Foto Friday: Dancing Queen

Foto Friday: Polka Anyone - Part II?!

Yes, I posted a picture. Finally.

Remember Part 1 ? Or how about this?

First Haircut

Miss Kendall had her first haircut this week. It was really only a bang cut, but I'm not cutting off any of those curls any time soon, so it counts!

She did awesome and didn't even move an inch during the whole process. It took about 2 minutes...literally. And that included a quick blowdry, which she wasn't all that fond of, although she didn't complain either.

The bangs are a little short for my liking when they curl up, but at least they are straight and out of her face. Here are some pix from the big day!

So serious.


Not crazy about the hairdryer.


The final result...

Where has the time gone?

Seriously, it has been way too long since I have updated this thing. Is anyone still reading this? (Cue the crickets...)

Well, in the event that someone hasn't totally given up hope, here's a mini post with some photos of my girls.

Miss Kendall. 18 months.




What? How did this happen? And how did I manage to treat her like the second child. Less photos, no letters, no blog posts. All the things I promised I'd never do to her. But moving, a lost job, a new job(s), a few weddings and showers, and moving again...well, it all just made life a little crazy. Yet, my sweet Kendall helped make it all a little easier with her adorable grin and those loves that keep coming. I might be able to do without the Evel Knievel climbing/launching and high-pitched screech that still has not gone away -- and perhaps a few more hours of sleep -- but this little peanut brings so much joy to my heart that I could never have made it through this past year and half without her in my life.


Emma. 3 1/2 and well on her way to 4.





My word, this girl might as well be 15. She looks so old to me now. Where are my baby cheeks? They have been replaced with this grown-up face that is revealing a very beautiful young lady. As of Saturday, she can write her own name and naps are becoming a little less necessary (*Sigh). Before my eyes, my baby is becoming a little girl. Her maturity is crazy, right down to the attitude. Yes, she is a handful, this one. The tone of voice is way too preteen for my liking, and the "I can do it"s require more patience than I have most days. Still, she is becoming my buddy again. Someone I can have conversations with that often bring more clarity than she realizes. I am so proud of her, and I am trying to savor this time as it is all going way too fast.

My girls. Holding onto these days as tight as I can.

Foto Friday: You Can't Take Our Joy

Foto Friday: Big Cousin

This photo is a few months old, but I've wanting to post it. As hard as she plays, Emma has very soft spot for her baby cousins. Here she is helping feed Baby Lucas on New Year's day.

The funniest thing is we now have a baby doll in our house that has been permanently named Baby Lucas. It started when Emma invented her very own game where she pretends to visit Auntie Jenni and stays to help take care of Baby Lucas while her Mommy and Daddy are "on vacation."

If only... ;)

First Piggy Tails!

Can someone please tell me where my baby went?

When Life Just Isn't Fair

Pictured: An actual temper tantrum from my 1 year old. All about the drama, this one. Lord help us!

Our Happy Place

Foto Friday: Her Prince

Foto Friday: Two Faces

My little Kendall.

Sweet and kind.



But very loud !!!

(a little scary, isn't it?!)

Foto Friday: Beyond Fashion...

Gotta love a little drama in the headline! (Sorry, too much coffee this morning.)

Anyway, before you faint because there have been TWO posts in the last 24 hours, don't get used to it.

However, I have decided to change Fashion Friday to Foto Friday (a direct steal from my friend Cara who is on an extended blogging hiatas) because frankly, there was too much pressure. The reality is we are lucky to get dressed at all around here, let alone in something that might be considered uber stylish. The goal these days is to get all the stains removed and to keep up with the never-ending laundry pile.

The good news is I still do snap what I consider some post-worthy shots, but I don't always have time to write a blurb to go with them. Now I can just post them with a headline. That I can do.

So here is the first one, an ode to Grandpa -- the King himself -- posing with his pretty princesses.

Happy 95th Birthday Great-Great Grandma Emma!

Today Emma and Kendall's Great-Great Grandma Emma turned 95 years old. Wow. She is truly a wise woman with more love for the Lord than anyone I know. She is an inspiration to our entire family, and I am honored that one of my children is named after her.

The four of us visited her this past Saturday, but we only managed to get a photo of Emma and Grandma. (Kendall clearly had other things to do.) Although it is hard to visit with two very busy little girls, my heart overflows every time we do. And we need to do it more often.

