Summer Visits

As it goes without saying that I'm just a "bit" behind in blog posts, I thought I might as well just throw one out there about our summer visit to Wisconsin.  These pictures are long overdue to be published, and I promised I'd get them out over Thanksgiving...and I'm still a few days late.  Such is life these days, and I'm just learning to accept it!

In case you're wondering, What about Grady's birthday post?  Well, I think I'm going for a "Birthday+" post...why not celebrate turning 13 months!

Anyways, in July, we made a trip to Wisconsin during which we got to visit both sets of grandparents and see my aunt Michelle, her husband Bob, and their son Evan.  We drove to Wausau on a Thursday afternoon.  The kids, as far as I remember, were pretty awesome in the car, and we just made a couple of short stops so I could feed Grady.  Here's a picture of a park where we stopped.  I know - you can barely recognize Brian because of that stuff growing on his face!

We spent the night at my grandma and grandpa Roiger's house.  This was the first time they met Grady, and Grady was all about them - especially my grandpa who got to enjoy many smiles and cuddles from the little guy!  As usual, my grandma made us a fantastic meal, and we enjoyed much good conversation!  Friday morning, the girls got busy playing outside and showing off their tennis skills - they had my grandma fielding balls for them left and right!  Michelle, Bob, and Evan came over to visit as well and load up the kiddos with some special treats and presents - thank you!  :)

Later in the afternoon, we all piled back into the car to head up to Eagle River - my grandma and grandpa Hanz have a cabin about twenty minutes farther north.  I hadn't seen a lot of my aunts, uncles, or cousins on that side of the family in quite some time, so it was really great getting to visit with them and catch up on countless topics.  The visiting continued through Saturday, and Saturday was extra special for two additional reasons:

1) My grandpa Hanz turned 90 this summer (on the same day Olivia turned 6)!  While he has stopped picking me up when I see him, I have to say, that my grandpa is by far the "youngest" 90-year-old you'll ever meet.  I hope I can be exactly like that some day!

2) My grandma and grandpa Hanz celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary!  Wow - that is so impressive and inspiring.  A number of years ago...seriously, a number - like possibly 15-20, a bunch of us were all gathered around the television watching something, I looked behind me and saw my grandma and grandpa just sitting quietly on the couch holding hands.  That has always been my favorite image of the two of them...I can still close my eyes and see it, and I smile thinking about all they have done with their lives and how lucky we are to have them in ours.  What a group 65 years has created!

After a day of visiting, exploring, playing, and enjoying beautiful weather, the family took the short path through the woods to a restaurant that overlooks the lake.  After dark, we celebrated with some amazing fireworks!  Sunday morning we drove back to Wausau where we had a quick lunch before driving the rest of the way home.  All in all, it was a really nice trip that I hope to take again next summer!  Here are a few additional pictures.

 

 

Flying Home...

Dear Quinn Rosen Brown,

I thought I'd better take a quick moment to wish your sweet self and your mommy safe travels - currently you are currently half way home to Japan!  I certainly hope these next 5-7 hours go as smoothly as possible and that you flash one of your pretty little smiles at your daddy when you see him.  I know he's counting down the minutes until you arrive!  You are sure to make your dad's heart melt a little bit when he sees you!

We so enjoyed getting to meet you, Quinn, and watching you grow these last few weeks - how fortunate we really were to get to meet you before you were two weeks old...not bad considering you flew half way around the world to meet us...and get to see you so frequently during your six week stay!  As your uncle Brian said - we wouldn't have seen you as much if you had only lived a few hours away.  While we will undoubtedly miss seeing you grow firsthand during the next number of months, we are also very glad that your family is shortly to be re-united - there's nothing more important than that!

Safe travels - we are thinking of you and love you Quinn!

PS - Give your Mommy and Daddy a hug from all of us, too - it was certainly nice to spend time with both of them, too.

