McDonalds

It's crazy to think that we rarely brought Grace to McDonald's until she was almost two! In the past year, she has come a long way!! She knows what to order as we go through the drive-thru ("chicken nuggets, apples, milk and I'm a girl") and she can spot the giant "M" a mile away. For a while, any time we went through any kind of drive thru, she tried to order food. She has since figured out that US Bank and Starbucks don't give out chicken nuggets.

We are now frequent McDonalds guests! The McDonalds nearest our house is great for toddlers. Most kids over 4 are even too tall for the play area! Last Tuesday, they were serving free hotcakes and sausage so we headed out to their favorite dining establishment to join their favorite friends! Here they kids are on the coolest jeep ever! They all managed to get on their and stay posed for what seemed like light years in kid-time.

Baptism & Birthday Parties

Last Saturday was a crazy day! We had already planned Grace's 3rd birthday party (and it was her actual birthday), and when we tried to book Lydia's baptism Saturday was the only date available until January (since there are no baptisms during Advent). Paul had a funeral to attend Saturday so he was gone all morning. Thankfully, Grandma Borneman, Grace's Godfather David and Jenny were all available to help get ready!

Here's Grandma Borneman and Lydia. Lydia is getting her 2 year molars, they are all still below the gums yet though. I can't wait to be done with her teething for a while; she seems quite uncomfortable with teething.

Here's Ella and Godparents Ken and Sara.

After church, we ate. Then it was time for Grace to open gifts - both hers, Ella's and a few of Lydia's. Since some people thought it was only fair for her to have a few of her own things to open. Grace does a really good job of letting other kids help her open gifts. I'm sure it will not last forever, so I am grateful for her willingness to share while it lasts. Last week when she received 2 birthday cards in the mail on the same day, she gave one card to Lydia and kept one for herself to open. (Thank you for the cards Ethan, Heather, Emma, & Katherine and Bob and Lois).

The guys don't really seem to care what the kids are up too!
Opening Ella's gifts for her!!
My birthday girl! Happy Birthday Grace!!



Lydia didn't get into the unwrapping of gifts. She left that to the older girls. She waited patiently until the gift was unwrapped, then she would take it to play with while the girls moved onto the next present! Smart girl!
I had a hard time keeping track of who bought what for both Grace and Ella. The house seemed full of new clothes, toys and games.

I am already looking forward to the excitement and joy of Christmas with the three girls!!

Birthday Breakfast

What better way to start a birthday than with pancakes! Grace and Lydia both had candles in their pancakes.

Playgroup Party

There is no better way to start a week than Monday playgroup... unless it's a birthday party playgroup.

The littlest of girls (Katelyn, Ella, and Pyper) even enjoy each others company (or maybe not, since the only one that appears to be awake is Pyper).
Grace insisted on being a princess for her party and had to wear her Sleeping Beauty dress. She wore the dress ALL day including while we ran errands to the library and to church.

Grace had lots of fun and couldn't wait until Dad got home so she could share every detail of her day with him.

Here are the pictures... in no particular order.


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Halloween

It was a chilly Halloween night, but the girls managed to go trick-or-treating for a while. Ella made it to one house. Lydia went to a few more than that before she came home to the heated house and food! She had lots more fun handing candy out to the other kids. Grace and Paul managed to stay out for almost an hour! They were greeted with hot cocoa and a snack.


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Pictures

Just when I thought I had this three girls things down, Lydia got the flu...then Ella...then Grace. The doctor wanted to see Ella on Friday since she was so sick Thursday night and Friday morning. Even with her bout of the flu, Ella still managed to gain over a pound in the 2 weeks since her most recent visit. All the girls are starting to feel much better!

Grace had her three year pictures taken. They also took pictures of both Lydia and Ella. They didn't take pictures of all the girls together though, so I think we'll have to go back to get more taken!

Here's Lydia looking happier than she's ever been when it's her turn to get pictures taken!

Here's Ella. I can't figure out how to rotate the picture, so you'll have to turn your head.

Grace

The cutest baby since Lydia!

Paul and the gorgeous girls!

Grace with her nervous finger-in-the-mouth habit.

Fall Fun

Paul is back to work and the girls and I are settling in to our weekly routine. I was hoping the newness of Ella would wear off at some point, and the girls would leave her alone a little during the day. Grace and Lydia have both figured out how to collapse the playmat so there aren't the bars to hang the cute animals and toys. The bars were just an extra barrier that got in the way of their sister bonding time.

Ella, finally by herself.

Grace and Lydia made Grandma Borneman a birthday cake on Friday. Saturday they decorated it for her. It sure was beautiful!

Grandma with all the girls

Saturday mornings...

We went to a local pumpkin farm for the morning. It was a bit muddy, but the girls had a ball. We went on a short hayride before picking out our pumpkins from the field.

Grace might have been there all day, she just couldn't make up her mind. The next one just might be better.

Here's our littlest pumpkin in the pumpkin patch.

Lydia, Ella and Mom

Mission accomplished!How tall are they this year?