Now these are my girls

I love this picture of the girls for one reason, it shows their personalities so well!  First, you have Shelby up in front and yawning because she is sick and tired of taking pictures and doesn't care what anyone else thinks about that!  Second, you have Macey over to the side, still posing, oblivious of the fact that her sisters are not ready for the picture.  Macey loves having her picture taken.  Last, we have Abby, my litte rule follower, who likes everything to be done just the "right" way.  That look she is giving Shelby, the one that says I can't believe you are messing this up for me, is such a typical Abby look.  Every time I look at this picture I smile.  I just love my three, strong-willed, spunky girls.

Happy Tuesday

I can't even tell you how blessed I feel that my girls have such wonderful grandparents in their lives!  They get to live within five minutes of my parents and Bret's mom.  It's so nice to have all of them here so close to us.  Here is a cute picture of Macey and Shelby snuggling with my dad while we were at their house for dinner the other night.  It was taken with my iPhone, but I still love it.

   

 

Moon Pies

On our way to Ruidoso for the weekend, we stopped at a gas station to fill the car up. The girls begged and begged for a snack so Bret told them they could pick out something healthy...crackers, goldfish ect... Basically, he meant no candy. Guess what they ended up getting? Moon Pies! Bret's logic was that they were Moon girls so they should have a Moon Pie. It was the first time they had tasted one, and they loved them!

Abby loves anything chocolate!

Macey is always clowning for the camera.

Shelby loved her Moon Pie.

 

This is Shelby right after she came down from her sugar high.

The Importance of Being Snack Leader

At Shelby's school, the parents take turns bringing a snack for the entire class. On that day, your child is "snack leader", and they get to be the line leader and teacher's helper. Shelby really looks forward to her day as leader.  I would much rather just pack Shelby's snack everyday than have the pressure of providing a good snack for 16 kids.  It is pressure as some parents go all out...I once saw a mom (who is wonderful by the way!) bring barbeque, fruit salad and red and blue prafaits for snack when the kids were learning about Texas.  Since this was our first year at this school, it took me a while to realized that my box of goldfish and grapes weren't cutting it.  Most of those mom's are bringing what I would consider a full lunch for snack time. 

This month, they started show and tell for the first time, and your child got to bring a show and tell on their snack day. I can't tell you how excited Shelby was about show and tell.  She insisted that because everyone was going to be watching her all day, her usual jeans and t-shirt would not do.  Instead, she picked out a dress and boots.  She also wanted an extra special snack to go along with her special day. Her exact request was, Juicy Juice apple juice boxes, grapes (not cut up for babies), and bean and cheese breakfast tacos from Taco Cabana.  Everyone cracked up at the tacos, but Shelby was so proud and all the kids loved them!  I think Taco Caban tacos are becoming a favorite in her class.  I went along with everything except the grapes.  It makes me way too nervous thinking about someone choking so I had to cut them up.

Happy St. Patricks Day

 These pictures were taken after an all day playdate so the girls look a little like ragamuffins.  I'm not sure if that is even a word, but it's what I always call the girls when they get really dirty. They think it's funny.

Gravedigger

Here are the girls in their new moster truck gravedigger hats.  They are so proud of them!  I think daddy needs a boy.

Happy Birthday My Sweet Abby

My sweet Abby.  I can hardly believe that you are already 8 years old!  It seems like just yesterday  you surprised us by coming early, just two days after Christmas!  What a special gift you were.  Until that day, I had no idea that the love I feel for you was even possible.  You're the light of my life.  You have a sweet, quiet disposition that makes everyone want to know you, and yet you are spunky and super intelligent!   How lucky we are to have you as our daughter.

Abby's birthday was two days after Christmas, but I had to share the pictures of her birthday.  It was such special day!  There is nothing Abby loves more than animals and basically any living creature.  She has a special way with animals that is amazing.  For her birthday, Bret and I decided that instead of throwing her a party with all her classmates, we would give her a day doing something really special.  So guess what we spent the morning with....an elephant!  Bret and I along with Abby, Macey and Abby's BFF Kelly got to spend the morning with the elephant keeprs at the EL Paso Zoo.  It was amazing!  I enjoyed it every bit as much as Abby did.  She got to learn all about the different types of elephants, and then she helped the trainer get one of the elephants, Savannah, ready for the day.  Which meant she bathed her, cleaned her feet and ears, and even fed her out of her hand. Savannah's trainer had her do a couple tricks for us.  They were pretty simple, but when she did them all three girls just clapped and giggled.  Savannah obviously liked the attention because the more the girls laughed, the more tricks she did (even when she wasn't suppossed to). For Abby it was a dream come true!  After Savannah was ready for the day, we got to go out into the elephant habitat and explore a little before the elephants were released. ( Let me add that at all times, there were bars between the girls and the elephant.)  We also got to see where the elephants are examined by the veterinarians, learn all about their basic care, and see how all of it is done with an animal so big! Abby told us that from now on all she wants for her birthday is to visit Savannah.

The other elephant Jumbo was there, but she wouldn't get near us.  The zoo bought her from the Ringling Brothers Circus, and she has some terrible trust issues.  Her trainer is the only person she is comfortable being that close to.  I will tell you that I will never take my kids to another circus after seeing that poor animal!!!!!  I saw the scars from her beatings, and the puncture wounds in her ears myself.  The zoo keepers told me some horrible stories of rescued circus animals.

I wasn't allowed to take my camera for obvious reasons, but one of the zoo workers took some pictures for me!  The worst part of it was that she got a picture of everyone except Abby petting the elephant!!!!  I was pretty upset, but I am thankful for the ones that I did get.  Enjoy.

Abby, Kelly and Macey so excited!

You have to scrub the pads of her feet very carefully two times a day.

Soaping Savannah up

Cake time!

Nani and Papa

Uncle Dave and Aunt Lizzy

Aunt Jenny and Macey

Kelly and Abby- BFF

There was only one picture taken of Shelby the entire day.  She wasn't old enough to do the elephant encounter, and Shelby was in a terrible mood that afternoon.  What I didn't realize at the time was that she was in the early stages of her first "real" allergic reaction.  For those of you who don't know, Shelby has a bunch of food allergies, but until then, she had not had a serious reaction.  I feel so bad looking at this photo beacuse her lip was already starting to swell and I didn't even notice!  By the time I did realize what was happening, her cheeks had gotten puffy too.  Thankfully, a trip to the pediatrician was all that was needed. I have been a lot more careful since then though.