Grady - 9 and 10 Months

Where has the time gone...I cannot believe that Grady is already 10 months old.  These last two months have been really fun and adventurous ones for our little man.  Here are some updated pictures (I included my favorites from our weekend photo shoot) and news on our sweetie:

* At 9 months, Grady started "army" crawling.  He's pretty good at this and still does it although I know he has the strength crawl based on all the other movement he does.  I doubt he'll ever crawl traditionally...my guess is that he'll go from this to walking somewhere around a year - we'll see if I'm right.

* Also, at his 9th month check, Grady weighed 17.1 pounds (10%), was 28 3/8 inches long (55%), and had a head circumference of 17 1/2 inches (24%).

* Shortly after figuring out his army crawl, Grady started working on pulling up...as long as whatever he's trying to pull up on is steady enough, he can usually accomplish this or at least get up on his knees.  His crib mattress is now all the way down!

* Grady's starting to enjoy "walking" holding on to your fingers.  The girls love doing this with him especially, and my back thanks them for their enthusiasm!

* Anytime there's a guy around - Grady's probably hanging with him - maybe he needs to soak up their company as he spends so much time around girls both at home and daycare.  Grady really hasn't shown much stranger anxiety at all, and he really is comfortable around adult men even if he's never seen them before - seriously, he'll just reach out to "strangers" talking to him/us and give them a quick cuddle and smile before reaching back to me.

* Thankfully, Grady transitioned into full time daycare really well.  He goes easily to Shannon, smiles at the kids when we arrive, and literally attempts to throw himself to the floor when he sees the dog or cat - really, I have a kid who likes dogs!

* Grady LOVES music.  He's a mover and a shaker, and it's fun to watch him bounce around anytime he hears something he likes.  Grady will bop around when I read him books, too - I think he must like the rhythm of the words.

* Speaking of interests, besides music, Grady is starting to really enjoy anything that is "cause and effect" related.  Other favorite activities include books, peak-a-boo, his activity center, clapping, doing "so big,"and watching the girls on the swing set while swinging himself!  He's a pretty big ham and loves showing off and getting attention.

* Grady really enjoys his sisters a lot, and I am very thankful for this.  He is both entertained and comforted by them and the feeling seems mutual.  The girls are so great at hanging out with him in the morning and after work which has been helpful as I finish getting ready and/or making dinner, and I thank my lucky stars that Grady doesn't mind getting pulled, carried, and whatever else by them!

* Personality wise, Grady is a really happy kid.  People comment on this, and I agree whole-heartedly.  If he does fuss, it's because he's hungry or tired, and those are pretty easy fixes!  We are fortunate to have an easily entertained, flexible, and smiley little guy!

* For the most part, sleeping is also going great.  Grady usually goes to bed at 7.  Typically he gets up once a night.  He'll often wake up again at 5-5:30, but then he'll go back to sleep.  If he sleeps past this time, he's up for good though.  Grady takes a morning nap about 2 hours after he wakes up and another in the afternoon.  Naps range from 1.5-2.5 hours usually.

* Grady is starting to like his paci more.  I usually only give this to him at bedtime, but I find myself bringing it along in the car or on errands sometimes too.  However, he only falls asleep with it in about 50% of the time and other times it's basically a toy, so I'm hoping this means he won't become to passionate about it making it hard to take away...I've never had to deal with this before as Olivia has her thumb and Grace her fingers!

* In terms of food, Grady is eating 100% "big boy" food unless he's willing to do one of the packets where he can suck the food out.  I try to get him to do these at dinner because it's the only way I can get him to eat any veggies - he loves fruit but most veggies end up on the floor.  Grady's not too interested in being fed by us anymore unless he's getting the same food that's on our plate!  This boy is one messy eater, but he certainly enjoys the process!  I'm pretty sure his 1 year check will show a solid weight gain!

* Grady really likes his baths!  Actually tonight I literally caught him diving head first into the tub before I had even gotten his diaper off.  He's a big time splasher and loves "grabbing" the water as it comes out of the faucet.

