Princesses and Fairies

Avez celebrated turning the big 4 this week.  She tried turning 6 but we had to explain you can't negotiate your age.  At her age there is no need to stay 25 forever.  We had "Happy 4th Birthday" balloons.  All three munchkins loved playing with them.  She requested Chic-Fil-A for her birthday dinner.  And of course there was another party going on there that she became a part of. Her birthday fell on a Sunday so we decided to have a few friends over on Sat for cake and ice cream.  Avez was in heaven.  She wore a princess dress and so did several of her friends.  Then there was a Sleeping Beauty cake.  Everyone had a great time and Avez was so happy to be 4.  The festivities continued on into Sunday when she got to have everyone sing to her in Primary and told everyone she could that it was her birthday.  After church she was able to open presents from family.  She had a great Birthday. 

 Aley got into the festivities as well.  She thought the balloons were amazing and loved trying to keep up with the big girls.

 This is her Sleeping Beauty cake.  She wanted "pink, blue and green, just like the one the fairies made".  But she didn't want the one that slid down the broom.

 She was so happy about her cake.  This is her way of not blinking.

 If she doesn't hold her eyes as wide as possible this is the result every time.

 Avez made an announcement that no one was to blow out the candles but her.

 All the girls in attendance.  Several are as into princesses and dress up as Avez.  They all traded dresses numerous times.

 Avez also spread napkins all over the table.  The cake and ice cream was a hit.  Thanks to all the help getting everyone served!

 Maams and Andie made an appearance via iChat.  And proof that boys were there.

 Ava got 2 pairs of fairy wings.  That way she can share with friends.

Bubba got into it all, even putting on a few necklaces.

 Princess Jasmin was a hit.  Except she "can't go anywhere until her tummy is covered".

I think one of the most loved items was her high heels.  She was so happy and wears them all day.

Christmas is Coming!

Christmas is coming and it's getting harder and harder to keep little people out of the presents under the tree. Everyday they ask what is in the boxes and when can they open them. Aley has yet to show more than a mild curiosity about the tree in the corner. But the other two are constantly touching presents and trying to reorganized the ornaments on the tree. We have a few extra ornaments added on like hair bows and silly bands.
One of the highlights is Avez changing the days on the Christmas countdown. This inspires the daily conversation of how long it's going to take for Christmas to come. Avez has also decorated the stocking with stickers and it took her stocking falling down to keep her away from them. I can hardly wait for Christmas to be here too!

Family Photos

We had family pictures taken a few months ago. Our good friend, Michelle, took the pictures and had more than a handful to deal with. Bubba wouldn't hold still and screamed every time we tried to make him. Avez was more concerned with the leaves on the ground.

This was one of the only pictures where Jackson wasn't screaming.

Aley was just happy all the way around.
Ava looked adorable and had so much personality.
Bubba just wanted to run around and play.

A happy Daddy and his girls.

Hamming it up for the camera.

Getting him to hold still was impossible.He ran with lightening speed and never fell down.

Aley just looked angelic and happy.

I think our favorite picture of the day is the picture at the top of the blog. It sums up the entire experience and is a completely candid shot. Kellen and I just kept smiling through the screaming hoping that one photo would work.

Milestones

This has been a great year. Crazy and full of amazing events in our family. Here is a rundown of some of the ones I can think of on the fly.
Aley was born. A perfect light in our lives.
Avez potty trained. She can sleep through the night in panties.
Bubba learning some words, some we can actually understand.
Aley beginning to walk.
Kellen having a great job and getting a promotion.
Us living in a wonderful area in a fabulous ward.
Bubba turning 2
Upgrading to a nice minivan.
Bubba moving to a big boy bed.
Avez and Bubba sharing a bedroom. And they even go to sleep at night.
Getting family pictures taken for the 1st time.
Taking 3 kids to the store and getting the shopping done.

Some of these may seem simple and even trivial to some but for us each of these is important to our family. Things are changing so fast as everyone gets bigger. I personally am trying to get smaller, but everyday Avez asks if she is getting bigger and what that entails.

Halloween...BOO!!!

Halloween came this year and all I heard was, "When do I get to get candy?" And when we had candy keeping Avez and Bubba off the counters and out of the cupboards was a full time job. i would put Aley down for a nap and come down to find trouble brewing. But we did have a beautiful princess, a silly monkey and an adorable cheetah.

The one with the eyebrows is Avez award winner. What you can't see is the art work all over the outside.

We finally caged the monkey!

He had fun trick-or-treating. But he did think that you went into the houses and had several people chasing him down. I wasn't going in after him!

Isn't she cute?

Avez loved the glitter and everything about it. She waited in her dress for 2 hours before it was time to go because she was so excited.

Our trick-or-treating posse. Avez best friends Aria and Tajes went with us adding to the fun.

Swimming

We love going to the pool. Bubba was terrified at first and refused to get in the water. At first he would only dip his fingers and throw things into the water. Each time he slowly got a little more brave. Stepping into the water and letting someone hold him and carry him around in the water. Avez jumps in full force and Aley just relaxes and takes it all in. Funny how each personality come out.
Avez has always been a water girl. She has to put her life jacket on because she has no fear and loves to jump in the deep end. It keeps my stress level down to know that whatever she decides to try she will be safe.
Now he jumps from the side and swims on his own. He sticks his face in the water. (Which is crazy because he freaks out in the tub when any water get on his face!)A regular little fish.

The Princess & the iPod

Avez is always wanting to play a game on the iPod. She is great at solving puzzles, matching games, counting games and alphabet games. I have to fight to use my own iPod because whenever I pull it out to use Avez comes around and wants to use it for herself. Not that I have much down time to use it during the day. But for space sake it's become my scriptures at church and seems to end up keeping someone else busy instead. I've downloaded a ton of games just for her because she wants to use it all the time. She is great at switching to whatever it is she wants to do. She can watch her movies, play her games. One of her favorite things to do is watch princess movies, especially Cinderella. My little techno wiz.

I took this picture the other day and thought it was priceless. There isn't even one bit of cropping or editing!

Fly on the Wall

Lately, when I have been putting Avez down for a nap or for bed at night, she hasn't been going right to sleep. I can hear all kinds of noises drifting up the stairs. They range from toys banging and clanging, singing and high pitched squeaking, to conversations with who knows whom.

I wish I could sneak down and watch but that would abruptly end the show if an audience appeared. So I stay upstairs wondering. She always falls asleep eventually and never comes up until after her nap or in the morning. But oh to be a fly on the wall to see her imagination in full swing!