A Ballerina and a Hollywood superstar!

Reese is doing ballet again this year and she really loves it. Their class had a little Christmas party and they performed a few dances for the parents.

This is how they start each class...in a circle and they sing the sweetest song "Make me a good ballerina, Lord" and say a prayer! Precious!

Reese LOVES cats...so the cat dance was her favorite by far!

She was really good!

After about 30 minutes Hadley was past her point of being ok sitting in the stroller! I am so proud of Reese...she did so well and is so sweet with all of her friends and she listened intently to every word her teacher said! I love my beautiful ballerina!

Here comes Hollywood...the best thing about this picture is that it is at 6:50 am in the elevator on our way up for Hadley to have tubes put in her ears and her adenoids taken out. For some reason she insisted on putting on her glasses...and she kept them on.

She wore them while getting her "vitals" taken...the nurse could not stop laughing and about 5 more nurses came in and they all started calling her "Hollywood"...she just smiled like "so"?

In her wagon "riding" to have her surgery very preoccupied by the bracelet they put on her.

She did great...I was waiting on pins and needles the whole hour she was gone (only 25 minutes in surgery...the rest in recovery) When she came back to the room she just smiled at me and said "I want my drink". Poor little thing had not had anything to eat or drink since 7 pm the night before. She got a drink and a Popsicle and she would not let them go! She really did not eat the Popsicle but she would not put it down!

I did not like that she was having to have another set of tubes put in (she had her first set put in last October) but one tube was coming out and the other ear had blocked the tube and she was having a lot of problems with that ear. The great thing was she woke up on Saturday morning like a new person. Jason and I could both tell she felt so good!

10 months

Brynlee Noel is 10 months old! Can you see that determination! Like I mentioned in our Thanksgiving post, Bryn has started crawling...and now there is no stopping her. She is still her laid back little self, but when you put her down she makes a beeline to wherever the action is going on (meaning where her sisters are)! She is trying to pull up on things but she is not quite there and she has had a few tumbles!

She is getting so big as you can see...I think she weighs right at or under 18 lbs! Her red hair is coming in more and more...I think it is going to be straight like Reese's. She has 5 teeth now...and she can and will eat anything! She loves bananas, of course, and peas, carrots, chicken, applesauce and any kind of bread!

Bryn still loves being with her sisters. She has started "trying" to say Reese's name. When we ask her to say Reese, she grins and says "sssss" as loud as she can! I promise she is trying to say it. Hadley used to call Reese "eese". She of course says "dada" all the time...and an occasional "nana" for mama. Bryn loves music and anytime music comes on she starts moving her feet and hands. She is always happy so when she is not we know that something is wrong! She is just getting over a virus that has not been fun and she has been pitiful to watch. But, thankfully we are on the mend.

Happy 10 months to our sweet baby Bryn!

Mistaken Identity

You know him...

I know him...

They know him

SANTA!

But, it can be confusing to the little ones! You see, Jason and I took the girls to see Santa yesterday. Reese was sooo excited, Hadley was excited from afar and Brynlee really did not care for him and was confused as to why he was holding her.

Things went relatively well during the whole "sitting with Santa". We went to Brookwood Village, because I like that Santa...he was so chatty with the girls this year! But, the drama of Santa unfolded after they sat on his lap!

You see, this was the first year that Hadley was really too in the whole Santa thing, last year she was only 16 months old! So, she was just catching on the the white hair, red coat idea!

After the girls sat with Santa, we walked right across the mall to eat at Chick-Fil-A. Things were going fine. We could actually still see Santa from afar. It was as the meal ended...

I was cleaning up our table...and Hadley began to say "I want to see Santa...I want to see Santa". To which, I told her that we had, had our turn but we could walk over there and "see" him again in a minute. But, then the next thing I know she is standing in front of someone with her arms up saying "I want to hold Santa"! I was horrified!

Why, You may ask? It was an elderly lady with long white hair, wearing a very long, very big red coat! Yes...you are correct...Hadley thought she was Santa...and wanted her to hold her! As quick as I could, I scooped Hadley up and just smiled at the lady...and we headed the other direction. That pretty much sums it up...it is honestly really funny to me now (ok...it was kind of funny at the time) but I did not want to girls to catch on to that!

SOOOO many things and people to be Thankful for!

The Beckner Family made the loong trip to Missouri for the Thanksgiving Holidays...and let's just say I am thankful that we made it there and back safely and I am thankful for getting to borrow a DVD player and for books on tape!!!

We stopped off in St. Louis first to see Grandpa, Barb, Parker and Kaitlyn and the amazing St. Louis ZOO. We had a great time...even if it was really cold! So Thankful that Barb stayed back to babysit little Bryn!

Had to climb on the beetle...I am thankful that it was not real!

We then, drove over to Kansas City to see lots more family! Uncle Chris and Aunt Andrea came up from Texas...Brynlee loved Uncle Chris...Thankful for an Uncle who will be a wonderful daddy....soon :)!

Over at Great Grandma Baker and Dale's house...Hadley held their cat hostage...she loved it...I am just thankful that the cat did not claw her way out of that hold!

Traveling with little ones is really hard because they miss naps, go to bed late and are just exhausted...so Thankful that Reese got in a little nap one day...she was passed out!

