A Visit From Great Grandma!

Last week my grandma traveled all the way out to Minnesota to visit us!  Ryan had to go to Vegas for work (poor guy), so it was perfect timing.  We had a lot of fun, and I have to say I was quite impressed by her ability to keep up with my little wild things.

We crammed as much as we could into our few days with her.  We took her to our favorite donut shop before school one day, showed her around the fun kids area at the library, and Evie's gymnastics class.  Lyla got to order crab (her favorite) at Red Lobster, and both girls got their own cake slices at The Cheesecake Factory (oreo cheesecake for Evie and the biggest chocolate layer cake known to mankind for Lyla), and we even got to do some fancy dress shopping for the girls.  We finally did our obligatory sight seeing on the last morning, stopping by Minnehaha Falls for the first time for all of us. 

It was such a great trip!  We were all glad Great Grandma got to visit us out here in the Midwest.  Now we've just gotta get her back out here in the summer when it's warm and green!  ;)

- K

Donuts!  And not a single complaint from her teachers after school.  ;)

Checking out the lobsters at Red Lobster.

Coloring with Great Grandma.

Cutest gymnastics girl.

Cheesecake Factory!

After dinner at Cheesecake Factory we stayed out late to go dress shopping for the girls.  They were pretty excited to get in them first thing the next morning!

It was the first time we've ever done proper dress shopping where we actually tried several on to find the best option.  Lyla had so much fun posing in front of the mirror and said "it feels like I'm at the beauty shop!"  :)  (Gotta love that bed head.)

Last stop before the airport!  Minnehaha Falls.  The falls were pretty cool, but we didn't get to stay long and explore.  Next visit!

Valentine's Day Fun!

It's no secret that I love putting together a fun party, all things girly, and Valentine's Day.  Lyla has inherited the love for parties and girliness, so I decided to throw her and Evie a little Valentine's Day party for their girlfriends.  We decorated cookies, played freeze dance, ate pizza and unwrapped surprise goodies.  So much fun!

After the party L and E had to get ready for their daddy daughter dance.  They both chose princess dresses - shocking - and had very specific thoughts on what their hair and accessories should look like.  Girls after my own heart.  ;)

Here are some photos!

- K

Waiting on a party to start is hard.

Happier with a little chocolate!

Freeze dance!

It's her party.  She'll cry if she wants to.

I don't know what this game is called, but you unwrap the saran wrap until you get a prize, then pass it on.  It was a hit!

We had a little impromptu girl band performance.  :)

Pizza!

We never got a picture together, so had to settle for a selfie.  :)

Dance prep!  Is there anything cuter than kids in robes??

Lucky dad.  Lucky girls!

a BOY!!!!

We're having a SON!  It's funny even saying that word.  We "tried" for a boy, but given our history I wasn't sure we had any hope.  Turns out the old wives tales work!  ;)

Lyla's been rooting for a boy for a while now and constantly comes up with names we could give "him".  After finding out this morning we decided to do a mini gender reveal for the girls tonight, so Ryan brought home two cupcakes filled with blue frosting.  Lyla's reaction when she saw the blue was priceless - pure excitement!  Sis was mostly interested in just eating her cupcake.  ;)

I'm still a little bit in awe, and can't seem to get this smile off my face.  What a relief it always is to have a perfectly healthy ultrasound, and to find out we're adding a boy to the crew?!  Amazing. 

Having a boy is a newer dream for me, I kind of always just thought of girls when I thought of my future children.  But sometime after Evie it dawned on me what a privilege it would be to raise a good man.  The world could use a few more of those.

Two of the very best girls, and now a boy!  I can't even express the excitement and gratitude flowing through my veins right now.  Can't wait for July!!

- K

Here are some pics of the little guy and our cupcake party!  :)

Five!

Our Lyla Rose is 5! The tiny baby with the perfectly round head that pooped all over me as soon as she came out (probably her favorite story of all times), screamed for her first bath and took to eating like a champ from the start.  The chubby legged baby that refused to grow hair and preferred 5 headbands at a time to just one.  The little pig tailed girl that waddled around in her diaper, yelling gibberish to anyone that would listen.  The one that had every word to every Frozen song memorized and refused to take off her Princess Anna dress.  Ever.  That girl is five!  And she's pretty quick to remind me that she's not a baby anymore! 

Each year gets a little easier to accept because I can see the fun that's ahead instead of simply mourning the baby I'm losing. But oh man, do I cherish those baby years.  Every once in a while I get these sweet flash backs and I can remember just what it was like to have my little 8lb baby laying in my arms, asleep.  Like today when we took a nap together and she wrapped my arm underneath her and snuggled her head into my chest.  I might as well have swaddled her right then and there, because there she was, my little newborn Lyla.

I don't know what we did to deserve a girl like Lyla.  She's not very gentle, or careful, or quiet, and more often than not I'm cleaning up some mess that's been left in her wake.  But she's also good and pure and kind.  She is the definition of beauty on the inside and out, and we couldn't be more proud of the little lady she is becoming.

Lyla, you are perfection.  We love you so!

XO
Mama 

She woke up like this.  Literally.  We had one of those "too excited to sleep" nights, and I think I got woken up hourly to see if it was time to open presents yet.  When we finally came in with her donut breakfast she was sleeping, fully dressed, with the lights on.

She's been begging for breakfast in bed for months, so she was pretty excited!

We woke Evie up to partake in the fun, which is always a dangerous sport.  A powdered sugar donut helped coax her out of her hibernation semi successfully.

This balloon was one of the biggest hits of the day!

Cutie little 5 year old!  Is it just me or does she actually look a little older?!

We met Dad for dinner at a hibachi restaurant.  She's wearing her new nightgown tucked into a skirt (#pickyourbattles) and had to get "their daughter", Samantha for the picture.  At home I've suddenly become the grandma while Lyla runs around calling her dad "Boo", and making him help take care of her doll.  :)

Eating some shrimp sushi!

She proclaimed this to be the best birthday and birthday dinner ever!  Breakfast in bed, cupcakes at school, presents and a fancy dinner.  What more could a girl want??  ;)