Thanksgiving 2012

We had a great Thanksgiving week this year. The last 2 Thanksgivings in our family were very busy. 2 years ago we had a 5 day old and last year we were in the process of moving homes. So it was very nice to have a relaxing week to spend with family.

On Monday I had Abbey and Zoey over for a sleepover and they babysat Hads while I went to dinner with some girlfriends. They are the best!

The next morning we went to our favorite Chick-fil-a for lunch and playing...

Wednesday we went to the Gilmore's for Thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious as usual and the girls had so much fun playing at their Aunt Debbie and GG's house. She takes good care of her great-nieces!

The girls took a quick break to eat their dinner

 Popu and his girls

Nanny

 We worked very hard for this picture!

While we ate dinner, Aunt Debbie gave the girls a surprise- a princess castle! The girls sat in the castle and watched a movie while we ate. It was precious! 

We woke up on Thanksgiving day and headed over to the Johnsons. We watched the parade and played while Mimi cooked a wonderful Thanksgiving lunch. We did a special cheers and song for Nick since it was his birthday and sent it to him in North Carolina. We had a great day watching football, laughing and reading about all the Black Friday deals.

Late afternoon, Derek, Hadley and I loaded the car and headed towards the ranch. It's a four hour drive and Hadley slept for about half of it. She woke up in a great mood and watched Tangled on the iPad. She was cranky and we still had about 30 minutes, but it wasn't anything a lollipop couldn't fix!

We had a great week at the ranch with my parents, the Pfeiffers, my Uncle Roger and cousins. My mom outdid herself and cooked another Thanksgiving dinner for all of us. Its one of my favorite meals of the year and I'm lucky that I get to eat it three times!!

The girls had a blast playing in the front yard...

There were lots of family "football" games in yard. The girls were very helpful!

Trying to make Hadley look at the camera/ Going on a ride with Lolly/ Digging for worms

My dad was so fun and made a hayride for everyone. We took a long drive looking for animals and it was a blast!

"Western Night"

We went up to Sunspot to watch the sunset...

It is an annual tradition...

2010/ 2011/ 2012

We have so much to be thankful for.

Hadley's 2nd Birthday Party

For Hadley's second birthday party I wanted to do something that I knew she would love. Her favorite thing to do is dance, and so we had a "Dancing and Donuts" party.

It was a blast putting this party together and Hadley had the time of her life. 

The table and beautiful flowers from my mom. They were even more gorgeous in person. 

You can't have a dancing and donuts party without a table full of donuts! Hadley even had a special birthday donut. 

The living room was converted into "Hadley's Dance Studio" 

There were pictures of Hadley in the kitchen

Hadley had an adorable birthday party outfit

Hadley's guests arrived and played outside and ate breakfast. 

Hadley loved the donuts...

Hadley's new chalkboard was a big hit...

And then the best part! We had a dance teacher come and teach the kids a few dances, read them a story and sing songs. It was amazing and the kids could not have looks cuter. I have about 100 pictures, and I tried narrowing it down the best I could!!

It was mass chaos and it was perfect!!

www.derekandlizzy.blogspot.com

After all her friends left. Hadley did not want to leave her dance studio and kept dancing in front of the mirror and waiting for friends to come back!!

                                                   

Thank you to all of our family and friends that came to celebrate Hadley's birthday. We are so blessed to have each of you in Hadley's life!

After a long afternoon nap and a quick clean up, we had party #2! 

Both of our families came over for dinner and birthday cake. Hadley was so excited to get to keep partying and was especially excited for her cousins to come back! She squealed when Abbey, Zoey, Tanner and Tyler came over and then again when Emily walked in the door! (Wish the Ross cousins could have been here too!!) We visited, open more gifts and ended the night with a Nothing Bundt Cake from Mimi! 

She didn't quite understand what to do, so she dove in head first!

During dinner, Abbey and Zoey took the best care of Hadley and Emily. They are the best cousins and I think Emily thinks they are "hers" too! Throughout the whole party Abbey and Zoey were so sweet to  all of Hadley's friends and were so helpful. Some of the moms thought I hired babysitters! Hadley adores them. ( I do too!)

Abbey and Zoey doing the dances from the morning with the girls./ After dinner Hads and Em went a little crazy and were running around the family room and being so silly and sweet. They have matching bunny slippers and they thought they were sooo fancy.

I'm not sure this will ever get old...

