Independence

Since Sierra was born, I have been unable to nap. So, I look for little ways to let me stay in bed longer. (This week Grandma is here, so I am loving sleeping-in!) One way I have found is to give the girls a little independence. I set-up a little cupboard just for them where they are able to get their own bowls, cups, utensils, and cereal. I also leave a Hello Kitty water bottle with a pull top full of milk in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. The girls now get-up and play, and when they get hungry, they get their own cereal! It is AWESOME! It has given me up to 2 additional hours in bed! And, the girls love feeling grown-up. I even hear Allison pray. Precious. Hooray for independence!

Unpacking Valentine Decor

And, here it is... our giant Valentine bin! We actually pulled it down two days ago and still haven't finished decorating. As much as I dislike chaos in the house, God is teaching me that sometimes other things are more important! And, I am finally getting it! I have been totally ok waiting. (I hope this lesson stays!)

The first thing the girls found were leftover heart lollipops from last year! (Yum?!?!)

The second thing they found were the craft items. So, we got right to crafting! I absolutely love these stamps from the dollar section at Target. They have lasted from year to year, and you don't have to worry about the messes of a stamp pad.

Grandma helped them make a "surprise" Valentine's banner. I was only allowed to see this much.

Luckily, the girls don't like sweethearts, so we just use them to make patterns and glue them to crafts!

I printed out a cupid connect-the-dots for each girl from Family Fun. Here is the finished project:

My Sweet Bunny

Pink

See these Ikea frames? 3 for $1.99! I love these frames... I've decoupaged them in the past. They are absolutely perfect for kid crafts!

Today we painted them. We decided to use all different shades of pink in honor of the upcoming Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day, already?!?! Well, our house was looking a little empty after Christmas. I told the girls they could decorate for Valentine's Day when Grandma came. And, Grandma is coming today! Hooray!!



In the end, Natalie decided paper would be more fun to paint than a frame... Oh, well! (More frames for Allison to paint!)

Winter Gardening

The other day my friend commented on Facebook that she was doing some winter gardening. Winter gardening?!?!? No sooner did I ask her about it, then she brought me her leftover seeds. So, while the rest of the country is freezing and looking for ways to keep warm, we are basking in our 75 degree weather and -- well, winter gardening! We planted sugar snap peas, broccoli, radishes, and carrots. Thanks bunches, Katie!!!

Sister Kisses

Our Last Hoorah!

We're back from our last hoorah at Disneyland! And, I have narrowed down the 207 pictures for you... You only have to look at 205! (Just kidding, of course!) We had a blast. Daniel and the girls did NOT want to leave. Please don't tell them, but after 3 days, I was ready to leave! Lots of fun -- but VERY tiring!

We arrived the first day just in time to have an early picnic on our balcony overlooking Downtown Disney for lunch.

Our first stop was Brother Bear Country in California Adventure. We spent quite a bit of time there, as the girls were having a blast!


Besides climbing the rope ladders, Allison discovered a new favorite ride; the zip line! She was finally tall enough, and went 3 times.

When we got back to our hotel, we were blessed with a surprise! Since we are celebrating our anniversary this month, Daniel told them and they had petals awaiting us! So fun... and beautiful! (Sierra liked them, too!)


The next day, we waited in line to see the princesses, and met-up with some great friends for a Character dining dinner at Goofy's Kitchen.


We also went on the "Grand Quest" at our hotel. The girls couldn't have been more excited. They were given clues, and sent around the hotel to find secret phrases and secret questions. The last person gave them a piece of gold, which they traded in for a giant Mickey cookie. Too cool!



The last day, I took Natalie on the Matterhorn. Allison was too scared. I can't believe the height limit is only 35 inches for such a fast ride! Natalie had no idea what she was in for, and had a look of terror the entire ride. When it was over, I asked her if it was fun... her response? "Not too fun." HA! I had to laugh!!

Off to Disneyland!

Since Sierra was born, Daniel has taken the big girls to Disneyland by himself twice, and Knott's Berry Farm once. What a dad! No wonder the girls love their Papa! Now that Daniel will be starting paramedic school next week, we will no longer have a chance to go as a family before our passes expire. So, we are leaving tomorrow for a 3-day trip to Disneyland! I am SO excited about our mini-vacation, and hoping Sierra's 2-month shots won't affect her too much. (She had a little trouble sleeping after them this afternoon!) I'll be sure to blog more when we return! Have a great week!

Lemorangeade

Every other month, MOPS sends out their "MOPsense" magazine, filled with fun mommy articles and a page of monthly events. This month I noticed Jan 17 - 23 was "National Fresh Squeezed Juice Week." However, due to the GORGEOUS January weather we've been experiencing, we decided to celebrate a little early. Since we only had 2 ripe lemons, but 16 ripe oranges, we made "lemorangeade." (We also have 2 ripe limes, but I'm saving those for making my Pad Thai later this month!) We had to use lots of sugar, but it turned out sooooo yummy! Here it is in pictures:

2 Months Old!

My sweet smiley girl is 2 months old! Her coos melt my heart...

...And, her big sisters babysitting while I eat or clean brings me such joy!

Happy New Year 2010!

Bad picture, but let me explain... We brought some cookies to the neighbors to say "Happy New Year," and I had Allison make a sign to go along with it. I told her how to spell "Year," but she wrote the first two words herself. It says, "Happe Noo Year." I love new spellers!

After dinnner, we had 2010 jello for dessert!

And, we were able to finish our big new puzzle before midnight. It was close, I tell ya! Allison kept checking the clock. (It was complete by 6:44pm... whew!)

And, we started our new year with some 2010 pancakes inspired by Martha Stewart. (No blueberries for Natalie!)

Allison was so proud to use her new knife to try to cut her own pancakes. I had to take over, but she was happy to have tried! Both girls got this cute cutlery from Aunt Carol and Uncle George for Christmas! Now we're watching the rose parade and sipping coffee... Ok, so I am sipping coffee! What a great start to 2010! Praise God for his abundant blessings on our family.