Pretty In Pink!

There is so much pink around here now and I love it!  I never thought I really liked the color pink, but this little girl is bringing me around.

Aren't those tootsies adorable?

Just hanging around:

Sleeping in her crib for the first time... it didn't last long.

And let's not forget about these cute princes.

So fun having kids!

Brodie's 4th Birthday!

I still can't believe that I've been a mom for 4 years now!  4 sounds so old!  Probably because it's getting close to 5 and that's when my baby will start going to real school.  Not sure I'm ready for that yet!  Brodie is a great kid.  He is patient, listens well, is extremely coordinated and picks up new talents very easily.   This year for his Birthday, Brodie decided that he'd like to go bowling!  That kid had a blast!

Ryker did too.  This was his first bowling experience where he could actually be involved in the game and he was so cute!  After he pushed his ball and hit the pins, he would turn around and throw his arms up in the air and do this little skip dance thing.  It was adorable.  And Ryker even managed to get a strike!

This birthday was extra special for Brodie because his Nana and Papa came up to visit, so he had both sets of grandparents here to celebrate with him.  This is a picture of his Nana right before she got a strike!

After bowling, we rode the motorcycles in the arcade.

Then we went back home where the boys busted open a batman pinata!

I have to admit I was a little nervous about letting them have a pinata inside the house that actually involved hitting instead of a pull string one, but it worked out pretty well!  And I'll be picking star confetti out of my carpet for the next few weeks. 

Brodie also opened up presents...

and he got a lot of cool stuff!  A Leapfrog Explorer, a Batman fishing pole, some clothes, a gun, a raffi cd, and a monster truck!

Then it was cake time!

Sweet little Mari in her Valentines Day outfit.

Nana & Papa with their grandkids!

Happy Birthday Brodie!  Your dad and I love you so much and we are so lucky to have you!  You are a great big brother and we are extremely fortunate that your little brother and sister have such a great example to look up to.

Behind the Name: Marjorie

I thought I should do a blog post explaining better the meaning behind the name Marjorie.  At least on my side.  Bo has a Great Grandmother who is also named Marjorie, so maybe he can add something special about her later on.

There are two very special people who have been in my life for a very long time, even before my birth.  My parents were married in their yard and a large part of their influence was the reason why I had such a happy childhood.  Those two people are George and Marjorie... or better known as George and Jan.  When I was two, my family bought and moved into the home that I grew up in and still go home to.  It was previously owned by George and Jan, built by Jan's Father, and was the neighboring house next to Jan and George's.  It was the perfect house to grow up in.  Yes, a little small, but I never noticed it.  It had the perfect feel because it was close to town, but had an out of town feeling.  My parents purchased 5 acres with it and even better, Jan and George had 100 acres of property that my sister and I were allowed to roam freely on... not to mention that their house just seemed magical!

Summers were a must at Jan and George's house.  They had a beautiful pool, which is where I learned how to swim.  We spent hours in that pool!  Jumping off the diving board, retrieving rings at the bottom of the pool, pretending to be mermaids... it was so much fun!  And George was always there to scoop the bugs and leaves off the top of the pool for us.  We also played darts, shuffleboard, and ping pong at one time.  One of my favorite summer memories though, were the puzzles Jan & George had out on their patio table and how big a deal they both would make when we got a piece of the puzzle completed.  Oh and the ice cream bars!  What a treat!

Some other childhood memories include Jan and George's grandkids coming to visit!  We would make dirt stews in their chicken coop, play house in their cellar, and explore in the barn.  Dress up was also a must!

I remember being apart of their Easter Egg Hunts and one of my favorites... The Silly Christmas Gift Exchange.  One of my best memories from the Christmas Gift Exchange was when my Grandparents were there too and my Papa got a hairy chest wig.  I can still remember his laugh from that evening.

Jan would take my sister and I to church with her most Sundays when I was little.  I don't remember much about going, other then Jan was in the choir and I thought she had a beautiful voice.  Oh and I remember the donuts they would serve after church was over!

Because of Jan and George I grew a love for pomegranates and a hate for figs (although I'd like to try them again).  They were kind enough to let us house our 4-h sheep in their yard for several fair seasons.  I learned how to drive a 4-wheeler and ride behind one through the mud on skis that were secured together with two pieces of wood to make a sleigh. (I don't think George was too fond of that, although he never said anything.)  Most of all though, they were just a great example of a loving, hard working, all around good couple.  You could tell how much they loved each other and I never saw them get mad.  They were always so positive and kind.  I'll always remember George with his perfect looking hair that had that old fashioned curl to it and Jan looking beautiful in her floral-hawaiin print dresses.

Fast forward to adulthood, and I married the man of my dreams in that same yard where my parents got married and where I created so many childhood memories.  And now my kids get to sample those memories when we go back to visit.  I am more then honored to use the name Marjorie for my daughter's namesake and I will be one proud mom if she turns out anything like Jan.

Niners Fans!

The 49ers made it to the Super Bowl this year, so we had to show our team spirit!

I made everyone's shirts using the freezer paper method.  You basically iron fabric onto a piece of freezer paper to make it stiff enough to run through your printer.  Then print whatever you want on it, and ta-da!  Then I used some iron on transfer stuff to adhere them to the shirts.  It was super easy and I'm really happy with the results.  We'll see how they hold up after being washed.

I know these two pictures are blurry, but I love them.  Poor girl was trying to focus and went cross eyed... and the other one is just a sweet one of her looking at her daddy.

The sibs

We're #1!  And Mari is doing the touchdown sign.

Happiness before the game was over.

Even though the Niners didn't win, we're still proud of our team!  There's always next year!