The Steffens

Firehouse Fun

2010-10-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

Look at Ellies belly in this one!

We went to the Goldsboro Fire department this morning for a tour. Britten was able to tour the fire station in Slaton about a year ago, but Ellie had never been. They both had a lot of fun. We went with friends, Owen and Noah. Britten loves playing with them and Beth and I always enjoy the Mommy talk. They went over all the fire safety rules. Britten really impressed me with all her knowledge...she knew to dial 911, stop drop and roll, to crawl when there is smoke, and to have a meeting place. It was neat that the kids were able to see the firefighter in his gear because it could be a scary thing for a child to see if something ever did happen. The newspaper was there and took pictures for the paper. I guess they will be making an appearance in the next few days. It was a fun morning for us.

First train ride

2010-10-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

Britt looking in this one
Oh, hey, Ellie is looking in this one, but Britten isnt!

Now neither of them will look...haha.

We took the Metro into town from our hotel a few times. It was fun for the girls the first time. It was not so fun the time when Ellie cried the whole way in the end of day crowd. OMG we got some of the worst looks. She was so tired and worn out! I felt so bad for her. I think I could get around D.C. now. We did a lot of walking but it was all so neat, I didn't mind! Britt was tired of all the walking though!!

Washington DC

2010-10-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

The White House
Daddy and his girls

Sweet Girl

Mommy and Britt in front of Washington Monument

Barefoot Ellie

Me and Ellie in front of the Monument

Britten taking it all in

WWII Memorial...the pictures don't do it justice. It is beautiful!

Ell and Daddy

The statues at the Korean War Memorial

Korean War Memorial

I love how you can see the capital in the distance

The Steffens girls

The Lincoln Monument from the front

Lincoln Monument...so cool!!

The first lady that we asked to take our picture in front of Lincoln...umm she didn't do to well. The second lady seemed to get it more.

The family with Honest Abe

Soldiers in front of Vietnam Memorial

All the names...so thankful

Vietnam Memorial

Me posing by the monument

Washington Monument at night

We had such a great time last month on our trip to D.C. last month. This was our first time to experience the city, and we fell in love with it. There was so much to do, and I feel like we didn't even put a dent in what the city had to offer. All the memorials and monuments were awesome. We didn't have our camera with us the day we say the Jefferson Monument, but it was equally impressive. We also were able to experience the zoo, and a few of the Smithsonian Museums. We are only 4 hours away, so we hope to make the trip again soon. The girls really liked it. It was neat to be able to teach Britten about our country's history. She really took an interest in it. Ellie was just glad to be there.

Justins eye surgery went well while we were there. I was a little nervous because I knew that I would have to drive, but it wasn't all that bad. He went on on a Wednesday morning and had his eyes lasered (not sure if this is a word?). It was cool because the girls and I were able to watch the whole procedure on a screen. The surgery went really fast...and he was ok that day. The next few days were a little rough on him. He was really sensitive to light and had to put tons of eye drops in. He is still not 100% with his vision, but it is getting better every day. No more glasses for Justin!

Britt comes home

2010-08-19T06:18:00.001-07:00

Britt spent a week in Texas this summer. I know that she had so much fun with everyone. She

was spoiled, I am sure! A week doesn't seem like it would be too long, but this was the longest week ever for me. I thought that I would get so much done, but was actually less productive. I did enjoy sleeping in more and napping with Ellie. Britten told me that next summer when she goes she wants to stay three weeks....one week with Pop Pop, one with Gammy and PapPaw, and one with Sherri and Papoo. I know she could do it......but KNOW I couldn't! Such a big girl. We were glad to have her back.

Forth of July

2010-08-19T06:09:00.000-07:00

We had a great 4th of July this year. We missed Britt a lot....but knew that she was having fun in Texas with all her cousins. We loved Ellie's reaction to the fireworks. She really enjoyed them. I think that she was too young to be scared. We went to the celebration on base and also watched the fireworks show at the mall. I know that Britt enjoyed playing with all her cousins and doing fireworks with them!

Cliffs of the Neuse State Park

2010-08-18T12:23:00.001-07:00

Pop Pop putting on Britts floaties
Britt ready to swim

The hardest floaties to blow up

Snacks!!

The swimming area

Britt and Pop Pop swimming

Pop Pop and his girls

hiking...sorta

Pop Pop and Ells Bells

Britts silly face

The Cliffs of the Neuse State Park is about ten minutes from our house. We had to take Pop Pop swimming and hiking here while he was visiting. It was hot....so the swimming part was good. The hiking didn't last too long with the girls. We had a lot of fun.

Chuck E Cheese's with Pop Pop

2010-08-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

One of the places that PopPop took us to when he was in town was Chuck E Cheese. The girls really have a good time here. I do too....who can resist skee ball. Plus I get to relive my basketball days....haha. Anyway we had a good time here with PopPop. Ellie likes the little ride with Chuck and the Barney ride. Britten likes everything else....and the playground. She made friends with these two boys that day on the playground. They were really funny and kept us entertained. Pop Pop enjoyed being with the girls here and spoiling them. That's what grandparents do best right?

Mouse cookies

2010-08-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

Our inspiration
Britten the baker

taste test

posing with mommy

Hard at work (isn't her apron adorable?)

So everyone knows the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie". We love this book and the others like it (Cat a Cupcake, Moose a Muffin, Pig a Pancake, etc.). We found a neat cookbook that went along with the story that has recipes for cookies. Britten had the idea that we had to bake them all in one week. Me, loving to bake, thought that it sounded fun. So after many sticks of butter and eggs, we completed all 10 recipes. it was a lot of fun. (We didn't do them all in one day.)

Summer Reading Program Kickoff Party

2010-08-17T11:19:00.001-07:00

NanaBelle...she does storytime every week. The girls LOVE her...See her BEAR feet? Ha
So happy

Listening to the songs

Dancing to the songs (My child)

Causing trouble

Britten participated in the Summer Reading Program at the library on base this summer. They read a lot of fun books and made some really neat crafts. The kickoff party was fun....the part I heard. Ellie decided to be all over the place. The man up front told some neat stories and sang songs....all about summer of coarse. We love story time.....you can find us there every week! Britten just finished reading the mouse and the motorcycle. Next up Ramona and Beezus. We love to read!

Happy Birthday Sophie

2010-08-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Brittens friend Sophie turned 4 and had her birthday party at the bowling alley yesterday. They had a lot of fun....I am not sure that they were to into the bowling itself, but they enjoyed running around and dancing. When we were on our way to the party, Britt asked if she had to wear those ugly shoes because they wouldnt match her outfit! Haha. Just like her Mom. We all had a good time....Happy 4th Sophie!!

Eat Pray Love

2010-08-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Today the movie starring Julia Roberts comes out called Eat Pray Love. I read this book and adored it. It is one of my new favorites. I can't wait to see the movie. Justin knows how much I like to read books before watching the movie and laughs when I see the movie because I get so upset when things aren't the same. Either way....I am super excited about this one. It is about a lady in her thirties (true story by the way) who went through a bad divorce, and a bad breakup shortly after. She decided that she is going to travel to three countries (Italy, India, and Indonesia) for a year to better herself and find out her true self again. I found myself laughing, crying, and not wanting the book to be over. It was such a good read. I went to the book club on base Wednesday because this book was the topic. It was a lot of fun to be able to get other people who have read this books views and what they got from it. I think what I learned from it was to take time to do the things that you love...and to not take yourself so seriously. I will let you all know how the movie is...YEA.

