Yesterday we celebrated Maeve's birthday with family! It was so nice to see everyone--we love them! Before the big party I took the girls to Sweet & Sassy for a fun "makeover." The place is run by a bunch of 12 year olds and took forever to get our appointment started but luckily our stylist was perfect. =) Also, that place makes me feel OLD. 

Anyways, here are the girls after hair, nails, make up! 

Maeve was very excited by her presents, Amelie was very traumatized that the presents weren't for her (even though she DID get two presents--lucky bum!) and Ezra had no idea what was going on. =) Here's a picture of Maeve's requested Ladybug Cake that I made:

 Tickled to have the ladybug to herself--she ate only the eyes and lips =)

 I didn't take enough pictures and the only one I got of Uncle Jon and Danielle they were eating. Sorry! HA! Love you guys!

 Maeve loved her presents!!

 Aunt Micayla, Uncle Ryan, Pop-pop laughing (love!), Granny, and Xander!

 It was lovely and now it's over and I'm starting to accept that I have a 4 year old. =)

After lunch today I told my husband, 

"I just want one picture of all three kids."

So we posed and he chased and we corralled and I got nothin'. (Ezra is anti-picture at the moment). So the next best thing? Throwing them all in swings and telling them to smile. =)

I have a hard time getting pictures of Amelie because A) she's at school all the time B) she doesn't like to pose C)she'll only let me take one or two pictures at a time. Luckily today she let me take a few more. She started out silly:

Goofy:

Then I told her to look at Daddy and think about how much she loves him and she smiled sweetly. =)

And then the best of all:

Love my sweet girl!

Pictures of the Birthday Girl

Dear Maeve, 

4 years ago we welcomed you into our family! You were such a sweet, quiet and simple baby. You never cried. You were very content to lay anywhere at anytime and you liked to sleep in bed right next to Mommy. I was extra excited to meet you because I lost two little babies the year before you were born--and though I mourn their loss--I am so thankful that God knew I had to wait for you (even though the waiting was so very painful). You came at just the right time for our family--and that's one of the most important things I hope you'll ever learn-

-that God does things in His time and His timing is perfect every time. 
I am still learning this lesson!! 
 Sweet Maeve, you are loved and lovely. You have an amazing big sister who would do anything for you and a wonderful little brother who might be a little bit of a bother, but that will change with time--I pray that you will always cherish them. You are so outgoing and funny--so much like Daddy in so many good ways. Our love for you grows every single day! May the Lord bless you as you grow with a heart for Him, and with love and kindness for others. 
Happy 4th Birthday my dear one!

Love, Mama

It was rainy all day.

We stayed home.

I liked it.

Well, aside from Maeve's short trip out to preschool and back, that is. =)

I'm still preparing myself emotionally for Maeve's birthday tomorrow--I can't believe HOW QUICKLY this last year has gone. I can't even talk about a certain someone turning 2 in two weeks. GAH.

I took these pictures the other day of my little-big-girls--I love them so!

Maeve is so funny-what a diva! And Amelie is so grownup and lovely.

There is so much to be thankful for around here!

***
I heard this song while I was driving today--it's one of my new favorites. 

Happy Wednesday! And take a minute to be thankful for all of the blessings in *your* life!

Interview with the cutest *almost 4* year old in the land!

What's your favorite color?

Pink & Purple, Green

What's your favorite toy?

Polly Pockets and Disney Stuff

Who's your best friend?

Leah

What's your favorite thing to do?

Go to McDonalds and see Granny and have Grand-girl days

What's your favorite movie?

Mickey Mouse

What's your favorite thing to eat?

Dinosaur Chicken 

What's your favorite snack?

Whatever I eat at preschool.

What do you want to do for your birthday?

Open presents.

Who is your favorite person?

I love everybody and God and Jesus, His Son.

Is there anything else I should know?

Sometimes I like to play computer games and go on roller coasters.

