Stella turns TWO

It is hard to believe that our littlest woman is TWO!

Stella Charlene is such a special girl and we love her dearly. 

 We greeted her this morning by dumping balloons into her crib while shouting "Happy Birthday", then after a bit of playing with big sister it was breakfast and the Happy Birthday song.  I think she was a bit baffled at the events unfolding but seemed to enjoy the attention.  We were lucky that Daddy was able to join us before he went off to bed and it was simply a fabulous morning together celebrating Miss Stella. We had a new colouring book and crayons waiting for her and she got colouring right after she gobbled down TWO - yes TWO pancakes.

 

 

 Stella is really into:

*baby dolls

*baby Neely

*making various objects be babies ie.forks, rocks, toilet paper rolls just to name a few

*reading books - both with me and on her own

*playing with her big sister

*colouring

*sidewalk chalk

*being outside

*snuggling her dad - head on his shoulder, arms around his neck, the whole shebang

*snuggling her mom - especially before bed after we read a few stories

*watching Sesame Street or Mickey

*making the bird talk on her Dad's iphone

*the riding zebra toy downstairs

*calls every drink "milk"

*occasionally says "me do" and insists that she try to 'do'

*sorta starting to be into Nursery on Sunday

*a big time fan of her pink polka dot jacket and likes to point out any polka dots

*attempts telling jokes like her big sister and will tell us that she is funny - "I'm funny" - oh dear!!!

*has giggling fits with her big sister and it makes everyone in ear shot smile

*great at giving hugs and kisses to her immediate family, extended family other then Neely, Kingston or Jacey only when the mood strikes her!!!!!

This last photo is sooooo Stella with her blue eyes and serious stare. 

 

 What a pleasure to be her momma!



cutie pies

 

I am a picture-aholic and I am fully aware of it!!!!  However, by taking a ton of pictures of the people you love so dearly there are bound to be beautiful moments captured...just saying. Love these moments captured above.

 

The Birds are so kind to us, they are kind in general but are really kind to us when our Dad is working a lot.  They come to our place or lately because little baby Neely has joined the family it is easier if we go to their place.  They have us over often  and it helps me stay sane.  They invited us over after church on Sunday and we had prearranged to have our girlies match (minus baby Neely), so of course we took a few pics.  Amelia and Stella are actually super into matching and love to wear the same things, they actually request it... oh my heart loves it!!!!!!!  Needless to say they were thrilled to match cousin Jacey.  Our spring weather has been warm then cool so Alyson suggested this may be our last Sunday getting to wear these fleece heart dresses.  They were on clearance and actually may be night gowns but paired with cute baby legs they are dressy enough for church.  Stella loved that they had hearts and kept pointing out the "pink hearts" or "orange hearts"....oh I love that her language is coming, such a window into all that she actually knows.  It was a fun day!!  No matter how crazy getting ready for church is or how crazy the kiddos behave during sacrament it is ALWAYS worth it!  So often listening and learning for those 3 hours helps charge me up so I can carry on for the next 6 days.  Often such simple spiritual insights occur like a new approach to prayer.  Just little personal pick me ups that I need.  Life is good and seriously when I look at these pictures of our big girls, life is soooooo good!

 

~ Mrs. P



bugs, bubbles & cousins

 

At bedtime we are still doing the 'Happy/Favourite' thing about our day and I love hearing what Amelia says. 

We had a very busy day in the city, jam packed with cousin time and outside fun.  We had a morning play date with the Stannix family and Amelia said that playing with the ladybug at Cami's house was one of her favourite things.  The other thing she said was catching bubbles with her sister and prince Kingston  (as he is affectionately known).  We hooked up with them at Gramma n Grandpa Hudkins.  Kind of cool because I had snapped a few pictures of both things she mentioned.  Amelia has been asking before bed and then again in the morning, where we are going? who we get to see? She likes being busy I guess and she LOVED spending the day with her family.

 

My highlight of the day was welcoming home Mom and Gramma from their 3 week European Vacation. They went to Poland to see where Gramma's mother was born, they stopped over in Germany, then hung out with family friend Margo in Scotland, finally flying home out of London. I have really, really missed being able to call my mom about anything and everything so seeing her made me smile so big!!!!!!!