Ellie

2010-08-13T04:49:00.000-07:00

These pictures are recent, but I HAD to post them because I love them so much. What a doll! It is hard to believe how big she is. She is so much fun and makes us so happy! She loves to make us all laugh. She is always doing something funny. She loves feeding Kyle...She likes reading, climbing, signing, and singing. She is such a happy baby!!

VBS 2010

2010-08-13T04:18:00.000-07:00

Ellie and Britten posing on the saddle
Cowgirl Britt

Doing all the hand motions

The whole group

Teaching our class

Karen and I learning the songs

Saddle Ridge Ranch

Singing praises

She loved all the songs and learned the really fast

Singing

Britten getting her certificate with Payton and Bailey

Ellie getting her certificate from Dawn and Keith

Vacation Bible School this summer was so much fun. We had such a great time dressing up like cowgirls and cowboys all week. Surprisingly Justin has a lot of cowboy looking shirts. Who would have known?! Britten had been looking forward to this week for a long time and was so excited when it finally came. She was in a class with a lot of kids...I think that her age group had the most kids. She made a lot of neat crafts and learned a lot. Her favorite part was the songs and the motions that went with them. Trust me, these songs really get in your head and stay. We listened to them all week and were sick of them by the end. Ellie was the only one in the nursery, so she got spoiled. She enjoyed being there every night and liked all the attention. Justin and I taught the 5th and 6th graders. They were a lot of fun. We enjoyed getting to know them and teaching them more about God and how to accept him as their saviour. They taught us a lot too....It was such a great week.

VBS Kickoff Party

2010-08-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Britt on the horse....so big!

Connor taking it all in

The puppies

Climbing the tree....I did it too.

Connor was scared at first...can't tell by the pic though

Ellie's first horse ride

Connor all by himself!!

Britten and Payton

Not sure?!

Cookie break

The theme for our Vacation Bible School this year was Saddle Ridge Ranch. We had a cookout with games, face painting and horses. All the kids loved the horses. Even Ellie got to ride. Britten wants a horse now....

so does Mommy. One day. We were glad that Connor was able to come with us. Britt and him rode the horses until they had to leave. What fun!

Chicfila

2010-08-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

Whose child is this? haha

Ellie loves letting Mimi paint her face

Checking out big sis....they were having a fundraiser for the fire department that day. Miss Goldsboro was there with a red carpet....Britt loved it.

Pic with the cow

R they sisters? Ummm yea

Britt at storytime with my glasses and headband on. hah

Princesses

She is holding her balloon flower from Mimi

Chicfila is one of our favorite places to go. The girls love to play, and the food is good. Shake anyone? On Monday nights you get a free sandwich if you bring in your church bulletin so we are usually there. We run into a lot of Madison Avenue members who are eating there too. MiMi the clown goes there at least once a month and does face painting. She is soo talented and the kids love her. They have also had miniature carriage rides for the kids. Always something fun for them to do. I love the values that the company has. What other fast food restaurant closes for church? The service is always good and it is way clean there. I feel good letting my kids play there.

No luck

2010-08-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

This particular Sunday was impossible to get the girls to sit still for a picture. They were everywhere. I bet that we were running late too. Like always.

Family Fun Center

2010-08-10T04:41:00.000-07:00

Having fun with Sherri

Posing with her water

Ellie enjoying the ride

Her fav ride there...with her new bear

Britt taking a break

Riding together

They love being together

The prize she won with her tickets

In town we have a Family Fun Center with a big inflatable obstacle course and a game room. the girls love going there. Sherri wanted to take the girls there to have fun before she left. Britten played on the bouncy most of the time, and Ellie rode the same ride over and over. I think Sherri must have spent at least ten dollars to let her ride it. She also won both girls a stuffed animal on the claw game. I am not sure how she can win this. I am also unsure of how she always escapes the camera lens. I will get more pics of her the next visit whether she likes it or not! We had so much fun when she was down and we can not wait to see her again!

The Beach with Sherri

2010-08-10T04:32:00.001-07:00

We had to show Sherri the beautiful Carolina beaches while she was here. We had a lot of fun swimming, building sand castles and relaxing. We ate at a good seafood restaurant on the pier. It was a wonderful day at the beach. Now we have to get Papoo here to enjoy it!

When Sherri came

2010-08-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Britten calls this her secret park because it is really close to where we live and we just discovered it. Anytime that we go, there is nobody else there. She loves catching tadpoles and seeing all the frogs and fish. We always go with a net! She really enjoyed showing Sherri her secret park.

Our first Beach Trip of the Summer

2010-08-09T08:21:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to live an hour from the beach. It makes for a good calm, and relaxing day trip.

The girls love it.....and we would be there every day if it was up to Britten. This was our first beach trip of 2010 back in May. We went to Emerald Isle and it was so beautiful. It was the perfect day. This was Ellie's first time to ever see the beach, and you could see in her eyes how much she liked it. Britt could be a beach bum and never wants to leave when it is time. Carolina beaches are so beautiful with the pretty water and gorgeous sand dunes. I could get used to living so close!

Hungry?

2010-08-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

SPAGHETTI!!

Messy girl

helping Mom cook ( At least being the official taste tester!)

A breakfast picnic

MMMM Creapes!

Ellie did great with the transition to solid food. She wanted to eat what we were eating, even if she just had two teeth! As soon as she started eating table food, she didn't want anything to do with baby food. She likes pretty much anything, which makes it easy on us. For a while she only wanted bread and cheese. These are two of my favs too, so it made since to me. She likes to feed Britten her food, and also sneaks bites to Kyle. Britt's favorite thing to do now is pick out her own healthy meals. She does really good with this. It is fun to her, and I love that she is getting all the nutrition that she should. She is getting go at recognizing the food groups and whats in them. I wish I was as good about this as she is. We love going to the farmers market in Raleigh to stock up on the fruits and veggies that we need. They are all delicious and very cheap. It feels good buying locally, too.

What? I still blog?

2010-08-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

Has it really been that long? Man I am a loser. Ha. So......It has been a busy summer. Way busy. But fun. I will try to catch all you followers up with a few posts a day. So.....here we go. Haha Allyson I am blogging again! (So sad that I couldn't remember my password!)

Find Your Pretty Place Contest

2010-05-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

I entered a contest through ABC and Mary Kay back in March called Find Your Pretty Place. I had received an email from a friend who sells Mary Kay telling me about this contest. I didn't think that I had a chance to win, but I was chosen as one of one hundred nationwide first prize winners. All that I had to do was submit an essay describing my hectic morning routine, and then attach a picture. I don't remember what I wrote but it was either very clever, or they felt sorry for me and decided that I needed a little pampering. Here is what i won....

One Hundred (100) First Prizes: Each First Prize winner will receive one (1) Mary Kay “Morning Makeup Kit” Gift Bag that includes: TimeWise® Microdermabrasion Set, Mary Kay® Ultimate Mascara in black, Fragrance Free Satin Hands Pampering Set, Mary Kay® Tinted Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF, plus a limited edition coffee mug and coffee. ARV: $125 each.

I wasn't the grand prize winner, but I was very happy to get this!!

Britten

2010-05-10T13:03:00.000-07:00

One last pic. This was taken at church this weekend during our marriage seminar.The kids did VBS activities and had so much fun. I couldn't resist posting this pic. It isnt too clear bc it is a picture of a picture, but u get the idea!!!!

Ellie's favorite person

2010-05-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Ellie loves Keith Anderson from church. She has been suffering separation anxiety from me, but not when it comes to Keith! She must know that he has two girls of his own. They are adorable together. She loves it when he has nursery duty with his wife Dawn. Thanks, guys, for helping with our kids and loving them!

Baby Dedication

2010-05-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

Dedication Day for Ellie!

All of us with Pastor Bob

The Simms family

Ellie loving the attention

It got chaotic at the end

We had Baby Dedication Day yesterday at church. It was so neat to be able to do this on Mothers Day. It made it that much more special. It was a joy to have the Simms with their baby Caroline up there. Both girls got a really cool certificate and a New Testament. What a neat thing to do. Justin and I pray for our girls every day and know that they are going to do AMAZING things for the kingdom of God! May we always be the example that they need!

She loves the camera!

2010-05-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

She picked the flower from our yard and asked me to put it in her hair.
I have no clue?!

Innocence

Deep in thought

Monkey? I think she wanted her hands on her hips! haha

Britt loves when I take pictures of her. I tell her not to pose, and she tells me that she can't help it because she has to be cute! What a doll she is!

Weekley pics

2010-05-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

These girl have to know that the camera is comming out on Sundays. They are probably sick of it. Or not....Britt loves to pose and Ellie loves to smile, if she can keep her eyes open!

Cutting the grass

2010-05-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

This is Brittens "pet" Leecee. She stays in our kitchen window. Britten found her at Lowes about a month ago and had to have her. She couldn't wait for her "hair" to get long enough to put a bow into it and cut it. It had already grown so much since these pics.

Such a sweet girl

2010-04-23T11:19:00.000-07:00

Swear this is not one of my baby pics!
squinty eyes, droopy diaper

Look Ma, NO HANDS!

Our Ellie is such a sweetheart. I cannot believe that she is growing up so quickly. She wants to walk so bad and she is so close. Regardless, she is still able to move sooo fast. She is into everything. Her favorite trick is unrolling the toilet paper. She also loves playing with doors. I do not like this because her fingers get so close. She always closes the door to her room, and then sits right in front of it where you can't get in. Then she cries. Silly girl. She is picking up on sign language pretty well. She looked at Justin a few days ago after she woke up from her nap, and signed more to eat. She knew that it was time. She also loves books. Especially if they have pictures of kids in them. She just giggles. Her favorite one is from Granny and Grandad called God Made Me. I could read this book with my eyes closed (Ally, I know you could recite it too!). She loves to sit at the bottom of the stairs and yell up to Britten. Ellie usually wakes up around 7-7:30, and Britt doesn't get up till 8. Apparently Ellie doesn't like this too much. Guess that I am too boring. So she will crawl to the stairs and yell up to Britt. So adorable. We are so blessed.

Happy Earth Day

2010-04-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

always posing
Britt came up with this saying. She also did the beautiful flowers.

That my girl. haha

Ok, so if you know me at all you know that I am not a bit artistic. Not too bad though, right? (Staci?)

Busy painting

So since yesterday was Earth Day, we decided to celebrate with sidewalk paint. This stuff is awesome and so easy to make. Don't buy sidewalk paint at the store. It is so overpriced. All that you do is mix 1/4 corn starch, 1/4 water, and however many drops of food coloring that you want. So easy. Anyways...I try to teach Britt the importance of taking care of our Earth. We are required to recycle at least once a month in our town (If not you will get a fine) and I love this. It is so easy and I hate that I didn't start doing this earlier. We also try to keep electricity use down, and conserve water. Littering is a no no, too. We don't like litterbugs. Britt is so good at remembering all these things. So if you are ever around her don't even think about littering. She will call you out on it.

Uncle John

2010-04-23T11:00:00.001-07:00

Am I that short? I never realized how tall John is.

We got to see my uncle John a few weeks ago because he was in the area for business. It was so good to see him. This was his first time meeting Ellie, and Britten hadn't seen him since she was just a few months old. It was great to catch up with him. We love visitors, but hardly get them, so this was a great surprise. Next, we are going to Chicago to see him. Can't wait. Ellie had already gone to sleep in this picture. I have to get the one that John took of all of us at the restaurant.

Bouncy

2010-04-21T19:07:00.000-07:00

The humongous bouncy in our yard
Me and Britt racing...she catches me.

She could beat me every time. O to be young.

Relaxing

Me and Just

Are yall kidding me? The sandbox now? There is a huge inflatable playground in the yard!

Britt, Connor, and Ell

Brittany getting her butt kicked by me....again. JK

Britt in the bouncy

We had a neighborhood watch party at our church last weekend, and Justin was in charge o getting the inflatable obstacle course. The rental was for the whole weekend, so we decided to set it up in our backyard. We had so much fun playing on it. I am talking about me and Justin. Ha. Britten thought that it was so cool that it was in our backyard, and Connor got to come over and play with her on it. Ellie wasn't too fond of it, and would scream when anyone would go down the slide.

Britten and Ellie

2010-04-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

attempt one
attempt two...Ellie gets Britts necklace. Britt giggling.

What will we do with her?

Third times a charm

And a silly one

ADORABLE!

Ellie looks like her Papoo in this one!

9 months

squinty eyes like her Momma

She is up to something here!!

Do I have to many pictures? NOOOOO. Not enough. I cannot get enough of these girls. I always heard that you will not take as many pictures of your second child. This is not true for me.

I was putting clothes in the dryer on Sunday before church, and Britten comes into the laundry room and tells me that she put Ellie in the chair for her picture. ( I always try to get their pictures once a week). It took a while for it to process, and then I realized that Britten put Ellie in the chair in the living room all by herself then left. So I ran in there and as soon as I turned the corner to the living room, I see Ellie leap off of the chair and land on all fours. I was waiting for a cry but she just looked up at me and started giggling. What a nut. So I had to have a talk with Brit about picking Ellie up. She told me, but Momma she looked so adorable today and I knew that you would want a picture!! I was just trying to help. What a sweetheart. Britt really does have a heart of gold, as her Daddy would say. Ellie is always one step (or crawl) behind her. They are such a blessing for Justin and I.

