You started Pre-School!

Halen you started pre-school this year and it has been an absolute joy watching you learn. You are in the Monkey class at Bethany Methodist with Ms. Laura & Ms. Shannon. You go every Monday and Friday and you have Sheridan, Owen, Camryn and Reese in your class. You have learned so much! You learned all your colors by October and have developed some great social skills too. You love to play on the playground and to do the Movement part of class. For Halloween, you dressed up like a strawberry and had a little party that mommy came to. You painted your pumpkin and won, "Most Religious" which made mommy and daddy so proud.

Favorite Things

Halen you are growing up so much lately. From the way you speak, to how you carry yourself, to what you know. It's incredible. Sometimes daddy and I just look at each other in awe that our baby is able to be so grown up already.

Lately you love pre-school, you've learned so much...all your colors, counting, most ABCs, you can spell your name and write an H on your paper.

I have loved staying home with you and your sister this year. I love our little conversations and cuddles. I love watching your relationship with your sister grow. You are definitely a big love kinda gal, your sweet sister gets mauled by you on the daily. But I keep thinking she's going to lovingly make that up to you one day. You are quite smitten with daddy these days, he can hardly go potty by himself without you tagging a long. Considering you were attached to my hip for two years and now want to be all daddy, it's sweet to see.

I occasionally get sad when I see how much you've grown up from that tiny little human that I used to be inseparable from. Your imagination is starting to emerge and it's really fun to witness. You love being outside and running around. You are not a big fan of shoes. I have started doing some really fun hair dos with your awesome hair. Potty training is not your jam right now, so we decided to put a hold on that and let you decide when you're ready.

Valentines Day was super special, daddy brought you, your sister and mommy each a beautiful bouquet of flowers. You also got a Minnie Mouse pillow, gummy bears and a sweet homemade card from mommy and daddy.

I love you Halen Rae Carol, with every breath in my body. I am sad to see you grow, but I am proud and happy to see you bloom. I hope we are always very close.

Love,

Mama

"Mama you cuddle with me?"

These are the words you said to me tonight. 😍 Halen Rae Carol...you're growing up so fast and yet you're still so little. These darling questions remind me to cherish your littleness and to soak up all the moments you yearn to share with me. Sometimes it's easy for me to be on auto pilot and my day blurs by. And then at the end of the day when I'm exhausted and ready to sit by myself and read my book, you ask me this. And my heart melts and I immediately say yes. There's nothing I would rather do than cuddle you sweetheart. I will feel this way when you're two, four, 10, 17, 32 and 50. I will always want to cuddle you my darling girl. I am sorry if you've felt that I haven't been as attentive. With Henley's birth, our lives sure did change. But as Henley grows I will get to spend more time with you. You'll always be the baby girl who made me a mommy, and for that I will always thank you. I will never be able to express to you how much I love you, but I'll always try.

I can't wait to wake up and spend another day with you tootie toot.

Love you more than every star in the Rocky Mountain sky and more than every grain of sand on the Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Love,
Mama

Back to Texas We Go

On June 12, 2016 we moved back to Texas. Living in Colorado has been so special, we've been camping, hiking, played in the snow, made friends, and enjoyed our cousins...but it was time to get back to our family/friends in Texas.

You grew so much this past year living in Colorado...you learned to really talk, you made your first real friend, Rachel, you developed such a strong bond with daddy, became so close to Jack & Kenzie, and turned into a big sister! Colorado will always be a special place for us, we'll have to visit often. But Texas is where we belong...near YaYa, Papa, Gigi, Enna, all our buddies: Jaxon, Piper, Brooklyn, your cousins Crash & Jager.

We had a Sip 'n See to introduce your sister to everyone and you played with all your buddies. It's so good to be back. We're looking forward to settling in and soaking up the support from our village. We're living with YaYa for a year, while our Mourning Dove house is being rented and then we will move back in next summer.

We'll have a great summer as our new family if four. 😊

I love you big girl.

Love,
Mommy

Your sister is born!

Halen, on Monday, May 23rd your baby sister was born! We spent the day together, we walked around the hospital in Castle Rock and had a yummy lunch together and you fell asleep on daddy's lap. Around 2 p.m. Aunt Sharon came to pick you up, you spent a few days with Jack, Kenzie and Uncle Kurt. 

