First Day of School

Kylie started Kindergarten yesterday, the 24th of August. We were able to meet her teacher the Thursday before school started and Kylie was able to see her classroom and get familiar with the school a little bit. Kylie has been looking forward to going to school for a long time. I am so happy that she has this opportunity and look forward to the progress she makes and the excitement she has in learning new things.

Matt took her to school for her first day and what a day it was! Kylie came home and all I got from her first day was what she had for lunch and that they went to the gym. :) Gradually throughout the evening she opened up a little more as things would jog her memory.

As she walked out the door to get in the van I wanted to rush after her one more time and kiss her and tell her I loved her. I have such strong feelings of happiness yet sadness, excitement yet fear, and loads of hope. My biggest baby is off to face the world. I feel like she gained so much independence yesterday as I realized I will no longer be a step away to rescue her or stop her from doing something. The Kylie of yesterday is forever changed. I feel like I am losing a part of me. I love that girl and while I look forward to what is to come, I think I am having a bit of a hard time letting go of being with Kylie all day, every day. We missed her here. Although Megan said, "Kylie is gone and I can pick all the movies and she won't fight with me," Megan looks forward to 2:10 when we leave to get Ky.

I now only hope that I taught her all that she needs to know. Kylie is on her own and has to button her own pants, write her own name, and ask her own questions. I pray that she has the courage to face that big world and that I have given her the tools that she needs to succeed.

Only 13 short years until graduation...

Cowgirl???

Megan has quite an imagination. She is always dressed up in something fantastic and loves everything shiny and sparkly. I can't help but smile when she creates a "look" and walks around like a movie star. Here is an example of one of her many outfits.

We found these "ruby red slippers" as Meg calls them, at a garage sale for $1. I think it was the best buck I have ever spent. Megan will coordinate her outfits and wear only things that will go with her sparkly shoes. She also has this sparkly gold jacket that goes with a dress (size 4T) and I can't get her to give it up. It is a part of her daily wardrobe. We will go outside (100+ degrees) to get in the van where she will inform me that it is chilly and she needs her sweater. My Megan...all glamour and glitz.

Our New Addition

I started watching little Alan back in January and just this week I started to watch another little boy named Brenham. He is adorable at his young age of 9 months. He is so tiny compared to my chunky little Molly. Brenham spends 10 hours with us Monday through Friday and we are adjusting to him very well. He is a happy baby, especially when his belly is full! Molly is smitten with him. She just looks at him and giggles.

Best Friends

There is nothing quite like a best friend. Even better...two best friends. There is something about meeting someone and just clicking. It seems that eveything you have in common makes your time together wonderful and all your differences only make it better. My time living in Montana was a fabulous 3 years and mostly because of two women: Terrianne and Lindsey. My words are not eloquent and could never adequately describe the bond I share with these girls. After months of not seeing each other we are able to pick up where we left off and it only gets better. Not having them close has been a real struggle for me and I keep thinking it will get easier but I admit it has not. There is something about a best friend that is unlike anything else. A friend who will listen to me, cry with me and laugh with me until my sides and cheeks hurt. These women are truly concerned about my life as I am with theirs. This type of friend doesn't come along every day. This friendship only comes once in a lifetime. I am grateful to know them and even more grateful for the invisible hand that brought us together.

Terrianne and Lindsey flew to Texas to visit me this weekend. What fun! We ate way too much food, stayed up way too late, and loved every minute of it! It is always so hard to say goodbye...but there will be a next time.

Perhaps even better than having two best friends is the fact that Kylie's best friend is Lindsey's daughter, Emma. Lindsey brought Emma with her on this visit and the girls were excited to put it mildly! These three girls had so much fun together and we hardly saw them. A quick thank you to Matt for being so willing to watch the girls all weekend.

My baby is too big...

Molly started walking 3 weeks ago and already she thinks she is a pro! It is so funny to watch her. She likes to walk simply because she can. It is so funny. I can tell she is proud of herself. Just in the last week she has mastered the ability to stand up where she falls without holding onto anything. She is getting so big!

Kylie's Photo Shoot

A couple weeks ago Kylie got to go to Dora Live with Grandma and Grandpa. She was so excited to go without mom and dad and she wanted to get all dressed up for the occasion. Once she was finished getting ready she wanted me to take a few pictures of her. I had to post a few...she LOVES the camera! Enjoy...

This one is my favorite. What a beautiful girl!

I can SEW!!!!

I have some lovely red curtains that are very long and go from the top of the window to the floor. I also have 2 crazy children who play in my curtains. As a result, my curtains only lasted a few days before being ripped out of the wall. So, I tucked away my lovely red curtains (for a few months) until this week when I decided to use those floor length curtains to make valances. I cut them all up and managed to have enough material to "dress" 4 windows. I not only love the splash of color they give to my white walls, but I feel so proud of myself for being able to use something I already had and make it work better for my family. I have also started to really enjoy baking and bread making and I think I could have made it as a pioneer woman. Just think, they didn't have to worry about money...there was none. Maybe I was born in the wrong time. Regardless, I sewed my lovely red curtains and they make me smile every time I look at them. I also used an old bedskirt to sew curtains for the girls' window in their room. Now I feel like I could conquer the world with my sewing machine! (But only if I have my mom to refer to for measurements and technical support!)

Molly is Walking

For weeks Matt and I had been working with Molly to try to get her to take a few steps all with no luck. Then on her birthday she decided to walk! Not only did she take her first step...but about 10! Since then she has been on the move. She just recently mastered the ability to stand up when she falls without holding onto anything. My little Molly isn't so little anymore!

Molly's Birthday--July 17th

Molly is one! Just last night I was looking at her eating a cheese taco in her high chair and I was amazed at how big she has gotten. The first year of a baby's life goes by so quickly and with so many changes. These changes are exciting and fun but with each one my baby becomes more independent and relies a little less on me. Such a bittersweet thing. Molly decided to start to walk on her birthday and now prefers to walk over crawling. Just yesterday she walked from the car into the house...only 2 falls. :) Molly is unlike my other two girls. She has this high pitched scream that she utilizes to get attention, usually at the worst time. She likes to do this when we are at the library or church and people look at me like I did something bad. How can I control her little voice? HA! Even as I type this Molly is bringing me her sandals to put on. Obviously she wants to go somewhere...to scream? I love her. What a joy she is in our home. I feel so blessed to have been sent all of my girls. What a loving Father in Heaven to send us these sweet spirits to care for on this Earth. When all is crazy and everything seems to go wrong, I have my babies...thank goodness!

My Molly at age 1. So big and curious!

This is Molly at 8 days. It is so hard to even remember her that tiny! Kylie and Megan are sure she was never that small.

3 months

6 months

9 months

Molly was showered with presents but was clueless as to what to do with them. But...no worries! She had two sisters and two cousins to take care of it. There were 8 little hands all wanting to "help". It was so funny!

It took her a minute to decide she really wanted to get into the cake...but by the end she had pretty much demolished it.

Oh, how I love my baby...I feel so blessed. What a special girl.