Our Little Princess Turns 2

Princess Kate turns 2!! Here she is wearing her tiara.

Princess Kate giving royal commands...LOL Not really, she was pointing at the cake but it looks like it.

I know it is cliche, but I am constantly amazed at how time flies. What a difference a single year makes. Our baby turned 2 years old! She is so beautiful and perfect, I feel blessed to be her mother. She is a real girl now and makes me laugh every single day with so much attitude in such a tiny package. Terrible 2s here we come!Kate in Nana and Papa's yard wearing the yellow "party hat" that Nana made. Dallin freaked out when he got there because there were no "pointy hats", so Nana quickly made him one...well, then Kate HAD TO have one. So they walked around wearing these for half of the evening. LOL I think it made Kate look like a garden gnome so I took lots of pictures of her in the yard.

We opted to celebrate Kate's birthday a week early this year so that Aunt Tammy would be able to come (she is out of town for the real thing). We had a wonderful family BBQ (with chicken and sausage-Kate's favorites!) after church. We, of course, did another princess party since Kate is in love with all things pink and princess. What a girly girl! I made her a round strawberry cake and put her tiara (from last birthday) on top. My mom put some white decor on it and voila...cake fit for a princess. Her Grandpa and Grandma Kellogg sent her an AMAZING Fisher Price princess castle which we were able to set up by her cake for her to see when she first came in. Our awesome princess party table!

All of the birthday excitment really overwhelmed her because she got up to the table and looked around at everyone and started to cry. (She had just woke up from her post church in the car nap) She threw quite the tantrum, wallering and yelling and crying. It seemed like the terrible 2s wasted no time in arriving on schedule (we have had a few tastes before but the irony of this at her 2nd birthday party was just too much). I took lots of pictures of it and made her even madder. LOL Yep, I'm a mean mean mom. Kate's birthday tantrum...this is not the part on the floor kicking and screaming...this is the tormenting her with pictures part. LOL
After a while she calmed down and was ready to PARTY! It worked out great that we had the castle out because she was able to play with her castle until dinner was ready. It was sooo cute!!! It had a little princess and prince that would dance together with music and a pony that would neigh. I wanted one! LOL Kate adored it and only lets Dallin play with it every once in a while. He kept making the prince and princess dance and playing with it though every time she left the room.
Kate playing with her new princess castle. (photo on top and video on bottom!)

We had dinner next and Kate got to eat at the little table with Dallin. We put a pink table cloth on her table and had a Happy Birthday banner with pink balloons (which she was VERY excited about) over her seat. We even got her a cute lil princess plate from the dollar store and Nana and Papa got her a pretty princess tiara that we set up at her chair. Finally it was time for PRESENTS! Kate was WAY into presents. She kept saying 'presents! presents!" She did a great job at opening them and was excited about everything she got!Kate opening her gifts.

We scored big this year and got her a....FEATHER DUSTER! Random I know but she really wanted one (shout out to you Annie about the weird gifts!) It's what every 2 year old wants...well, the ones who watch a lot of CinderElmo! It was so funny because her face just LIT UP and she started dusting everyone and everything in sight. She danced around on her tiptoes saying"Dust dust dust dust!". What a cutie pie! Kate dusting Nana(top) Kate dusting daddy and Dallin (bottom)
Video of Kate on a dusting frenzy

We also got her some dress up things that she put on RIGHT AWAY, and ...her very first princess nightgown. Kate in her very first princess nightgown. Doesn't she look so big!?Kate wearing most of her gifts!

She also ended up with a way cool Little Einstein book and princess sheets from her aunt and uncles. Nana and Papa gave her a cute pair of blue princess pjs that came with a little blue ballerina skirt. She also got a beautiful wooden cradle and a new baby with clothes to change into from Nana and Papa. She was thrilled and kept making the boys tote that cradle around ALL night, taking the baby out, putting it back to bed, feeding it, dressing it, and shrieking like a banshee if her brother came NEAR it. At one point, I overheard him pleading with her "No, Kate. I'm just taking care of the baby! See! I'm checking on the baby to make sure she is ok. She was crying! I am helping!" Kate looking at her brand new cradle and baby doll. So excited! Look at her little arms! Kate giving Papa and "date do" kiss

