Finally we get to sled!

 We finally were able to dust off the sleds and go sledding a few weeks back (probably the only chance we'll have the rest of the season).  We found a new hill not far from our house, with lots of kids taking advantage of the snow.  The girls have been ecstatic about sledding, asking if we can go each time it snows.  We all had a great time (except Adaley).  Poor little girl was battling a cold, so we left her bundled up in her stroller, but she wanted to sit in the car, so I had to call it quits early, while Steve took out the girls for some more sledding.  Chandler even ventured over to the "big kids hill" with daddy, and had a great time!

Brooklynn loved pushing us down

 Mommy's turn

They started going on their own.  They were so stinkin' cute!

 Adaley and her snot-nose were there!

10 Months!

The pics of Addy are few and far between, but we made sure to get some the other day when she was actually dressed (instead of her usual footy pjs).  It's been an exciting month for Addy.  She's learned to pull herself up onto anything and everything (including the toilet paper dispenser, uh oh).  She's started cruising and can actually get down independently (she used to cry and you had to set her down, because she was afraid of falling).  And the other day she actually popped a tooth, FINALLY!  She's still a girl on the go constantly - only sitting briefly to stuff her face!

She's getting better about the finger foods (again) and is perfecting the sippy cup.  Her favorite foods are mac & cheese, avocado, and sandwiches.  Her stranger anxiety is pretty high right now, so it's mostly mom and dad that can hold her.  Hopefully that'll pass soon.  She's still a happy easy-going baby who loves to play and just learned a new game - throwing the ball with daddy.  Maybe a softball player........

Here's some pics of our happy Bug:

And her new favorite game - throwing the ball!  She's actually gotten much better, but here's a video of one of her first tries.  Maybe a softball player?  I sure hope so!

Saying Goodbye

The last year has been a tough one, but it was probably the hardest for my grandma since losing the love of her life.  She persevered and fought as hard as she could, but in the end, the heartbreak was too great.  She was a fantastic woman - a fighter till the end.  Now she was able to spend their 70th anniversary together, and I know that's what she wanted!

I have many great memories of grandma - her wonderful chocolate chip cookies, her love of sweets, and the happiness in her when she held Adaley this summer!  I have always felt bad that I wasn't able to be with my grandpa when he was sick, so I didn't hesitate to hop a flight to Buffalo to be with mom and the family for the funeral.  It was remarkable to see how many lives she and grandpa both influenced - from her golf club, the group home, and many others from the community.  I enjoyed sitting in their family room listening to crazy stories from all the kids about their childhood.  Although it was a very sad time, it was nice to see all 10 kids together and to have our "slumber party" in G & G's house, with most of us sleeping on the floor.

My grandparents were wonderful people, and I wish I would've had more time to spend with them.  They will always motivate me to be a better person and to help others.  

Grandma and Bug this summer

 So special - 4 generations!

I treasure the relationship I had with all my grandparents, and that's why we've vowed to never move away from our girls' grandparents.  I'm happy they get to grow up so close to their grandparents and will have that important bond.

Now that she's 5.......

One more post on our Brookly Bear and turning the big 5!  (This is more for me to have documentation for later)  We took Brooklynn to the doc a few days before her actual birthday, but she was so nervous for the shots.  She did great, and although they made her sick for about a week, she's ready for school now.  Here's her stats:

Height:  3 ft 8.8 " (90th percentile)
Weight:  44 lb 6 oz (78th percentile)

*I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to post this stuff before she becomes a little embarrassed!  So, again, we have our 3 tall girls (for now).  I'll make sure she learns how to play all basketball positions, because being a 5'7" center just doesn't cut it anymore.

After her birthday I asked her a list of questions about her life (the important stuff).  Then I'll ask the same ones each year as a little keepsake for her.  Thanks again to Pinterest for the idea!  Here's a few:

Favorite color - pink
Favorite toy - Barbie
Favorite game - Chutes & Ladders
Favorite TV show - Dinosaur Train
Favorite fruit - oranges
Favorite thing to do outside - ride bikes
Favorite holiday - Halloween
When I grow up I want to be a - fireman!  (or woman.....)

The Big Day!

After days of celebration it was finally Brooklynn's actual birthday.  When we asked her what she'd like to do, without hesitation, it was swimming and Chuck E Cheese.  So Steve took the day off, so we could squeeze it all in!  After dance class we rushed over to the rec center to swim with the Dunlaps.  We had a great time swimming, going down the slides, and just splashing around.  Brooklynn's even tall enough to ride the slide alone now!

Enjoying lunch

Brooklynn and Deacon

Chandler is ready to go!

 Right after swimming we headed home for some monster naps.  And they were long - we actually had to drag Brooklynn out of bed to get ready for Chuck E Cheese.  She had another fever spell from the shots, but we really wanted to go to Chuck E Cheese and be done with the birthday celebrations.  We were all a little burned out!  To perk her up we opened gifts before heading out.

 Off to Chuck E Cheese - She actually perked up a little......

 Loving pizza and best of all....the shows!

 Even Adaley rode a few rides (her first time experiencing Barney)

 Brooklynn loving her birthday

 Chuck E Cheese was fairly short-lived.  The girls actually asked to go home (before we ran out of tokens).  I guess we were all burned out.  So we came home, ate cake, and headed to bed.  Whew.....done!

A few days later (a week after the shots) she finally was back to her happy self!  Those shots mixed with lots of activities were rough!  Wednesday Brooklynn woke up sad she was now 5, thinking she had to go to kindergarten immediately.  Now that she understands she has a while she's enjoying being 5!

Family Time

Sunday morning we woke up to a blanket of snow for Brooklynn's family party.  With the bad weather my family wasn't able to make it up, but luckily we still had Magra & Papa and Jan & Forney.  We had brunch, opened gifts, and even had some Boo Bear Cake (Brooklynn's request for months).  Shortly after everyone arrived Brooklynn had her "sick look" and requested to lounge on the couch.  Uh oh!  It was the first of a few fever spells from her shots at the doctor.  Poor girl!

Cuddling up with her Papa

 The "sick look" - amazing how quick you recognize this as a parent

 Girls lovin' on Forney

 She perks up a little!

 Brookly Bear Cake

 Some "Just Dance Disney" time!  (Now we don't have to watch Brooklynn bump and grind to Rihanna - thank God)

*After looking at this picture, it looks like we need to start monitoring Chandler's clothing choices.  If it's not one thing....it's another.  Damn girls!

We had a great day and enjoyed watching the snow come down.  We don't get to see that much around here.