The Buser Bunch

The haircut that left me still in shock!

2012-01-16T12:17:00.002-06:00

Yup, that's right! Evelynn actually elected to have her haircut short. I think this was spurred on by all of the sweet compliments her little sister got after her haircut, but maybe she was just ready for a change. She had worked up to the idea for a few weeks, and kept telling me, "It will be easier to brush my hair when I cut it short." or "My hair will look like grandma's!" Anywho, my hairstylist put her to the test, and the girl knew what she wanted. Afterward, she did ask if she would curl it for her. Here are the results:

Just so you know, I left the room while the hair was being cut (it was a little emotional for this momma), and my jaw must have dropped to the floor when she came and found me! Really? Where did my baby go?!

How cute is this though?

So, I still do a double take when I walk in the room, but it is certainly growing on me.

Those of you who know Evelynn well, don't you think it fits her personality pretty well?
Let me know what you think...but don't tell her unless you have something nice to say!

Happy 29th, Brad!

2012-01-16T12:05:00.000-06:00

Evelynn was so excited to celebrate Brad's birthday party this year, and of course she chose a theme (because it wouldn't be a party without a theme apparently). So, she went with the pirate theme, and slaved away making pirates, a boat, treasure on top of a mountain, etc. to go with the banner we found at Dollar Tree (I love that place). We had a pirate hat in the dress-up bin (courtesy of a previous white elephant gift), and voila, the perfect family birthday party! Evelynn helped me turn our cherry pie into a pirate, and the girls loved giving Daddy his gifts. Evelynn chose "a mug for Daddy's coffee" and Lyla just knew Daddy would want a bouncy ball with glitter and a pretend fish inside. Mommy gave Daddy something he's been wishing for, for a
v-e-r-y--l-o-n-g time!
Happy Birthday, sweetie! You are so loved!

Too Late?

2012-01-04T13:26:00.000-06:00

No, I am not posting these pictures late, we are just late in actually doing our gingerbread house! Oh well, I think it is was just as fun to do on January 3rd, as it would have been in December! Evelynn was super proud of her accomplishment, though as you can see, she started eating on in right away!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-04T13:08:00.000-06:00

As with many of you, there are just too many great Christmas pictures to share! Here are just a handful of my favorites!

The girls in front of our own Christmas tree this year. I had so much fun getting the ornaments out with Evelynn this year. She asked so many questions, and I was able to share with her some of the memories that are associated with the different ornaments. I hope this continues to be a treasured tradition.

My silly girls!

We went the Woods' the weekend before Christmas to share in a double celebration. Les turned 60 years old and he was kind enough to share his big day with Jesus too! Here he is reading the Christmas story to the kids before we opened our gifts. This is another tradition I love.

While I certainly have many many more pictures I could share, this one is FANTASTIC! Brad and I gave the girls a wooden kitchen for Christmas and had it setting up in the playroom on Christmas morning. The look on Lyla's face is priceless! She kept leaving the living room (where we were opening gifts) to go play with the kitchen.

The Haircut!

2012-01-04T12:57:00.000-06:00

I was the bad mom who forgot the camera when I took Lyla in for her first haricut. I know, I know...but I tried to make up for it when we got home! She did SO WELL! As a matter of fact, she sat so still, that the hairdresser used a flat iron to flip her hair out a little. It kind of freaked me out though, she looked a little too grown up!

Imaginary Play!

2012-01-04T12:51:00.000-06:00

We have this bonus room in our rental right now that is serving as a wonderful shared play space (and storage for all of our stuff!). One of my favorite things to do is peek in on my girls and see what they are up to. One day, I peeked in and saw this! I know what you are thinking, and it probably is what I was thinking too! But alas, those are only play scissors that came with a doctor's kit, and no actual hair was hurt during the process! I love the attention to detail, the flour sack towel draped, Evelynn's high heels, oh, I love these girls!

Lyla's Second Birthday

2012-01-04T12:44:00.000-06:00

I hate to admit it, but Lyla's birthday was such a bust! I vow to NEVER celebrate her birthday on Thanksgiving again. No one feels like eating cupcakes after such a big meal and everything seemed rushed and like an afterthought. However, I recognize that she is only two, and really could care less...at least this year!

Not really sure what is going on here, but both are super excited to eat their turkey cupcakes. Unfortunately, they had melted and looked more like turkey blobs by this time. Again, thankfully, she didn't seem to mind that my effort had gone to ruin.

"Happy Birthday to you!"

I think someone else must have taken the pictures of the girls in their cute turkey outfits, but you can sort of see it here. My mom made these, with bows to match, and the girls both looked adorable for Thanksgiving! Thanks, Mom!

Lyla received lots of fun gifts, but that baby was definitely an instant favorite. She also is wearing her new K-State cheerleading outfit....hopefully it will bring us luck for the Cotton Bowl!

Halloween 2011

2012-01-04T12:36:00.000-06:00

Halloween was a little crazy this year. We usually participate in Trunk or Treat at our church, but since the move...we honestly didn't have anywhere to go! The girls and I headed to KC to visit the grandparents while Brad headed back to OKC to work on the house. As with all things involving repair, it took longer than normal, and thankfully I packed costumes - just in case. Anyway, my wiggle-worms were a little anxious for the first official trick or treating experience...so my picture didn't turn out that great!

You will recognize Lyla as the cow she was for our Chick-fil-a night (how how I miss Christian Chicken!!) and Rapunzel probably looks familiar to you as well (look back at her birthday party!)

Grandma Woods was very sick, so Lyla rushed back home so she could play clown bride to....

Papa Woods! I love how Lyla is staring at him from the door!

KSU, who knew?

2012-01-04T12:29:00.000-06:00

So, I finally have my computer all set up and loaded all of my pictures. It was actually disappointing to see how little I have documented of the last few months of my life...it truly has been a blur. However, I didn't want to not share the few pictures that I did take. This particular picture has a story. I won the little KSU bikini on ebay (out of season, at a steal!) long before we knew we were headed back to Manhattan. As a matter of fact, the day we got it in the mail was the day after we accepted the position in Manhattan. It's times like these that I always have to stop and laugh, I love God's sense of humor!

2011-11-08T15:27:00.001-06:00

So, I feel compelled to update the blog, even though I don't have any pictures to post. Well, technically, I have lots of pictures to post, but we don't have our regular computer set up (with all of the photo software, picasa, etc. loaded), therefore, no pictures to post.

Anyway, most of you know by now that we have moved! It was a blur of activity, but a lot has happened since Evelynn's birthday! Things have been really good. Brad started a new job, and really loves the guys he is working with. He is the in-house architect for a developing firm, so doing something quite a bit different from his old job. This has come with a little stress as Brad learns new code and designs multi-family structures, but nothing he hasn't be able to handle. The girls and I are learning to enjoy our new surroundings. We have visited the library, had a couple playdates, and even visited some new churches. Brad has had to make the drive back each weekend (about 4 hours) to get our house ready for the market, but now all is finally finished and we actually had our first showing this afternoon (cross your fingers!). With Brad back home, we'll be increasing our efforts to find a new church community, and of course figure out where we are going to live when our lease is up on our current rental! We have really trusted God's plans for us, and are excitedly awaiting His guidance in our journey!

