Annie's 2nd Birthday!

 The gorgeous weather continued into March, and it was beautiful for Annie's second birthday on the 6th.  Hard to believe that the baby is TWO!  When we ask her if she's a baby or a big girl, she responds with "baby."  Sure, fine by me!  ;)  

Annie is such a happy little girl.  She's the least shy of all three kids but is still attached to her mama.  She is also the best eater and actually prefers veggies.  Her favorites are lettuce/spinach salads, peas, corn, green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower!  She also loves her nap and gladly goes to her room immediately after lunch!  I wake her up most days but honestly, most of the time she's awake and just laying in her bed perfectly happy.  Not sure how long that will last, but I'll take it!  She's still a thumb sucker and can't go far without her "raggies."  She's definitely getting an ornery streak and has an opinion most days!  She's learning more and more words and can express herself pretty well.

We broke out the sidewalk chalk for some birthday greetings for our birthday girl!

She was excited to open a few presents! 

We made a pit stop at the mall play area.

And we spent the rest of the day outside!

We had a small family party that evening!

She loved her "deer cake!"

Annie got a couple more presents a couple weeks later when Grandpa Bill and Grandma LaDonn could come!  More on their visit later!

Annie, you are such a joy!  We pray you learn to love Jesus and share Him with others.  We all love you so much and are so thankful you are part of our family!  Have fun being 2!

Beautiful February Days

We had some unseasonably warm days in February, and we took full advantage!  Usually this month in Iowa can be a rough one weather-wise, but this year was amazing!  

The woods behind our house is always a perfect adventure spot.

Squire's Point

Jace put a stick on the path for any bad guys that may be following us... don't worry, we moved it before anyone tripped!

Fossil Gorge

Back to Squire's Point...this time with daddy and Ruby!

There is a pond not far from our house that we visit quite frequently.  I'm pretty sure these three could throw rocks in all day long.

Fun with neighborhood friends at the park near our house.

Paul took Ruby and Jace back to Squire's Point one afternoon.

Annie loves geese and ducks and gets a little too close for my comfort!  ;)

Thank you God for some awesome Iowa weather in February!

Jace's 4th Birthday!

When your kiddos take a sudden interest in the yearly blog books, you realize you need to keep at this!  I know I'm not the best or most interesting writer and I have no clue if anyone even reads these, but they are so important to our family!  Perhaps we will always be able to look online, but there's something about holding a book in your hands too!  So, I better get to updating!

Jace turned FOUR in February!  This kid is all about superheroes and villains.  He actually likes the bad guys more... we've discussed when we should start worrying about that.  ;)  He couldn't decide who should be on his cake, so he chose one superhero, Hulk, and one bad guy, Ultron.

We had a family celebration the weekend before his birthday as my parents were able to come help him celebrate.

 

 

 Jace shared a birthday with another classmate, so he got to celebrate his birthday at preschool a couple days early.  Here he is with Mrs. Winstead, leading the class.

 

He received this awesome gift in the mail from Uncle Kenny, Aunt Carrie, Tate and Palmer! 

  

 On his actual birthday, he woke up to some special presents!

 

  

He also had the privilege of attending his big sister's Kindergarten Music concert on his birthday!  He might not be so appreciative of this type of birthday celebration in years to come, but when you're four, you are one of your sister's biggest fans, and sit in the aisle to get the best view!  

 

And then we had a second celebration the weekend after with some friends at our house.  We ordered pizza just like the Ninja Turtles would have done and had some turtle cookies for dessert.

 And we couldn't resist, putting Captain America's shield together with some of his favorites: fruit, marshmallows, and chocolate chips!

 This is a frequent activity when mom is in charge.  Superheroes in alphabetical order!  I can only "play" superheroes for so long!  ;)

Jace, we love you so much!  You are a great brother to your sisters, and we love watching you grow and learn!  We thank God for you and are proud of who you are!  We love you!