Here we go!

Lots to catch up on!

Week after week of tagging along to the dance studio for Parker's lessons.  Week after week of asking when she would be able to dance.  "When you're three," I repeated 45245 times.  And finally, on this day, I didn't have to repeat myself.

Psyched? Not psyched? Hmmm

The tutus and all things girly.  Love love love.

Teagan was all talk at first.  When the moment came for her to walk into the studio by her lonesome the leg holding and tearing up started.  A quick kiss goodbye, an even quicker hug by the dance teacher and her cries quickly faded away. Whew! I am happy to report that now two months in and she's excited each week for her special class.

In other Teagan news, she turned three! I told her to stay two forever and in typical Teagan fashion, she didn't listen :-P   Teagan at age three is nothing but pure and utter goofiness.  This child will stop at nothing to make us laugh.  She is defiant as a means to be comical.  But she's also cuddly, so sweet to baby E, and plays SO well with Parker.  She likes to rough house and wrestle (for real!), will watch Miles from Tomorrowland, Jake, and Sofia for hours on end if we let her. and is a major fan of Jasmine, mik moss, cats and coconut milk.  Girl has curls for days, loves to paint, and loves even more to wash her hands in the sink and let the water keep running. Happy 3rd sweet T!

It hurts to even type this, but we had to say goodbye to our sweet Sydney earlier this month.  Our house feels so empty without her.  Coming home and not having 40lbs of fur waiting for us is nothing short of  heart wrenching.  Poor Parker has really been struggling. Daily she sobs, daily we hug and cry together, and daily we miss all things Syd.  This sucks.  

I can't even begin to post the pictures we have of Sydney's last day with us.  The emotions are too raw and that evening so sad and hard to acknowledge. One day maybe, but not today.

In non-depressing news...Emerson @ 5 months.  She is so.damn.adorable.

Our easy, sweet, smiley lil one is still a bundle of cuteness.  Emerson is really into rolling from back to belly, putting all toys in her mouth, having conversations with her sisters, cuddles, and not sleeping through the night.  While she'll sleep 12 hours a night, she wakes at least three times to eat.  Come on girl! Naps are random.  Some days she will nap for hours, other days it's filled with cat naps. Thankfully she's still very go with the flow.  Essential for a third baby!

Since P and T have birthdays so close and share so many of the same friends, a joint party was in order this year.  I let the kiddos pick the location and the decided on Bounce U, a huge indoor bounce house party zone.  Easy peasy so it definitely got my seal of approval. After hours of jumping we retreated home to open presents with family and neighbor friends.  All around a great success.

The birthdays kept coming and Parker turned five.  FIVE.  5.  I am in denial but she is pretty psyched.  Parker at five is a girl with a huge, caring heart.  Always willing to help, always ready to play by the rules that are set and listen.  I honestly could not imagine not having her helping hands day in and day out.  My sweet, delicate flower. 

I die at this picture.  What a perfect image of our insanely beautiful life, day in, day out.  

While we were blessed with many things good, the past month has been very trying for us as well. I am looking forward to embracing all things fall going forward, including cider mills, subdivision parties, trick or treating, and before we know it...Turkey Day.  And then DISNEY!! AHHHHH!