October is Party TIME!

 Party time for Lilly!  These pictures are all out of order - oh well.  You get the picture though, right?  Heh heh.  I'm out of one liners, what can I say?  I can only think on my feet so much and it's Sunday evening, Mommy is waiting for the Walking Dead to come on (nothing settles the mind like watching zombies eat people's faces off!), we thought we'd just get these up for you and try to hop back on the blogging train.  We've just been so BUSY eating bon bons and getting our nails done there's hardly time for anything else!  But there's ALWAYS time for a BIRTHDAY PARTAY!!!

 This here is the favorite present of the evening (score one for Aunt Kimber and Uncle Mark!)  Sorry everyone else, but this is the one I love the most (I still love everything else I got too!  Especially all the things Babi bought me! ;-)

 It is Pinkie Pie the talking My Little Pony!  Rocks!

 Even Anna loves her!

 Is there anything better than capturing "happy present face"?  Nope.  Methinks not.

 Being the very sweet and generous big sister I am, I even let Anna open some of my gifts!  Isn't that so big of me?!  Well, I'm 5 now!  And 5 is a big number!

 This present moment was priceless!  Just so years from now we don't forget, Mommy is going to record it here for posterity:
Babi had just finished telling a story of how ungrateful Mommy could be when she was younger and would get gifts...like she'd just poo-poo them off or something.  Babi said this was embarrassing (which turns out is a hard word to spell, just took Mommy a Google search to figure correct spelling) - anywhoo you see the picture above?  This was the moment before I said, "Oh, Blair from Barbie Charm School!  I already have this.  That's yours, Anna!"  Ha!  Then I opened a few more boxes of things I already had from Babi, "I have this, I have this...hey, I already have this!"  I told Mama days later that Babi played a trick on me for my birthday.  Mommy says chalk it up to Babi has good taste and just didn't know that Mommy had already gotten me those things.  No worries, Babi hooked it up later.  Still, a funny moment.

 Duda says, "Don't worry, little Dude, your birthday party pictures are coming up!"

 Here's the cake Mommy and Anna made me!  I wanted lemon this year.  We went with lemon frosting on yellow cake and it wasn't half bad!  Mommy loves making our birthday cakes, it's a special tradition (and one she broke on Jack's birthday because really - it is birthday party extravaganza in the M----- house and Mama just needed a little break from the bakin'!)

 Make a wish!

 After presents we played some at "Candyland"!  Had a blast!

 We were very, VERY excited and happy to have Grampa and Grammy down to celebrate with us this year!  Thanks for making the trip!  We love you!!

 I don't know where Mommy gets her silliness from?  Really, Mommy, tone it down...

 Like, Anna, please...can't we be serious for just a minute?

 HERE'S the picture with Grammy!  Sorry, I told y'all they're out of order - not sure why???
In all, a GREAT PARTY for a GREAT little girl!  Thank you Grampa & Grammy; Babi & Duda; Uncle Mark & Aunt Kimber; Teti & Mr. Bryan (in absentee); Uncle Dan (in absentee) and Grandma (in absentee) for making it so special!!!  Even though we couldn't all be together we thought about you all and loved the presents!  Thank you so much!
Lotsa Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack

Happy 1st Birthday, Boots!

