Four years of sunshine: Happy Birthday Kate!

Starting the day with rainbow pancakes with Mama T, Luke and Mom (Dad will be home tonight though!)

Birthday celebration at school.  I have made four whole trips around the sun on this earth!

Dinner celebration with the Robbs at Maudie's (I got to pick anyplace I wanted!)

And chocolate rainbow cake.  We love it!!

We all love Maudie's, as a matter of fact

Love all of these folks.  A lot.

And home to open presents.  A SCOOTER!  "SWEET!" (This is my new exclamation of excitement.)

Happy Birthday, indeed.

On January 31, 2008, we met you for the first time.  Only seconds after you were born, I heard you cry.  It was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard and will remember that moment for the rest of my life.  What was both awe-inspiring and indescribably peaceful was that I was sure I recognized your voice.  It was completely new yet amazingly familiar.  I suppose that is what it is like to love you like we do.  Although we were holding you for the first time, you were always meant to be.  You remind us of why that is every single day.  Four years later, I am so proud of the independent, sweet, strong-minded, beautiful little person that you have become.  The time has flown by, but there are certain moments that will always be suspended in time.   You make us proud when you count, write, read, spell, paint (your mermaids have gotten especially detailed and fantastic), when you show kindness and compassion to other people and animals, and when you say please and thank you, especially when you say it in your prayers.   You make us laugh with your love of mermaids, unicorns, rainbows, pretending you are a baby cat/peacock/unicorn/puppy/mermaid.  You make us crazy with your strong-will that sometimes won't allow us to help you put on your shoes or draw a picture.  You make us better by reminding us to be kind, patient, and to take time to smell the roses and just play.  I love to sing to you "You are my sunshine" because I can't think of a better way to describe what you have brought into our lives: light, love, warmth and life.  We love you, Kate, more than you may ever understand.  Happy 4th birthday to our curly blonde-haired, green-eyed, sensitive, loving, precocious, and bright little ray of sunshine.

Love, Mom and Dad

Blackjack babies

Picnic with Popo

Three of our new pretty babies.

And the prettiest baby of all.

Luke is so very close to talking these days.   But never has he tried so hard to utter a word: Cuh, Cuh, Cuh... What he means to say, is "cow".  He LOVES the cows.  And it just so happens to be calving season out at Blackjack and right now we have five new pretty babies that he is obsessed with.  He just points and leans as if to say, "Take me over there!  Let me pet them!"  So this weekend we finally gave him his chance.  We hand fed the cows so that Luke could get his hands on them.  He loved it!  His eyes were wide and his face showed absolute amazement.  I think we have ourselves a little cowboy, folks.

Somewhere over the Rainbow: Turning Four

Getting the party started with a swing into the foam pit.

Crash landing

Mama T and Luke LOVED the slide

Bailey and me.  Love her.

Showing off my balancing skills.

Posing with Daddy.  Nice hat, by the way.

And now: snacks.

Group shot.

Just after I blew out my candles.  You didn't think I was going to waste any icing, did you?

Mmmmmm.  Cupcakes.

What color is my tongue, Lillian?

Lillian and Kate: fellow January babies

Well, NOW what color is my tongue Lillian?  Wait, what color is YOUR tongue?

Party favors!

Bridal barbie from Gigi.  Yay!

The World Map puzzle from the Swaneys.  I love Geography.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.

When Mom asked me this year what kind of birthday party I wanted, without hesitation, I jumped up and down and yelled, "RAINBOW!"  So, on Saturday I celebrated my birthday with my family and friends at Roly Pollies with a Rainbow Birthday party.  I invited my family friends and for the first time, my school friends, so we had a big crowd!  First we jumped around for an hour in the gym.  I spent a lot of time in the foam pit.  Then it was time for sandwiches, goldfish and rainbow cupcakes.  This year when everyone sang "Happy Birthday", I didn't even cry!!  We sent our friends home with rainbow crayons and rainbow doodle books and when I got home it was time to open presents!  I got lots of crafts, games, puzzles, and mermaid and unicorn toys.  (Those are REALLY big around here right now.) Thanks to all of my family and friends who helped me celebrate!  I had so much fun.

Please forgive our hiatus....

But here is what we have been up to:

I do a lot of "getting married".  

Willie's is on "cage rest" because he hurt his back.  But sometimes we like to kick him out so that we can play in his cage.

The weather has been beautiful lately!  We have been playing in the sandbox,

and playing ball,

and picnic-ing.  Here we are at Zilker Park.

I took my first bus ride with Uncle John's track team.

And went to my first basketball game where I posed for a picture with the YHS cheerleaders.

I have spent some time fishing at Blackjack,  but more on that later.

Happy New Year!

Doing boy stuff.

Nurse Mary and Dr. Kate

Mary, John and Luke.  I love these guys so much it is ridiculous.

Tonight we are recovering from a fun celebratory New Year weekend.  We spent New Year's Eve out at Kevin and Fabiola's farm in New Braunfels with LOTS of cousins!!  There were 9 of us all together (Me, Luke, Bailey, Benjamin, Teagan, William, Hannah, Riley and Maddie)  and we had loads of fun.  We ran around outside, rode around in the Polaris, and played board games.  That night, our parents went out to dinner and then to Gruene Hall and we stayed with two fun babysitters and had our own little party.  On New Years Day we drove back home and guess who was here waiting for us?  Mary and Luke!!  They had been at our house overnight watching our dogs and they stayed an extra night just to hang out with us!  I had tons of fun showing them my new Christmas presents and I especially liked showing them my new doctor coat.  I healed many ailments that poor Mary had.  And they brought Baby Luke and me even more Christmas gifts.  He got the cutest hat and mittens and I got some great princess stuff and ARIEL PAJAMAS.  I just finished wearing them for 24 hours straight!  They also gave us both some silly burnt orange t-shirts but that color doesn't look good on either of us......I also got to see Mary's brother John, (who I MIGHT have a little bit of a crush on) and Mary's friends Brooke, Katie, and Chance. I like them a lot.  Today I was sad for the party to end, but I think we will all sleep really well tonight.  Happy 2012!