We love you, Grandma, and thank the Lord for every day we get to spend with you here on earth -- and know without a doubt we will spend eternity with you!

Fashion Friday: Plaid Tidings

Coming to mailbox near you...

Fashion Friday: Polka Anyone?

The Moments When It's All Worth It

Fashion Friday: Mommy's Turn

A few weeks ago, this mommy got to celebrate her 31st birthday (gulp!) with another mommy. Granted, I would have liked more than one day with my East Coast girl, but I'll take what I can get.

The day was spent browsing Chicago boutiques -- spending way too much on shoes and laughing like teenagers. We capped that off with a relaxing 5pm massage (yes I used 5pm and relaxing in the same sentence!). But as usual, our nighttime adventure was the most fun. We always have a great time and manage to find just enough trouble to keep the night interesting...but that's all I'll say. It was all in good clean mommy fun! ;)

As part of a little tradition we started way back in 8th grade, we posed for photos before our big night out. Here are the few I think Cara wouldn't kill me for posting. (I hope!) Love you and miss you, girl. :)

It's Not About Me.

Bless those we often forget.

Fashion Friday: Let's Get Physical

With the cool weather here, I knew there was no stifling Emma's never-ending energy. So, we signed her up for gymnastics once a week. The perfect way to get her used to following directions, making new friends, and most importantly, working out all of her "wigglies."

She really likes it, and her teacher is very patient with the fact that Emma seems to notice everything in the room. I thanked her teacher for her patience the other day, and she just smiled and said, "She's just very detailed oriented." In the beginning, I didn't know if I liked this teacher -- she was young and not as animated as some of the other teachers -- but after that response, she won me over.

The class is organized, but laid back. They let the kids try out everything -- balance beams, parallel bars, rings. Emma's already learning forward and backward rolls and cartwheels. It doesn't exactly come naturally to her, but then I have to remind myself that she's only 3. And she is busy. So I just let her have fun and back off of my perfectionist tendencies. A lesson I'm sure I will continue to learn as the years pass.

Emma has warmed up to a fellow gymnast named Lilly, who is a cute little peanut. In fact, she's the niece of one of Jeff's childhood friends, so Lilly's mom and I already know each other. We chat as we watch the girls though the window -- and as I chase Kendall around the waiting area. I have to say it's a nice 50-min break from the norm for all of us.

And, of course, Miss Emma loves wearing her leotard. She actually takes her nap in it on gymnastic days so that she can get up and go right away. Once we get home, it must stay on until everyone gets home and sees her in it. I have to say, she does look pretty darn cute in the thing.

The only drawback to our new activity is that Emma somehow manages to come home with MORE energy than before the class. I'm not sure why that surprises me. But as long as we continue to point this energy in a positive direction, I'm thinking there is no telling what this girl can do. I just hope I can keep up with her.

Fashion Friday: Promising More Treats!

I know I have been MIA lately. And I can give you a million excuses of why I don't have time to post anything, but really it comes down to the fact that I've just been in a funk. Kendall's first-year letter is still half-finished. I haven't posted any photos from her party. Heck, I never posted any of Emma's birthday pictures from August. I don't even read other blogs anymore. But I'm determined to pull out of this yuck.

Anyway, to kick off my new-found joy, I am posting photos from a pretty fun day. This year we were fortunate enough to celebrate Halloween as a family. (I use the word "celebrate" loosely here since I'm not super fond of the meaning behind day, yet I'm always up for an excuse to have some fun.) Anyway, Jeff was able to come home early from work, and we all trick-or-treated together. He wasn't too happy that I made him dress up, but he took one for the team (ha!).

Emma had lots of fun, even though she couldn't eat most of the candy in her bucket. But she could eat some of it, which is really all she needed. Kendall hung in there until the very end, when she started to get hungry. Then we all headed home for dinner and some fun family time. We turned off the lights and played with Emma's glow sticks, which kept her happy for nearly an hour. Although I think Jeff may have had more fun than any of us. ;)

Here are some photos from the day. Hope everyone else had lots of fun with their little pumpkins!

The Girls in their costumes:

Our Little Pumpkin Kendall


"Princess Ballerina" Emma


Off to score some treats:




Daddy and his girls: