A Very Belated Birthday Post

I finally have some time to sit down and blog about the girls' birthday!  Their birthday was almost two months ago (how is that possible?!) and with packing and moving, we didn't really have a party this year.  I had all these grand ideas for a Minnie Mouse birthday party but we ended up keeping it very low-key.  I asked our parents and siblings to come over on their actual birthday for pizza and cupcakes.  I got the pizza from Costco, made the Minnie Mouse cupcakes, we ate and opened presents, and called it a day.  I kept telling myself that I would plan a big party for a few weeks after we moved for all of our friends and family and I now realize that was wishful thinking haha.  I don't know why or how I thought I was going to get a house together in a few weeks AND host a party!  Not happening!  There's always next year, right?

In the end I think having just a few people over was the best thing.  They were really overwhelmed at their first birthday party with all the guests and they were even clingy at this get-together with only 8 other people besides us.  So I think it all worked out in the end.

 

Getting some shots before the guests arrived! (Noelle left, Natalie right)

 

 

Trying to get a family picture with all four looking in the same direction is near impossible.

 

Natalie was excited for presents!

 

Playing with one of their new toys!

 

 

Minnie Mouse Cupcakes!

 

Natalie wanted to touch the candles so badly!

 

Mmmmmm cupcakes!

Happy happy birthday to my sweet girls!

Happy 2nd birthday Noelle!

Happy 2nd birthday Noelle Brianne!  It's hard to believe that you and your sister are TWO years old!  You are full of life and spunk and we couldn't love you more.  It amazes me how you take that 1 minute older thing to heart...you truly have the big sister personality!  You love telling Natalie and everyone else what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.  You are independent and stubborn.  You know exactly what you want and can throw a great temper tantrum if you don't get it!  You have a mind of your own, a beautiful smile, and are one smart cookie.  You also love to tease us by giving us a big grin and say "Nooooooo!" when we ask for kisses but we always manage to get one from you anyways.

You love to read and count to 11, you can sing and dance to many different songs including "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Let It Go," and you don't mind getting messy.  We've entered into the picky stage of eating and I'm pretty sure you'd survive on fruit, goldfish, and cheese if I let you! 

 

You are picking up more and more words every day and have even started to use sentences, such as "Mommy, I need a tissue" and "Put Mickey on TV."  You love your Minnie Mouse doll, your baby doll, pushing many things in the stroller, pretending to cook, and playing with Natalie.  You also love your pacificer, or "pacy" as you call it and I am definitely not looking forward to the day we decide to say good-bye to pacy :)

These days you run more than you walk, you "read" yourself books, and I'm pretty sure you never stop talking :D (and I have no idea where you get that from!)  It's amazing to sit back and watch the two of you form this amazing relationship that no one else quite understands.  You have your own language with Natalie and you know what buttons to push to annoy her but also how to make her feel better when she's sad.  While you are now officially a toddler, you will always be my baby, my sunshine.  Happy birthday little love!

 

Christmas, Part 3!

I'm here today to wrap up our 3 day, 5 celebration Christmas extravaganza!  Check out Part 1 and Part 2 to see why I was in bed and asleep by 9:30pm Christmas night!

After we had our Christmas morning together as a family, we (sort of) got dressed (girls were in PJs, I donned leggings, and Ben was the only one wearing jeans) and headed to my in-laws' house to spend the rest of Christmas Day together.  We got there mid-morning and munched on appetizers while the girls opened their presents.  By far their favorite gifts were strollers for their baby dolls and an adorable pint-sized metal shopping cart!

 

Noelle in Daddy's shoes

 

Playing with their ridiculously cute shopping cart!

 

We finally got them to leave the shopping cart alone and to open some more gifts.

 

All clothes belong on your head.

 

Noelle took care of removing all of the bows.

 

Noelle & Uncle Kevin

 

The girls got tired of opening gifts so Nana opened some for them.

 

Noelle & Mommy

 

Nana & Natalie

 

Strollers!

 

Taking their babies for a walk

 

After the girls opened their gifts it was naptime.  They went down a little bit easier then they did on Christmas Eve.  While they napped, the adults took turns opening their gifts.

 

Our gift to my in-laws was a hand painted portrait of their house with their family dog on the front porch.  My good friend Lindsey is an artist and I asked her awhile back if she could paint the portrait for us.  She did an AMAZING job and I have now made my in-laws cry two years in a row at Christmas (last year was a photo book).  Ben said I really need to stop :)

We ended our Christmas Day by going home, putting the girls to bed, and crashing by 9:30pm.  We were exhausted!

Our last Christmas celebration was on the 26th and that was with my mom's side of the family.  We usually try to celebrate the weekend before or after Christmas but with Christmas falling on a weekend we decided to celebrate on the 26th.  We hit the road again to head to my parents house in the afternoon and spent the evening having dinner and opening gifts one more time.  By  now the girls were gift-opening pros and they tore through their gifts of books, puzzles, and clothes.  On both sides of my family the adults do a Secret Santa exchange since they're both large families so after the kids opened their gifts the secret Santa exchange happened.  

 

Noelle & Grammy

 

Lots of playing between dinner and gifts

 

Cousin Mitch opening his gifts!  We always go youngest to oldest so he was up first.

 

Natalie's turn!

 

Trying on her new mittens!

 

Noelle's turn

 

Cousin Easton with his new handmade stocking from Aunt Sharon!

 

Secret Santa Exchange has begun!

 

Jenell and Noelle

 

Heather & Mitch

 

Family

 

My mom and her sister

 

Mommy & Natalie

 

Best family photo we could get.  We were beyond blessed and spoiled by our families for Christmas and it was wonderful to have five celebrations to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Merry Christmas!