Okay, well that is all I expect anyone to have to read about my life at one time. I really hope to be able to post some pictures soon, but honestly it may be a while. We left our desk to help with the staging of our house, so with nothing to set the computer on...you get the point. So, for those of you dying for pictures, spend that time praying my house sells (or my husband breaks down and buys me a desk!).

Tangled Birthday Party

2011-09-14T15:36:00.001-05:00

This photo album personalized with Smilebox

My little entertainer

2011-09-14T12:14:00.001-05:00

I know we shouldn't label our children, but there are some personality traits that I just don't want to forget about my sweet girls at this age. One of these things, is just how much FUN Lyla likes to have.

It is not at all abnormal to find Lyla on her rocking chair, "reading" books all by herself. I think this is a way for her to escape from the insanity sometimes.

However, the majority of the time, this is how we find her. She loves to get a laugh, and anything to make you do that is fair game. If this means silly costumes, faces, and cold food from being the live entertainment during supper time instead of eating, she is willing to be the muse.

She has also found a new love for dressing up and playing mommy. I think some of this is just mimicking her sister, but there are lots occasions where she does this all by herself. It has been fun to watch the nurturing side come out of her lately.

All in all, Lyla is loved!

My little princess

2011-09-14T12:11:00.001-05:00

Anyone who knows Evelynn, knows that she is a princess through and through. Not in the self-entitled-diva sort of way, but more like the fairy tales that we all grew up with. When Evelynn dresses up (daily I mind you), she takes on the complete persona of her character. The other day she asked me to take a few pictures of her, it was so hard to take her seriously as I snapped the poses.

If any of you have read the Fancy Nancy books to your kids, you will see Evelynn on every page!

This smile cracks me up!

2011-09-14T12:05:00.001-05:00

So, when you ask Lyla to smile for the camera, this is what you get:

slight head tilt is necessary...

certainly needs to say the word "cheeeeeeezzzzeeeee"

closing the eyes makes it somehow better...

and finally a good nose wrinkle could never hurt!

I LOVE this ugly, awful, horrible little smile! Every time she does it I laugh ridiculously hard! Oh, Lord, thank you so much for my sweet children to help fill my life with laughter!

Oh yeah, and I should mention that Halloween is all year round at my house - so it only makes me laugh harder!

21 months

2011-09-14T12:02:00.001-05:00

Yes, I know it's been a while since I posted any pictures...so here goes a whirlwind of pictures for you!

Lyla Mae is already 21 months old! I can't believe we are so quickly approaching her second birthday. Here she is just being the goober than she is:

Rain??

2011-08-09T13:29:00.001-05:00

What is this 'rain' you speak of? This strange stuff falling from the sky??

Yup, folks, it actually RAINED the other day! It was hilarious watching the kiddos gather at the door in complete amazement at the odd wet stuff falling from the sky. I was watching some sweet kiddos of a friend, and her reaction was just the same. Too funny!

Evelynn is trying to explain it to our little friend. She is very maternal, for those of you who don't know.

Oh, and then Lyla saw I was taking pictures and decided that would be a fun thing to do too!

Face Painting!

2011-08-09T13:17:00.001-05:00

I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that Evelynn is nearly FOUR years old! She wanted me to take this picture of her with a four from one of our puzzle books...I thought it seemed appropriate!

Anyway, on with the post. This summer, Evelynn and I began a fun tradition. We wrote down a bunch of fun activities we could do together on some cards and would pull one out of the bag every Friday. It was something we really look forward to, and it breaks up the monotony of an endless summer. Anyway, one of the things that Evelynn had really been looking forward to since the day we came up with the idea is face painting!

At first she wanted me to paint dinosaurs, but quickly changed her mind to rainbows. Then, of course, insisted we take pictures. The sweet girl didn't wash it off for the entire day.

If you take a peek in the background, you'll see some of the "school" we've also been working on. Evelynn has really enjoyed spending a little time each day "doing school with Mommy" and has been a little sponge soaking it all up. I am really looking forward to this Fall when we begin being a little more intentional with our "school" time!

Swimming Lessons!

2011-08-09T13:09:00.001-05:00

Sorry I am so behind in my posting! I still wanted to share some pictures from about a month ago of Evelynn's swimming lessons! She seriously had so much fun, and asks all of the time when she gets to take them again. Next summer, sweetie, next summer...

(you can click on the photo to make it larger)

Some of the pictures include, "going on a treasure hunt" (that means finding toys in the pool), "going on a boat safari" (that means getting on a giant kickboard with other kids), tentative Evelynn deciding whether she can jump in the pool by herself, and on the last day they got to go down the slide with the lifeguard! I was really impressed with Evelynn's progress. After teaching swim lessons myself for so many years, it was awesome to see my own child benefit from peer pressure and different authority figures. She now puts her face in the water to swim all of the time and kicks her feet for mobility. We are still working on arm movements, but are super happy with the amount of confidence she now has in the water!

Now, while big sister was taking lessons, Sissy got to play in the spray park area of the pool. I had to snap a few shots of her on our last day too!

"Shooos"

2011-08-09T13:01:00.001-05:00

Lyla LOVES to play dress up. Her favorite way to do this is adorning herself with as much jewelry as possible and finding the largest pair of shoes to wear around the house!

Sometimes play just can't wait until after breakfast!

Doesn't she look like a punk rocker in this one? Love the face with the crazy hair!

Showing our Cow Appreciation!

2011-07-08T20:10:00.001-05:00

We are big fans of Chick-fil-a at our house, and what better way to show it than be part of the Cow Appreciation Day! Yup, that's right! We headed to our local Chick-fil-a fully decked out as cows, and got free meals! Evelynn also got a cow that parachuted off the roof and a free Chicken Biscuit coupon. Lyla also received a cute little plush cow and a free water bottle. I received a free soft drink coupon and Brad got a free Chicken Biscuit coupon! We also met some sweet friends there and got to chit chat while the kids were being distracted from eating by the giant costumed cow walking around. Great time had by all! Thanks Christian Chicken!

Another Comparison!

2011-07-08T11:46:00.002-05:00

Here's another comparison at 19 months!

Lyla is in her pumpkin costume in the pictures (green collar and overexposed pictures!), while Evelynn was outside helping Daddy fix the car...anyone remember those pictures? Here's a flashback of Evelynn at 19 months:

Independence Day!

2011-07-06T14:53:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful Independence Day!

We met up with some wonderful friends who we have had the pleasure of spending this holiday with for quite a number of years now. It has been so fun to watch our girls grow up together and mature (if ever so slightly it seems at times). After grilling some burgers and hot dogs and lots of chit chat, the boys went down to the truck to do the last minute stuff in preparation for setting off the fireworks display for the city of Bethany. Brad was so excited because he had the opportunity to flip the switches for about a third of the show this year. In the pictures you'll see my friend Candace, holding Lyla during the show (Evelynn was a little fearful at the beginning, but got over it quickly). Also, Candace's little girl Addison, enjoying the display with Evelynn by her side.

Lyla Loves to Get Dressed!

2011-07-06T14:40:00.001-05:00

One of Lyla's very favorite things to do is getting dressed up. She likes to grab our swimming suits (wet or dry) off the tub and proceed to take them on and off. This playtime lasted for over an hour, and has happened on more than one occasion!