The Good News * Bad News Edition

The Good News:

Ezra has been sleeping like a champ all week!

The Bad News:

Until last night--when he woke up at 3:30 and never went back to sleep. He went down for a short nap at 9 (I missed church--boo), up at 10 and THAT WAS IT. Gah. 

The Good News:

Amelie *loves* raking giant piles of leaves in the back yard:

The Bad News:

Maeve loves jumping in freshly raked piles of leaves. Poor Amelie. =)

The Good News:

My haircut came out great! It was cut and styled beautifully yesterday morning. And then I ran 2.7 miles (thankyouverymuch) and it was destroyed. 

The Bad News:

Hair cut still cute--hair styling fail. Yesterday it looked perfectly piece-y and oomphy and today--well, eh. Must learn to blow dry while curling under with round brush. Will probably never happen.

And, our final item:

Good News:

I ran 2+miles 6 days this week.

Bad News:

I just learned how to replicate Little Ceasar's Cheesy Bread at home. I may never be the same!

Good night!

Ezra has inherited a love...

or is it a compulsion?

It's a deep affinity for vacuuming.

Passed on from his Pop-pop, to his Daddy and to him.

Apparently it's a guy thing. 

I wonder if he'll still love it as much when he's a teenager?

I'll have to save the pictures as proof! =)

Mr. Wonderful is at the movies, the little ones are all soundly sleeping  and I am studying pictures of hairstyles on Pintrest. =) I spent the last 2+ years growing my bangs out and I've decided now that they are long I want them short. Le. Sigh. I think I'm going to ask for a combination of these pictures--hopefully my rockin' hair dresser is up to the challenge!!!  What do you think?

My girls both have awesome hair--I don't know where it came from. Maeve's is so pretty and straight and blond and Amelie's is so amazing and curly and perfectly-naturally-highlighted. Hopefully my haircut tomorrow is magical!! 
In other news, there is no news. We had a lovely day--Ezra and I went for a run during Maeve's preschool and then our dear friends came over for lunch. Love them. 
Tonight was family movie night--we ate takeout and watched The Little Mermaid. I have the movie memorized and couldn't help but recite some of the more familiar scenes which pretty much blew Amelie's mind because she has no idea that *I* was a kid when that came out. =) Isn't it funny that when you're a kid you just imagine that grownups were always grownups and that you'll always be young?
C'est Le Vie! 
Happy Friday--yay for weekends!

This week is flying by! We had Bible study at church--we are working on this Beth Moore Study:
It's really interesting so far--I'm excited to continue on. One verse in particular that stood out to me:

Jeremiah 17:14

  Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed;
   save me and I will be saved,
   for you are the one I praise. 

*****

For dinner tonight I made homemade chicken noodle soup & applesauce (with apples from NY) and bread (from Pampered Chef). 

So. Yummy. Perfect rainy-fall-day food. 

The kiddos are CA-Ra-Zy right now--they are watching Daddy play Wii and they love it. Everytime he wins they scream and hug and clap and everytime he loses a board they scream and cry. Either way, there is screaming, which, isn't very surprising. =)

***

Happy Thursday night!

My little darling Maeve started preschool today! She has been looking forward to it for a long time. She had a great day and brought home a picture she drew of a roller coaster (or at least, that's what she called it =).

Speaking of my Maeve, tonight when I tucked her in, she said a prayer and at the end, I asked her if she could tell me who Jesus was. She proceeded to tell me that He is the Son of God and that He loves us! And all of the sudden, while telling me this, she stopped and exclaimed (loudly):
"BUT WAIT!!! Did He come back yet?! Did I miss it?!!" 
Hi. larious. 
I assured her she didn't miss His return and that there were no way it could happen without her noticing it. Ha! 
I love my little grown-up-girl!

When my Mom was here last week, we celebrated Maeve & Ezra's birthday early! Nothing wrong with an extra birthday celebration! =)

Last minute cupcakes!