I love warm weather

2010-04-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

They love being together!
Ellie's first swimming pool experience

Summertime girl

Big sis

Loved the water

Kyle waiting for his frisbee

The best shot I have ever gotten of Andi

So, I love when it gets hot. We have been outside for hours since the weather warmed up. I love working outside. Get that from my Dad. Britten and Ellie both love it outside, too. They have been able to play in the swimming pool, their new sandbox, the sprinkler, and of course the swing set. I Love warm weather, and can't wait for the beach! The dogs love all the extra attention that they have been getting, too.

Easter Lunch

2010-04-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

Here she goes

Connor seems lost

Easter girl

Connor wasn't too in to the hunt. He wanted to open each egg after he found it. Britt was sweet to save him some and share.

Brit should be a pro, now, from all the egg hunts!

Ellie looking for eggs

Leanna (baby anytime, Brittany, and me

After church, we went across the street to Dan, Brittany and Connors house for lunch. It was delicious. Britten and Connor got to go on another egg hunt, then jump in his bouncy castle from his birthday party. After this weekend, both girls were so tired because of everything that we had going on. We had fun and were glad to be invited over for lunch.

Easter Morning

2010-04-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Easter at Bob and Karens

2010-04-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

All being very patient

On your marks...

This is pinestraw for all u west Texans. See all the green. jk

Alexis and Britt

So happy!

Britten hunting for more

Ellie being too old

Georgia checking out her eggs

Taking a break

Britten, Georgia, Alexis, and Hayley

We were invited to an Easter egg hunt at Bob and Karen's house on the Saturday before Easter. Britten had a lot of fun, and was so excited to bring her new friend Georgia with her. Ellie enjoyed being outside, like she always does, and the food was delicious. The kids all got a lot of eggs (YEA more candy for me to say I am not going to eat yea right) and a special stuffed animal prize. We are so thankful that Bob and Karen put this together for our class.

Its a SQUIRREL

2010-04-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

So thirsty!

drinking water

Brittany's Mom

The second one in my arms

So about a week and a half ago we I was outside with Britten, Ellie, Georgia (Grandma lives across the street, Connor, and Brittany's Mom Pam. We were drawing on the sidewalk when all of a sudden, a baby squirrel runs up to us. I was like man, I have never seen a squirrel this close. Then it starts to climb on our feet. So I rush the kids inside....not knowing if it was diseased. It ran onto Brittany's mom and just curled up in her hands? What? It was adorable. If you know me I have always had a heart for all animals. So we give it water, and some squirrel milk. We find it a nice home. (Oh it was a boy). So we think o that was cool, then two days later his brother decides that it wants to play. What happened was it lost its Mama ( We buried it about a week prior) and they got hungry and turned to us. So now they have a nice home with a sweet lady who feeds them. I loved holding them. ADORABLE.

In the sink

2010-04-07T12:29:00.000-07:00

I give Ellie baths in the kitchen sink pretty regularly. She loves it because it is more her size. One night last week, Britten wanted to get in with her, so this is how it looked. They somehow fit.

Happy Birthday Connor

2010-04-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

the birthday boy

Britten and Georgia

Ellie with my necklace

Britt taking a break

Close Up

Connor turned three last Saturday! Britten and Ellie were able to go to his party and they had a a lot of fun. He had a bouncy castle that Britt loved (So did I). Happy Birthday Connor!

Justin's Birthday

2010-04-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Justin didn't want to take a picture by himself so be pulled Britt in. We had a good little family celebration for Justin's birthday. Who can resist German chocolate? Oh, and thats a nine on his cake, not a zero. JK

Ellie Eating

2010-04-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

MMM biscuits

Smiling and eating

BIG bite!

Last one at the table

Britt had to join sissy for a pic.

Ok, so this cute little thing loves to eat. She likes table food! She is so not old enough for it, but now that she has a few teeth, she thinks she is. She has started signing more....so cute. I am telling you, she is so my child because she loves food. She also loves her new high chair because she gets to be at the table with us. So grown up!!

Cliffs of the Neuse

2010-04-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

The Cliffs of the Neuse is a state park that is about 15 miles away from where we live. It is so beautiful. This was our first time to go there (A few Sundays back), and we already have plans to go camping there soon. There is a beautiful lake where you can swim, the Neuse river, hiking trails, campgrounds, and a picnicking area. We can't wait to go back and take full advantage of it!

Update on the girls

2010-04-07T05:32:00.000-07:00

I have gotten so bad at blogging! SO sorry. It has been crazy here in the Steffens house. It has been so pretty outside lately, we haven't been wanting to spend it inside. We have already gotten the pool out.....more pics to follow. Keep checking throughout the day.... a little at a time. We are all doing well. Ready for summer and the beach! We are so glad Justin is here this spring. It has been so much fun. Here are some pics of the girls. SO BIG!

Ellie Whitley

2010-03-10T05:43:00.000-08:00

pretty girl
Doesn't she look so big sitting up?

crawling

FEET!!!

Standing in her crib

So happy

Close up

waving

cutting her eyes!!

Almost eight months! I cannot believe it! Ellie has grown in the blink of an eye! She is crawling, eating all baby food and has really shown an interest in walking. She likes to talk....when Britten gives her a chance. She is such a good baby! I always joke that she is going to be my strong willed child because when she sees something that she wants, she usually gets it! She's is pretty constant with her schedule, which makes it easy on us. I cannot believe how big she is......Wow.

What's in Your Wallet?

2010-03-10T05:02:00.000-08:00

Ellie getting into my wallet

Only Coupons?

Where's the money?

I didn't do it!

Britten heard the camera, and had to get in a pic!

I guess Ellie wanted to know. There is not much there but coupons and old receipts. Either way, I don't think that she was after the money just yet. I think that she was more interested in making a mess. I can't leave her alone anymore because she can always find something to get in to in no time. She is all over the place. She is so interested in walking though and always tries to stand on her feet when she crawls. Her favorite toy (I can hear her playing with it in her bed now) is a McDonald's toy of Britten's. It is from the movie Madagascar and sings I like to Move it Move it. She loves making it sing, and will wiggle around in her crib. I think that we have another dancer in the house. Sorry, Justin! She had rhythm!

Sunday Comics

2010-03-10T04:56:00.000-08:00

I always looked forward to the Sunday Comics, or the "Sillies" as my Dad called them. This was the only part of the paper that I cared for. I found Britten with the comics Sunday after church in the bathroom. She loves to have them read to her. Her favorite one from this week was For Better or For Worse because it was about a little girl. It showed her getting all sorts of kitchen utensils out of a drawer, then she slammed her fingers in on accident. She started crying, then they had to go to the doctor to get them bandaged up. The mom then prayed "Lord next time something bad happens, let it happen to me." I tried to explain this concept to Britten, and how I felt the same way about her and Ellie, bu all that she kept saying was "why do you want to get hurt!" Wouldn't we take all the pain for our kids if we could. It is scary putting the girls out there in the world where there is so much hurt and pain! I am so thankful that I know that there is a God who will be there for us in the hard times!

2010-03-10T04:38:00.000-08:00

Best pic
Cute Sisters

I think a squirrel caught Brits eye!