 Happy birthday my sweet baby boy!  This year went so fast, it's like a blur.  I guess that tends to happen when you're 3 kids in - time just scoots by faster than you even know.  It's crazy.  Like you, crazy kid.  Really, you are my craziest baby!  I never thought I'd be a Mommy to a boy.  All my life your Babi used to say I'd have all girls and they'd all be like me and that would show me (and so far I have Anna Jane who IS like I was - when I was 15!!) So I always figured I'd have girls!  But I remember the day we went in for the ultrasound - Lilly knew you were a boy the minute we told her you were coming and named you Boots! - but we went in for the ultrasound and the lady said, "You know what that is?" and I screamed, "A boy!" and I felt a pure joy and rush of excitement and a little terror all at the same time.  What am I going to do with a boy?  How will I raise him?  I know girls, I can do girls but a boy?!  So we're kind of learning as we go.  I'm learning that you love Mommy time more than the girls did (Mama's boy!); I'm learning I can't take my eyes off of you for one hot minute (head first over the side of the shopping cart!); I'm learning you aren't afraid of anything, aren't afraid to go anywhere (out the door at the toy store!); I'm also learning you don't value sleep as much as I do (really - are you EVER going to start sleeping through the night?)  But I'm loving every minute.  You see baby Boots, you were the final piece of our family puzzle.  You're my last go-round.  You're my only boy.  You're so special to me in so many ways.  I pray that I can raise you right.  I pray that you'll grow up to be a Godly man; that you will be kind and generous; I pray that you will treat women right and with respect; I pray you will be loyal and trustworthy; I pray that you will be a leader, a teacher and a do-er.   I sometimes also pray that you will be a professional athlete and take care of ME!  Ha!  Really, Jack Leo, you are a special little boy.  I saw it the moment even before you were born.  I know in my heart.  I hope I do right by you, son.  I love you so much.  Thank you for making every day a day of joy in our lives.
Happy birthday!
Love,
Mommy

Happy 5th Birthday, Lilly Bean!

 Lilly Bean, I hate how fast the time is going but I LOVE watching you get big.  You know today is so very extra special to me, too because five years ago today when you came into our world I became a Mommy and WE became a family.  You did that, Lilly Bean!
Today really reminded me of the day you were born.  It was a beautiful, perfect Sunday.  No clouds in the sky - a perfect Fall day - the best kind of day for havin' a baby!  And the best kind of day for having a picnic lunch in your honor! 
This past year has brought a lot of change in our world.  First we had Baby Jack!  What a good big sister you are!  It is so fun to watch you play with him and teach him things!  You love him and your little sister so much!  You take your job as Big Sister VERY seriously!  I treasure the moments I watch you teach them something new.  They look up to you so much Lilly Bean!  It's a big responsibility and sometimes I know it's not your favorite but you handle it so well (eh - most of the time - I'm gonna be real here).
Then of course, we left "our world" in Kentucky for our new world in South Carolina.  That's been kind of hard on you - but you have been such a trooper!  I know you miss your friends, I know most of all you miss Mary Lou.  This is probably the first birthday you can even remember that we haven't been with Tucker and Mackinsey, Mallorie, Mary Lou and all your other Louisville friends.  Believe me when I tell you that it breaks my heart.  I'm so grateful though for the world we live in today and that keeping in touch with our friends is a lot easier and the whole world just a little smaller than it used to be.  Next year I hope we have new friends that you will grow up with and come to love - "silver" friends ("Make new friends, but keep the old - one is silver and the other gold").  With your kind, sweet heart I know that won't be hard for you to do, Lilly Bean.
These days go so fast.  Right now we're watching you learn how to write your name and it will feel like tomorrow you will be marching down the aisle for your high school diploma.  I can't even think that far ahead because I really try to treasure TODAY and how precious it is.  You're good at doing that Lilly, and you're really good at reminding me to do that.  I love you so much.

You are such a beautiful girl, Lilly - inside and out, up and down, over and sideways, every way you look.  My prayer for you every day is that you will hold strong to who you are, that you will be kind, that you will know you are loved so much by so many people, that you will stay healthy (so EAT those vegetables and not just corn!) and that you will grow into the wonderful, special woman I know you are meant to be.  Just don't do it too fast, 'kay?  I want to hold you just a little bit longer.
Happy 5th Birthday, Lilly Bean!  I love you with all my heart!
Love,
Mommy

This One is For the Irish...

 Enjoy it Irish fans because it prolly won't happen again for another 4 years!

 This year Daddy's birthday was the day before the biggest football game of the season as far as this little family is concerned and that's the Michigan/Notre Dame Game!  In honor of Daddy's birthday and the big game we made him a birthday cake!  First, we separated a bunch of peanut butter M&M's into Irish colors (and ate the rest!)