* Grady is done with nursing now and is taking a bottle like a champ.  I have plenty of frozen milk, so I still feel connected in that sense, and his bottles during the day are 1/2 breast milk and 1/2 formula - we should be able to continue with this till he's one year.  At night, it's very convenient to just do formula as I can get it the right temp really quickly, and Brian gets up with Grady now too which gives me a bit of a break.  Honestly though, I pretty much claim most feedings because I love the chance to cuddle.

* And lastly, why do I enjoy the cuddle time - because it's so rare!  Grady is one active little guy, and I've definitely begun to see that boys are girls are much different as babies these last few months.  Grady doesn't like to sit still much and keeps us all on our toes.  I took some fun pictures of this tonight, but I'll save them for another post!

Liv took this one...tired after all that picture taking!

Hip Hip Hooray for Preschool!

Today was Grace's first day of the 4/5 preschool program at St. Ben's, and, WOW, was she pumped!  Ever since Olivia started school, Grace has been asking at bedtime...is tomorrow a school day, a daycare day, or a stay-at-home day, and when the answer hasn't been school, she's been so bummed.  So, needless to say, last night, she went to bed excited, and she was just as thrilled this morning that school was finally here!

This morning, Grace chose to wear her new shorts from Aunt Tara and wanted her hair in a braid so that it looked nice.  While I was doing her hair, she did tell me she might get a little nervous when she got to school.  Nervous is her new word, so I wasn't sure if she was serious or not, so we talked about her friends that she remembered from last year, and she was excited to see them and to see Livy at school too.

Brian said Grace got a little shy at drop off and that he had to go down into the room with her, but once the teachers got her distracted, all was well.  And, when Brian picked her up at 3:00, Grace was flying high!  She said it was awesome....they got 3 recesses, 2 snacks, and she took a nap for only 6 minutes!  She said she wanted to go back every day and never go to daycare!

I was gone this evening, so I haven't actually gotten to talk with Grace yet, but I certainly look forward to getting more details from her!  Overall, I'm so glad it was a fantastic first day for Grace, and I'm very thankful that she has such wonderful teachers who know how to make school a positive experience for kids.

And, finally, to make the day even more memorable, Grace started to learn how to ride without training wheels tonight, too!  The growth of independence is both wonderful and bittersweet.  :)

1st Grade (and other signs of growing up)!

Today was Olivia's first day of 1st grade!  Wow - I can hardly believe we have a first grader...I both love it and want to cry about it.  Olivia was pretty excited for school to start; since I started inservice last Thursday, she asked every day how many days until it was her turn.  I'm certainly glad she sees school in such a positive light.

Besides being a little nervous about transferring buses this year, Olivia was thrilled that today had finally arrived.  She had fun packing her backpack last night and bragging about how heavy it was to carry this morning!  Olivia rode the bus to the high school after school today like she'll be doing every day until September when our nanny starts.  Liv likes being in my room and is pretty good at occupying herself with my rolling chair, white boards, and art supplies.  When our nanny starts, Olivia will just do this two days a week because the others she'll get picked up along with Grace from preschool. 

Anyways, it was fun to watch Olivia get treated to a piece of candy from Mrs. Sheppard (my principal) along with the other kids who come to hang out while their teacher parents finish up for the day.  I asked Olivia a number of questions, but mostly she stayed pretty quiet telling me that she had a good day, was excited for tomorrow, liked unpacking her bag and putting things in her cubby, played with friends during recess, loved the chicken fajitas at lunch, wanted to wear her tennis shoes tomorrow because a classmate has them too, and liked Mrs. Uthoff.  Small details, but at least I got something.  Olivia was pretty tired out tonight, and I know we'll have to keep moving bedtime up to keep her feeling refreshed!

And...as long as we're on the topic of Olivia, here are a few other signs of her growing up:

 

Another (3 total) lost tooth - and a very noticable one!

