FOUR

Happy Birthday Mackayla!!

We love your funky style

and your sweetness.

You hate meat but will force yourself to eat a little because you like the idea of it giving you big muscles

You STILL get the hiccups when you laugh really hard

You still love drawing and filling a page with intricate designs

Your food cannot touch on your plate and you absolutely CANNOT have dirty hands or spills at the table

You remember names and people better than most

Sweet*Sassy*Strong*Sensitive and everything in between

You value cleanliness and order

You value your dad's opinion greatly and love to show him things

For your birthday celebration we went to Soak City with Dad on Saturday

On Wednesday, the 12th, your birth day, we had a few close friends come for cupcakes and ice cream, (and pirate booty your favorite!!) at the park.

We threw water balloons and played bean boozled too.

the ice cream melted... 

Once everyone was done with the game you went ahead and ate the rest of the dozen beans left.

The gross ones like dog food and vomit you quietly took out, looking like you would cry, and daintily handed them to me. Then you would dig right in and grab another to try.

I think that describes you well...equally brave, unafraid, sensitive and subtle.

 

 Your biggest concern about turning 4 and getting bigger was that you would be too big for me to pick you up anymore.

And you were so relieved when I picked you up in the morning and hugged you - I think it made your day. 

You want to be big, but not too big. We're on the same page :)

Not a Baby Anymore

This cutie turned three!

She just loves the idea of getting bigger:)

We got to celebrate in Utah with our cousins.

All the kids got their own little ice cream cone on the cake:)

My mom really gets credit for the party. She is awesome! 

We had a treasure hunt to a prize, each round having an activity and a clue...

One round they had to do hula hoop, one round was kicking a ball across the yard, one was ring toss:

 Sometimes making it in is just a matter of the right positioning

 Callie just makes me happy. Everything she does. Including her impromptu songs.

 Treasure Found!

  Opening Presents

One day at the pool we put some unusually large goggles on Mackayla for her first time wearing them. Even though she could barely see, she was pretty excited and walked proudly around the pool to the steps.

On our way we passed some even larger snorkeling goggles to which Mackayla stopped, pointed, and loudly squawked like a parrot, "What?!?!" and then kept walking.

The image is seared in my brain. So dang funny. I find myself squawking "What?!" to my kids pretty often even though they don't get my little inside joke and think I'm a little nuts.

She is loving swimming and has decided lately she can swim and doesn't need her floaty anymore. Then starts to sink to the bottom;) but she is learning fast!

For each kids' birthday we try to think of something special we can do with just them.

For Mackayla I knew her love of clothes would make getting a new outfit the perfect outing.

These are her new Elsa jammies:

 We went to the mall to choose and she was just beaming the whole time!!
Here's her new outfit:)

Mackayla really is such a sweetheart. Luckily though, she can hold her own if crossed (probably an essential characteristic to have nowadays). She's been known to tackle her brother and sister or tell them how it is. She's my little shadow and so fun and easy to have around. 

She pretty much constantly wants to "play puppy". If I play it consists of me telling her to do tricks and then giving her a pretend treat and petting her.

Other loves include playing the ipad, fruit snacks, blueberries, the Sword in the Stone.

I love you Kayla. We're so glad you're in our family!!

Two in Style

  This sweet girly girl turned two.

 She hates being hot more than anything. One day at nap I found her stark naked and tried to get a diaper on just in case but only got it half up. We were good, luckily. 

We were going to celebrate her birthday twice, once with my side and once with Ben's side of the family. We're lame. We forgot! Sorry guys, next year?:)

Maybe we had enough cake for a year:)

 Mackayla's great aunt charlotte made this awesome cake, which is actually Four cakes!

 One of her favorite presents: Shoes!

 "Hold it up so we can see it."

Thanks Amelia Bedelia.

 Singing

 She is such a two-year-old-messy eater but manages to be somewhat dainty about it.

 Made by cute Micah

 We had to do a mid-party try on because Mackayla thought her new dress was so cute.

 (We went to Cherry Hill and celebrated Clayton's birthday the next day!)

 We love you Mackayla!!!!