PS Notice the random tape measure, don't ask me why she has that. I really have no idea.

My Reality

2011-07-06T14:34:00.001-05:00

Between my two girls, someone is always dressed in something random. However, I had to stop and take a picture of this, because it really captures my reality. Allow me to break it down for you:

Evelynn is in a tutu swimsuit, likely begging me to take them to the pool (a few hours before it even opens, I am sure). Lyla is in pajama bottoms, a pumpkin costume (which she likely begged me to put on her when she saw her sister getting herself dressed), and holding a vanilla wafer. I am not saying that this is somehow bad, it's not bad at all. As a matter of fact, I love it! This is my reality, it is random, and often times a little odd, but this is my day to day life.

Candid Shots!

2011-07-06T14:31:00.000-05:00

A few candid pictures taken in the middle of June...

Outdoor Fun with Grandma and Papa

2011-07-06T14:26:00.001-05:00

Toward the beginning of June, Grandma and Papa Woods came for a visit...and brought a T-ball set!

I love this action shot of Evelynn! Maybe there's an inner athlete in my little princess after all!

Papa got in a serious workout playing!

Look at that determination, and I am not just talking about Evelynn!

Lyla took a more relaxing approach to playing outside, Grandmas are better at the low key activities!

Girls being Girls!

2011-07-06T14:23:00.000-05:00

Lyla Mae

2011-07-06T14:08:00.001-05:00

These pictures are from a little over a month ago, but they are just too funny not to share!

My Crazy Clan!

2011-07-06T14:07:00.000-05:00

Awana Award Ceremony

2011-07-06T14:00:00.001-05:00

I am super late in posting this, but better late than never!

Evelynn had the opportunity to go through Puggles this year, as part of the Awana program. She really enjoyed Sunday nights, and Brad and I could tell she was learning a lot of new things. She came home singing songs we had never heard, telling us something new about what God made, and of course who her new best friend was that week. We are looking forward to starting her in Cubbies next year, the next step in her Awana program!

Who is who???

2011-06-02T20:27:00.001-05:00

I decided it is time for another, guess who is Evelynn and Lyla side by side! Sorry the pictures aren't the best. It is super hard to find an 18 month looking at the camera (3 and half years ago or now), and I had to crop a lot to get photos that were similar.

Need a hint?

Evelynn is the first one and Lyla is the second one, in both side by sides.

Las Vegas!

2011-05-28T20:35:00.001-05:00

Yep, you read right, my family just took a vacation to Vegas baby!

In all reality, we were really blessed by the opportunity to be part of Carrie's graduation gift from her parents. Thank you so much for such a wonderful time! Memories for a lifetime!

For those of you who want a few more details, read on:

First off, we headed to A&M to watch Brad's little sister, Carrie, graduate from the Aerospace Engineering program. Can you believe this family? A bunch of smarty pants kids! Unfortunately, I didn't get any cute photos of my girls in their graduation get-up, but they sure were cute in their A&M shirts (which we will burn soon, don't worry) and jean skirts.

Then, we flew to Vegas! We did a lot while we were there. We visited the old downtown, still very cool. We looked at lions, walked, looked at flamingos, walked, looked at fountains, walked, and volcanoes (well pretend ones anyway). We went to an amazing aquarium and even saw the Hoover dam! Gerry, Brad, and Carrie had fun playing some blackjack, and we got to see The Blue Man Group too! Such a good time had by all!

"Baby" stroller?

2011-05-28T20:19:00.001-05:00

Lately, Lyla and Evelynn have been using the baby stroller a little more literally than its intended purpose. Oh well, they'll have lots of fun till it breaks!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T06:00:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to wish my mom the happiest of mother's days! Wish I could be there to give you an extra special hug. Oh, and now you may officially open that giant bag I gave you at Easter time! (Even though we both know you probably peeked by now.)

I also threw in some pictures of my other mom (Brad's mom) with my mom. Deb has been my other mom since I was 15, so she has done a fair amount of mothering to me as well!

Love you both so much!!

Easter!

2011-05-01T18:28:00.002-05:00

After hunting at the softball fields, we headed to Grandma and Papa Buser's home for an Easter Eve supper, and the girls did an Easter egg hunt there too! I completely forgot my camera, so no cute photos. Maybe if someone shares with me, I will share a few!

However, the next morning, we headed to church early for the Easter service and then headed to the Woods' home for an Easter/birthday celebration! Here are a few pictures:

Evelynn getting a little help from Grandma and Lyla holding her own by herself! Lyla was too young to hunt last year, so it was fun to see her catching right on, and acting like a pro!

Showing off her loot! My mom had a lot of eggs, and there were only 4 little girls! I'm not complaining, that's enough candy to share!!

My college roomie, Amy, came to hang out with my family for our celebration! Lyla loved her! This is saying a lot, as many of you know, Lyla is slow to welcome in strangers.

Les' mom, Fay, also was able to join us for our celebration! Evelynn really enjoyed spending time with her. Maybe a little too much. At one point I had to tell her that it might not be a good idea to climb up on her lap...literally!

Giant Easter Egg Hunt!

2011-05-01T18:21:00.001-05:00

While we were in KC for Easter, we went to a giant Easter egg hunt! Grandma and Papa Woods heard about a hunt on the softball fields that I had played on as a kid, and we just couldn't resist an Easter bunny throwing eggs out of a helicopter!

There were over 50,000 eggs to hunt, but the competition was fierce. We had a great time, but won't be returning next year. The wait was just too long for young kiddos, especially since the hunt only lasts seconds because of the massive amount of children (and adults) in attendance. Afterward, we went and grabbed a hot dog, drink, and bag of chips for $2 as part of the church fundraiser. There were also giant inflatables, but the crowd was a little too thick for my little ones. All in all, a good time, but just not something that I think I could do annually.

Sister, sister!

2011-05-01T18:07:00.001-05:00

Life has gotten away from me once again! I just noticed that it has been an entire month since I last posted on the blog, and let's just say that a lot has happened! Life in a nutshel:

Evelynn went to a fire engine birthday party, Lyla stayed on her curve during her weight check and now weighs 19 lb. 4 oz., Brad helped roof a good friends' house and was sore for almost a week, celebrated Brad becoming an official Architect (passing his exams, etc.) with a huge party at Republic!, had family in town for the party, end of me teaching on Tuesday mornings for the summer (though they are talking about continuing through the summer, so we'll see), my friend Robin's birthday - the big 4-0 - supper at our house, a visit to KC for Easter, my Mom's birthday party/Easter on the same day!, playdate with friends, Evelynn went to another birthday party - this time Minnie Mouse! Whew I think that sums it up, but I am sure I missed a lot! Anyway, here are some pictures of the girls being, well, themselves!

Nap time / Quiet time

I eventually had to put Lyla in bed because she messing with Evelynn.

Grandma and Papa Woods brought a new table (that is not quiet so ancient and fragile!). We don't usually eat supper on it, but when we had a full house, it sure was nice! Usually it is used for crafts and handwriting...love it!

Evelynn is helping Lyla apply some chapstick.

She wanted me to take her picture putting it on!

Grandma came for a visit!

