Happy 4th Birthday!

Oh, my heart! Moms, why are birthdays so bittersweet?! :) Our sweet little girls are 4-years-old today and I just can't believe it! I love them so much. They are my greatest blessings and my greatest challenges, and I thank God every day that I get to be their mom!

They: 

• are best friends but will fight like only siblings do. We are constantly working on being kind and forgiving. 
• still love princesses but love Cars and Thomas just as much!
• still have severe food allergies to peanuts, wheat, eggs, peas and tree nuts. Eating can be a challenge but we have come so far and my kids love their fruits and veggies! 
• love spending time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. This past year we finally had a few nights away from mom and dad at their grandpa and grandma's and it was great for everyone! :)
• love going to Tumble Tots at the YMCA. This year was the first time they went on their own (I drop them off and pick them up again). It was a little rough at first but they love it now and it's a great activity for them.
• also love Bible Buddies (Awana's) at church. We have memorized a lot of Bible verses this year and learned many Bible stories. The girls love their weekly time of crafts, snacks, stories and friends!
• enjoy story time at the library! 
• love playing with their kitchen set (although they are forever stealing my measuring spoons out of the kitchen drawer), puppet theatre, playing with playdough, making necklaces and bracelets with beads, building with Legos, and a new favorite would be playing with Barbies. 
• love being read to and looking at books.   
• don't forget anything. EVER. I swear they also have photographic memories because they are amazing at directions and remembering where things are even if they have only been to a place one time. 
• call each other "Sis" a lot and we just love it!
  

 

Nora:

• is so content to play by herself and go off and read books by herself. She's probably the quieter of both girls, yet....
• she can be quite dramatic when she wants to be! But at the same time, Nora is also tenderhearted. 
• truly has a beautiful singing voice. She forever wants to sing "Tale as Old as Time" and "A Dream is a Wish" from her favorite princess movies.
• is still in love with her stuffed dog, "Woofie" and "Bugs", her favorite blanket. But, this girl is quite particular about how her blankets and stuffed animal friends are lined up for bed. Everything has to be just so. 

Lily:

• is our outgoing girl! She's the life of the party and waves and says "Hi!" to everyone!
• is hilarious! We frequently wonder where she comes up with some of her stories and ideas. 
• has a new love "Daisy Duck" that we got on vacation last summer and her flowered blanket - that is so tattered and worn - it is always her companion. 
• is such a people person that almost every night she wants to sleep in mom and dad's bed. We're working on this one (but telling ourselves to savor her wanting to be near while it lasts). :)

Last Saturday, we had a family birthday party for them and hopefully it's obvious that our theme this year was a circus party. I will post separately (probably sometime next week) all about the party but here is what the girls wore for their party. I LOVE etsy! :) 

Happy Birthday, my sweet girls!