For those who are wondering....yes, Dallin cried while Kate opened her gifts. Dallin red-faced and crying with Daddy while Kate jubilantly and obliviously opens her gifts.
It is just so hard at that age to watch someone else get so many special things all at once. Thankfully, his grandparents had a lot of foresight. He got a tool shirt and a pair of shorts from Nana and Papa and a Handy Manny talking toolbox from Grandma and Grandpa Kellogg. We made him wait to open them until the end though since it was her special day. He ADORES his toolbox and outfit. He calls the outfit his "Handy Manny outfit" and wore it for 2 days STRAIGHT before I could get him to change clothes. The toolbox has gone everywhere with us. In the car, out to play, to bed, on our walks around the block. I look pretty awesome carrying around a box full of tools with eyeballs and smiles....especially when Christopher decides to be "funny" and hits the button and they all start singing and dancing. He has been "fixing" things around the house NON-STOP since he got it and he is just so dang cute about it. He will "call" me on his pretend phone and ask me if I have anything broken. Then I will make up something about the door or the stairs of a random appliance and he will "fix" it with his tools. Sometimes he even pretends to go to the hardware store for "supplies". Coming up with things for him to "fix" keeps him busy for hours! What a cutie pie!Daddy and Dallin showing off his new Handy Manny talking toolbox. I would have liked a better picture, but he was so busy bouncing around with excitment that I was lucky to get one with him LOOKING at the camera. LOL Here is "Handy Manny" (aka Dallin) with his tools wearing his "Handy Manny clothes". In case you are wondering, the shirt says "I break it. I fix it!" I wish that was true...sigh..it is more like "I fixed it...oops, I broke it!" LOL

Finally, it was time for cake and ice cream! Kate was VERY excited. She just smiled so big and excited while we all sang to her. She kept blowing at the cake all the way across the room. Consequently, it didn't even reach her before it went out. She kept on blowing anyways...then

Video of Kate "blowing out" her birthday candle

noticed it was out and demanded it be relit. After it was relit and she blew it out, she deemed it a success, threw her arms in the air and yelled "Woo!" Everyone cracked up.Success! Kate blows out the candle (take 2) and yells "Woo!"

She is a such a blessing and just makes my heart overflow every single day. She is growing up so much every day. It seems that she is changing by leaps and bounds and every new day brings all new skills and surprises. I can't wait for the coming year!Kate eating her birthday cake. She ate it so delicately and carefully with her fork. She is so dainty. It is really a change of pace after Dallin...who still makes a mess like he eats from a trough. LOL

I love you Kate Alivia, my little princess! Happy 2nd Birthday!

Our Easter Celebration 2009

We had a wonderful fun-filled Easter full of friends and family and trying new activities. The week of Easter we started with doing an Easter egg hunt with our ROCKstar playgroup at the park. It was REALLY fun! Lots of friends and food. Everyone brought 12 filled eggs (for 2 and older kids) and so everyone got to take 12 eggs home after the kids found them all. It worked great! Dallin caught on really quickly and really cleaned up. He had 12 eggs in NO TIME. Kate...well...she took longer and after she collected about 5 eggs, she started putting them back. In the end, she was one of the kiddos who ended up with "mercy eggs" to get her 12.ROCKstar 2 and up Easter egg hunt! Dallin is the red headed kiddo in the middle of the group!Kate found an egg! ALERT THE MEDIA! Kate taking a break from hunting Easter eggs to "bust a move". Hmmm...hence the "mercy eggs"Dallin with his haul after the hunt. Kate with her HEAVY load after the hunt!

I LOVE this picture! I had to put it in. We stopped by my mom's before the ROCKstar hunt to pick up some Easter baskets to use. Kate REFUSED to leave without Nana and started to cry, so....Nana quickly got dressed and came with us! Kate was in HEAVEN! She and Nana spent the whole time together swinging and throwing rocks in the little brook. Nana gathered the rocks and Kate would throw them in one by one just giggling! She really has a special relationship with her Nana and it is so fun to see these beautiful moments!