Olivia lost this front tooth the later half of July.

Looking pretty up north at the cabin.

This would be a great senior picture spot some day, wouldn't it?

 Going off the boards at swimming lessons!

Miss Grace - 4 1/2

Before Grace, I don't think I knew anyone to get so excited about their half-birthday!  Pretty much since the moment Grace turned 4 she was looking forward to being 4 AND a 1/2.  Little stinker!  Ironically, even though we told Grace a million times over that you don't get presents on your half-birthday because it's not really your birthday, Grace actually got to open a present...Grandma Huinker spoiled her a bit as Olivia and Mya were getting to open some birthday presents together.  :)

And, since Olivia just got a blog post and Grady gets them rather regularly, I thought it was time for a little update on our Gracie Girl.  Here goes...

Dear Miss Gracie,

You have pretty much the biggest personality ever.  And I really do mean that.  You can be an amazingly silly, sweet, and sassy girl all in the same day.  Your smile is about a mile wide...seriously, you smile and show all your teeth - I love it.  If anyone is the epitome of having "a sparkle in her eye," it's you.  And, most often that sparkle is pretty darn mischievous!  You love to tell stories, claim you're "that girl/character" in whatever show/movie we're watching or book we're reading, and use the words "poop," (I know, I know - very appropriate, right?) "eyeball," or "____" (that stands for some made up word that nobody ever understands) as much as possible.  You've gotten your audience laughing pretty hard with your weirdness which has only encouraged you to exercise your silliness even more.  Sometimes you even crack yourself up to the point where you can't talk any more because you're laughing so hard.  Might I add, that you frequently toot when you laugh, get tickled, or even bend over....thus, one of the many nicknames you possess is "Toot Machine." Maybe not the best nickname, but, I'm afraid, it's quite accurate...I do try not to encourage this behavior of course, but sometimes, it's just impossible not to laugh.  Oh well, I'm sure you'll grow out of it once you realize there are such things as social norms...at least I certainly hope that'll be true!

Speaking of nicknames - I still call you Monkey a lot, but another random one your dad and Olivia have given you is Burns (or Burnsie).  Why?  Well, Olivia had a Grace in her kindergarten class...Grace Burns.  For some reason this confused you, so we had to clarify a bunch of times, and then Dad just started calling your Grace Burns too...which lead to Burns...which lead to Burnsie.  At first you protested this nickname, and that of course only caused it to be used even more.  Now, you respond to it just like it's your actual name!  Seriously, Dad and Olivia call you this all.the.time - Aunt Beth can attest to this fact.  I'll never forget the expression on her face when she asked me, "Why is Brian calling her Burns?"  She had tears in her eyes when I explained...or tried to, that is!

What else can I say about you, Miss Grace - well, like I said earlier, you have quite the imagination.  You love playing with your dolls and dollhouse.  You'll just disappear sometimes, and I can usually count on finding you up in your room playing alone with these or your stuffed animals.  You talk to them and play out little scenarios that you take quite seriously.  I'm pretty sure you have imaginary friends that you know are imaginary...the other day you told me that your younger sister was living with her grandparents for an entire year and you really missed her.  What?  You like to play dress up a lot too - ballet clothes and princess dresses are your favorite.  Otherwise, you enjoy coloring, drawing, and writing (pretend writing that is); dancing (you take ballet and tap); playing with your brother who you consistently call "Busty" - what's with these nicknames!; bossing Olivia around as much as she'll let you...but seriously, you guys have a great relationship; and, biking, swimming, swinging/flipping, and doing the monkey bars. Your favorite movie is by far Frozen, and you sing (badly but cutely!) along to every song, insist that you're Elsa, and get mad when anyone else tries to sing or quote lines.  Your best friend is Maggie and you play a lot with Brinleigh at daycare.

