Learning to Cut...

This is one of those posts where I sit back and think about how big my little girl is getting. She is seriously growing up. She is three: Sassy, Sweet, Independent, Sometimes stubborn, Super girly, Super wonderful, And she is mine! She loves to do crafts - Anything that involves markers, crayons, paint, or glue is fair game. She has tried to use scissors before, but the coordination involved usually frustrates her and she gives up and asks me for help. I am happy to oblige. But not this day, because she is three. Today she has a growing determination to do it herself. "I do it mommy. You don't help me!" I watch her struggle through with determination. A little part of me falls apart when I see that she is starting to get it. With each successful cut, I see an apron string hitting the floor. My baby girl is growing up. She is getting it. Pretty soon she'll have it down and won't need my help anymore. Not for cutting at least. I am so proud of her and just a bit sad for myself all in the same moment, and we celebrate. 

October Outings

We did a lot of fall activities in the month of October! Thankfully, Aria has a ton of costumes that she uses to play dress up with, making it lots of fun to try them all out! Our church did a "trunk or treat" the Saturday before Halloween and it was awesome! They put on this incredible, musical pirate show that we sat and watched a number of times. Aria loved it and talked about it for days to come!

Visiting the big pumpkin patch with daddy 

Disneyland day with Ariel 

Disneyland day with the cousins. 

Typical: Tyler and Ellie making lovey dovies, Aria picking her nose, and Ellie missing a shoe. Ha! Love these kids!

Pumpkin picking at our CSA farm

Arts and crafts

Trick or treating at auntie Kay Kay's house

Beach Visit With the Colgans

We spent a WONDERFUL Saturday with Brian and Amy and sweet baby Joziah at their beach house. Such a blessing! Perfect company, perfect weather, perfect food, perfect view, perfect new baby cuddles...I could go on and on!

Disneyland Days

Ellie's up face...

And Ellie's down face...

Ha ha ha! But she loves the merry-go-round and always screams for more!

Love my big girl!

Today was the first time Aria asked to have her picture taken with any of the characters. We found Peter Pan and Buzz light-year although she would have loved to see Clarabelle!

I love how her awkward nervousness shines through! Sweet, brave little soul!

Ellie's First Birthday!

The weekend after Ellie's actual birthday we had a Very Hungry Caterpillar first birthday party for her. It was so much fun! Since we had just had Aria's birthday party six weeks before, it was a little challenging to get everything together and be motivated at the same time but we did it! Aria and I made caterpillars and butterflies for the party decorations and I had a providential find from Craigslist to round it all out. We ended up having quite the crowd of people and I was so glad so many were able to make it! We sure do love our little one-year-old! What a blessing she is!