The next big Easter activity was trying out the flashlight Easter egg hunt put on by the city. The kids were WAY excited to look for easter eggs in the dark with their flashlights (with mom and dad, of course). It didn't turn out as well as we had hoped. It was $10 for both kids to participate. Then there was nothing to do while we were waiting (except dance...and my kids did that!) . Finally when it got dark enough, the paren't assisted hunt kids lined up, but they didn't separate the age groups so when they yelled GO my kids barely picked up 2 things each and the hunt was over. They were a little bummed about the lack of treats (especially after the wildly successful ROCKstar hunt) so we went out for ice cream. There are so many city activities. I pick some to try out and then we can try new ones the next year or repeat if we liked it...this one was not a repeat.Daddy and Dallin at the flashlight Easter egg hunt. (The yellow around his arms, neck and legs are the glow sticks I made him wear so we wouldn't lose him in the dark. Yes...I am a paranoid mom.)Kate and Mommy at the flashlight Easter egg hunt. (Yep, she is fully robed in pink glow sticks!)

Then we went to Tammy and Will's and did the traditional Easter egg coloring. It turned out really fun. We tried doing speckled eggs, which you paint with sponges. It was actually WAY less messy and MORE fun that I thought it would be. The kids were able to do it quickly and easily and the eggs were TOTALLY bright colored and RAD! Only later did we find out that the paint does not dry well, so we weren't able to use these to hide on Easter Sunday, but we have sure enjoyed eating them!Kate coloring Easter eggs. She was very careful with the sponges and painted pink, purple, and yellow on the eggs. Dallin painting Easter eggs. Yellow...and only yellow. Is there any other color? Our family on Will and Tammy's tarp-covered porch coloring Easter eggs! We DID eat them ALL this past week too! We LOVE our hard boiled eggs! Tammy coloring her egg--we voted it "coolest egg". It looked like a purple dinosaur egg. (The adults got to color the cracked eggs! Yippee!)A close-up of Tammy's rad dino egg! The Easter eggs that the kids colored. Hmmmm...can you guess which ones Dallin did? LOL...yep...the whole bottom row of ALL YELLOW "golden eggs" is Dallin's and the top row of pink/purple/yellow is Kate's. The adult Easter eggs. The top left 2 are mine (blue/green speckle and pink/pruple speckle) and the bottom pink/green speckle. The pink and green stipe on the bottom is Will's. The purple dino egg up top is Tammy's.
Finally, it was Easter Sunday. We had explained to the kids the reason we celebrate Easter, but I am still wondering how much sank in. I am looking for ideas to drive this home more next year. The kids put out carrots for the Easter bunny the night before, and sure enough...he brought LOOT! Kids putting out carrots for the Easter bunnny!
Dallin came downstairs the next morning saying "WOW! OH WOW!" They got some things to use at the pool this summer and to use in the garden and outside. They were so excited! Dallin was especially excited about his spider-man stuff. The kids' Easter loot---pre-discovery. Kate finds the carrots that we left the Easter bunny--or what is left of them!Dallin on Easter morning with his Spiderman pool stuff! He was WAY excited!Kate shows off her Easter chalk

Then we got ready and went to church with Nana and Papa and the WHOLE family. That was really neat. We stayed for Sunday school since Papa was teaching. Dallin kept "helping" with the lesson. "He said baptism! He said Joseph Smith! He said temples!" After church we came back to Nana and Papa's house and had an Easter egg hunt for the little kids. They had a great time and made out like bandits-lots of animal crackers, teddy grahams, princess/spider-man fruit snacks, pringles, even a couple of little toys! Even Maddie got in on the action. Dallin and Kate on the Easter egg huntDallin hunting for Easter goodies! Running after goodies on the Easter egg hunt!Kate scores some animal crackers on the Easter hunt.
Kate is on the hunt!
Maddie on the hunt (with help from mom and dad!) I know it is hard to tell from this picture but she and Kate had matching dresses and bows(I made the bows!) I think I put a picture of all 3 kids matching together in my Family Update post in March. Maddie is my lil joy! Love that little girl!

Then they got to come in and get even more goodies from Nana and Papa. They were in heaven! Kate got ponies and Dallin got a viewfinder. Dallin and Kate getting Easter gifts from Nana

Then came the big kid hunt...oh yeah...it was ON! We were running around in the backyard looking for stuff everywhere. I think I may be eating Easter candy FOREVER! YUMMO! I love the candy they make for Easter! TReeses eggs, cadbury minis, sweettart chicks and eggs....it is manna from heaven! Then we had a big family ham dinner and called it a day.