The morning of Tuesday, May 24th you entered the hospital room and met your baby sister for the very first time! At first you just saw me, and ran up to my hospital bed and we hugged and kissed. Then you saw that daddy was holding a baby and you squealed with delight. You were so excited, "Baby!" you'd say. And, "hold it." You just wanted to claim Henley and hold her all day. We all gathered on my hospital bed where you held Henley for the first time. You were decked in your bright pink Big Sister scrubs and pig tails. You loved looking at baby Henley. Then you held her again on the couch and you wanted to see her, "toesies" and when Henley started to cry you'd say, "Baby what happened?" You were so concerned about her, it was the sweetest thing. And you got mad at mommy when I needed to nurse Henley, you'd lift up your shirt and say, "My milk." You were just so attentive and sweet. 

We brought Henley home on the evening of Wednesday, May 25th, finally our family of four altogether. 

You two girls are daddy and my whole world. We are so excited to start this new journey...the four of us. 

Love you baby girl. 

Love, 

Mommy

Hand Foot Mouth

Oh Halen. On Saturday, May 14th you started running a really high fever. It was very unusual for you because you're never sick. We thought it was a reaction to your Chicken Pox vaccine the Tuesday before. But by Monday I was informed that Hand, Foot & Mouth disease was going around and Ben had a confirmed case. So I took you into the pediatrician and sure enough you had HFM. Then we found out Ainsley had it too. So mommy decided to take some time with just you and no other kiddos. On Monday is when the sores got worse, you woke up that night at 12:30 a.m. screaming in pain. It made mommy so sad. We were up for four hours until you finally fell back asleep. This virus is no fun, and I'm so bummed you got it. You've been so healthy this year compared to last year with all your ear infections. And mommy is 38 weeks pregnant, which makes this even more interesting. Your sister could come at any time.

I am writing this blog as you slumber away next to me. I love you darling girl, and I hope this moves through your system quickly. 

Love, 

Your Mommy

"Let's Go Fly a Kite, Up to the Highest Height" 2nd Birthday Party

Your 2nd birthday party was a huge success! Unfortunately weather disnt cooperate, so we were unable to have your party outside at the park, but we made do inside at our house. And it was awesome!! Because your theme was all about kites, I made a banner out of homemade felt kites that said, "Happy 2nd Birthday Halen!" and it was all very colorful. Our menu was: Chicago Style Hotdogs, potato salad, BLT pasta salad, watermelon-berry fruit salad, Neicey's Famous Tortilla Roll Ups, Blueberry Pineapple Salsa, Lavender Lemonade, a cooler of beer and a Lemon-Blueberry Cake for your birthday cake. It was all delicious! 

You wore an adorable nautical style dress with a bright pink tutu. I was able to glue a 2 on your shoulder strap. You had so much fun playing with all your buddies! Everyone who came: your cousins Jack & Kenzie, Joshie & Charlie, Daycare buddies: Ainsley & Ben, your playground buddy Kinsley, Aunt Marilyn, Bebe & Mark, your good friend Owen Besson, and Aunt Sharon. 

You played with all the pink balloons, ran around the house, and did lots of giggling. You knew exactly what to do when we all sang you happy birthday, you blew out your candles perfectly...except mommy accidentally used trick candles, so they lit back up as soon as you blew them out. You had the cutest, most confused look on your face. But finally they went out! For presents you received: 3 soccer balls (!!!) we're so exited to introduce you to sports, some soccer cones, shinguards, soccer hair bows, bubbles, a giant beach ball sprinkler, an art set with a princess coloring book, a cute dress, your first package of girlie undies, more bubbles, a lifevest from mom and dad, pool toys from mom and dad, a Big Sister scrub set to wear to the hospital to meet your baby sister, a personalized library book bag, and a sweet teddy bear. 

We ended the night by playing more with Jack, Kenzie and Owen. You had a great time. We love celebrating you our darling two year old! 

And then a few days later we went to your two year well check...you did fantastic! You were so well behaved! Everything sounded great and we found out you were 36 inches tall in he 91st percentile, 28 lbs in the 69th percentile, and your lil noggin is in the 35th percentile (like mommy's 😊). And you are ahead developmentally by 7 months! Not that daddy and I are surprised, but we are so proud of how healthy, smart & active you are. Then you received your chicken pox vaccine, and you were so brave. We went to get frozen yogurt afterwards to reward you for being so good!

It was a great week celebrating you muffin!! The next milestone is you becoming a big sister, in a matter of weeks.💗 

We love you so!!!!

Love, 

Mommy