Ellie looking away

Britten looking away

On Sunday the girls looked so cute in their spring dresses. I am so glad that warm weather is on its way! I know that Brit is too. She loves her summer time clothes. Going barefoot is the best and I love Ellie in only a diaper. There is nothing cuter than that. So yes, I am the redneck outside with no shoes on holding my baby in only her diaper. haha. It was hard getting a picture of both girls looking on Sunday before church. There was so much to see outside on such a beautiful day. Still, I caught a few good ones!

Resemblance

2010-03-10T04:28:00.000-08:00

Yup, we look alike!

Daddy's eyes here

She is so tickled in this one bc I kept cutting her face out of the pic!

I love her sweet look in this one!

She does have my sillyness!

So I am aware that Britten has a fair share of Justin and me in her, but the other day she reminded me of a kindergarten picture that I have seen of myself (She has better hair though. haha). We snapped a few pictures to see if we looked alike....when we got started we of course couldn't stop being silly. I love being a mom to a four year old. It reminds me to not take life so seriously. Whether its playing princess, mermaid, tea party, or outside with the dogs, there is always an adventure to be had! And what an imagination this girl has!!

We just got through reading the Secret Garden to Britten. Her first chapter book. She really loved it and looked forward to it at nap time and bedtime. We read all 21 chapters in a week. I am so glad that Britt loves to read as much as I did. Our book for this week.....Peter Pan. We think Daddy might like this one a little more!

2010-03-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

watching sissy and the clown
little Lindsay

waiting her turn

Britten and Mimi the Clown

so still

the start of a butterfly

more colors

finishing touches

Butterfly girl Britten

Ellie wants a turn

another pose

Ellie getting a rose

She loved Mimi

Ellie's first face painting

Look at the bee on her nose! Adorable!

We went to Chic fil a last night to see Mimi the clown. She is so awesome at painting faces and goes to Chic fil a a few times every month. Britten loves her...and I think that Ellie does now too! She is so fast at painting...and can do everything imaginable. Britten was first to go and wanted a butterfly...she did her face in about two minutes. Wow. She loved it so much. Then we decided to see if Ellie would sit still enough to get a small design and she did great. She stared at Mimi the whole time. Since she was so still she added more details then a little bee on her nose. ADORABLE! I tried to convince Justin to get something, but he wouldn't agree. haha.

My little Models

2010-03-05T05:37:00.000-08:00

The girls were little models for a day for a wonderful photographer here in Goldsboro. Didn't these turn out sooo adorable?!

Britten Day

2010-02-25T05:25:00.000-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, mark your calenders. Today is the first annual Britten Day. It doesn't require much, except having a lot of fun and dressing up pretty. We were informed of Princess Britten Day on our way home from church last night, so that we would be properly prepared for today. The accepted attire is rainbow clothing, or gold and silver. The agenda includes a tea party and lots of pretty things (like flowers). The guest include Brittens four daughters (yes daughters) Big Lick, Little Lick, Nano, Knee, Daddy, Mommy, Ellie, Kyle and Andi. It should be fun. Maybe you will be invited next year. Its the event to be at. I can hardly contain my excitement!

Caroline Rose

2010-02-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

Today I was able to watch Caroline Rose, who is 2 1/2 months old. She was so good, and Ellie LOVED having another baby around. Caroline is Britten's friend Hayley's sister. Britten was a great help to me today, even though she had to get in Ellie's bed.(She was pretending to be a baby). I love the pics of Ell getting into Carolines car seat.....she was so curious!

Twinkies

2010-02-22T19:46:00.000-08:00

So I know that my girls will kill me when they get older and see all the matching outfits that I put them in, but I think that they are so adorable. I would match them everyday if I could. This was before church last Sunday. If you look closely you can see a tear in Ellie's eye in a picture. I don't think she wanted so many pictures.

Ellie started crawling last week. Wow. Is is really that time? She does a cute little "worm" move where she gets on all fours and then does a belly dive. Pretty soon she is going to be all over the house. Guess that it is time to child proof the house again! She is also eating pretty much all of the baby food out there. She loves it. She actually could care less about her bottles most of the time. She also loves Puffs. She is so big and it is scary. I love these girls so much!!!

MARSHMALLOWS!!

2010-02-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

Yummy! We decided to roast some marshmallows in out fireplace last weekend. This was actually Britts idea, and I was quick to agree. I am not sure how Just managed to not be in one of these pictures. I will have to get him next time! I know that if Ellie wasn't in bed already that she would have wanted some!!

Our Snowman

2010-02-22T19:19:00.000-08:00

So, we got another snow in North Carolina weekend before last. We decided that a snowman was needed Justin did all the work. I was there for support and to offer one of my million scarves. Britten loved the snowman and had to pose next to it. This daughter of ours is always cracking me up in sooo many ways. The other day I had brought some chocolate covered oreos home from Brittany (my neighbor) house bc I had helped her with a baby shower. Britt told me that she loved oreos, but knew that we couldn't have them because I would eat them like an elephant. I guess she had heard me say that I love oreos so much but if we had them at the house I would be as big as an elephant. Funny how she heard it. She also told me that she wants to go by Britt now. Not Britten or Brissy, just Britt. I know that I need to write this stuff down bc it is so hilarious!

Saying Mama

2010-02-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

Britten's New Do

2010-02-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

Today we were in the mall and we mentioned to Britten that she should get her hair trimmed. She surprised us when she said that she wanted to cut it short. She was certain that she wanted it shoulder length, and wasn't nervous one bit. We think it looks great, and she LOVES it.

Kyle and Andi

2010-02-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

So, we never take enough pictures of Kyle and Andi. When we try to, they do not like to cooperate. We got a few good ones of Kyle, but Andi apparently does not like the camera. I guess that it is a female thing. Haha. We had fun this weekend with them, playing in the snow and then cuddling inside by the fire. This is Kyles favorite spot....right by the fire!

Brittens Party

2010-02-01T12:46:00.000-08:00

Pin the tongue on the frog
Waiting for their turn

The whole group from left to right

Connor, Lindsey, Alexis, Hayley, Andrew,Britten, and Ellie

Opening presents

Silly faces!!

Britten and Hayley

Teresa (Brittens Sunday school teacher) holding Ellie and Melissa (Hayley and Andrews Mom)

We had Britten's 4th birthday party the Saturday after her birthday at our house. Let me tell you....there were too many kids running around! It was wild.....but Britten had a lot of fun, and that's all that mattered! Britten decided that She wanted a Tiana party (The Princess and the frog). I agreed that would be good before I realized how hard it would be to find Tiana decorations! We ended up making our own....Justin made a really cute frog for pin the tongue on the frog. I made her cake, which we somehow forgot to take a picture of amidst all the chaos, as well as some "swamp water" punch. It turned out to be a good day for our little (well big now) princess. (Is it bad to say that we were so relieved when it was over?!) I really don't do well with other peoples children!!

More snow pics

2010-02-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

These are the pics from Saturday when we woke up to snow. Britten was so eager to get out there. She had to make a few snow angels, but it was hard for me to get a pic because the snow was falling in her face! She got to play with Connor for a little bit before coming inside to warm up. I love the pic of Ellie and Justin looking out from the house. So sweet.

