as she sticks all her fingers in it and stuffs them in her mouth. Kenzie normally ends up out of the high chair and walking around the table or in poppy's arms and Ryan ends up making some kind of super hero with the leftovers and some coffee sticks and plays with Emme. 

When I was a kid I always remember going to a place called Mavrick Market on the way home from daycare/school and as the story was told I would cry to whole way there due to being exhausted from the long day. I remember going in and looking at every piece of candy thinking how hard it was just to pick one thing. I loved that place and looked forward to it each day.  Now I feel as though this is my kids Mavrick Market. It is such a fun little tradition that I hope we will enjoy a for long time.