Our Big Girl's 2nd Birthday Bash

This last weekend was B's birthday bash. Her theme was Fun on the Farm. We all had an awesome time. Everything that I had been planning for the past 2-3 months came together just as I had envisioned it. And I really couldn't have pulled it off without the help of my parents watching the girls, while I prepped, and my amazing husband, who did all the last minute running around and setting up.

I would love to add all the pictures we took, but there were 140 pictures. I hope I can sum up most of the fun in just these few.

My husband drew this adorable cow for the "Pin the bow on the cow" game.

It was so nice to have these rocking horses for the Photo Booth. The larger one is actually mine, made by my Grandpa in NY, and the smaller painted one was made for B, by a friend.

"Needle in a haystack"  game. This had layer upon layer of candy hidden in it.

All the straw bales are in place, and it's starting to come together.

She thought she was so big, being able to jump on the trampoline with her big sister. They look like they're having fun.

Our friends are starting to show up.

I got some of my inspiration from Pinterest, but some I just came up with myself.

And then some ideas came to me the very last minute.

About 15 minutes before our guests arrived, I brought out the cake. I didn't want the colors to fade in the sunlight. Finally everything was coming together.

Here's a close up of her cake. To see more of my work, visit my FB page Artsy Edibles by Kimberly

She loved her cake! This was the first time that she saw everything all put together.

Our beautiful two year old. She's so precious!

Big brother had to get a picture with her too.

I just wish we had Busy Baby in this picture and it would be absolutely perfect. But this is still an amazing picture.

For the Hobby Horses, we cut PVC pipe and cut out cardboard horse heads. All the kids really enjoyed coloring their horses.

B meeting Dakota for the first time. Her grandparents sent him to her all the way from California. He sings, talks, wiggles his tail, and makes all kinds of horse sounds.

We even had a horseshoe game for the grown up kids.

These girls didn't want to stop coloring their horses.

But they soon forgot about coloring, when they got on the trampoline. They had a blast. Look at that smile!

For lunch we had smoked pork BBQ. We started smoking it about 24 hours earlier. It's always a hit.

We had so much fun getting together with our local family and friends. We wish that everyone could have made it. 

She didn't know why everyone was singing to her. I'm sure next year, she'll have this "birthday" stuff all figured out.

Happy Birthday to you...........

Just look at that smile. It warms my heart. 

We had to cut into it so she would know it was cake. She was taking the animals off and playing with them. 

Finally a bite!

It was a gorgeous day. The kids had so much fun playing on the swing set.

My husband and I enjoyed all of our friends.

This cow is about to have a makeover.

What a pretty cow! All the kids did such a good job.

Most of the kids liked the straw more than the candy. There was straw all over the yard.

Just as we started the game, it started to sprinkle.

Thank you to everyone who helped bring in everything from the rain. As soon as we got all the party inside, the sky opened up and soaked everything in the yard. Also thank you for all the gifts. She has been playing with every single one of them. I really don't know which one is her favorite. She has rotated to all of them. I am so thankful that the weather cooperated and let us have most of our party outside. It was an amazing day, and one day B will look back at all these pictures and see she is surrounded by the love of her family and friends. 

God Bless and have a great week.

A Day in the Life of my Girlies

 B loves her art supplies. She probably spends 2-3 hours coloring or drawing everyday. She really wants to learn how to use scissors. I found her a pair of safety scissors in an old art case. She knows that they cut paper, but she just can't quite manipulate her fingers just right yet. I'm sure she'll get it soon. She's so smart and very persistent.

She loves coloring so much that, she colored on my china cabinet. The two older kids never colored on anything that they shouldn't have, so this was new to me. Luckily, it came of with just a little wipe of some rubbing alcohol. Whew! Saved!

The girl's toy organizer hit the dust last night. That old thing has been around for years, and finally fell apart. So, until we can get a new toy box for them, we're using a laundry basket. And the girls think that it's great! B buried herself in stuffed animals, and Busy Baby (formerly know as Bitty Baby) is trying to get in too. She's starting to hold on and walk around objects now. She keeps us hopping. There's always excitement at this house.

Three more days until B's birthday bash! I'm so excited to get together with our local friends and family. It's going to be a special day for her. 

Hope you all have a great rest of your week. Please be safe on Halloween. God Bless!