Fun in the Snow

2010-01-31T12:45:00.000-08:00

SNOW!!

Going to visit friends

Our own sledding dog

Ellie was a little confused on what was going on

Daddy with the pups

Mommy and Brit

Riding the Sled together

Sisters in the snow

Britten and Andi-she was a little unsure of the snow!

Mommy pulling Brit on the sled

Posing with the dogs...I don't know why Kyle always looks so sad

We were so glad when we got snow yesterday! It is pretty rare that the part of North Carolina that we live in gets any, but we have been lucky the two winters that we have lived here. Yesterday was really cold, and it was still sleeting. We went out there anyway but we didn't stay out there for too long. I was scared to get Ellie out there at all. Britten got to see Connor for a little while and play in the snow with him. It was soft enough yesterday for her to make snow angels, and we even made snow ice cream. When we woke up this morning, everything was so icy. Justin made a little sled for Britten and we had so much fun. Even Ellie got to ride for a little bit after she woke up from her nap. She was a little confused about what was going on, though. Kyle and Andi were out there with us for a while, but Andi decided that the snow was not for her and went inside by the fire. Kyle got stuck pulling Brits sled, and we all walked down the street to see some friends. Justin and I even got in a little snow ball fight. We had a lot of fun today!

SISTERS

2010-01-30T12:42:00.000-08:00

These two girls adore each other! I love the age difference between them, even though I thought I always wanted my kids closer in age. Ellie will laugh at anything Britten does, and Britten loves making Ellie laugh. They are alike in so many ways, but I can already see the personality differences between the two. I hope that they will always stay close throughout the years, just like me and my sisters have. Sisters can also be best friends! I have two to prove that!

Birthday girl

2010-01-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

Is my baby really four? It doesn't seem right to me! She should still be crawling around! Britten is such a blessing to Justin and I! She always amazes us with her kind, caring spirit. She is so compassionate and is always wanting to make a difference. Britten is changing before our eyes, and I do not realize how much she has grown until I look back at older pictures. She has grown a whole inch since November. Wow. Britten loves being a big sister, and is a good helper.

We had a little cake for her on her actual birthday, January 5th, at the house. It was neat just to have us four celebrating such a special day. When she woke up the morning of her birthday, she told me she was ready to go to school. She thought that since she was now officially four, that she could just start that day. Slow down.....Mommy and Daddy need you at home a little longer!

We love you, Prissy Brissy!

Texas Tech girls

2010-01-30T12:20:00.000-08:00

Britten and Ellie got the cutest Texas Tech shirts from Mom and David for Christmas. In case you can't read what it says "Tech Rocks"! Love it. You can tell that they are sisters in this picture!

Brittens Scooter

2010-01-23T14:28:00.000-08:00

Britten decided to use her birthday money from Pop Pop to buy a new scooter and hasn't gotten off of it since! She likes to pretend that she is the little girl on Bolt that rides a scooter around. It is adorable. She gets better at it everyday and loves being outside!

Green Beans!

2010-01-23T13:51:00.000-08:00

YUMMY!!
Not too sure yet!

Mommy feeding Ell

The typical Mommy feeding face

Stuffed

Ellie had her first experience with green beans yesterday and loved them! She was so excited to get something besides cereal and her bottles! I know that she will be ready to try all the other fruits and veggies soon!

So, Ellie said Dada on the 29th of December, and we were all so proud! We all got to hear it, and it quickly became her favorite thing to babble! Well I thought Mama cannot be far behind....still nothing. She does say one other word...baba (bottle) when she thinks that it is time to eat. Really? Bottle before Mama....not fair.

Downtown Trolley Rides

2009-12-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

In the month of December, Goldsboro does free trolley rides every Tuesday evening. We had so much fun last night experiencing downtown Goldsboro on a horse drawn trolley. They have it decorated so cute with lots of lights and Christmas decorations. Britten really enjoyed the ride....especially the caroling! Ellie thought that it was crazy to be out in the cold for this. HAHA. We had fun, but it was cold.

Christmas Party

2009-12-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

Santa!!

Hayley, Britten, and Ellie

Cute girls

Leave it to Britt to make the face!

Ellie eating her present

Britten opening her present

Last night we had a Christmas Party at our church. It was a neat program with a lot of good music (I sang, so I can say that haha), and Santa even showed up. Britten did a lot better this year after she warmed up to Santa. Ellie didn't care either way....she just wanted to eat the wrapping on her present!! Merry Christmas!

It's Begining to Look a Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

The three Steffens girls
Christmas Brissy

Holding Daddy on the stool

The perfect spot

He is not going to like this!

Big enough to put the star on top

A little unsure!

Daddy helping Britt

Decorating the tree

Ellie taking a break

The day after Thanksgiving, we got all of our Christmas decorations out. This is our favorite thing to do, and we are always so eager to get started! We put on some Christmas music and decorate as a family. Britten was bouncing off the walls because she was so excited. I remember that I was always the same was as a kid. Christmas has always been my Moms favorite holiday, so I guess that I take after her! I love the smells, lights, mood, decorations, and music. I love thinking back to all the traditions that we had at Christmas as a family growing up. From baking a million cookies, driving to Sweeny to see Granny and Grandad, my Dad making me say that Santa was real, ALL the decorations, playing in the snow, etc. One that is really special to me is sitting in the rocking chair with my Great Mam Maw by the fire. The Lewis family Christmas were always interesting. The kids would put on a program for the adults, which was always funny. One year my Dad and his brothers painted their belly's and sang a Christmas song. I remember that Kristin was so scared! I also remember caroling at the rest home to Grandma. I know that she loved having her great grand kids there!What great memories. I remember that Staci was always first to wake up.....I am not sure how she did it. She would always wake Ally up first, then me. Then we would all yell up the stairs to Mom and Dad (Whom I am sure weren't too thrilled at the time), then we had to wait at the end of the hall while Mom got the video camera ready. We would run down the hall when we got the OK in our matching pj's to see what Santa had left us. Then we would take turns opening up presents. We always had sausage balls in the oven. I remember one Christmas when Staci read a passage about the birth of Christ. It was so neat and thoughtful. May we always remember the true reason for Christmas.....Christ. I hope that I can carry on these traditions with my family, as well as making new ones. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.

19 Weeks

2009-12-03T04:35:00.000-08:00

Where does this curly hair come from??

Is she realy already that old? Man, that doesn't even sound right! I cannot believe how much Ellie has grown lately. She loves to smile, and if she is awake she is usually doing it. She loves to be in her excersaucer playing. She loves to share her passy with baby dolls. I can not believe how much she loves Brittens Cabbage Patch dolls. She just looks at them and smiles and kisses them. She is getting so much better at sitting up. This is her favorite position, and will not lay down unless she is sleeping. She wants to be such a big girl. She does not like to ride in the car unless she is right next to her sister. If we put her too far away, she will scream the whole time. She also believes that when we eat, she should be eating...even if she just had a bottle. I can tell that she is not going to have a problem once she starts on food! Ellie is such a good baby. We are so blessed with such a beautiful, happy little girl!