Writing Maggie's name made me remember that you have some pronunciation issues...you over enunciate Maggie's last name, still call your teachers "Missen" Kane and "Missen" Bohr, say "peas" instead of "please," and often call Olivia, "Wivia."  I don't have any concerns because you can say all these words correctly but just choose not to.  You have some other funny words too - you call the driveway the "garageway" and the firetrucks the "fireplaces."  Whatever - you'll figure it out eventually.  In the meantime though, the whole family has started using the phrase "garageway."

You still take a nap every day (well almost) because you're just a happier girl with it.  I rarely have to put you down for a nap - I usually just tell you it's rest time, and you go upstairs and play for a couple of minutes before going to sleep.  Sometimes you sleep on the floor - I guess you tire yourself out using that imagination.  Nearly all the time, you sleep surrounded by stuffed animals.  You, unlike your sister can just pop out of bed rejuvenated an happy. 

You're still a bit of a peanut though you're only a few inches shorter than Olivia.  You're skin and bones, but that doesn't slow you down!  You were so determined to learn the monkey bars this year, and you did it in the first few weeks of summer.  You're also a master at pumping on the swings and doing flips off the bar.  You're a pretty fast runner, a decent dribbler, and have a wicked backhand at tennis though your forehand needs some major work!  :) 

You've been getting in trouble lately for back-talking, trying out some white lies, and not using manners - you are oftentimes 4.5 going on 14.5, and your dad and I decided we needed to get you under control.  The other day you lost your Frozen poster and you've earned it back a number of times only to loose it again later in the day.  I think I may see some light at the end of this tunnel, but I know consistency is going to be key for you because you are a tester....and didn't I mention that mischievous glint in your eye earlier?  I frequently remind myself that your stubbornness and persistence have the ability to take you great places in the future!

You're one-of-a-kind as the following picture exemplifies - do you know anyone else who would leave their house looking like that?  You wear whatever makes you happy, and while I put my foot done when it matters, I usually go with it.  I've learned that you'll listen to me better when I let the small stuff slide.  We've been to the grocery store in a ballet outfit and puffy tutu, biking in rain boots and a swimsuit, and out for walks in bridal dresses.  You also still love to be naked and have pretty much zero embarrassment in this regard.

How have 4.5 years already flown by?  I can't wait to watch you grow as you start preschool in a week!  My final thought:  You're a keeper Gracie Girl, and I couldn't be happier that you're ours!

Lots of love,
Mommy

Remembering Camp DuNord 2014

As it is always one of the highlights of our summer, it's about time I get a blog written about YMCA Camp DuNord.  We visited this awesome family camp, located in Northern Minnesota, mid-June and were blessed with a week of wonderful weather, fun activities, and good companionship...and since all but my mom (and Grace who started it all) also got the flu while we were up there, it really must have been fun if we can laugh about the sickness and concentrate on the good times!

The girls were beyond excited for Camp this year.  It's fun to see/hear how they remember it now that we've been going for so long - this was Olivia's 5th year, Grace's 4th, and Grady's 1st.  Olivia and Grace were helpful little packers and were awesome on the car ride.  Grady was great too...especially considering I had him into the doctor before going to Northfield Friday afternoon because of a double ear infection.  He was quite the trooper considering that, two-teeth starting to show, and the longest car ride he'd ever been on!

 

Ready to go!

I'm very thankful that Grace's Thursday night flu was short-lived - she was her cheerful, sassy self pretty much the entire time.  Grace loved the beach (not the chilly water), the playground, and age group activities.  Usually the girls would have been together in a 4-5 age group setting, but because there were so many kids that age this year, they were in separate groups.  I was a little worried about this, but when I told them, Grace's response was, "That's fine with me."  Talk about seizing the moment.  Besides having a slight upset tummy, Olivia also had a great week.  It was great for me to see her comfort level heading off into age group activities, and I loved when I'd spy her out and about - she'd just wave and smile...a few years ago I'd hide when I saw her group anywhere because I worried she'd start crying!  Grace was the same when I'd see her - she'd run over, give me a kiss, wave, and run back to her group.  :)  Olivia definitely exercised her independence at camp - she thought she was hot stuff since she could find her way to most places by herself, and it made me smile to see her run ahead of us on the paths through camp.  Olivia loved the beach and the water (next year she wants to do the Polar Bear swim which means I'm going to have to do it too), the playground, and age group.  Both girls LOVED spending time at the Woitalla's cabin and getting special attention from their kiddos.

