{STRANGER}
Yes, I've been a stranger to the blogging world for quite a while. I've even thought about calling it quits. Somehow, between three busy girls. laundry, cooking, cleaning and just the day to day, blogging always falls to the bottom off the list of things to do. However, it seems like the girls have reached  some big milestones lately and it makes me scared I'll forget these important little things if I don't document them. So here's my best attempt of catching up from Christmas til today. Hopefully I will be more diligent with posting, after all they grow up too quickly!!


{CHRISTMAS}
Christmas was a special time. Parker and Lilly were great ages to really anticipate and get excited about gifts, cookies, decorating and visiting family. We also had some sweet conversations about baby Jesus and the most important part of Christmas. It's always hard to make children focus on this when they are bombarded by the secular hysterics of the season (of which I can be just as guilty). But we'd enjoy reading the Christmas story in our Jesus Storybook Bible and singing Christmas hymns most nights. I also loved packing a box with the girls for Operation Christmas Child. They seemed really interested in picking out great things for a child who wouldn't otherwise get presents. They even wrote notes and drew pictures. Really sweet! Of course, it was little Scarlett's first Christmas. She is always energized by her sisters' excitement, therefore had a great time being in the middle of it all.


We also had the privilege of meeting my sweet nephew for the first time. Chris and Kendra got to spend almost a whole week in Franklin with Deklan, who was just one month old. He was a fun addition to the growing family and the girls really enjoyed loving on their new cousin.

The girls love the free face painting at Chick-Fil-A

Cute Christmas dresses by Mimi

Christmas tradition- tour of lights across the street with friends

Who needs mistletoe? I could gobble her up she's so cute!

Parker's Christmas program at school (a happy townsperson)

Mimi and Grandaddy came for a quick visit to deliver gifts (hats)

Loving baby Deklan

He makes my girls seem huge

kisses and piles of gifts from Lilly

Love Christmas with Noni!

Santa delivered a new doll house for the girls

Kiki and Lilly (in her new princess gown)

Noni, kids and grandkids

{PARKER TURNS 5 & IS VISITED BY THE TOOTH FAIRY}

It's unbelievable to me and Cleve that we are parents of a five year old. Parker is such a unique little girl. She embodies the typical first born. She is a nurturer and bosses around mothers her sisters constantly. She always wants to please Cleve and me and gets terribly upset when she fails (at anything). If she can't do something right the first time she'd rather not do it. She has the most amazing imagination and can sit and play barbies or princesses for hours. She is very compassionate and protective of her sisters. She is sensitive and has her feelings hurt easily. However she is very in touch with these feelings and will readily explain why she is feeling hurt or sad. Many times she will just ask for a hug to make her feel better. She only wears skirts and dresses and still loves to dress up like a bride or princess. She's a picky eater but will try anything and do almost anything if she can have a treat afterward. Going to Sweet Cici's after school is one of her favorite things to do. She often explains, "I just love junk food!" The girl loves clothes and shoes and enjoys putting outfits together then coming to me (with one hip cocked and hands on her hips) asking how she looks. She is very creative and is actually a pretty good little artist. She draws me at least one picture a day, usually a family portrait that includes the baby brother she thinks we will be having (and who she already prays for). She is a talker and gestures a lot with her hands. She loves to discuss theology and actually talks a good bit about sin, the trinity, death and salvation. Her knowledge and wonder amaze me. She still talks about our dog (who died a year and a half ago) almost everyday and can't wait to see her in heaven. She loves stuffed animals and playing with them. We joke that she is a hoarder because there are so many animals in her bed, as well as many other little treasures and books. I think it is because it's the only "Safe place" in our house where her sisters are not allowed. She reads to her animals every night and also has a birthday party for one of them many nights. She loves to help with Scarlett and has taught her to say, "pah pah". She acts like she is a cheetah or lion, kitty or puppy at least once a day. Some days the animal noises are enough to drive me batty! Overall, Parker is just a wonderful, beautiful, unique creation that we get to call ours on this earth. We are thankful that God chose us to be her parents and experience her as she grows in to a young woman. She makes life better when she's around and has the best laugh!


We got to celebrate Parker with a "Magical Unicorn Party." I joke that Parker is going to be a party planner because she chose her party theme months in advance and had definite ideas on what the party would be like (definitely dress-up, pink sorbet punch, unicorn cake and lots of balloons). The party was a blast and it was great having 8 little princesses around to help celebrate. We had a dance party, made sun catchers, played pin-the-tail-on-the-uncicorn, hit a unicorn pinata and ate cake and ice cream. There was never a dull moment!

Parker is 5!!!!!!!

Woke up to over 50 balloons on her birthday

Table of lovely princesses

Our princesses

Sadie, Parker, Perry and Caroline

The Queen reading Pinkalicious (a cute unicorn book)

Queen Mick Mick helped paint princess nails

Prince Cleve with the Queens and Princess Scarlett

The week after her birthday Parker's first tooth finally fell out. Cleve asked for weeks if he could yank it out. Finally, after great deliberation (and consulting her older, wiser friends and cousins) she agreed. The excitement was hilarious. She stayed awake as long as possible, hoping to catch a glimpse of the tooth fairy. Let the days of awkward, toothless smiles begin!

The "tooth pulling glove"

Proud of her tooth

 {9 MONTHS AND COUNTING}

Scarlett has hit 9 months and time just keeps speeding up. I know her first birthday will be here soon (the time when I always get a little sad and nostalgic) so I am trying to soak up all her cute little babyisms that will start to disappear as she grows. I look at her big sisters and can't imagine little Scarlett running laps around the yard with them. She, on the other hand, imagines it every day. She LOVES, LOVES, LOVES being the baby and watching her big sisters. It's easy to see she wants to be a part of everything they do and is becoming a good imitator. She has mastered crawling and her new favorite thing is splashing in the dog's water bowl. Yuck! Now she's working on pulling up to standing. She is SO much more content now that she is mobile and despises any contraption (exersaucer, johnny jumper, walker) that confines her. Her smile is contagious and can melt your heart. She can wave, say bye bye, mama, dada, pah pah (parker) and nah nah (no no). The little stinker hates food and bottles. She only wants to nurse (every three hours) and still wakes up one or two times a night for a snack. She is starting to like yogurt, but I'm not sure a diet of yogurt is very well-balanced. She is only in the 13% and only grew 1/4" and gained 1/4 lb. in the past 3 months. She adores bath time and snuggling. She always sleeps on her side, spooning her lovey while rubbing on its silky ears and sucking on her paci. She has had her two middle bottom teeth for about 6 weeks and her top (right middle) tooth just pushed through with her left middle tooth close behind. That smile is changing quickly! I've already forgotten what life was like before Scarlett. She's a headstrong little thing who lights up all of our lives daily. What a blessing!

{LILLY}

I have to take a quick minute to brag on sweet Lilly. We had a much more laid back approach to potty training her. She quickly decided she no longer enjoyed having a wet or dirty diaper and consistently uses the bathroom, even without prodding. We occasionally have some pooping issues, but overall she has done amazing and loves showing off her new big girl panties.