2011-03-30T14:22:00.002-05:00

We never remember to take pictures when family comes to town! Here are a few that we took the morning that grandma left. We had so much fun, and already miss her! Thanks so much for the visit!

St. Patrick's Day Post!

2011-03-30T14:17:00.001-05:00

Customize your own scrapbooking design

Update on Lyla's Health

2011-03-18T15:23:00.003-05:00

The short story: As far as we know, all is great! It has been a little bit of a roller coaster of results, but in the end, it turned out well. We'll go in for another weight check in a few weeks and see where we proceed from there.

The long story (for those of you who like more detail): We took Lyla in for her blood test and to have a urine bag strapped on. She did SUPER for her blood test, seriously didn't even wince! The bag didn't catch pee, and then it caught poop (woops!). So, no urine to culture or analyze. However, the blood results came back awesome, except for one thing. She had low blood sugar. It was super weird because she had a really big breakfast of frosted mini wheats and half a banana within an hour of getting her blood drawn. So, I took her in on Wednesday morning for a fasting glucose test (think diabetes monitor) and the results were super! The doctor said that if blood sits too long in the lab, it will have a low blood sugar reading...so all was well with that. Strapped another bag on for urine, no luck. Sent me home with some bags to see if I can get some at home, but I was having the hardest time! I know why doctors use a catheter on young kids now! Anyway, we FINALLY got a specimen and brought it in on Tuesday. Analysis came back fine, and later the culture seems to be fine too (there were actually lots of weird things growing in it, probably from her poop, skin, maybe even spit...who knows!). Anyway, nothing that alerted the doctor. So, now we go in for another weight check in a few weeks and see. If she gains percentiles on the curve, that would be awesome! If she stays on her own little curve, off the chart, we will probably call the endocrinologist and see what he suggests. If her own curve starts looking downward, we'll head to the endocrinologist, just to get his opinion on the matter. Whew, bet when you started reading the long version, you didn't know you would be reading a novel!!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers! We really appreciate the support and love!

Having a little tu-tu much fun!

2011-03-14T13:05:00.001-05:00

So, I just couldn't pick a few pictures to share! This was hilarious!

It all started because Evelynn wanted to put her tu-tu on (not at all abnormal for her to be wearing a tu-tu as an accessory for part of the day). Caleb thought this was a super idea, and wanted one as well. Well, being a mom of two girls, we have more than enough tu-tus to go around! They had a ball running around! Caleb kept shouting, "I'm a ballerina!" I was laughing so hard, I could hardly keep the camera straight to take pictures. Of course, we will definitely keep these pictures for Caleb's bachelor party, won't his future wife be surprised when she finds out she isn't the only ballerina in the family!

Is there a doctor in the house?

2011-03-14T13:00:00.001-05:00

I am a little late in posting these, but I still had to share! While Caleb came over for a visit...this is pretty much all the kids played all day! Caleb's mommy is Evelynn's pediatrician, do you think it is genetic?

You didn't think Lyla would miss all the action, did ya?

Evelynn is...

2011-03-09T15:42:00.002-06:00

THREE AND A HALF!

that's all I have to say about that.

More dancing...this time spinning!

2011-03-05T12:09:00.002-06:00

I know most of you got enough dancing video from the previous post...but the spin move is so darn cute!

2 years ago...

2011-03-04T14:31:00.002-06:00

We have the pleasure of an all-day playdate with Caleb today! It took me down memory lane, so I looked up some old pictures and found one from almost exactly two years ago. Things have certainly changed...well sorta!

March, 2009

March, 2011

Sissy

2011-03-04T14:04:00.001-06:00

Lyla Mae is certainly coming into her own these days. Each day we see more and more of her little personality coming through. We still call her Sissy, but let me tell you, she is no sissy! If anything, she is taking a different route and turning into a little tomboy! Some of her favorite things are little cars, playing with balls, a wearing hats. She LOVES music, animals, and pestering her big sister. She used to be a mommy-lover, but has been favoring Daddy more each day. She's a great sleeper, eater, just a real easy baby overall. The one thing that is difficult about her is that she loves to climb! If I don't watch her carefully, she will be on top of the desk, dining room table, or her high chair in a split second!

Just so you know, she has chocolate on her shirt from some yummy chocolate covered animal cookies from Valentine's Day that are be rationed slowly. She doesn't usually look quite so grimy! Who am I kidding, yes she does!

Some fun dancing and Lyla's doctor visit

2011-03-01T14:37:00.004-06:00

I wanted to share a little video I took of the girls this week. One of our favorite shows is Curious George, and the best part is the song at the beginning! Here is some footage of them dancing to the theme song. Pay attention to what Lyla does when the song is over :(

Also this week, we went to the doctor for Lyla's 15 month check up. She is hitting all of her milestones, but her weight gain is still puny. She technically fell off the growth chart this week, so she gets to have some blood drawn in a week to make sure everything is all right. So, the new stats are 18 lb. 12 oz. and 30 inches in height. We'll keep you all posted on the results of the blood and urine test. We're not "worried," but it will certainly feel nice to have ruled out the possibility of something being wrong.

My lil' Monkeys!

2011-02-19T16:19:00.001-06:00

The temperatures are soaring and we have been enjoying our time outside once again! Here are a few pictures of my lil' monkeys playing on the jungle gym in the backyard.

Static hair Evelynn...she still loves to play outside.

Lyla thinks she is five...she is seriously trying to scale the side of the jungle gym...and succeeding!!

Crazy girl!

Then Lyla sees Evelynn use the ladder on the inside of the jungle gym, and then there was no stopping her. To say the least, I had to put my camera down so I could protect her from her lack of fear!

Plain ol' Fun!

2011-02-19T16:15:00.001-06:00

What is it about a kid in sunglasses that is so darn cute? Well, technically those are 3D glasses, but it has the same affect!

Lookin' good Hollywood!

Evelynn is passing down some of her favorite things to her sister...hiding in the pots and pans cabinet!

Cutie patootie is growing up!

Valentine's Day Box!!!

2011-02-19T16:12:00.001-06:00

Anyone with kids knows that there is something very special about getting something in the mail, and if it is a box, well kids are besides themselves! Here are a few pictures I took of the girls receiving a package from Grandma and Papa Woods for Valentine's Day (and Brad's belated birthday!).

Thank you!!!

Silly Sisters

2011-02-19T16:06:00.001-06:00

Sleepy girls! Lyla just got up from a nap, and Evelynn's quiet time was coming to a close...

...but I let them watch Curious George together before they had to put their lovies away!

February Snow!

2011-02-19T16:03:00.001-06:00

As many of you already know, we got a LOT of snow by our state's standards at the beginning of February. The drifts were ridiculously high, but we did manage to make it out for a snowman once the weather warmed up and melted some of the snow away.

A Visit from Grandma

2011-02-19T15:58:00.001-06:00

Papa had planned a hunt in TX, so he dropped Grandma off and she stayed with us for a few days! We had so much fun, though we don't have many pictures to prove it! Here are a couple that we took the day they left.

Blurry Fun!

2011-02-19T15:53:00.001-06:00

January 22nd, it was gorgeous outside, and let's just say we took full advantage! Here are some photos, blurry, but still fun!

Happy Birthday, Brad!

2011-02-19T15:49:00.001-06:00

So, I am more than a little behind on my blog...so here goes a massive amount of posts!