 Oh no!  I think Lilly put boogers in the batter!

Just jokin!  We made a GOLD cake!  Stir, Lilly Bean, stir!

Jacky watched from the floor below.  Actually, he's hoping we drop him some crumbs!

While Lilly works on the cake I'm gonna stir me some sweet tea!  Mmmmmm-mmmmmm!!!

Here's our cake, popped out of the oven!  Lilly is pretty proud of it!  She did a great job!

Uh oh, here we are in the first half of the game.  You can see I'm clearly a Wolverine and am more than just a little disheartened at our offense's poor performance.  Boo!!! 

Much better plan is to mix our frosting into Irish colors!  Green for me...

And blue for me!  You're welcome, Uncle Dan, we know how much you love food in mouth and all over mouth shots!

I don't want to let you down!

And I'm in this game, too!  Brewster is also hoping for some crumbs!  Sorry, Dude!  You can have my peas!

Step 1 of our cake process...looking good, eh?!  Looking LUCKY, eh?!

It obviously needs some more zsu zsu goodies...

Perfection!  See our spaghetti noodle goal post?  Word!

Happy birthday, Daddy!  Love your little family!

And our beautiful Babi!

Daddy got his birthday wish, The Irish win.  Shhhhh, Lilly, it's okay, it's okay.  It's the first time in my life the Irish have beat Michigan.  There's always next year!

And Jacky was on the right side of the game this year (since he's wearing the same Notre Dame onesie Lilly wore and that I didn't get to wear because I was born in the Spring - I'm a Wolverine, yo!)

Na na na na boo boo!  We're the big losers this year!  Chalk it up to another year of heartbreak being a Michigan fan!  When do we pledge allegiance to Clemson?!?

We're glad Duda can stay in good spirits after the loss (heck, after 55 years of being a Michigan fan he's DEFINITELY used to the heartbreak!)

And we're glad we got to share the day with our Babi and Duda! (Babi was smart, she wore a Clemson shirt that day, but they lost, too...)
We missed you this year Grampa and Grammy!  Watching the Michigan-Notre Dame game sure isn't the same without you!
Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack

Don't Mess With My Daddy

Okay, let's start with Mommy is sorry - the whole blog thing - it's hard lately because Daddy takes the 'puter to work and Mama doesn't much feel like blogging at night after we're all in bed because she's in the corner balled up and crying from this stay at home Mommy business.  Turns out, she always knew it was hard work, she just had no idea how "un"cut out for it she was (or did she?  I think she always kinda knew) - anyway do I have a story for you!
Do you know my Grampa John?  He has a reputation in his town - you don't mess with Grampa John.  No, seriously, you DO NOT MESS with Grampa John.  There were rumors around school (that may or may not have been true) that if you farted around in his class he'd throw a hammer at your head.  Uncle Dan says that actually the weapon of choice was actually a box of nails.  Anyway you cut it, you don't mess with Grampa John.
Now Daddy, he isn't exactly known to throw hammers but as the saying goes the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree because Daddy put the Grampa John smack down on my soccer coach tonight and he is my HERO!
My soccer coach is crazy intense.  We think he has World Cup delusions of the four-year old YMCA circuit.  He also happens to be a pretty prominent attorney in our new hometown (of course, he would be).  So like I do at soccer, I wasn't paying attention (I share a few other characteristics with Uncle Dan besides the blond hair and blue eyes - I'm not much for team sports) and the man grabbed and yanked me by the arm!  *GASP!* He DID! And I started to cry and walked off the field to my Daddy.  And the look of Grampa John came over Daddy's face and Daddy marched right up to Mr. Big Shot Attorney and looked straight down his nose at him (height does have it's advantages!) and said, in Grampa John fashion, "Don't touch my daughter."  And wouldn't you know?  That attorney kept his mouth shut for once!  SCORE for Daddy!!!
Don't mess with Lilly and don't mess with my Daddy or he will go Hammer Man on you!  Yayyyyy for Daddies!!!!
Love,
Lilly, Anna and Jack