Grady was a sweetheart all week.  He did well with adjusting to a new location, and I was relatively happy with his sleeping.  He really enjoyed getting out and about in the stroller - he'd just coo and smile and everyone.  But, what really got him all excited was hanging in the Baby Bjorn - he'd just go nuts kicking and swinging his arms and legs.  I don't think anyone could walk past him without smiling at his total enjoyment of life! 

As always, many thanks to my mom, Mark, and Thyme for "dragging" us along and helping with the kiddos.  We had a blast and hope you did too!

Here's a recap of the week in pictures:

Clearly, the beach was a favorite spot!

 My mom, Grady, and I went for hike up to Ole' Baldy - beautiful spot!  Grady enjoyed it (but boy was carrying him tiring!) except for when I slipped on the way home...all was fine, but he didn't like the scare and didn't hesitate to let me know it!

 Only a shower in our cabin, but Grady LOVED his kitchen sink baths!

 Grady getting to know the Woitalla family.

Closing ceremony age group presentations.

Happy 6th Birthday Olivia Ann!

It's hard to believe that it's almost been a month since we celebrated Olivia's 6th birthday!  Where have the last few weeks gone...actually where have the last six years gone?  How is our little peanut a six-year old already?  We certainly had a fun time celebrating 6 fantastic years with Olivia!  She got to have a few friends over for some tie-dyeing and fun a few days before her birthday, and then we celebrated a little more as a family on her actual birthday by heading to the fair!

Here are a few pictures of her birthday celebrations...

And, here's a little letter from me to you, Miss Olivia:

Dear Livy,

On your birthday, I wrote on Facebook:  "Sweet, shy, silly, sassy, super - can you really be all these at once?  Of course!"  And, that's a true statement.  You truly are one super girl, and we love you so much!  It has been so fun for me to watch you grow and mature this past year.  While you still possess your shy smile and hesitant nature, your self-confidence has grown tremendously, and I'm so glad I see your determination and belief in yourself shining through.  You are a fantastic sister and friend, and I know it makes me sound like an overly proud mama, but people really enjoy being around you.

As a sister, you are endlessly patient (sometime too patient), nearly always willing to help (with both Grace and Grady), and very cooperative.  You are also a negotiator and compromiser - good skills to have! You sometimes get a little too confident with Grady liking to carry him around, bounce him, etc. like I do, but Grady doesn't seem to mind although we get worried about his safety sometimes!  Grady adores you and the fact that you let him pull your hair, bite your chin, and climb on you.  With Grace, you are often too nice and do what she wants even when I don't think you should give in.  You let her wear your clothes and go downstairs with her when she's "afraid" (I'm putting that in quotes because I think she's making her fear up).

 

While, you're are always looking out for both Grace and Grady, you also like to separate yourself as well.  You love the fact that you don't have to take naps any more though you often fall asleep anyways as I have you do at least 30 minutes of "quiet time" and that you've lost some teeth (you just lost your 3rd one today, and I have a picture of this but can't get it to download onto my computer for some reason), and you and I often share glances when Grace is being ridiculous about something or just trying to be bigger than she really is.  I don't know exactly how big you are (we have your 6-year-old check next week), but you're wearing size 11.5 shoes, size 5/6 pants (and some 6, though they're too big) and size 5/6 and some 6/7 shirts.