CUPCAKEEEEE!!!

A friend posted this short film on facebook and it really spoke to me--worth watching to the end and giving time to think about what you've seen. 

(Warning: This isn't one to watch with the kiddos around as there are disturbing concentration camp images).

*I'm so thankful to be able to stay home with my little ones! Today we baked apple pie together 

(Ezra was helpful at tasting the apples that Maeve helped me peel on our apple peeler/corer thingy). 

We worked on "school" (sorting for Ezra and coloring within the lines & shape recognition for Maeve) and took a walk. Usually I push them in the stroller but today I decided that they could do some of the work! 

Maeve decided she didn't want to walk so she got her running shoes on and went for a run (Or at least, that's what she said!)! Ha! 

She ran the entire two blocks and did a great job listening to and obeying directions. 

Ezra held my hand and plodded along. He was very busy sight-seeing. =)

****

*Last night we were lucky enough to get to go out do dinner with friends (Cheesecake Factory! Their treat!!!). It was lovely and made extra lovely by the fact that Granny stayed with the babes and wrangled them into bed and we got to come home to a quiet house! =)

  ****

 

*I just finished reading: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children--it was unusual but good.

****

*I haven't been keeping up with Ezra's *month* posts....
but this guy right here is -------> 

*23* Months Old. 

How in the heck is that possible?!?!? I can believe it--because

he's acting like a big boy

and understands everything I say to him

and follows directions so well,

and laughs at all of the jokes his sisters laugh at

and has his own ideas

and throws *I'm almost 2* temper tantrums

and he is such a boy!

He can find dirt ANYWHERE

(even when the girls remain spotless he becomes filthy. =) )

And he loves his trains and cars and trucks and any type of ball.

He's so fun and lovely and says, "Mama Mama Mama!!" when I come downstairs in the morning

(Mr. Wonderful has been getting up with him at 5 or 5:30 or whatever 5-time Ezra decides to get up. Yawn. )

He is such a fantastic little guy--Love. Him. 

Happy Tuesday!

It's an absolutely gorgeous fall day--what a blessing! We had an abbreviated morning at church--we were able to enjoy seeing Amelie (and some of the BRS Elementary Choir) sing--before we had to leave to get Mr. Wonderful to a gig outside of Philly somewhere or other. 

Amelie did a great job singing and doing all the motions--I loved watching her and her little friends! 

Here are some pictures I snapped of my precious ones before church!

Friday Night Snippets

* After a lovely week with my Mother here--she's gone! Boo! Back to New York--it was so nice to have you Mom--see you in November for Thanksmas!!

* I met my friends at the coffee shop today--so nice! I haven't been there in forever--I guess there are some good things about cooler/Fall weather! =) 

*Ezra was up at 5 again today--Boo. Hiss. 

* He took a 4 hour nap! Huzzah!! 

*Maeve is obsessed with Polly Pocket--she keeps walking around telling me what a "special" toy Polly Pocket is/are. =)

* A friend of mine posted a link to this book on facebook:

I started reading through the comments about the book and got lost in a trail of research and was so excited about this!! I've thought for the longest time that there was something "wrong" with because I'm so introverted. I thought that eventually God would change me into a more extroverted person, because then I would really be able to serve Him better! I never thought that maybe He could use me in spite of myself 

and that maybe He made me this way 

ON PURPOSE!! 

*light-bulb moment!!*

It was so nice to read that I'm not the only one who needs tons of down time to be recharged, that others feel drained in group settings and just. can't. speak. 

That going to places with people can be so very difficult and that calling people/businesses can be monumentally overwhelming.

I can't wait to order this and read it!
I tried explaining my epiphany to my husband--he just smiled and gave me the "i know you're crazy but i love you anyways" look. =)

* My stinkin' phone didn't work all day. Now it's magically healed. Woot. I guess that's ok, since if it rang I most likely wouldn't have answered it anyways! =)

Good night!