 

 

Just another happy day!

~ Mrs. P



moments with momma

 

Kind of a day in the life, minus the tantrums and I actually did my hair. Ha!

 



I have some very talented friends and one such friend wanted to capture

`Momma`s and their Little`s`

 as a celebration of Mother`s Day.  I really have been trying to get in the pics with the kiddos so they have photo memories that include their parents but it isn`t always easy to find a flat surface, fiddle with the zoom and set the timer.  I decided to go for it and have Lady Shutter Bug come over.  I wept tears (because I am a big baby) when I looked at the images she captured.  Her philosophy/style is to snag real interaction, not so much of the ridged posed pictures....I LOVE THE RESULT!!!!  This truly feels like our everyday life captured.  We read, we dress up, we dance and spin, tell secrets and giggle.  Weirdly no tantrums occured during the photo shoot, frankly a photo or two of those moments would have been pretty real too!

 

 

 



 

We have the coolest chicks ever!  For real they rock. 

Fun fact: my brown beaded necklace was my Great-Grandma Lepine`s and I love to wear it. I also

 wear a gold chain with two charms, each has an initial for `A`melia and `S`tella.

 

xoxo Momma P



Root Beer Float Fanatics

Fanatics, I tell you!!!!

These ladies are serious fans of Root Beer Floats.  It is funny because I don't think that Amelia even had pop until she was 3 and here my little Stella who isn't yet 2 is all over the Root Beer Floats. (I should state that this is the ONLY time they get pop.)  Anyway, we all LOVE having floats as a special treat.  Perhaps it has to do with getting a spoon and straw or perhaps it has to do with all of the sweetness.  Either way it is a delicious, special treat.  Even without our Dad around we still try to have weekly Family Home Evening or FHE.  We always start with Ring-Around-The-Rosy and end with some kind of novelty treat.  It is always worth the effort to prepare.  Sometimes it means leaving dinner dishes or skipping bath to make it happen but it is ALWAYS worth it!  I am always impressed by what the girls retain and that also makes it worth the effort. 

A testament to the fact that 'good things aren't easy'.

 

~ Momma P

lucky to be a mother

 

We are so lucky to have these precious ladies and all so lucky to have each other.

 

They are blessed to have a built in best friend, a built in teacher and a built in playmate.  Man oh man how lucky they are to have one another, sisters!  It is still baffling at times to think they we have TWO CHILDREN, craziness!!!!  We (I) made TWO CHILDREN.  Graham and I had years where every prayer uttered contained our plea, our desire to be parents.  There were so many conversations, decisions, adoption interviews, classes, fertility appointments....tears....and now we have TWO BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN.

 

A week ago today was Mother's Day, it is a precious day for me. My feelings on this day have evolved as I have grown and learned. There have been tears but also tremendous growth, for which I am grateful for.  I control my emotions, my outlook.  I have personally learned many things on my quest to be a mother. Graham and I have grown together as a couple.  In years past I've been asked to speak at church and have talked about 'Mothering' because every woman on earth has the ability to 'mother' the children around her. I truly believe this and found peace in the opportunity I had to show love to the little folk in my class at school and the young folk around me in general.  There is something precious and tender about being a mother now, after longing for this role. It is both tougher and better then I thought.

 

"The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work. Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever...

Mothers, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones. Yours is the work of salvation, and therefore you will be magnified, compensated, made more than you are, better than you are, and better than you have ever been. "

~ Elder Jeffery R. Holland 

 

Reading this quote recently reminded me that as long as I am daily doing my best I will be made more than I am. What a great promise!?!

 

~Mrs. P

Adventurers - sort of

Our women are totally digging the nice weather.  We are having fun outside adventures in our driveway and the other day at Joy School Amelia biked the farthest I've ever seen her bike.  It is making for tired people at bedtime, not going to lie - I love it!  Stella is particularly fond of being outside, it is pretty sad for her when it is time to come in.  I am soooooo looking forward to getting a yard.  I think Tula is excited for grass too.

 

 

Anywhere there is a spec of grass or trees my women are looking for lady bugs, picking up sticks and collecting rocks. Yeah for spring!!! Also super awesome, Amelia's fear of bugs seems to be on the decline.

 

~ Mrs. P