Daddy and Dallin on Easter SundayMy beautiful gifts, Kate Alivia and Dallin Christopher on Easter Sunday. My little man-Dallin Christopher on Easter Sunday My princess, Kate Alivia, on Easter Sunday A close-up of Kate's Easter hairdo. I'm afraid it doesn't do it justice. It was really cute! Also, I made her Easter bows this year! (and Maddie's too!)

It was a really wonderful Easter season but the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is what really made it beautiful. I am grateful for His perfect love and for all of the blessings I have each and every day. My uncle passed away this Easter. It was sad, but something about the fact that he passed away on the day that the Lord overcame death and made it possible for us to live with Him again as a familiy forever through His atonement made it seem so fitting and gave us much comfort. This year more than ever, the true meaning of Easter has stayed on my heart as I hope it has for all of you. Happy Easter!

Texas Weather

We had our first brush with severe Texas weather a couple of weeks ago. I was a cloudy day but nothing really notable...no strong wind, no pounding rain (maybe some drizzle every now and again), no extreme temperatures. I had just broken my broom in half trying to bend it back into shape after getting it stuck under the fridge (yes...i buy high quality brooms...lol) and thought I might go to Wal-Mart to get another. My mom called all frantic about torando watches and severe weather warnings in our area. I looked outside and not seeing a lot thought "yeah, ok ...another sure disaster that we won't see a drop from". I loaded the kids into the car and sat for a moment. Now it was raining and the sky was gray but it wasn't anything terrible and I REALLY needed that broom (my children had eaten? since the other had broken). My mom called again panicking about the weather warnings and such (4 in hail at the mall 20 min away...ummm...sure mom....I though). Again, I looked around (it had stopped raining) and pondered...should I go and get the broom anyways? Probably Nothing will happen. It never does. The weather didn't look that bad...just a little thunder storm. No one will know. Christopher even called and told me to stay home (yes...mom had called him too...she is like the early warning system since none of us have tv or anything lol) I was set to go and then I had "the feeling"...the one that sets off every alarm in your body. I felt like an idiot because the weather was fine..no rain, no black clouds...nada but there I was rousing my sleeping children from the car and frantically running them into the house then I started chucking things around the garage and made just enough room to SQUEEZE our little Dodge Neon inside. I ran upstairs grabbed a flashlight and a blanket and before I had made it all the way down the stairs again I heard it.....TEXAS SEVERE WEATHER!!!
Thunder and lightening and rain, but most notably the hail started coming down (not just here and there), pelting the windows and the house. It looked like popcorn popping on the lawn. It kept getting bigger and it was hitting the windows so hard I thought they would break. I gathered my drowsy babies off of the couch (by the window) into the middle of the room. By now, the hail was quarter size and some golf balls in there. The noise was deafening and I was amazed that the windows didn't just shatter. I finally took my kiddos into our little emergency bathroom just in case and just as we entered it...it stopped. Just as suddenly as it had begun it was over and the sun came out. The yard was completely COVERED in hail stones. It looked like we had a snow storm--you'll have to look closely at the picture above to see it...I took it through the window since I was too scared to go out just yet). (Dallin thought it was a snowstorm!...poor kid) and he ran out and grabbed some to eat(after I was less scared). I took some pictures of what was left by the door(in my hand at the top), but it was nothing compared to what had been coming down. This happened about 2 weeks ago and now all of the roofs in our neighborhood are peeling off and blowing around. LOL It is kind of funny because Dallin thinks they are treasures and keeps making pathways to our house with the shingles that blow into the yard. I don't have the heart to throw them away.
I learned a lot from this experience
1) It is JUST A BROOM!! No one will notice a dirty floor when you have no roof!
2) Children can sleep through ANYTHING (except my am alarm)
3) Listen to your Mother!
4) The weather here really can change COMPLETELY in 5 minutes...again and again.
5) and most importanty...listen to the Spirit I am very thankful that I listened at that last moment (and grateful that the Spirit kept on) and kept myself and my children safe from harm. Hopefully, I can learn to listen earlier in the future!

Shall We Dance?

I previously posted about the kids pretending that they are dancing together at the ball. Usually, Dallin will yell "Princess Kate! I need to dance with you at the ball" This time, both kids were getting ready for church and one at a time they started swaying in front of the TV and then they started dancing together. It was really cute. Normally, they don't fall down quite so much though. Kate was really being a stink and kept making Dallin drag her around the floor. LOL