A Rescue Bot Birthday

When did my sweet pudgy baby...

 Turn into this adorable skinny 4-year-old!

Our sweet little guy turned 4 this month.  I cannot express enough how much we adore this little guy.  He is an absolute joy.  He is loving preschool.  We are amazed at all he has learned and how well he retains information.  He loves to learn.  Dave and I are often a little exasperated with all the ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ questions we get, but we are grateful he is so eager to understand.  He loves sunbeams, he is sort of starting to enjoy soccer and he usually likes gymnastics class.  He is also the kindest and most patient big brother.  

Dave and I tried hard to convince James that celebrating his birthday with his sister in Disneyland would be amazing...but he really, really, really wanted a party with his friends.  A Rescue Bot Party to be exact.  

And so that is what he got....

 This was the first big friend party I have done for the kids and I am really happy with how everything turned out.  I made all of the decorations, labels, invitations and food myself.  James actually gave quite a bit of input on what he wanted and his approval (or disapproval) of what I made.  In the end he was very excited and happy.

 Heatwave Water

 Boulder’s Fruit Cups and Chase’s Chips in the background

 Blade’s Veggie Cups

Birthday boy putting on his ‘4’ candle on his Optimus Prime cake.  A big thanks to my mom for her help with this cake.  It was far from perfect, but the birthday boy loved it!  

The food table, all Rescue Bot decked out.  We served James’ favorite lunch: quesadillas, fruit, veggies, & chips.  

The birthday boy making sure everything was just right before his friends arrived. 

The gift/favor/cake table 

 Each of the guests were given a ‘build-a-bot’ kit filled with homemade play dough and small gadgets to build a robot and homemade Transformer Crayons.

When the kids arrived they decorated their own rescue bot masks.

Then we played games...

 Rescue Bot, Rescue Bot, Decepticon. 

Flying ‘Blades’

 ‘Heatwave’ putting out the fire game 

 After games we had lunch

 After lunch the kids broke the Optimus Prime Piñata.

And finally cake time.

Happy Birthday Sweet James!  We sure love you!!

A Princess Birthday

Our sassy little Maddie is TWO!

Two years ago I would never have imagined that our sweet, mellow, black-haired, spitty baby would have become our sassy, smart, opinionated and blonde toddler.  She amazes us all the time with her vocabulary and comprehension.  She wants to do everything her big brother does and works really, really hard to keep up.  She is taking ballet and gymnastics, and enjoying both.  She loves to read, sing, and do all things girly (princesses, dress up, dancing, having her hair and nails done, etc.).  Most of all she likes to do things ALL BY HERSELF!

Madeline in her ‘birthday dress’ from Lady.

Madeline woke to a room of balloons and a HUGE Minnie balloon Dave got for her at the hospital.  She was very excited.  

 Madeline is almost always dressed up.  If it were up to her she would always be wearing one of her princess/fairy costumes, ballet clothes or something PINK.

 The birthday girl requested a “Mickey Mouse Princess cake” for her birthday. 

Ready for cake! 

Opening gifts with brother.

Dave had a few consecutive days off work so we were able to continue the birthday celebrations at Maddie’s favorite place....

 We love living close enough to Disneyland to leave in the morning and make it in time for opening!

Lady and Grandpa were able to join us for a couple of days too.  The birthday girl was very excited to have them be there for the celebration!

Maddie’s favorite ride, “Pink Teacups!!”

So fun seeing the “scary sisters” with our little Cinderella. 

To finish off the birthday celebrations we went to Ariel’s Grotto for lunch.  Most of Maddie’s favorite princesses were in attendance.  She was one happy princess.

“Spinning around” with Cinderella

Belle and Maddie with a mouth full of carrots

Happy Birthday Princess Madeline!

2013! (a.k.a shameless brag post filled with happy highlights of year)

It was a very, very busy year for us.  I have not taken (or had) the time to update this blog since July so there is a lot to mention, but this post is for a Brief review our year...

Madeline

• Turned One!
• Perfected walking, mastered stairs, running and jumping.
• Learned to count to ten and sing her ABC’s and many, many other songs. As well as memorize most of her favorite books.
• Started Nursery and learned to pray “all by myself!”
• Met her favorite princesses (Tiana and Snow White)
• Enjoyed dressing up for and taking naps with her great-granddaddy.

Maddie’s 1st birthday celebration with the family at Roo’s N More Zoo

Maddie tromping around in mommy’s heals for granddad

Another trip to the zoo.  Madeline is fearless

James and Maddie are sharing a room now.  We converted her crib to a big girl bed so sometimes big brother likes to climb into bed with her.

Trip to crispy Creme for Maddie using the big girl potty.

First trip to the beach.

Carrying her pumpkin “All BY MYSELF!”

Our pretty little tinker bell.

All dressed up for the holiday...Minnie mouse heals and all.

James

• Turned 3!
• Started preschool and speech therapy.
• Learned how to spell his name
• Loved hiking, biking and gardening
• Took gymnastics and swimming
• Danced with his favorite princess (Sleeping Beauty) and learned to crow from Peter Pan!
• Enjoyed many trips to the zoo, museum, library, parks, Disneyland, the beach, Utah, and California

Catching butterflies in the new backyard.

Dump truck cake for his 3rd birthday.

James was so excited to meet Sleeping Beauty

Enjoying the his new ride from our awesome friends.

Gymnastics class!

Riding his big boy bike.

Warming up after swim lessons.

Cousin Science camp at Grandpa Johnston’s

One of James’ favorite rides with one of his favorite people.

Checking out the docks in San Diego

James with just a few of his preschool art projects.

Preschool Christmas Party.

Dave & Mandi

• Celebrated 8 years of marriage.
• Finished our backyard, built gardens and a sandbox for the kids.
• Built a new entryway for our home.
• worked, worked and worked.
• Enjoyed our beautiful babies that are growing too fast!
• Dave is officially HALF WAY through with residency (yay!)  He put in his applications for GI fellowships this week.
• Mandi started a preschool co-op for James with a group of friends, teaching the kiddos about once a month.
• Mandi and the kids had the chance to spend several days with family in California caring for five nieces and nephews during their mom’s final (Hooray!!) chemo treatment.
• Got season passes to Disneyland and made the most of them!!!

The well loved sandbox, worth every stitch, screw and sliver!

The new entryway we built together.

Three of the five nieces and nephews I watched with the cute sign they made to welcome mom home after her last treatment.

Gardening with daddy

Disneyland!!!

Bring on a happy and healthy 2014!!