I think your growth in your self-confidence and independence coincides with all the things that you've done this past year - let's see if I can make a list of all you've learned: to tie your shoes and double knot them (apparently this is quite a big deal), to ride the bus to school, to read (though we're definitely still working on this) and write/spell, to do basic math, to hula hoop, to do the monkey bars like a speed demon backwards, sideways, skipping, etc., to ride your bike without training wheels (thank you Aunt Beth!), and to ride a 2-wheeled scooter.  I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot, but those are some big accomplishments.  In addition to doing these things, you love hanging out with the neighbor girls, going to the swimming pool, riding your bike around the block by yourself, watching TV (not my favorite pastime), playing tennis - especially with your new racquet, running around outside (the other day you asked me to take you for an actual 5 mile run - we may have to do this sometime though probably not for 5 miles!), and cuddling.  Speaking of - you are the best cuddler, and it makes both your dad and me so happy to snuggle you...though we do both certainly wish you'd stop sucking your thumb and carrying that darn blanket around!

You are very excited for school to start again.  You love Ms. Utoff who will be your first grade teacher, and can't wait to see Ms. Kuennen now that she's gotten married...apparently that makes you look different?  You say you'd like to be a mom and maybe a teacher when you grow up which makes me smile, of course.  Your best friend at school is Stella, but as we talk on a weekly basis about going to Canada to visit the Hodens, I know that Mya holds a very special part of your heart.  Maybe because of school or maybe just because, you've gotten very inquisitive.  I find myself trying to explain things to you that are hard for me to explain...like why is it dark where Tara lives when it's daytime where we live, why we don't have to be afraid of sharks - why sharks don't live in lakes - why sharks sometimes eat people (I have no idea where this shark thing started by the way), why God made a "bad (middle)" finger (this must have come from school?), and whether certain characters are "real" is Disney World.  You also like to know whether a book is fiction or nonfiction and who the illustrator is - I love that you use this word.

While we love you so much, neither your dad nor I will say you're perfect...could you please stop taking baby talk?  I have no idea why you started doing this, but seriously Liv...thankfully this seems to be stopping now that we've started calling you out about it.  You and I still have our battles in the morning about clothes too - you're as picky as ever about the way things feel, and I have a feeling we'll begin having some arguments again when it's time to get back into the school uniforms and socks/shoes.  We've also had quite a few discussions about wearing clean clothes...if you had your way, you'd wear your favorite outfits every.single.day.  You also like to see if we really mean it about not wearing your flip flops to bike...does it make me a bad person that I was secretly glad when you scrapped your toes after not listening a few weeks ago?  I think you got it because you didn't fuss much when usually a scrap is kind of a big deal in your world.

Despite these few "complaints," we certainly think you're a keeper!  My favorite part of your birthday this year was witnessing first-hand what a dare-devil you can be.  If someone would have told me two or three years ago, that our little Liv would be a ride-queen at the fair, I would have laughed!  But, dare-devil you certainly were and are!  While Grace watched, you went on the carousal (boring), the Tilt-o-whirl (fun), the Ferris wheel (exciting), bumper cars (awesome), and....the....Galaxy?  Shoot...I forgot the name of the ride, but whatever it was, it was for kids 48 inches tall (you're 43, 44 at most), and was a serious tummy turner!  And - you thought it was THE BEST EVER!  We waited in line for almost a 1/2 hour, and thankfully they let us on (and, yes, you were very safe!) because you cried when I told you we might not be able to! Your smile was a mile wide when we got going (though you did have a mini-panic when the shoulder harness didn't come down the very second you sat in your seat), and half-way through the ride, when I wasn't sure if I was going to handle it, you shouted "I love it!"  So awesome.  We went on it twice. You would have gone on it again, but I told you that we couldn't or I was going to puke.  :)  You did NOT want to leave the fair, and cried as we walked to the car...and, even though you were crying, I took it as a sign that you had had a great birthday (and were over-tired as it was almost 10 at night!).

Oh, Livy Ann, I know I could write so much more about you, but it'd all come back to one simple fact - you are a great girl, and we are so proud of you!

Love,
Mommy (or Mom as you almost always say)