Alice is 5!

 

 

 

I can't believe my little girl is 5!  It seems like I was cradling my first infant just a few moments ago.  How swiftly time flies when you are having fun (and really busy)!  Alice really wanted to have her party at Chuck E. Cheese's this year.  I tried desperately to convince her otherwise, but in the end, it worked out great, and she got the experience that she wanted.  We had lots of friends on hand, and it was certainly a birthday to remember.

 

We are all about My Little Pony these days, and Alice picked the perfect cupcakes...if you like purple lips, that is!

 



 

 

My birthday beauty

 

 

Lots of friends on hand to celebrate! 

 

 

The party planner and financer  

 

 

Alice got her moment with Chuck E. 

 

 

 And the ticket blaster experience, which, let's face it, was the main reason she wanted the

Chuck E. Cheese party!

 

 

 Loving our neighborhood friend Lillian's gift!

 

 

Alice and school bestie, Sofie 

 

 

Alice and friend, Enslea 

 

 

 

Eleanor had her best friend, Emma, on hand too.  These girls are going to give us a run for our money someday! 

 

 

Eleanor, Alice, and friend Alex at the loot counter.  The only place a ring pop costs $15. 

 

 

 That evening, on the eve of her actual birthday, we decorated her door and filled her room with balloons while she was sleeping for a special birthday surprise.  She loved it!

 

 

Happy birthday to my bright, funny, beautiful, and super charismatic 5-year-old.  This kid is destined for great things!  I just wish she would quit growing so fast! 

 

A Few Family Pictures Before a Party

We took a few family shots before Alice's birthday party while the girls were all freshly gussied up, and I think some of them turned out pretty cute.  It is so hard to coordinate pictures with such young kids, so I consider it a success!

 

 

Easter 2015

I remember being worried about not having things to do during the holidays being in a new state without friends or family to share it with.  It turned out that we had entirely too much to do this Easter weekend!  Our kids attended 4 egg hunts, an Easter event put on by a local church, and a get together at a friend's house. Needless to say, the girls had a blast, and we have cupboards swollen with candy, enough to last until Halloween.  Happy Easter, Y'all!

 

 

Easter Morning: The Easter Bunny came!

 

 

Neighborhood egg hunt #1

 

 

Alice enjoying the fruits of her labor ;-)

 

 

I love her expression in this one!

 

 

Using the Easter bucket as a sun hat at another Easter event.

Sandbox fun at a get-together with friends

 

 

More egg hunting! 

 

 

And, of course, a photo sesh of the girls wearing their Easter best!

 

Scenes From the Neighborhood/Fun With Friends

     Our new neighborhood is filled with children, and it turns out our house is the neighborhood hot spot.  If the weather is nice, we can be found enjoying it outside; and if we are outside, kids from all over gravitate to our house within minutes!  This has been such a change from our old neighborhood that had no young kiddos, and our girls are thrilled to have so many new playmates.

 

 

 

 Playing in the gutter:  One of the wonders of the great outdoors!?  These girls had fun playing with rocks in drainage from the neighbors sprinklers for at least an hour! 

 

 

 

 

Here is most of the local gang: Matthew, Ryder, Amanda, Eleanor, Lillian, and Alice have become the 6 Musketeers.

 

 

 

Eleanor with her best friend, Emma.  These girls are such cuties, and they just adore each other!  I am so glad that we have another 2 year-old girl nearby!

 

 

 

On a chilly day, we had a play date at McDonald's with our friend, Alex.

 

 

 

 

Headed for another cruise in the cul-de-sac

 

 

 

Both girls got to attend Alice's school friend, Sophie's ceramics painting birthday party

 

 

 

Daddy is so good about taking the girls for a ride in the bike trailer, and they LOVE it!

 

 

One of the truly great things about living in the Denver Metro is having so many things to do with children.  There are so many festivals, parades, and fairs in the area that we often have to choose between many activities on the weekends.  Here are a few fun shots from a kite festival in Arvada that we attended.

 

 

 

Bosom Buddies:  Alice and Lillian have become such good friends.  These girls always have a blast together, and I just love this shot of them drawing in a notebook together on the porch one lazy Sunday afternoon.

 

I am sure there is much fun to be had as the weather gets warmer and summertime draws near...