Calling All Artists...

We now have a big four year old in the house! A while back I asked Addison what she wanted to do for her big day. She told me a painting party with pink glitter paint. We got to work on making all her dreams come true:) I had a lot of fun working each night making fun things for her party. She wanted an all girl party this year. It is funny how much she has changed in a year with her preferences of who she likes to play with. I let her invite five little girl friends to come enjoy the celebration.We started the morning off with sprinkle pancakes which she mostly just ate the sprinkles off:) Addison doesn't like cake and just wants to lick the frosting. We settled on a cookie cake this year. She also wanted a pinata which I don't even think she knows what one is! We took a different route and made a rainbow punch pinata. Each girl got a rainbow lollipop, stickers and some dot candy. Once they got the hang of it they loved it! We lined up foam poster boards and each girl got an apron and a paint pallet to go to town with. It was so much fun to watch. Avery had a blast with this part of the party. Each girl filled their pallets up 3 or 4 times. It was fun to see each child's different style of painting and the colors they each wanted. Everyone was finished painting except the birthday girl who could have painted for an hour! We moved onto snacks and cookie cake. Addison picked rainbow fruit kabobs which she helped me put together the day before. She also wanted rainbow goldfish and water. Easy enough! We make rice krispie treats to look like paint brushes which she also helped me make. Addison was shy when we sang her to, but I think she still enjoyed it. All of her little friends brought cute gifts. She got a lot of new art and craft projects which of course was a big hit. Mostly they all enjoyed running around on the swing set and the newly filled sand table. Addison was lucky enough to have her favorite babysitter Emerie come in the morning to help with the party. They had a McDonalds happy meal picnic and Emerie gave her a new tea set they up. Having Emerie come turned out to be a livesaver. She played with the girls and helped keep Avery happy. Grammie and Papa were able to be with us as well. They gave her a minnie mouse bat and mit. That will be a summer time hit. Grandma and Grandpa Michael sent a new Elsa dress to replace the one with holes. She put it on immediately and has worn it every day since. Dave and I gave Addison her very own bike with training wheels. Addison wakes up every morning and wants to go outside and ride it .She's pretty good at riding it and before we know it she won't need the training wheels. We finished the day with mini pizzas and frozen yogurt.

Addison is such a joy to have in our family. She has a contagious laugh and a fierce scowl all in the same breath. She dislikes meal time and could roam around snacking on crackers all day. She loves to dress herself multiple times a day and hates being dirty. She somehow has claimed a whole slew of high heels of mine for her closet. She lays out her outfits the night before complete with socks, shoes and a bow. She only ever wants her bangs pull up on top with a pretty bow. She loves her hair long and flowy as she says:) She finally has started eating carrots which is the only vegetable she'll touch. She always asks for blackberries and the store and tells me that aren't too expensive to buy. She loves to color, create, paint, cut and glue. She sure does love her morning cartoons and begs for them every day. She enjoys the zoo and roller coasters at kings island. She loves to facetime to Aunties and often is found doing it on her own. She wants a book read every night in bed followed by someone laying by her for a minute (she usually just sits and pokes you in the face and giggles). Addison has a memory like no one I've met her age. She can remember trips or things we've done from a year ago. I'm grateful everyday that Addison June chose to come to our home and that I have the privilege of being her mom. I love that everyday she tells me that I'm cute and likes to rub my arm when I sit by her. She has grown up so much this past year and I can't wait to see what this year holds in store for her!

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day this year was special because we got to have my mom come up and celebrate. Dave was on second call so we hosted dinner at our house. I had to teach a combined relief society lesson with all the women. Jenny and my mom were able to come up and join us for that. It was nice to have familiar friendly faces in the crowd as I taught. I taught on the tender mercies from the Lord and I think it went well. The more I teach the more I enjoy doing it. That was my first time teaching as a presidency member. I'm really enjoying my calling and the ways that I have been stretched because of it. We all came home after church and the ladies got to relax. We had a lovely meal of bbq ribs, chicken, asparagus, rolls and twice baked potatoes. Topped off with chocolate mousse and lemon bars. The girls surprised me with breakfast in bed and cute little presents. Addison had Dave write me the cutest card. He wrote word for word what she said and it was beautiful:) Addison loves to say, "Let us all Love One Another".  We gave my mom the coolest genealogy chart that is circular. Dave let me pick one out as well and I love it! I am so blessed to be a mother and to have a mother who is as kind and compassionate as they come. All the women in my family have helped mother my girls in one way or another. I am grateful for all their influences and love they give me.  

Aunt Jenny Comes for a Visit

Aunt Jenny came for two weeks to good old Ohio. We ran around like crazy and I'm still recovering from all the partying. Addison and Avery were of course more excited to see Aunt Jenny's side kick, Harley. He was probably relieved to go and not be chased around like mad. Avery enjoyed feeding him all her food from her highchair at every.single.meal. We hit up all of our favorite Ohio stomping grounds. The Cincinnati Zoo was probably Aunt Jenny and Grammie's favorite stop. It was mating season for the polar bears and we got a good show while we were there. Addison talked Grammie into treating us to the train ride and some dippin dots. We walked all over the whole zoo and had a lot of fun seeing all the animals with beautiful weather. We're maxing out our Kings Island passes this year already. All of us met up at different times of the day and enjoyed more running around in the hot weather. Addison and Avery convinced each of us to take lots of turns on the kiddie rides in Snoopy Land. Avery was absolutely loving the rides that would whip around the corners. We taught Addison to put her arms up in the air going down the little hill on the roller coaster. I think the girls have inherited my love for the thrill of an amusement park. Grammie and Papa took the girls home and Dave, Jenny and I shut the park down. We were there for the fireworks and we got to ride a ton of big rides. At one point I thought my finger was going to fall off when Jenny was squeezing so hard on a ride! We ran to grab some blue ice cream before the park closed:) The men took care of the little ladies while my mom, Jenny and I went and got our toes done and ate lunch at a fancy restaurant in Hyde Park. We treated my mom and a kick off to Mother's Day. It was incredibly nice and relaxing to enjoy a slow and pampered day. Aunt Jenny came up and babysat one night while Dave and I went for a walk around a park. I put Dave and Jenny to work and they helped paint a wall in our family room. Jenny stenciled for seven hours! She will hold it over my head for some time I believe! I tried to make it up to her by taking her to a Red's game...and they won! We took Addison with us and she talked Aunt Jenny into buying her a big of cotton candy. We ended the trip with a grown up date of a new mexican place and Pitch Perfect 2. It was really yummy food and I didn't get sick (thank you lactaid pills). The next day we had to take Jenny and Harley back to the airport. It was a great trip and we're missing Aunt Jenny already...although I bet she's sleeping in a little more!

Growing

Dave somehow managed to put together an airsoft war game with the priest for YM. This included him having to go buy his own gun with a year supply of pellets. Addison has enjoyed shooting some with him off the back porch. I got a text with a picture of the youth and Dave in a whole lot of camo! I think Dave enjoyed stepping back into his good old days and being able to run around with a gun. YM seems to be going really well for Dave. He has been holding presidency meetings and helping with a lot of moves wit the youth. He tries to go on the monthly campouts with the scouts as much as he can as well. I've seen Dave become a leader since receiving this calling and it makes my heart happy to see him succeed. I think he is starting to relate to the youth more and one of the mother's told me her daughter wants to marry someone like him. I started to laugh and when I told Dave I think it just gave him a bigger head! A lot of spiritual growth has happened to our little family over the past three months and I can feel it within our home.