Happy birthday Hadley!!!! We had the best day celebrating YOU! Thanks to both of our families who made this day so, so special. 

Love Letters to Hadley: On Your Second Birthday

My dearest Hadley,

I am going to start your 2^nd birthday letter the same way I started your 1^st birthday letter. How can it be that it was 2 years ago that I held you in my arms for the first time? It just doesn’t seem possible. I’m writing you this after a day of parties. There are piles of tissue paper and dishes are sitting in the sink and all I can think about is November 18, 2010.

Your birthday . . .  It is the peak of gratitude of every gift that your life has given me the last 24 months.  It is the day that I will always reflect on you; what I’ve learned from you, how I’ve changed, what I want for you and what you mean to me.

Sweet Haddy, what a little girl you have become. No longer are you the small, helpless baby who needed me for every waking need. Right before my eyes the chubbs are leaving your fingers and legs. (You still have the chubbiest feet there ever were. We’ll hold on to your “baked potato” feet for as long as we can.) And as the days go on your secret language of babbling is turning into real words and phrases. But today, I will stop lamenting on the things that aren’t happening anymore and celebrate and love on who you are now.

You are funny, sweet, dramatic, curious, entertaining, a pleaser, a performer, a dancer. Our tiny dancer.

I love your love, obsession, adoration for your Kitty. You are so sweet with your best friend and Kitty has gone everywhere with you during your second year of life. Your teachers even tease that Kitty should be added to the class list.

I love that you are a nosy girl and always questioning new people, new things and that you always have your pointer finger aimed at something. Your teachers are always commenting on this.

I love that when you are really and truly happy you squeeze your eyes shut when you smile and you tell me when you are being nice. “I nice” You are learning your manners and nothing makes this momma prouder than when you say please and thank you. Please don’t ever, ever stop using these important words. They will take you far in life. (Life lesson #231)

I love that, even though she’s here everyday, you always tell Daddy and I where Maverick is.

I love how you tease me with hugs and kisses. I’ll ask for a hug and you’ll open your arms wide and then run past me and giggle!

I love that sometimes a kiss from mommy is the only thing that will cure a boo-boo.

I love that you must wear a necklace, especially if I am wearing one. You know how to accessorize!

I love our quiet time together in my bed after daddy leaves for work in the mornings. That time is sacred and days that we don’t get that, I just feel “off”.

I may regret this, but I love your temper tantrums (and you throw a very dramatic tantrum!) but they are showing me and daddy (and people in Target, at the playground, e.t.c. . .) that you are beginning to be an independent child that has their own ideas, but sometimes you  have a hard time expressing that. Being two is rough sometimes. For both of us!

I love the daddy bond you have. The love that you share and they way you look at each other is something else. All you want to do is play basketball with him upstairs and it makes you so happy. A few months ago you noticed daddy playing with his golf clubs and you became obsessed. He got you your own set and now anytime you see him with his clubs you have to go get yours and copy him.

I love that deep down in my heart I know there is no such thing as a “daddy’s girl” vs “momma’s girl”. Your love is shared equally and though our bonds are different, they are every bit as special.

Every part of knowing you, loving you and thinking about you is heaven, and your two tiny years have given immeasurable happiness into this home. There are so many things to look forward to as you grow older, but for now you are only two.

Actually, you are still only one for a few more hours. And there was still a bit of  baby left when I put you to bed tonight as you held on to my finger and sucked on your paci. I left your crib saying the same words I whispered to you when you were placed in my arms for the first time two years ago,

Happy birthday baby girl, I love you.

Halloween 2012

For as long as I can remember, one of my favorite parts about Halloween was to see what my dad would dress up as.  Its usually a surprise and each year out-does the last. I love it! This year he was the Madhatter from Alice and Wonderland. He looked great! Here is a comparison shot:

The Disney version, Johnny Depp and Gary- which do you prefer???

We took the girls in the morning to SWA to see Poppy. Hadley was terrified and I have no photo evidence that we were there. She recognized Poppy's voice but was so scared, she clung to me screaming "NO" the whole time. Hilarious. 

The Pfeiffers and my parents came to trick or treat in our neighborhood and it was a blast! We love our neighborhood! Hadley sat on the steps and "passed out" candy. 

 This was as close as she would let Poppy get!

All the neighborhood kids were SO impressed with my dad's costume. I joked to Derek that everyone might have thought it was him and he will have to step up his game next year!

 Watching for friends to come! She LOVED the girls dressed up as princesses!

Happy Halloween!!