Brad turned 28 on January 11th...yes, I know we are going back to January to post pictures! It was a super day, Long John Silver's (again, I decided to make it a tradition) and presents! We love you Hubby and Daddy!

Christmas Extravaganza Complete!

2010-12-30T17:31:00.001-06:00

I didn't want to bore you with a bunch of Christmas pictures, so I just collaged my favorites.

We stayed home and had Christmas under our own tree on Christmas Eve, rather than Christmas Day, this year. Of all the days, our girls slept in late, and we ended up waking Evelynn up so we could get the show on the road! (Don't forget, you can click on the collage to make it larger and actually enjoy the pictures!)

On Christmas Eve, we headed to KC to spend the rest of the holiday weekend with family. On Christmas morning, we had presents with the Busers (the majority of the pictures), then headed over to have Christmas with the Henleys (pretty much the rest of the pictures). Sunday, we went to church, and then headed to my mom's to finish off a wonderful Christmas season!

Thank you so much to all of our family and friends who gave so generously to our family, not just for Christmas, but throughout the entire year! We love you!

75 Degrees on December 20th!

2010-12-21T10:41:00.002-06:00

We had an absolutely gorgeous day yesterday! I don't think I have ever seen 75 degrees so close to Christmas, but I can tell you that I was more than thankful to have the opportunity to release some energy in the out of doors! It was actually the first time Lyla has been able to go outside and play since she started walking (a bad cold has kept her inside recently). It was so much fun watching her explore all of the things that she was only able to look at from the swing before. To say the least, she had no desire to sit in the swing yesterday! I tried to take some pictures of Evelynn too, but everyone knows that can be futile at times. Here are some of my favorite pictures!

I should remind you that you can click on the collages to make them bigger!

The Best of Evelynn's Pictures

2010-12-20T19:59:00.001-06:00

Evelynn has been asking for the camera "to take pictures!" almost daily lately. I thought I would share a collage of the highlights. Well, at least some of them. There were over a hundred pictures downloaded off the camera all of Evelynn's! Pretty much an entire inventory of our house, everything from her tennis shoes to the remote control. I gave you some of the better ones!

Evelynn's Portrait Studio

2010-12-20T19:48:00.001-06:00

The other day, Evelynn was begging me for my camera. This isn't exactly unusual, so at first I just put her off. Then she brought me to this and explained that she wanted to take pictures! For those of you who don't recognize it, this is Evelynn's portrait studio (notice the pillows covered with blankets to make a place to sit). She thought of everything!

I love how she lined toys up around it to create some ambiance!

Once I gave her the camera, she made Sammy sit in her studio so she could take his picture. Doesn't he look thrilled?

Well, she was then upset that Sammy wouldn't sit on her pillow mound, so she recruited Mommy. Please excuse my wet hair and lack of makeup.

Of course, then I insisted that I take her picture. Why did her picture of me turnout better than mine of her? I suppose there is a little raw talent there!

Lyla's First Birthday Party!

2010-12-20T19:34:00.001-06:00

Since Lyla was born on Thanksgiving weekend, we had her birthday party at my mom's house while we were visiting family. It was so much fun watching her in the lime light, not knowing how to take having everyone look at her (rather than her big sister!). We had a nice, low key, teddy bear birthday party.

There were way too many pictures that I wanted to share! This collage includes the tool bench that Evelynn picked out for her Sissy, Brad getting Lyla to show #1 after bath time, fun toys, and of course a good cake picture! Hope you enjoy!

The Haircut!!! AHHHH!

2010-12-20T19:21:00.001-06:00

The story of the haircut.

So, it all started when we noticed that Lyla's hair was not exactly growing evenly. As a matter of fact, almost all of her hair was on the front portion of her head. This meant that anytime she didn't have a clip in her hair, she looked like this!

So, Mommy started pulling it up in cute little ponytails, and keeping it in a clip almost all of the time. However, sometimes Lyla didn't like the clip or ponytail and it was starting to exhaust Mommy to have to put it in all of the time. Mommy mentioned possibly cutting her some bangs until the rest of her hair grew out a little. Daddy thought this was a great idea, and before talking to Mommy about the length of the bangs....

WHAM! Lyla lost most of her hair! Mommy cried. Daddy apologized. Mommy forbade Daddy ever cut their girls' hair again. Daddy resigned his position as stylist of the family.

The good news, we can still put it up in a clip. The bad news, she looks like a boy when she doesn't have one in!

By the way, this is a picture of Lyla with her great grandma over Thanksgiving (Les's mom).

Evelynn in November

2010-12-20T19:17:00.002-06:00

I am really behind in my posting! That always happens when we go out of town! We have also been fighting colds for what seems like forever. Someone has been sick in our family, nonstop, since the end of October! I can finally say that we are all better (knock on wood, quick!).

This is pretty much what Evelynn loves to do all day. Her doll house, her Barbies, back to the doll house, maybe watch a movie, then back to the doll house again. I cannot thank Aunt Carrie enough! It's the gift that keeps on giving!

And this was just too funny, I had to post it. Evelynn made this Thankful Tree for Thanksgiving out of her hands...but it is what she chose for her teachers to write on the branches that just killed me! I would have loves to be a fly on the wall for that lesson!

Christmas Letter 2010

2010-12-18T20:31:00.003-06:00

Hello friends and family!

It's been an eventful year in our home. Lyla has grown from an infant to a little walking one year old, and our first born is already three! There have been lots of messes to clean, trips to visit family, library, swimming pool, and zoo outings, groceries to buy, and now 2010 is coming to a close. It's been a fun year. Here is a little update on our family.

Lyla turned one in November. She is walking everywhere and getting into everything! She loves to fill and spill, climb on everything, and loves anything musical. She has a shy, sweet personality that everyone loves. She also likes to make people laugh, especially at the dinner table. Her favorite activity is definitely following her big sister around. I would describe her as a laid back, sweet, yet stubborn little monkey.

Evelynn turned three in September. She loves to use her imagination. She loves role play and can usually be found playing with her doll house, Barbies, or some other form of imaginative play. She is a very active little girl who literally bounces all over the house. She has been a super big helper this last year, and truly is a great big sister to Lyla. I would describe her as a very outgoing young lady, who is still learning to control her (ahem) sassy nature.

Kira has been staying busy at home with the two kids. She has been working child care at church one day a week, taking a book study on Wednesday nights, and of course supporting Brad in his work endeavors. Her newest hobby is saving money! Though that doesn't sound like much of a hobby, she has really enjoyed learning to pair coupons with sales and making the family's dollar stretch quite far. Our family likes to call this mommy's coupon deals!

Brad has had a very eventful and productive year. He completed a large project as project manager, and it has been a huge success! You will definitely have to check out Republic at Classen Curve (another of Brad's projects) when you are in town. He did a wonderful job! He has also been working diligently on attaining his architecture license. He has passed four of seven tests, and is well on his way to having his own stamp! We are super proud of him, not only for what he does at work, but for all of the work he puts in at home too.

In lieu of a Christmas card, we hope that you will enjoy the update and this little video. We also just want to encourage you to take some time with your family, before digging into your Christmas presents or turkey feast, to remember the reason why we come together this time of year. As we have been explaining to Evelynn, we give gifts at Christmas to show our love and to say, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!"

