15 months-1st ponytail

15 Month Stats

20lbs 11oz(18%)

30.31 in(46%)

This active little girl is 15 months already. She at times is so busy and has recently decided she likes to climb. I now understand why people say their kids looked  like they were abused about this age. She has started talking a little more and now waves and says bye. She loves to eat and has started using silverware and does quite well. This girl LOVES food. I have a hard time even explaining how much but if she is in the front room playing with Hallie and I open the fridge she is instantly at my feet even if she has just eaten. I am hesitating taking away her bottle because its about the only time she will cuddle with me. She is getting more teeth all the time. She now has 10 with two more that have its little spikes through. She loves to brush her teeth and comb her hair. She gives some pretty dirty looks at times but has a smile that lights up her entire face. But also loves to give hugs and kisses. Now that the weather is warming up she loves outside and to play in just about anything dirty. For one she loves the sandbox. She and Hallie do really well together and I love to watch them interact. She is very independently minded and has started the stage of wanting whatever someone else has. She has really started to grasp the concept of reading and will sit on my lap for more than 2 seconds at a time. I can often tell her to go get a story and we will read and I love that. Matt just recently built her a bigger bookshelf and I frequently find her sitting on the floor or in her chair reading. We have started time outs and they seem to be working really well for her. I realized the other day her hair is plenty long to put in a pony but looks bald when I do it so I think we will continue to take advantage of her natural curl to make it look like she has more.

This little girl is such a joy in our home and its funny how when you have one you can never imagine making 2 work and once you have 2 it feels like you have always had 2. I truly believe that both of our girls were sent especially to us for all of us to learn and grow together. Love you Gracie Goo feel free to stay little as long as possible.

Easter Sunday

Since the Easter bunny had visited us on Saturday Sunday morning was spent sleeping in, hanging out, and getting ready for Easter dinner. Before I knew it it was time to get ready and head to church and oh coarse I forgot/ran out of time to take pictures. So this was our attempt after church...pretty pathetic.

 But Gracie seemed to cooperate if I held her to take the picture so that's what we did.

 Im not one to dress my girls the same I think its a little tacky but I have done it in the past and at some point may do it again but I enjoy picking different dresses for 2 totally different kids Easter is no exception.

 After we got home from church we had a few minutes to get the finishing touches done for dinner before Grandma and Grandpa Brower arrived for dinner. When they got here Gracie was asleep and Hallie couldn't get the door open fast enough. They had brought the girls an Easter basket, I got beautiful flowers, and Matt got some treats of his own.

 Our dinner was completely gluten free we had ham, cheesy potatoes, strawberry jello salad, and deviled eggs. But I think the thing we were most impress with dessert---the carrot cake! It was the most amazing delicious carrot cake I have ever had and it was beautiful to..like a "normal cake." I am finding I have better luck with regular recipes and converting them to g.f. rather than using g.f. recipes.

 It was an exhausting weekend celebrating Easter with family and friends.

Easter Afternoon

After some good naps and some lunch we headed to Nic & Kyle's for some fun and dinner. When we got there they had the grill fired up and were setting up the volleyball net and an outdoor eating spot. We worked on getting some pictures while Kyle cooked the burgers. My little brother Nate that will sooner than I think we all realize be heaed on a mission for a couple years. He is a great kid and my girls love him.

 Gracie has found that my mom will hold her some once we got there she found her put her, put her arms up, and became a semi attached part of my mom....silly girl

 Luke is the most mellow child you may ever meet just completely go with the flow. He seems to like my dad alot.

 We all took our turn in loving on Kinley luckily she seems to be able to sleep through most of it

 We got curious about how much the kids weighed so Kyle pulled out his fish scale and Gracie & Luke both got their turns in the blankie to be weighed.

 After we ate some food(no pictures but we did eat and enjoyed it) we played some volleyball. the weather couldn't have been more beautiful and some of us ended up sunburned namely my hubby.

