Claire received a beautiful priesthood baby blessing on February 7th. It was a special occasion, and we were grateful to have family join us. In the blessing, it mentioned her gift of being a happy soul. She really is happy and content most of the time!
Claire wore the same blessing dress that the other girls have worn, with a few alterations to update the look. She was beautiful! Of course, she threatened to have a "blow out" just minutes before the blessing. I was able to take care of it and walk back in to the meeting just in time for the blessing. Whew! And of course the other girls were on their worst Sunday behavior during the meeting, so I was just grateful to hear a few things that were said. It wouldn't be right if things went perfectly that day, would it?
I was especially grateful for our moms, who seemed to do all of the work in the kitchen, while we hosted much of our family for lunch. The Thatchers and Yorgasons always enjoy the chance to mingle and get reacquainted.
Bowling for the First Time
One of our favorite things about being a parent is introducing our children to new experiences. When we told them about bowling, they didn't seem too excited. But once we were there, they realized how fun it is. The girls loved bowling, even though it was a supreme test of taking turns. Grace makes sure to ask us often if we can go again. I'm not sure if they liked bowling or buying candy from the machines better. Oh, the joys of being young!
Ballerinas in the Making
The girls LOVE to dance, and recently, they have been doing ballet. So they were thrilled when a friend gave them her old leotards and skirts. Even though they haven't taken lessons, these girls can move! I attempted to get some pictures of them dancing, but now I can see that video would have captured the moment a lot better. Just imagine classical ballet music, a lot of smiles and twirls!.
Snuggles, Cuddles, & Loves
One of these girls is happy, and one isn't! I guess I need to capture more pictures of Claire smiling at the older girls. They play with her all day long and usually have her laughing and cooing...just not when they are holding her.
(this is our friend, Brooklyn. She LOVES to hold Claire!)
GRACE
Is so adorable, but still makes it hard to capture her cuteness on camera!
- Wants to have long braids like Millie in her hair (still an impossibility)
- Asks us every day if she can go to preschool when she is three.
- Is in and out of being potty-trained, but has shown that she will do it on her own timetable
- Sings "Doo-dee-doo-dee" to Claire, while she looks up Claire's nose to see if she has any "yuckies." We've taught Grace to just tell mommy or daddy, and we'll take care of it, but every once in a while, we still catch her with her finger up Claire's nose.
- Her prayers recently consist ONLY of the following things:"Thank you for we can go to Kangaroo Zoo; Thank you for we can go to Jim's Jungle Gym; Thank you for we can go bowling; Thank you for we can go to Chuck-E-Cheese" And when we don't mention those things, she is sure to give us a frown and tell us what we forgot to say!
- Has a brilliant mind and loves to learn!
MILLIE
Carries her pink purse (filled with lipsticks, phone, and jewelry) almost everywhere she goes
- Is currently trying to save up money to buy some new chapstick she saw at Wal-mart
- Asks for a "scary story" every night in bed
- Went to the dentist for the first time this week, and was SO brave! She was sure to get all the free items they could possibly give her, and with every one, she asked if she could get one to take home for Gracie as well. She is very thoughtful!
- She loves to sit at the counter while I work in the kitchen and do art. Her preschool teacher says that she is usually the last one at the table working on the art projects. She loves getting it just right!