Red Raider Girls

2009-12-02T12:05:00.000-08:00

Saturdays for the Steffens family consist of college football, chips and salsa from Chilis, and a whole lot of relaxing. We get dressed up in our Red Raider gear and cheer Texas Tech on! GO TECH!

britten

She wanted to type her name

Fun at the Magic Kingdom

2009-11-24T04:46:00.000-08:00

Sherri and Papoo

Papoo and Ellie at the light parade

Beauty and the Beast

Ellie relaxing

up to something

Sisters

Going to Tom Sawyer island

On the boat

Spinning Tea Cups

Getting dizzy

with her prince

Posing with Sherri and Papoo

Watching the parade with Daddy

The Magic Kingdom Park was Britten's favorite. We actually went there two different days because so we could do everything (many things twice). Britten really loved the Small World Ride....I wasn't so crazy about it. ha ha. She also got to ride the spinning tea cups, flying Dumbo, magic carpets, a Snow White ride, Pooh ride, and many more. She also really loved the 3-D Mickey Show that we saw three times. We also got to enjoy the parades twice, and had really good spots the second day that we went. We were right up front, which was neat. Britten was also chosen out of the audience to be in a Belle Story time show. She played Mrs. Potts. It was adorable....and yes, I didn't have my camera. She also really enjoyed Mickey and Minnie's house, and Donald's Boat. SO MUCH FUN! She has decided that when she grows up, this is where she wants to work. She said that she would like to be Cinderella, but she better be Belle because people would believe her more.

Tink and her friends

2009-11-20T12:12:00.000-08:00

Tink and Britt
Fairy discussion

Fawn

The one Ellie spit up on

Rosetta and Britt

OK, so not only do girls Britten's age love the Disney Princesses, but apparently the fairies are just as big of a deal. Britten actually chose to meet them first, and the line was about five times as long. She was so glad to meet them, and can't wait to see the new Tinkerbell movie. When we first got in the line, the lady that worked there told us that Tinkerbell probably wouldn't be there because she was busy, so we were soooo excited that she was there!! Ellie spit up on the first fairy....oops!

Princesses

2009-11-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

Autographs!!

Princess Ellie made it in the pic with Belle!

SO cute!

Princess talk

Princess Aurora

Standing like Jasmine

With Sleeping Beauty at Epcot

At Ariels grotto

Pocahantas at Animal Kingdom

Two Cinderellas

Britten loves the Disney Princesses ! She was so excited to be able to meet so many of them on our trip to Disney World. Her face would light up and she would get so excited. Jasmine was the first on that she met, and she became really shy. Jasmine was asking her what her name was and where she was from, and she just froze up. It was so cute. She started to loosen up a little bit with each princess. I think that she enjoyed meeting Cinderella the most especially since she had her dress on!!We can't wait to learn more about the new Disney princess, Tiana!

Disney World Vacation

2009-11-18T04:27:00.000-08:00

The Four of us
Britt with Sherri and Pappoo

She is so excited to be there!

In front of the castle

Little princess

What a fun family vacation we had to Disney World this October! We had been looking forward to this trip for 6 months, and we so glad to finally get there. Britten of coarse was in heaven....and can you blame her! The first thing that we saw was the castle....so she was hooked! We were so glad that Jimmy and Sherri were there...we only wish their stay was longer. We cannot wait to go back again when Ellie is a little older!!

Bathtime Fun

2009-11-17T11:17:00.000-08:00

Bath girls

Cute lil Ellie

Silly sisters

Looking TOO old!

All clean

Both girls love bath time! They would stay in there for hours at a time if I would let them!

Girls being girls

2009-11-17T04:30:00.000-08:00

Such dolls!!
Look at my rattle!

Being adorable (I wonder what she is thinking in this pic?!)

The serious Ellie haha

I'm not like my Mom!!

One of the fun things about being a mom of two girls is dressing them up. I love matching them. I am sure they will kill me when they get older and look back at all the pictures of them in the same outfit! haha. Right about this time, Ellie was starting to reach for things and hold them really well. (She was 3 months.) She was also getting really good about tummy time. She used to HATE being on her tummy at all. She also started to giggle a whole lot.....especially at Britten. I like to repeat what Britt does to make El laugh to see if I will get the same response, but I never do. I am just dorky to her! Britt loves holding her little sister. I remember that this is the time that I started feeling more comfortable with her holding Ellie because her head was so much stronger. Do you see a lot of resemblance between the two? (Ally thanks for the cute outfit that Ellie has on!)

Red Raider baby

2009-11-16T05:27:00.000-08:00

Football season......our favorite! Fall is also mine and Justin's favorite season and adding football into the mix makes it even better. Although the Raiders haven't done as well this year as last, we are still behind them and are hoping for a better season next year! Our Saturdays usually consist of the fam cuddling on the couch with a cozy blanket, chips and salsa from Chili's, and college football! Who could ask for more? Britten has always enjoyed watching football, and is a big Raider fan. She gets upset when they lose and wants them to win every game.

Justin has a game that he plays with Britt called Me gusta or no me gusta. It is so cute because it helps her learn new Spanish words but it is fun for her. My favorite answer of hers....Texas Tech ME GUSTA.....Texas Longhorns NOOOOOO ME Gusta! She knows! Ellie just likes to be in the middle of the madness giggling and smiling at how much of a goofy family she has. Sometimes I wonder how confused by us she really is!!

County Fair 2009

2009-11-16T05:01:00.000-08:00

Taking it all in
Double strollers are hard to push!!

Such a happy girl!

Watching the circus

Britten eating her sandwich

Daddy and Ellie

A quick snooze

Wearing Daddy's sweatshirt

Mommy and Britt

Daddy and Britt

We attended the Wayne county fair again this year, and had a great time. It is the cutest little country fair that is simple, but fun. Britten of course loves all the animals and rides. She also really enjoyed the magic show. She was too shy to get on stage, even though the magician looked at her every time he needed a new volunteer. They thought that she was adorable and had the best laugh! Ellie just enjoyed being out! I think that she would ride in her stroller all day.....especially if it was outside! We always enjoy our little family outings. It is so important for us to be together doing stuff as a family, and we hope that we can continue to convince Britten, and soon Ellie, that their parents are cool. Haha!

When she was 11 weeks

2009-11-16T04:56:00.001-08:00

I know that I am backtracking a lot, but I wanted to catch the blog up!! I took these pictures of Ellie when she was eleven weeks old. Looking at her now compared to then, she looks so small. It is amazing how much she had changed. Our first appointment with shots wasn't too bad (they were taken around this time). It helped out a lot to have big sis there to help. She was really concerned and wanted to stand in the hallway until it was over so she wouldn't have to see her sister "blooding". The pediatrician said that everything looked great and that she was growing well. She weighed 11 pounds, 10 oz (42%) and was 23 1/4 inches (54%). We are so blessed, and thankful for such healthy girls!

Backyard Campout

2009-11-14T08:02:00.000-08:00

Justin and Britten had a camp out in our backyard last summer about a month after Ellie was born. They had so much fun. They set up the tent, roasted marshmallows over the campfire, shot pink balloons with the BB gun, played with the dogs, and got really dirty!I of course came out for the s'mores!! I know that they had so much fun. They had planned to sleep out there, but Britt decided her bed was more comfortable. They did spend all evening out there exploring....I love how close they are. Two of a kind!!