With love,

Brad, Kira, Evelynn, and Lyla Mae

Evelynn's Tree

2010-11-08T10:00:00.004-06:00

Take a look at how Evelynn's tree has grown throughout the years!

We planted Lyla's tree pretty recently, but I will try to get a picture of her standing next to it soon!

Little People Fun!

2010-11-08T09:51:00.001-06:00

We have been hauling the Little People tote to the living room almost daily these days! Lyla loves to play with them, and Evelynn has been enjoying playing along side her. The other day, Evelynn got into the tote and Lyla was banging the side of the tote, acting as if she wanted to get in there with her. I sat her inside the tote, and she played like that for nearly an hour! When I went to get her out, she cried to be put back inside the tote! I wasn't complaining!

Lyla has finally gotten her top two front teeth, so she has been making lots of funny faces lately, as she feels her new sharp little friends!

27th Birthday!

2010-11-01T10:20:00.001-05:00

I had a wonderful birthday on Thursday (before everyone got sick!) and enjoyed a home cooked meal from a dear friend and a beautiful cake and flowers from my sweet daughters (and some Daddy help). Brad and Bryan (Brad's brother) installed an attic ladder for my birthday - yay! - and I received 7 days to sleep-in from Brad! Priceless!

I also had some sweet cards to open that gave me some extra blow money and gift cards! What a wonderful birthday! Thank you family and friends for all of your warm wishes!

Oh yeah, this is the night that Evelynn got sick, so she got to taste that birthday cake and spaghetti twice! HA! Gross!!!!

Taking Her Own Bites!

2010-11-01T10:15:00.001-05:00

No where near proficient, but practicing nonetheless! Here is Lyla using a spoon for the first time!

Oh, and for those of you who think it is silly that I put little barrettes in Lyla's hair everyday, now you can see why!

Horrible Halloween

2010-11-01T10:11:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, Brad and Evelynn both got super sick over the weekend. They spent the majority of Halloween doing this...

Poor Evelynn was super excited about getting dressed up as Cinderella and going to Trunk or Treat at church. Oh well, the stomach flu hit, and with her high fever and nausea, she wasn't going anywhere this Halloween. We felt awful that my parents came down for the festivities and got stuck with a bunch of sickies! Maybe next year!

Fun with Grandma!

2010-11-01T10:09:00.001-05:00

Grandma and Papa came to visit this weekend! Here are some fun pictures of Lyla and Grandma. Lyla is such a giggler, which you really don't know about her, until you get to know her. She is slow to warm up, but once you win her heart, she is all yours!

Musical Mischief

2010-11-01T09:57:00.001-05:00

Brad had taken Evelynn's car seat out of the car, and hadn't put it back in yet. Lyla saw this as a perfect opportunity to control the stereo! She actually figured out how to turn it on and was bouncing to the music by the time I found her (well, I guess that is the reason I found her, because I suddenly heard loud music coming from the living room!).

I'm the King of New York!!

2010-11-01T09:45:00.001-05:00

Maybe more than any pictures I have ever blogged, these pictures deserve a story!

The other day I hear a great deal of giggling and thumping occurring in Lyla's room while I am folding laundry on my bed. I peek into Lyla's room only to see two very silly girls having a blast! Evelynn had gotten her stool out of the bathroom and was standing on it yelling, "I'm the king of New York!" (for those of you without toddlers, that is from Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, well at least I think, because we don't have the original movie). Anyway, I digress, Evelynn then jumps off the stool and lands inches away from Lyla's face...followed by giggling from both girls! Okay, so I write that, and it totally doesn't sound as cute as it actually was. Hopefully the pictures will do better justice to the moment.

Oh by the way, in the above picture you can see that I have yet to put anything in Lyla's frames for her room. Any ideas? I let Evelynn do her own watercolor for her frames. I need a cheap idea that will still be unique. Let me know if you think of anything!

Lovin' the Fall!

2010-10-25T14:16:00.001-05:00

Update:

Lyla is still not walking, though making progress with a few steps she accidentally takes when she isn't thinking about it. Sleeps like a champ, but not a good eater. Cracks us up with her expressions, and signs (she signs more, all done, eat, and the typical bye bye...but she applies her signs to many things beyond their purposes). She says mama and dada, and is loving her daddy more and more each day...so much for being a momma's girl. Loves her big sister and literally follows her from room to room throughout the day. Still takes two good solid naps the majority of the time. Loves her blankie, and pretty much anything her sister takes interest in...ha ha, I think this is often the case with younger siblings!

Evelynn is definitely over the terrible twos! Praise Jesus! Now she is just ornery and silly most of the time. She still is "Miss Independent," but at least now she obeys ("the first time every time" - we got that from our friend Alisa!). She is very creative, and would love to paint, stamp, playdoh, etc. all day long. She also loves to use her imagination with Barbies, dress-up, her doll house, and baby dolls. She loves her sister too, but is definitely still adjusting to the idea of sharing all of her things (minus her "special bunny" which she reminds us daily is hers and hers alone).

Okay, sorry for the rambling! Some people want to know a few more details, for everyone else...here are some pictures!!! Click on the image to get a closer view!

Guess who's walking? Well, at least taking those first steps!

2010-10-18T15:28:00.004-05:00

Well, she isn't exactly walking yet, but she has definitely taken those first tentative steps. She isn't quite the dare-devil that Evelynn is, so she is still warming up to the idea of flying solo. Anyway, here are a few pictures leading up to some of her first steps.

Lyla loves playing with the kitchen food. I love this little mischievous grin!

Lyla starting to crawl towards me...

...so, I stand her up and tell her she needs to walk for me!

Don't you love the look of oh-my-goodness, this is so fun and yet scary?!?

She is still pondering the idea, so I switched my camera over to video, where you can watch the rest...

Play doh Princess

2010-10-18T15:24:00.001-05:00

My little princess still loves to play with play-doh. I use one of the kool-aid play doh recipes, and we make a new batch everytime the old starts to get a little stiff. Anyway, here are a few pictures of Evelynn from this week.

Such concentration!

A Little Fun Outside!

2010-10-09T17:36:00.000-05:00

Two Girls in One Picture

2010-10-09T17:29:00.001-05:00

Hmm, I tried to post these picture before and it didn't work. Let's see how it goes this time.

Basically, this was my attempt at getting both of my girls smiling in the same picture....

Woops, Lyla isn't in that one. Woops, I cut off part of Lyla.

Oh man, Lyla isn't smiling in this one. No, Lyla stay over there...grrr, Evelynn you weren't looking at the camera!

Photographer in the family?

2010-10-04T13:17:00.001-05:00

One day this week, Evelynn saw the camera sitting on the mantle and asked if she could take some pictures of Sissy. I didn't see why not, so we went back to Lyla's room and I showed Evelynn how the camera worked. I was so excited by the images that she captured that I just had to share them with you. Now, regretfully, I am in some of the photos and let's just say I am au naturale, but then again, how many of you haven't seen me like that?! Ha!

I told Evelynn she should ask for a camera for Christmas, and she told me "Halloween comes first, Mom!" Oh, sorry about that. Maybe she should tell that to the stores that have kind of jumped the gun as well!

