Friday, February 25, 2011

Happy Birthday Lydia!

Lydia's 3!


The birthday girl and her birthday cake.
Ella and her empty plate.
Time for her birthday gifts. Lots of princess gifts for this little diva.
Ella's content with playing with the paper and other gifts after her sisters have moved onto unopened presents.
Here is the birthday girl at dinner. She spent the afternoon playing at the hotel waterpark. (Pictures to follow at a later date since they are on the other camera and I am not ambitious enough to get up and download them right now).

Birthday Breakfast

We start birthday celebrations early in the day. This year, for Lydia's birthday we woke up at Grandma and Grandpa Borneman's house.

But sticking with tradition, Lydia had 3 candles in her pancakes. Happy 3rd Birthday Lydia!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

More Valentine's Day

Grace couldn't have had a better start to her Valentine's Day. Dance class with 9 of her favorite dance class friends.

10 little princesses decked out in their cutest reds and pinks to celebrate the holiday.
3 beautiful sisters chilling and reading books.

Someday, I will get a picture of all three girls smiling AND looking at the camera. Until then, you will have to settle for the pictures that you get.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Valentine's Breakfast ( a little late)

So aside from the short post yesterday, we've been a bit slow about blogging the past week. But I am a bit determined to catch up a little.

For Valentine's Day, we made heart shaped cinnamon rolls and decorated them with pink and red sprinkles. (Yes, you read that right, I gave my girls a lot of sugar for breakfast).

Here they are making sure Ella is buckled in tight. I love the way that these three beautiful girls love each other and work together.
I am amazed more and more each day as Ella wants to do exactly what her big sisters do.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Mini Mommy (and Daddy too)

Just in case you haven't had your annual dose of pictures of Grace and Lydia dressing up in my clothes, here's more.



Somehow Grace and Lydia taught Ella to wear momma boots. While Grace and Lydia tend to prance around the house in my shoes and boots, Ella has taken a liking to wearing Grace and Lydia's boots. Now I just need to post those pictures...

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

First Time on Skates

It's not every weekend that we have no plans for an entire Saturday. But on a given Saturday in February we had a wide open schedule. On top on not having plans, the temperatures were supposed to be above 20 degrees.

So I suggested ice skating or sledding. Grace and Lydia unanimously voted for ice skating. Paul thought I was crazy, seriously crazy. I'm not exactly sure why he thought the entire idea was crazy, but he did. (Then again, I am used to bringing three little girls with me almost all the time. Why should a little ice be a hindrance)?

So we picked out skates, put them on and headed to the ice.
Within seconds of being on the ice, both Grace and Lydia were skating on their own.

Lydia was thrilled to be skating by herself.

So was Grace!
Finally Paul and Ella make it outside.
Obviously Ella didn't get skates of her own, but she was content running around the ice in her boots.



We can't wait to go back!!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Reading with Grandma

Grandma Pedersen was kind enough to come down for a morning visit last week. The girls did crafts, read books and played Barbies with Grandma. These three little girls definitely kept Grandma on her toes! Although I am sure she enjoyed every minute of it.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

A Valentine's Party

Our local Y had a Valentine's Day dance party that the girls loved! The amazing kidcare staff put on the party which makes the party even better because the girls LOVE the kidcare staff. The girls made craft purses and craft flowers. Grace was very into the purse making. She made her own and one for Ella. She managed to make a couple friends to help too.
Lydia made quick use of her purse by putting her flower in the bag.
No party is complete without tasty treats. Yummy.
We didn't forget Ella or the dancing. Ella had a ball just running around and dancing. It seems like she went from a baby to a toddler overnight.

The party was a huge hit for our family until the next Monday when we went to the gym and I went to exercise while they stayed in kidcare. Grace and Lydia were convinced that I just go to dance parties and call it exercise.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Another Day in the Snow!

The day after the big blizzard last week. Grace and Lydia woke up, ate breakfast and quickly bundled up to head outdoors to play in the newly fallen snow. Ella has seen the girls get-ready-to-go-outside routine many times this winter. On this given morning, Ella decided she wanted to go outside and play too. (Crazy baby)!

She liked it for a while.
I wedged her Grace and Lydia to make sure she wouldn't tip over as I pulled them in the sled.
After the driveway was cleared, I sent the girls and their friends to the backyard to burn off a bit more energy.
See you from the snow! Only a couple more months until it melts, right?

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Paul's 33rd Birthday Celebration

The girls and I slaved over grating carrots, mixing batter and baking a cake on Paul's birthday. In itself the task isn't very difficult, but when you add the "help" of a 4 year old and a 2 year old, the process seems to get more challenging. (Especially with multiple wardrobe changes and the food processor 'breaks').
But as always they are thrilled with their baked goods.
My handsome husband and our three beautiful girls.
Paul doesn't seem nearly as excited as Lydia is with empty canister that Lydia gave him. (Really, she got him a large foam roller for stretching that hadn't arrived yet, but she thought the canister was the best gift EVER).
Grace and Lydia aren't afraid to show Daddy some love, but I am pretty sure that Ella just wants to get away from all of them.
Booyah Too Ya!
Yummy Carrot Cake!!
Yuck! (or so Ella says).

Friday, February 4, 2011

Snow Sisters

So in case you are keeping track, these pictures are actually from the before the blizzard (and therefore the previous post). I thought the pictures portray a little what an average afternoon is like when there is snow on the ground, the sun is shining, and it isn't too terribly cold.

Grace is heaven playing outside in the heaps of snow bundled up like the Michelin Man. Lydia on the other hand doesn't last long before complaining that her eyes hurt and they are too cold to keep open.

Swinging way. The only problem with swinging in the snow is that their feet tend to drag a bit.
Grace is convinced that no outside day is complete without a few snow angels. Lydia thinks she's mostly a bit crazy.
But Grace is always so grateful to have someone to play outside with her. So kisses from the girl until tomorrow.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

A Blizzard

Heavy snow, high winds, blizzard conditions for the next 18 hours...

Grace continues to eye the growing piles of snow in the backyard. She is eager to get out there and play. Who cares that it's cold and windy? Have I mentioned it's the middle of a blizzard?!

So I get Grace ready and send her outdoors.

A while later Lydia joins her sister.
Of course they need adult supervision so I send my handsome husband Paul to brave the winter weather.
Lydia is over the outdoors in about 10 minutes. She complained of the wind hurting her eyes. She had little icicles on her eyebrows.

Grace was content to spend nearly an hour outside.