Uncle Dale and Cameron showed us their chickens and the girls loved them...poor chickens were running wild to get away from these little redheads...I am so Thankful that we got to leave the chicken there! :)

The girls and Great Grandma Baker...so Thankful for this lady!

Great Grandma love

I could have taken this picture 3-5 times a day...every day. These two loved sitting at the bar watching Aunt Joyce cook up so many delicious meals. So thankful for Joyce and Mike who hosted our family of 5 and in Jason's words...we ate like Kings...Joyce is a fabulous cook!

See that grin...she is saying how Thankful she is that she started crawling!!!

And...when crawling happens...it opens a whole lot of other things...like trying to get electrical sockets...I told her "no" and she just looked at me and grinned! Thankful for sweet smiles!

Never fear...big sister to the rescue...So thankful that Hadley problem-solved for me...she stood in front of the outlet!

Trying to get a family picture...Reese was not in the mood...that is life with a 4 year old going on 14! I still love this picture...Thankful for this family!

Brynlee playing with Anna and Katie...she is so thankful for them...so are we! It is so nice to have the older kids really loving on and playing with our girls.

Hadley and Reese in heaven with Aunt Joyce! Hadley would have let Aunt Joyce hold her all week if she could have! Once again...so thankful for family who loves on our girls!

The girls with Great Grandma Beckner...I took so many pictures of these 4 together...and seriously this is the best I got! The girls loved seeing Grandma and we are so Thankful for her!

Reese and Hadley with Grandpa, Barb and Kaitlyn. The girls were so excited to stay at Grandpa's house our first and last night! We are more than grateful for our wonderful hosts...and our 4 babysitters! (we wish you lived closer)

The girls with Annie and Chris...we decided to let them have a lot of quality time with the girls to prepare them for their new addition....so excited for them...this summer the girls will have a new cousin! So Thankful for Annie and Chris!

The trip would not have been near as entertaining without Parker and Kaitlyn's dog, Patches! Reese carried him around everywhere...Thankful that he survived, Hadley chased him everywhere...Thankful she survived, and Brynlee just watched him and grinned...Thankful for that!

Love from Grandpa...thankful for his granddaughters

The girls, so thankful for their best buddies, Parker and Kaitlyn!

We had a great trip...we did not get to see all of our family...but we are so thankful for each and every family member and friend that God has put in our lives! Hopefully we can all remember to be thankful 365 days a year...not just one!

All is quiet...can't be good!

Not to always be thinking the worst...but 9 times out of 10...if the house is quiet and by that I mean if Hadley is quiet...it is normally not good news. It could mean that pasta or beans or other things from the cabinet are being dumped out...it could mean that my makeup bag is being investigated...my purse is being raided...tooth paste is being squeezed (not on a toothbrush)...toilets are being played in...OH THE LIST GOES ON!!

But the other day I was quite surprised...in a good way! Reese was at school and I was finishing feeding Brynlee her lunch. All of the sudden I realized that Hadley was not in the room...and I did not hear a sound. I dropped the spoon and immediately began to look for her...

Here she is...sooo sweet...just sitting on Reese's bed "reading" her books!

The moments like this make me love being a mom 100% and being able to see these moments during the day with them is priceless! Hadley is a handful...but she is so darn cute and sweet that it is hard to get mad at her...even when you happen to step into a gob of toothpaste on the floor!

Sometimes it's hard to be RED and BLACK

The Real RED and BLACK that is....at least living in Alabama...sometimes when you don't "roll with the tide" or " yell "war eagle" it can be hard here....BUT NOT TODAY! GOOO DAWGS!!! Since our household is full of Bulldogs...(and one alligator...just kidding babe...we pull for the Gators too...except for that one day a year!)...we feel a little isolated in Alabama...but our girls have already been set straight from the beginning!

One little bulldog...Starting them early...Reese at 19 months old

Two little Bulldogs...Reese (3 1/2) Hadley (13 months)

Three little bulldogs...going strong...even stronger today!!!

*New Post Below*

NINE

Brynlee Noel is 9 months old!

Brynlee is still such a sweet baby and still really laid back. She just sits back and enjoys the shows that Reese and Hadley put on all day long! She has 4 teeth and grinds them...which gives my spine the shivers! And, as you can see she has a lot of hair! When the girls are in the tub washing her hair...she literally has almost as much as Hadley!

Brynlee is following Hadley's trail of taking her time with moving around. She does not crawl yet...she moves backwards and when she is sitting up she scoots all around! While I want her to crawl...there are days like yesterday that I am grateful that she is content to hang out. I took the girls to Pump it Up and Bryn just sat, smiled and watched most of the time.

She loves "reading" books and really loves being in the mix with everyone! Brynlee has started eating finger foods and she is doing really well! Bananas, pears, sweet potatoes, beans, bread, chicken and tofu are our staples right now! She will also try to take anything and everything that you have in your hand!

Brynlee loves to babble..."Dada" is still the favorite...but ever since Hadley's famous "Dirty Dog" phrase I swear Brynlee says it when Hadley does!

She LOVES to dance! Shocking since that is all Reese and Hadley do! Anytime there is any hint of music she starts moving her whole body and grinning!