A Fast Week and a Few Pictures

2010-09-27T13:20:00.001-05:00

Isn't it funny how even when you don't have any kids in school, your life still revolves around the school schedule? Now, that fall has officially arrived, we are more busy than ever!

Brad and I have been enjoying a study on Sunday nights while Evelynn goes to Puggles (the younger kids' version of Awana). She is always so excited to share with us what she has learned. Last night, she ran up to me and said, "God made flowers!!!!" I have also started helping with the child care at church on Tuesday mornings and taking a book study on Wednesday nights. Though it is a busy time, we are enjoying being on more of a schedule. Evelynn certainly enjoys getting out of the house a little more too.

Saturday we went to the State Fair, but unfortunately I completely forgot my camera! Oh well, here are a couple of other pictures from the week:

Lyla laughing about something. I took these pictures in honor of PaPa Buser who thinks I am crazy to feed my children beans (mainly because beans end up many places other than the mouth!)

My silly girl is nearly ten months old! Still not walking, but getting closer by the day. She is definitely more cautious than Evelynn ever was, so it may take her a little while.

Also, there is a very long video of the girls having some fun singing in the bath. I would tell you to enjoy, but I think only the grandparents will want to watch a video this long! Even I got a little bored!

Lookin' Good Hollywood!

2010-09-20T13:50:00.001-05:00

I snapped a couple of photos of Evelynn as we were about to leave for Sunday night activities. Evelynn goes to Puggles (which is the 2 year old program for Awana - remember that September birthday? So, she is oldest in her class). It was inside/out night, to explain the dress. However, the sunglasses? Well, those were her idea!

Lyla Mae

2010-09-20T13:43:00.001-05:00

I can't believe my baby is growing up so quickly! I know that is so cliche, and I usually avoid those sayings, but there is a reason why it is cliche! It is true!

Lyla is still crawling around, pulling up, and standing by herself. She has also started squatting down to pick up toys and standing back up, so I don't think those first steps are too far ahead.

She is also eating big girl food, almost entirely refusing to be fed by a spoon. She says the typical Mama, Dada, and other funny words that mean nothing. Just this last week she has really gotten the hang of waving bye-bye, so we don't think it will take too long before she can put the words with that (since she already say ba-ba not in connection with waving).

All in all, a very busy girl!

My Girls!

2010-09-16T15:04:00.000-05:00

Princess Party!

2010-09-16T14:48:00.001-05:00

Like most three year olds in America right now, Evelynn is border-line obsessed with princesses. So, when asked what kind of birthday party she would like to have, yeah, well you guess it!

So, we were supposed to have a "3" shirt to wear, but Mommy couldn't convince Evelynn that this was the best idea when we ran across some cute shirts at Target. I couldn't convince her that she would make a better Cinderella because she was blonde, so she is the cutest blonde Belle I have ever seen! Grandma Buser helped Mommy add some yellow to her old tutu, and it was perfect!

Mommy made a Cinderella cake to celebrate the occasion. Technically the first one I tried was a complete flop (not enough batter in the mold), so my sure bet was the cupcakes and then I tried the "princess cake" once again. Thankfully the effort wasn't completely wasted...Evelynn was quite pleased!

Grandma Buser made Evelynn the cutest quilt ever for her big girl bed! So much time and effort has been put into this quilt, not to mention love and prayers! Thank you thank you!

Grandma and PaPa Woods gave Evelynn her very own motorized scooter (and Lyla gave her sister the helmet so she could ride it!). Evelynn asks to ride it every single day, without fail. Unfortunately for her, it has been pretty rainy lately.

Well, those are just the highlights of a very fun day. Our party included coloring a castle (ahem, I mean a primed cardboard box that Daddy cut to look like a castle), finding the King's treasure (umm, I mean little plastic coins thrown about the living room), and of course eating and opening gifts! Thanks so much to everyone who helped make Evelynn's third birthday so special!!

Doll House

2010-09-16T14:39:00.001-05:00

Evelynn received a handmade doll house from her Aunt Carrie for her third birthday! I think the look on her face tells you just how much she loves it!

When she first revealed the doll house, we asked her what it was, and she told us it was a tree house. When we corrected her and told her it was a doll house, she said, "but I don't have any dolls!" Good thing Aunt Carrie was prepared with a cute little Belle figurine to help settle in the new house.

Evelynn played with the doll house for two days straight! She still plays with it for at least an hour a day, but has made room in her life for other toys too!

What kills me the most is hearing the conversations that the dolls have with each other. Many damsel in distress situations, lots of time outs, and all in all, a very emotional house hold! I am just glad a therapist isn't watching her play over her shoulder...I am not sure I want to know what it all means!

Thanks Aunt Carrie! What a great gift!

Some Buser Family Shananiganism!

2010-09-01T14:10:00.002-05:00

Little singing, a little playing, etc.

Hmmm, guess who!!

2010-09-01T14:02:00.002-05:00

Yup, double trouble! So, which is which? Take a guess.

Answer: Evelynn has the pigtails and Lyla has the clip!

Eight Months Old Flew By!

2010-09-01T13:52:00.003-05:00

So, apparently I haven't blogged in over a month! Man, this having two kids thing sure is time consuming! So, here are a few of my favorite pics over the last month of Lyla Mae!

The little girl is getting into everything these days! But who could be upset at this cute little face?

Lyla is still really mobile, crawling a lot, pulling up on everything, and starting to cruise a little around the furniture. We have even caught her standing alone a few times.

She is a very smiley girl! She isn't as outgoing as her sister, but she is just as smiley!

This is definitely one of her favorite things to do these days, the walking toy! Look how proud of herself she is in this picture! I love it!

Check out the video below for more walking toy fun!

July Costume Party

2010-07-21T19:48:00.001-05:00

The other morning, Evelynn pulled out a cow costume out of the costume tub that we have and decided to wear it....until lunch! Yup. We finally convinced her to take it off as sweat was dripping off her hair into her mac n cheese! Later that same day, she insisted that I tie a purple bandanna around her. Moments later she comes out of her room having taken off all of her clothes except for the bandanna. No, I didn't take any pictures of my little girl in a loin cloth...but it sure was funny (especially when she realized that her bottom was open and she could go pee without pulling anything down!)

I should mention that this costume is a size 18mo, which is why it fits a little snug.

Big Grins

2010-07-21T19:45:00.001-05:00

Finally Figured it Out

2010-07-17T09:55:00.004-05:00

So, we've had this cute little trike now for a while, but Evelynn could never figure out the whole pedal thing. She would get on it all of the time, but she would just use her feet to push herself around. Well, I look out yesterday, and much to my surprise, I see Brad and Evelynn outside RIDING the TRIKE! I run out there with my camera, and Brad proceeds to tell me that she has been doing this for awhile, he thought I knew. Grrr...I hate when that stuff happens. I stay at home! Shouldn't I be the first to see these things???!!!

I guess it is time to get a helmet!

Check out those ballerina tennis shoes...aren't they cute?

She was so proud of herself, I love that!

I was begging her to look forward, but she was too excited!

For the more committed blog followers (read: grandparents and other close friends and relatives) I have included a video you can check out.