 I love my little family

 The 1st new picture of all the grandkids

This car is a popular toy when we are there. But they have gotten very good at sharing or finding a way for all of them to use it..very creative

 After some relaxing we had cake and ice cream to celebrate Maddi's 13th birthday coming up this next weekend. And then everyone was re-sugared so we did an easter egg hunt.

I love this picture of Gracie every egg she picked up she looked surprised thrilled with what she had found.

 We had an amazing rest of an Easter Saturday and headed home in time for baths, pjs, and another good night of sleep. Happy Easter.

Easter Morning & Hunt

We have decided that we will celebrate  Easter with the bunny all on Saturday so Sunday is left completely for the true meaning and we are really loving that. So on Friday night with Matt still out of town I was left to play the bunny solo which was a little tricky with the doll house we had gotten Hallie but I figured it out and luckily once the kids are asleep  they are deep sleepers. Here is our Easter set up

 Gracie's Stash

 Hallie's Stash

 Hallie woke up about 8:45. I heard her come up the stairs and gasp. Our Easter bunny leaves a trail from each of the girls bedrooms to the gifts he left. She came running into our room and said oh my heck she easter bunny came and left me lots of cool stuff. Could you get up so we can go see it...please? Matt and I rolled out of bed and went to see the surprises. Hallie loved her cotton tail cotton candy

 Finally our barbies have a place to live. She also got a princess beach towel, some books, silly string, and a few treats.

 We just played until Gracie woke up about 915 and Matt set her on the floor just outside her room. It didn't take long before she picked up a piece of candy and put it in her mouth.

 Nothing better than candy for breakfast

 Then we got ready to head to the Easter Egg hunt at Manor Care(the nursing home I used to manage) at 10.  We picked Allie up on our way so she could go hunting to. They had all the residents lined up to watch and did the hunt different than any one I have ever been to. They gave each of the kids a bag with a number on it. All of the eggs were numbered with coordinating numbers what an awesome idea! There were 10 eggs for each number. This was truly the 1st egg hunt that I have actually had to "hunt" for eggs. After about 20 minutes we had found most if not all of our eggs then they told the kids they could collect any eggs over the number 46. The numbers went up to 130 so there were plenty left and we all ended up with over 25 eggs. They also had special prize eggs that Hallie found one of and could redeem for a big basket with toys and candy...she was thrilled to say the least.

 After the hunt they had cookies, juice, and milk while we unloaded our eggs to see the loot we had gotten and so we could give the eggs back for next year. Gracie particularly enjoyed her cookie. She is getting really hard to get a non-fuzzy picture of but we will keep trying.

 It was a group effort to unload all those eggs

 The girls with all their goodies

I know a lot of people have had plenty to say about how they think holidays are being blown out of proportion and to that I say to each their own. I really think people have done holidays big or simple forever but no there is social medial and other see it and feel the need to compare themselves. In my opinion people need to grow up and stop caring about what others think. Everyone has to take into consideration whats best for them. As for Matt and I we love to spoil our kids any chance we get and if I do say so myself I am extremely thrifty sometimes almost to a fault but we set a budget and I usually get a lot for it. We had a great Easter spending time with family, playing with our new toys, and eating our weight in candy.

Dying Eggs

Matt ended up having to go to Seattle for business and was gone Thurs and Fri til way late so we ended up having to dye eggs without him:( It was a little different doing it by myself with 2 of them but luckily Gracie lost interest quickly. But before she ran away I wanted to take some pics but I don't think she quite understood what it was and bit into her egg shell and all!

 But then we got a smile and I took it away to peel it first

 And while she ate her egg Hallie and I finished the rest of them. Hallie was insistent that we did one for each of our family and then one for My mom(grandma), my dad(papa), Nic, Kyle, Rigs, Kinley, Kim, Ez, Luke, Nate, and Maddi. So needless to say we dyed ALOT of eggs she colored on them with crayons, dipped them in the dye, and then stuck stickers on them. This is her with her "Tangled" egg the way it turned out it was purple and pink just what this girl wanted.

 I decided Gracie didn't need another egg for pics...for fear she would eat more shell!

Hallie's Self taken Pictures

Uploaded the pics today to find these

Hahaha...enough said