easter 2016

This Easter kind of snuck up on us. We didn't really feel like doing anything; dad and I planned on just hanging out at home with you guys. Saturday night we were on our way home from the mall and Bella, you asked us if we were going to look for Easter eggs. Me and you dad kind of looked at each other and thought "Well, there go our plans". So we quickly called up your grandmothers and organized a little Easter cookout. Of course they couldn't say no to their babies (you guys, not us. Haha!)

* notice two things here-

• Ellie, this is the face you make for pictures. No smile, no cheese, just immediately your tongue goes out. 
• Bella: your Abuela Maria got you the yellow dress in your Easter basket. So you IMMEDIATELY changed into it. I guess you weren't feeling the flower pantsuit. It's a cool look right now, trust me. 

dad birthday

I want to make some time to thank you for my birthday dinner we had. 

I had a great time with you! You were so well behaved and just absolutely beautiful (inside and out). I think you enjoyed it too, at least by the looks of some of the pictures I took.

I want you to know Bella I even paid for valet service! Lol. Trust me, your dad hates paying for that! I wanted you to feel like and be treated like the princess that you are. Always remember this.

I want you to always be treated this way and if you get anything less than that from anyone, (in the words of this generation) "keep it moving." What this means is: move on. Move on from whatever it is: whether it's a relationship, a job, whatever. Don't ever settle. You deserve more.

Anywho, thank your mother for helping you set this up; as always she is the glue. Maybe next year your sister is ready enough to go with us.

soul sister

sunday night hangs

Thank you for joining me in my crazy beauty routines.

(and not laughing at how crazy my black nose looked)

My favorite part of an day is when you sit on my lap and let me baby you. For about 5 minutes a day, you climb up my lap, hug me, and we cuddle. Then the 5 minutes are over, and you jump down and continue to run and scream like a crazy person. 

happy st. patty's

Lucky, indeed. 

I'm not sure how much longer you'll believe in magic. These moments are so bittersweet. Every time you lose a tooth, every Christmas when you write your letter to Santa, every time we do Elf on the Shelf, I ask myself, "Is this the last time?" The truth is, I know that the time is getting really close. 

For now, I'll enjoy how innocent you are right now. You stand firm in your convictions, even if those for now are a tiny fairy flying into your room to leave you money, a jolly old man eating the milk and cookies you set out, or an elf moving every day to keep an eye out to report to Santa. 

Stay this innocent. Believe in magic a little longer.

girl's night out

You've officially had your real "Girl's Night Out". We met Ash and Wendi at the Rodeo to go the carnival and see your first concert. Granted, you'll probably wish your first concert had been someone cooler than Billy Currington, but he did sing "Shut Up and Dance" which you loved. I promise that the next concert that you go to will be a better one. We also got to see the animals again, shop, and of course eat junky carnival food. Also a first, your first funnel cake. I think all the sugar made you forget how much we walked, and how much your feet hurt. You didn't complain once, but were asleep as soon as we got in the car.

Many, MANY, many people love you. Whether you realize or not, you are surrounded by people who genuinely love you. I am fortunate to have made friendships with women who love you as though they were related by blood. This means the world to me; as they have been there to see you grow up. They share in my pride when you accomplish something, they hurt when I tell them you hurt. These ladies will undoubtedly be there if you ever need them. These are the type of women you should surround yourself with.

rodeo field trip

God, this one had us TIRED! Like, come home and immediately fall asleep tired. We both enjoyed this field trip very much, it was one of the more "fun" ones.  We try to go to the Rodeo every year, but we'd never actually seen any of the animals there. I guess this defeated the purpose of going to the Rodeo, but eating fried food and playing carnival games totally counts, right!? 

I rode the bus with you and very much enjoyed hearing all the gossip you had to tell me about all your classmates, it was nice to see you interacting with you classmates. We got to see all kinds of animals, and I'm sure we're gonna always remember and have a good laugh at how we both got attacked by llamas and threw our food to them. 

When I was growing up, I don't remember grandma ever coming to one of my field trips. Grandpa always came with me as a chaperone, and I LOVED it, but I clearly remember wishing grandma could've come to chaperone. Now that I'm a mom, I truly understand the sacrifices my mom made to make sure that I had everything I needed. She gave up coming to these types of things because she had to work, and I appreciate it beyond belief. I do not, however, ever wish for you to hope that I had been there for your school functions. You won't always want me and your dad to chaperone, so we have to make our best effort, while you still want us around, haha! I will always TRY my best to make it to whatever I can. If I don't, it wasn't for lack of trying, kiddo.

Thank you for asking things from us and making us be better parents. Thank you for voicing your desire to have us around. This forces your dad and me to re-prioritize things when we get so focused on being providers that we kind of forget to be nurturers.