A little love

2010-07-17T09:53:00.000-05:00

Lyla Mae-hey-hey

2010-07-17T09:47:00.002-05:00

Well, her little personality is definitely starting to shine through. She loves adventure, has no fear, and has a little bit of a silly side too. She is a Mommy's girl (nice change from my first born!), and loves her big sister! Here are a few pictures I took yesterday.

Lyla trying out Sammy's dog bed for herself. Yes, all you non-dog-owners may grimace now.

What was even funnier than the pictures was watching her get out of this little pose. It was a very graceful acrobatic dismount on all fours!

Some of you have asked if Lyla has a dimple. I honestly didn't know what you were talking about until I saw this picture. Apparently she does, but it doesn't show all of the time.

Take a close look, that's the first picture of the new tooth!

Fourth of July Parade, well actually the third

2010-07-08T14:39:00.001-05:00

Our neighborhood had planned a parade for the locals, which unfortunately was cancelled. We had already put together our awesome wagon though, so we decided to make a loop around the boulevard before the rain started to really come down. Our neighbors joined us for our very small parade!

Because I Like to Compare

2010-07-08T14:26:00.001-05:00

Try to guess before looking at the answer at the bottom!

Here's a hint, Evelynn's nose was orange from all of the carrots she consumed!

Answer: Evelynn is on the top, and Lyla is on the bottom.

Are We Out of the Twos YET?

2010-07-08T14:05:00.001-05:00

Well, "the twos" haven't been easy on anyone in our family. Just when we think we are getting over this phase, we go through it again. It is exhausting. It is annoying. And there are days where I just want to tape her little mouth shut. But, if I sit back for a second and think, I wouldn't trade it for the world. Evelynn is super smart (and yes, I know I am bias!), hilarious, and very kind to others. Yeah, she is seeking independence and driving my crazy as I try to teach her obedience, but all in all, she is a very lovable kid. Her inquisitive nature ("why?") wears on my nerves, but I am thankful that she yearns for knowledge. Her unwillingness to just do as I say is a real problem, but I try to look at the future and pray that God will mold her into a leader who won't just follow the crowd. Her overzealous love for her sister causes me to be on the edge of my seat all day, but I know that God will use this to grow them in to best friends for life. The whining, well the whining needs to end!

Evelynn's nightly flying routine after bath!

This is a Potato Head piece for the doctor. Brad and I were cracking up! By the way, you have no idea how many times I have looked at the "MPH" on the miscellaneous potato head parts and though, miles per hour, what does that have to do with anything? It was only a short while ago that I realized that it stands for Mr. Potato Head. Yeah, a very l-o-n-g blonde moment.

Evelynn's best friend. Well, technically I think that Evelynn's best friend is Finley's mom (Mrs. Wassink), but she adores this little guy. I got to watch Fin while his mom went to the doctor the other day and the kids had fun with stickers. By the way, when it the right age to stop letting little boys and girls play in bed together?? HA!

Lastly, my little rabbit. Evelynn is still more vegetarian than she is anything else. We can sometimes get her to eat some meat, but generally she sticks to the vegetables and fruits. Last night we had tacos and Evelynn only ate the lettuce. I have to be really intentional about fixing her eggs to make sure she gets protein. Are we out of the twos yet?

Sammy Dog

2010-07-08T13:59:00.001-05:00

Because our Sammy dog deserves a mention in the family blog. He puts up with anything and everything, and wiggles his stumpy little tail through it all. How we love you Sambo Rambo!

Lyla's Growing By Leaps!

2010-07-08T13:49:00.001-05:00

Seven months old, really? Lyla is really starting to hit those milestones now!

The day after she turned seven months old, Brad decided it was time to take the baby chair out of the tub and let Lyla sit in the tub like a big girl. She LOVES it! Evelynn was never much of a splasher, but Lyla makes waves with all of her motion. Evelynn also loves that Lyla is sitting in the tub with her, outside of the restrictive chair.

Now that Sissy is free to roam about the country with her amazing crawling and pulling up skills, she has been getting into a lot more trouble. She loves to take Brad's magazines off the bottom of the coffee table, splashing in Sammy's water bowl (yuck!), and pulling up on Evelynn (quite a moving target!).

She also loves the sound table, and even Evelynn has had fun playing with it now that we put some new batteries in it. Isn't it funny how older children enjoy playing with the same baby toys they had only a short while ago? I mean, Evelynn is no longer using the teething keys for teething purposes, but she loves to grab them and pretend she is locking/unlocking all the doors in the house.

My little cutie! In other news, Lyla got her first tooth in, with little to no problem. She didn't have any trouble with the pain, but I had noticed that she was chewing on her thumb, so I was on the look out. Hopefully the rest will come in with no problem too!

Lake Arbuckle

2010-07-08T13:35:00.001-05:00

The last weekend of June, we headed to Lake Arbuckle! Our sweet friends, the Suttons, allowed a group of friends to come and use their family's lake houses, boat, and Sea-Doo. It was so much fun! There ended up being 6 adults and 6 kids (we each have two children).

Evelynn LOVED the boat! This is a picture of the Dads taking the older kiddos out on the water for the first time.

Later on the kids all enjoyed watermelon! If you look in the background, you can see Daddy holding Lyla Mae.

All of the kids thought the watermelon pieces were so big, they should just bend down and eat them!

Lyla got to go out on the boat too! We had a get a picture of her in her life vest!

It was an absolute blast! We survived with no sunburns, but we did have some pretty sleepy children!

Father's Day

2010-07-08T13:28:00.001-05:00

Brad's mom, dad, and sister all came down for Father's Day weekend. It was so much fun hanging out with them, showing them our zoo, and celebrating Daddys!

Lyla also decided to pull up on something, err, someone for the first time while they were here! Aunt Carrie got the honors!

Daddy with his girls. They got him an edger attachment for his special day and we all went to the pool. It was a lot of fun! We are so blessed to have Brad as the leader of our family.

The Kids' Close-Up

2010-07-08T13:19:00.001-05:00

I know, I know, I haven't posted in forever. These pictures are nearly a month old, but I live by the motto that it is better late than never. So, I will do my best do you catch everyone up on the last few weeks in our home.

First of all, we got Sammy a new bed! Okay, so this was more exciting for the people who are actually in my family than outsiders, but it was still a big deal. Evelynn even "tried it out" at Petsmart. She wanted to pick the perfect one for him, and success! Sam loves it!

Here are my crazy girls!

Evelynn's close-up because she wanted me to take her picture. (This is rare, so I jumped at the opportunity!)

Lyla's close up, because Evelynn wanted me to take Sissy's picture. She looks so frightened at the whole idea!

My Girls

2010-06-15T13:32:00.002-05:00

This picture cracks me up, but is also an excellent depiction of what my days are like lately. Lyla is crawling everywhere, and getting into anything she can reach. She has Evelynn's swim ring in this picture, and was having a ball! Evelynn is usually right be her side, encouraging or discouraging her behavior (usually in the correct direction). They are both growing, maturing, and learning in different ways, and yet, it seems, at the same pace. Being a mom is such a dynamic job, and I would have never thought that before I had kids. It seems each week, maybe even each day, holds something different, new, and challenging. Though it can be difficult and exhausting at times, I wouldn't trade it for buckets of money (though if you have any lying around, I will pay for the shipping & handling, HA!)