Flash Back 2011- April

 In April, I ran my first Half Marathon with my little brother (10 years younger). It was his first Half as well. He wasn't even winded, but he went slow so that he could run it with me. He'll never know how much that meant to me. He had such a great time he said "Let's do a FULL marathon." And we did... but that's coming in the October update. My mom flew out to cheer us on... yeah, she's awesome like that.

 I couldn't have trained without my wonderful husband taking care of our kids while I was out for my morning weekday runs or my long Saturday runs.

This picture pretty much captures the run. My brother wasn't even sweating and had a big grin on his face the whole time. I smiled for a good portion of the run, but towards the end I felt like I just given birth (and I looked like that, too). I learned you are only as limited as you allow yourself to be.

 Grandma Goldenstar made Fancy Nancy Robes for the girls. Gretters models her robe for the camera.

 The twins model their robes. Lady wanted fleece and a silky tie, while Bell wanted a silky robe with a fleece tie.

Here they are with the happy seamstress. When Gretters saw this picture she said "that was before I knew how to make happy faces." 

 15 months old! She likes to closely observe all that is going on around her (and believe me, there is A LOT). I was worried that she wasn't saying enough words, but the pediatrician told me not to worry as some children just have quiet personalities. What? Is that true?

She got her first tooth at 10 months and not many more five months later. She has four teeth: two on top, two on bottom, with another one working it way through on the top.

 Easter was in April in 2011. We usually color eggs and use them in our potato salad. This year we used a kit that tie-dyed them. They turned out really pretty and weren't messy because all they "coloring" happens in individual plastic bags. A win-win for all.

 Saturday morning the Easter Bunny hides plastic eggs in the yard. Baby E needed some prodding to get started. She sees the target...

 She takes it...

 Now what?

 "Wait... there's candy and little toys in these things?"

 What a great tradition!

 Tell me where the others are hiding!

 Gretters searches low

 ...and high

 until she fills her basket

 These girls are seasoned pros.

 Lady knows the types of places to look for eggs: high in tree branches, in flower pots, in bushes. No place is off limits for the Easter Bunny.

 Got it!

Bell quickly fills her basket.

 Easter photo... take 1. Uh oh, she's already going for the headband... this doesn't bode well. Pictured left to right: Bell, Lady, Baby E, Gretters

 Clip-on-bow successfully removed... but we know it won't stop there

 Headband successfully removed, but not without many tears and now a runny nose... not to mention that hair.  Gretters is mimicking the faces Mommy is making behind the camera to get the baby to smile.

 After several more photos, we still couldn't get her to smile.

 Okay... let's just take a picture of the three older girls. "Gretters, can you try and make a natural face?"

 I guess we should have described what type of natural face we wanted. Here's the first one she gave us.

 Here's the second. All "natural" faces to be sure.

And that's a wrap!

2011 Flashback to March

In March, Grandma Goldenstar flew out for a fancy Persian wedding. Mommy got to be Grandma's escort  because Papa couldn't go. We sat next to the General Relief Society President of the LDS church at the reception. We felt like celebrities. 

 Here is one of the beds we slept in at our 5 Star hotel. I wish I had taken more pictures. We ate at a fancy restaurant and lived like Cinderella for a weekend.

Baby E became a full fledged walker by March and had the many head bruises to prove it. There was a period of several weeks where she went from bruise to bruise to bruise on her head. It was kind of weird when they went away for good... like losing a birthmark.

 14 Months Old

2011-- Flashback to February

 February is the month of love, and there is a whole lot of it in our house

 For Valentine's Day I made whole wheat blender pancakes (one of the girls' favorites) and dressed them up a bit for the holiday. The girls loved them.

 The twins made home-made valentines for their kindergarten class. Valentine pencils made for an arrow through each heart.

 Of course, there was lots of crafting in February... castles to be painted, princesses to be created.

 ...and tea parties. I walked into the girls' room to find this little scene. Two words: prec-ious!

 On February 12th, Lady decided it was time to cut off her long locks. Her first reason: her long hair made her neck hot. The second reason: she wanted to be different from her sister

 So cute!

 Tink licks the beater clean

...which is more than I can say for her cute little face

2011-- E's Turns 1

 Mullet be gone... her first hair cut.

 Sitting in G's new booster chair in the new outfit Great Grandma and Grandpa got her for her birthday

 She took her first TWO steps on her big day

 The homemade-from-scratch strawberry cupcakes. There was real strawberries in the batter and the frosting (which tasted like strawberry ice cream... I can't even remember how many sticks of butter I used for these cupcakes.. 3.. 4?).

 The cupcake chefs

 In her outfit that her cousins sent her

This little lady likes to keep her hands clean. Happy First Birthday, Little E!