Our 5th Anniversary

2009-11-14T05:19:00.001-08:00

The most recent pictures that I could find of just the two of us were from this summer in Tx and one from the fair 2 months ago. When you have 2 beautiful girls, the camera stays on them!

Yesterday Justin and I celebrated our 5th anniversary! Has is really been that long? Time goes way to fast!! What a wonderful five years it has been together....I couldn't have asked for anything more in a husband. I feel so blessed that I am able to spend my life with my best friend. We always manage to have fun in whatever we are doing, and if you know us, you know how goofy we really are! Thank you, Justin, love of of my life, for being such an awesome husband! I love you!! To many more anniversaries.

"BOO IT" FESTIVAL

2009-11-13T05:13:00.000-08:00

Britten and Connor
Face Paint!

Britt and Hayley

Drawing on the pumpkin

Ellie being adorable....see the ponytail?

We were pretty busy this Halloween since it came so quickly after Disney World, especially. We had a lot of fun, though. On the 30th, we went downtown for "Boo It", which is a little festival with fun activities to do. Afterwards, all the kids trick or treat at all the downtown businesses, which she loves. She really got the goodies....Great. haha. Brittany and her son Connor(dressed up as Brian Urlacher) met us there. Let me tell you....these two love being together. They are adorable, and always make us parents laugh. I have no clue why they were squatting down, but it was hilarious. Hayley and Andrew also met up with us. It was so cute to see the girls as princesses. Andrew was a ninja....I hate that we didn't get him in a picture! On Halloween night we trick or treated on base. It was very relaxing and fun. It is so neat to see the excitement on Britten's face during Halloween. She is already talking about what she wants to be next year, but it changes every day. I am sure that Ellie will tell us next year what she wants to be as well!! (Probably not a mouse again!)

Jack-o-lanterns

2009-11-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

Worn out the morning after Halloween

Britten loves doing jack o' lanterns every fall. She likes the pumpkin "guts" after she gets over the initial shock of the first gooey feel. This year she helped me on the circle one. I think that she liked Daddy's butterfly one the best, though!!

The whole family

2009-11-12T15:57:00.000-08:00

We never get a picture of all four of us together, but we manage to snap a few of each of us with the girls. Who looks like who?

Princess Cinderella and her little Mouse

2009-11-12T15:34:00.001-08:00

Britten wanted to be Princess Cinderella this year for Halloween. I tried to convince her to be Belle, since she had brown hair, but she had her heart set on being Cinderella. It was fun to be able to dress up Ellie as the mouse from the movie. I asked Britten which mouse she should be, thinking she would say the girl one, but she said that Ellie was the chubby one. HAHA. They looked so cute, and were ready for their ball!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-12T15:25:00.001-08:00

The girls in their cute Halloween shirts from Sherri.

Watermelon Festival

2009-08-31T06:14:00.000-07:00

This was our second year to go to the Watermelon Festival in Winterville. It was a lot of fun, but it was also super hot. I ended up under a canopy with Ellie keeping her cool and comfortable while Daddy and Britt rode the rides. The watermelon was delicious and we enjoyed getting to experience it again. We were so glad that our neighbor and her son Connor came with us!!

MOMMY MADNESS

2009-08-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

FACE OF A MAD WOMAN

Britt acting silly like Mom After a jog

This is what I am calling my ailment that hits at the end of the week. Symptoms include drowsiness, tears, irrational thinking, loss of time to finish chores, and uncontrollable moodiness. Being a Mommy of 2 girls can definitely wear you out!!

Six Weeks

2009-08-31T05:52:00.000-07:00

Time goes by too fast! I cannot believe that Ellie is already six weeks! WOW. She is doing well too. We are enjoying having a newborn in the house again, even when it gets tough. We are so blessed to have Justin home to enjoy this time with us! She is growing, it seems, every day. She is holding her head up really good and really starting to sleep much better. I cannot wait until she sleeps through the whole night!!! Soon......I hope.

Sleepy Girls

2009-08-26T05:49:00.000-07:00

It was a picture worthy moment to see the girls asleep by each other yesterday. It was also very quiet. It was nice for me and Justin to have dinner alone.It doesn't happen often!

Does this look familiar?

2009-08-26T05:43:00.000-07:00

No, I did not stage this photo. I saw Ellie laying on the couch, and it reminded me of a picture of Britten in the same outfit. I pulled it out of her album, and I was amazed at the exact position that Ellie was laying was just like Britten was sleeping. Pretty wild, huh?!

Warning....These pictures will make you smile!

2009-08-26T05:34:00.000-07:00

Silly Hat

2009-08-26T05:24:00.000-07:00

Ellie clueless to what her sister did!

I think that Andi wants to try it out!

She can make a silly hat look adorable!

Mommy in the hat

Attitude.....What attitude?

I found Ellie with this silly looking Elmer Fudd hat on in her bouncy. I think that I know who did it.....then the guilty party wanted to put in on herself as well. Then of course, Mommy had to join in on the silliness. What fun would it be to be normal and not be silly? Our family will never know!

First time in pants

2009-08-26T05:14:00.000-07:00

Ellie has the skinniest little legs and arms. She hasn't been able to wear pants until last week(They are still newborn size). She looked so cute in them, then she spit up on them right after these pictures. At least I got a few good ones!!

Five Weeks

2009-08-26T05:03:00.000-07:00

Enough pictures, Mommy!!

Ellie Whitley at five weeks. She is getting stronger every day! I can't believe how fast she is growing. We love to compare the pictures of Britten at this age and see their similarities and differences. I think that Ellie looks more like her Daddy, although Britten resembled her Daddy more at a younger age. Ellie is also a better eater and is growing faster at this point. It seems like I can't keep her fed without her wanting more! She loves to eat! She is such a happy, content baby. Her favorite things are getting her hair brushed and getting a bath. (And her passy!)

Ready for Church

2009-08-26T04:33:00.000-07:00

Britten loves dresses....she wears them almost every day. To get her to wear pants of any kind is a chore. She especially loves her church dresses since they are more frilly. Sunday before last, Ellie wore her first dress. She is finally getting big enough to wear outfits. She looked so sweet in this dress. All of the ladies at church couldn't keep their hands off of her! I am so blessed with these two beautiful girls. Britten has learned the Fruits of the Spirit. I am so proud of her. She not only knows them, but she knows what most of them mean. She almost has the New Testament down too. She is so eager to learn, especially Bible stories.

Diaper Cake

2009-08-26T04:27:00.001-07:00

My neighbor, Brittany, made me this diaper cake after Ellie was born.....I thought that she did a great job. Brittany is such a great friend to me....and I am so blessed to have her in my life. Britten loves to play with her son, Connor....who is adorable. He is all boy! Here is a pic of him from the forth of July that I never posted. Isn't he sooo cute! Thanks, Brittany for everything that you do for me and my family! One of these days her and I will remember to take a pic together!