Eight Months Old

A couple months ago, I had decided that I wouldn't refer to her as Bitty Baby anymore. So even though she is still Bitty to me, she is growing strong.....on the move....pulling up.....and just cut her first tooth on Saturday. Her new nickname is still in the works. 

For some reason, I never took her seven month pictures. I could really kick myself now. But she did go to the doctor for her check-up on the day she turned seven months old. She weighed 14 pounds 1 oz (7%) and was 25 inches long (5%). She's a petite little thing, but the doctor is not concerned. We have small people on both sides of the family. She's smart, healthy, and extremely active. 

As I say every month, I love looking at all her pictures and how she's grown. I can't believe that soon she'll be a year old. 

And here's one where she would hardly hold still. Getting her to lay still on her back long enough to take her picture was quite a chore. 

On a last note......we are so excited that B will be two next week. We are throwing her a big birthday bash this weekend. Fun on the Farm is her theme. Hope to be sharing pictures with you all soon.

Adventures in Potty Training

Just to be honest, I sometimes giggle at other moms who write stuff on Facebook about their kids' potty training adventures. But I'm right there with you all. It takes a proud parent to share news like that with everyone. And I'm so proud of my toddler. Next month she'll be two. Even though she drives me nuts sometimes, she is really mastering the potty thing. She's had dry diapers the past 3 days at nap, and today she woke up to tell me she needed to poop in the potty. And surprisingly, this time, she did. Yay! We usually reward her with a small Dum-dum sucker for pooping and a sticker for pee peeing. She thinks it's a big deal. 

BRB.......

While I was writing this, she decided to pick up my cooled off coffee and pour it all down the front of herself, my vacuum cleaner, and the floor. Thank God it was on the hardwood and not on the carpet. Now that I've got her and her mess cleaned up, she's playing hide and seek in the hall closet. Life here is never dull!

So back to the pottying......

So moms, even though some of us might give you a chuckle or roll our eyes, when you write about your children, do it anyway. Be proud of them. Share it and praise them. Because no one else will. They deserve it. And you deserve to be proud!

Hi Ya'll!

These days I don't have alot of time to sit and type on my blog. Our days are filled with toddler drama, and picking up after everyone in the house. My chore list is long, and it never gets completed. I think I just choose all the fun stuff off of it, and I leave all the dreaded stuff until I ultimately have to complete it. Don't we all? 

Last night the baby slept all night, and I couldn't be happier today. She's six months old now, and I hope this is a permanent thing. I woke up feeling amazing, jumped to my feet, got my shower, kids fed, errands ran, and then came back to the house. Yesterday I picked a ton of wild grapes that have overtaken our maple tree in the backyard. I'm making wild grape jelly today. So far, I have cooked them down and extracted all the juice. It's a beautiful shade of purple. Hopefully, I can get the jelly made and jarred tonight. Meanwhile, I whipped up my favorite Greek marinade for some chicken, and will be heating up the grill, as soon as hubby tells me he's close to home. Oh! I forgot. I also stewed and froze probably the last of the tomatoes from our garden. They're on their last leg and looking kinda puny. 

After tonight's jelly making, I'm hoping to draft out another pattern for an apron. My mother bought me a beautiful vintage tea apron for my birthday, and I have plans to make more. I actually have been making quite a few aprons to sell at  The Community Market in town. I'll be up there on the 28th, so come out and see me.

So look for pictures of the jelly and the aprons soon. 

God Bless!

Six Months

Our little sweetie is now 1/2 a year old. She's crawling, sitting up, and reaching up to grab the furniture. She's not yet pulled up, but it wont be long. She's also a talker. Anyone who sat close to us at church last Sunday heard her babbling away. We started her on some oatmeal last week, but it made her incredibly gassy and she woke up every hour and a half. Boy, was I exhausted. So, I've given the cereal a rest. We had our third night of green beans tonight, but she's not too fond of those either. I have a feeling she'll have a sweet tooth. 

We haven't gone to her 6 month check-up yet, but I weighed her about 2 weeks ago at a friends house. She was 13 pounds 9 ounces. Still a tiny little thing. But I'll be able to write about all her stats on her seven month post.

Here are the pictures that we've all been waiting for. I love seeing them all lined up together, and how she has changed from month to month.