Kindergarten Graduation

We went to Lily's "graduation" today.

It was unbearably cute! 

Here is Lily, thrilled as can be, during the "heigh ho" march.

This is after we got her attention and told her to smile.

The other kids look almost as cheerful as she does.

My attempt at capturing Lily receive her diploma.

Fail.

In my defense, I was using a fixed lens (can't zoom in or out) and I was unable to back up. They called her name too quickly for me to move to the aisle. ALSO. My lens has been so weird lately. The focus ring keeps sticking. It took forEVER for me to get the pic below because my lens was being so finicky.

So there you go. 

A dumb excuse for a terrible photograph.

Here is Lily looking happy and more like herself for the first time during the entire program

She LOVES her teacher, Mrs. Rudd.

Another attempt at a photo with Mr. Gentile, the principle. He closed his dang eyes, but it's a billion times better than the first one!
(thumbs up! yeah!!)

Little Miss First-Grader

and here's a video montage of all the cute songs the kids sang. Hang on to your hats, folks; Lily is bursting at the seams with excitement. and I'm being sarcastic. but I didn't need to tell you that.

The Kindergarten program was so adorable. Lily may not have seemed super enthused during her performances but she's been singing these songs at the top of her lungs for the last week or so. The rest of us pretty much know them by heart from hearing her sing all day. It's the cutest.

Also, pay close attention to the some of the other kids, especially the little boy behind Lily. Where she is lacking in spiritedness, he is definitely filling in. hahah:)

yummy baby food

Mallory loves the oatmeal I've been feeding her. I took this video after she'd already eaten an entire serving!

a say something hat day

Michael and I took a trip to DI (a thrift store) yesterday to look for jeans. Michael gave Lily $1 to spend and she chose this charming hat. When we picked her sisters up from preschool they were thrilled that Lily had made such a fine purchase. They will all benefit from having such a classy headpiece to share. Lily loves her new hat so much that she wore it to school today. I'm sure she was the envy of her peers and teachers alike. What style this child is possesses! 

soccer kids

Lily appears to be a good little soccer player. These games are so much fun to watch. The kids are a crack up. Especially cute little number 2.

Also, Kaylee is on the team too. We put her jersey and her socks and cleats on her for every single game. She refuses to play or practice. One of these weeks she'll come around. I just know it:)

half a year

(these pictures were taken on her 6 month birthday)

Is it even possible that she's six months old?

Where does the time go?

Every time I pick this tiny girl up I think to myself,

"I LOVE having a baby!"

Mallory is the light of our lives. She is pure joy.

She doesn't even know how much she's loved.

She has no idea how blessed she is to have three big sisters who adore her so much.

She has no comprehension of how she has blessed our family.

We love you Mallory Kate.

for my mom

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.  ~Washington Irving

It took me 19 years to realize that my mother was right about everything she ever told me. 

My momma is my very best friend. 

She is a woman of wisdom and grace.

I love you, Mom!

Happy Mother's Day.

Thanks for being the best mom ever in the world:)

Katy with a Y

This is my friend, Katy.

She just looked so adorable when she came to visit; I begged her to come outside and do an impromptu photo shoot in my front yard.

Isn't she just the cutest???

lily comes home from school

so big

yes, I'm wearing a bathrobe.

best $10 I ever spent.

I can't believe my baby is big enough to be doing this.

Oh, I love her!

Happy Birthday Emma!!

Emma Kay, I never thought you would grow up! I just expected you to be the baby forever! Now I look at Lily and see so many similarities between her and my cutest little sister! I even call her EMMA from time to time. and it always makes me happy:) 

When Emma was a baby I pretty much thought she was my child. After all, I begged my mom to have another baby before she had Emma. I even made a huge list off all the things I would do to help her to take care of the new baby. And when she came I did all those things. Oh, how I adored that tiny girl! and OH! How I still adore her. (also, she still pretty tiny, so she's easy to love)

Emma is the besty best auntie ever in the world. The girls love her so much and they talk about her pretty much every day. She is so good and loving and patient with them. And she's just so dang adorable. No wonder they love her so much.

I asked the girls their favorite thing to do with Emma is:

Lily: Play on the trampoline! 

Kaylee: Play games on the trampoline!

Riley: Jump on the trampoline!!!

(I really need to separate the girls before I ask them these questions)

Happy Happy Birthday Emma!! We LOVE you so much!!

cutie preschool girls

Here are Riley and Kaylee on their first day of preschool (monday!).

I have come to realize that Kaylee is my princess child. 

She has to have a piece of jewelry and she won't go anywhere without a flower in her hair.

Also, you will mostly see her in a dress.

Oh, I love her! 

It was Riley's first day of school ever.

She's been waiting all her life to finally attend preschool like her big sisters.

She was pleased as punch.

Happy Day:)

Happy Birthday Geri

Beautiful sister of mine, how grateful I am to have you in my life! I can't say enough good things about this sister girl. She's my besty best friend and I can tell her anything I want and she'll still think the world of me. Geri is kind and loving.  She is beautiful on the inside and on the outside. She has a way with people and can't even speak to others with out a sweet little smile on her face and a tinkling in her voice (whatever THAT means! but seriously, if you've ever spoken with my sister, you know what I mean). Geri loves a good conversation and has an earnest desire to truly get to know everyone she meets. I have always admired her confidence and her outgoing personality. She is someone I strive to be like and I look up to her!

Geri became a mother on September 18 and she is the best cutest mommy I've ever even seen. Makenzie is so lucky to have such a lovely person for a momma!

I asked Michael and the girls what their favorite thing about Geri is. Here are their answers:

Lily: "When she makes cookies!"

Kaylee: "Making cookies with her."

Riley: "Making cookies!!"

Michael: "Geri is very caring and she's always willing to help out. Also, she's pretty much always right about everything;)"

We all love you so much Geeg! Happiest Birthday!