Dear Annie,

Oh my little Donk. Just thinking of you brings a smile to my face. I love everything about you and all that you are. I love that you love being older. You just turned 6 years old last week and it was so fun watching you get excited about your day. You are so special to me Annie. I love the way you run and hug me. I love how you have to give me two hugs and two kisses before you go to school. I love how independent you are and how eager you are to try new things. You really are an amazing daughter. You love being with your family and are always so concerned that we are all ok and together.

Some of the things that you are up to right now...
-You are getting so good at reading. You kindergarten teacher is always telling me how smart you are and how you catch on to things so quick. You really do and I love watching as you are figuring out the whole reading thing. You are really good at it.
-You have no front, top teeth right now and I love calling you toothless. You pulled out your last 3 teeth during Sacrament meeting. Everyone around is always shocked that you do it by yourself and how determined you are to get them out.
-You love to color and draw. You will spend hours doing this.
-You are so good with Barry. He loves to play catch with you and I think you finally found someone who shares your love of jumping with.
-You love doing your chores and earning tickets. But even if you didn't get tickets, you would still love doing your chores. I hope you don't ever grow out of this.

You mean the world to me and I am so lucky to be your Mom. I love you to the moon and back first.

Love always, Mom

Dear Hallie,

I have been looking at you lately and am in disbelief at how big and grown up you are getting. You will be turning 8 in April and you are so excited to get baptised. We have been having lots of conversations about this and to tell you the truth, I think you know more about baptism then I do! I can't wait for that day to come and to see you in all white. You bring so much joy to my life and I can't tell you enough how much you mean to me. I feel so blessed to have you as my first child. You are the biggest helper around the house and you are so fun to hang out with. I love having girls.
Some of the things you are up to right now....
-You just got your ears pierced. We went to the mall and had them done and I had to hold you on my lap cause you were so scared (it was your idea to get them, I promise!) and after getting them done we went to play at the play area. You played for about 23 seconds and then came and sat by me and Dad. You crossed your legs, looked at me and said "I just feel to big for this place now."
-You love school and love to talk about everything that goes on during the day with your friends. I think you even have a couple of crushes on some boys but you won't come out and tell me. You just grin and giggle sometimes.
-You can do your own hair now and you are getting really good at it. It still surprises me when you come out all ready for school by yourself.
-You are reading the Book of Mormon with Dad and Annie everynight. You remember a lot about it and are always asking important questions.
-You are also a pro at reading now. You read to Barry and Natalie all the time.

I love you so much and hope you always remember how wonderful and special you are!


Love always, Mom

Update

Wow, has it really been that long since I have updated? I honestly don't know where the Holiday season went. It feels like we were just having Halloween and now we are in the new year.
Here are a few pictures of us celebrating the Christmas season:

Christmas Morning shots
Could there be a happier face out there? I don't think so.



We started a new tradition this year with the girls. On the 23rd we have a sleepover by the Christmas tree and watch a Christmas movie together. I don't know who had more fun, the girls or mom and dad. Sidenote...I have no idea what is going on with my hair in this shot.





We made Gingerbread Trains this year. It was a blast making them and who knew that Barry was so good at this? He loved every minute of it and everyone agrees that he did the best job. All mom helped with was the frosting and he did the rest.


Loved the face on this one
Here is Natalie doing what she does best...walking away from Mom! She is getting so big and I just can't get enough of her. She is the sweetest, craziest little thing you will ever meet!

Happy Birthday Barry!

Dear Buddy,
Oh how I love you. You are the best little guy around...bar none. Yes you cry and you whine and you hit your sisters and you tell me no to everything and you won't eat anything healthy for you...but none of that matters cause you smile at me and you hug me and you giggle with me and you let me read to you all the time and you get excited over the simplest things and you are just the best cuddler ever.

Your Favorite things list as of now:
trains
cars 2 (the movie)
toy cars
your binky and blankee
chocolate milk
teebee (t.v. which is dora the explorer and go diego go)

You have the cutest little language right now. Everything starts with a h. For example:
Hunny = funny
hart = fart
hawry = sorry
hars = cars

But mostly you are just so polite. You tell me and everyone thank you and always follow it with our name - thank you mom or thank you bubba or thank you christine. You are very good at saying sorry when you do something wrong and you are always making sure everyone is ok if they fall or get hurt... You ok mom? or you love to tell me that you are ok when you fall...I ok Mom!

I love coming in in the morning to get you out of bed (yes, you still stay in bed unless I come get you and you love to sleep til 8 or so) I always here your little voice say "I wake mom" "it morning now?" It is really the cutest thing ever. I love you buddy and hope you stay this sweet forever.

Halloween Warner Style

We had a great Halloween this year. Of course, you saw that we actually decorated for it and it somehow made the whole thing a little more magical. Yes, I just said magical and was referring to Halloween. Our AWESOME friends, the Millers, put on a great Halloween party. And we were told that if we didn't dress up, then we could eat no food. Bummer, I had to dress up. My kids thought it was the best to have Mom and Dad dressed up with them. I have to admit, it was really fun. So food, games, and lots of good company made for the best Halloween party ever.

This is the only picture I could get of Annie, she was running to fast. Playing pin the smile on the pumpkin...thing she is a little off?
She was the most adorable strawberry ever. I just love that smile.
Same as Annie, running and playing to much to stop for a picture.
The top half of my pirate costume.
A little scary, I know. He just wanted to have hair for one night.

The mean and scary witch.Line up of most of the girls at the party! Funny how my kids just can't smile for a picture.

And what would Halloween be without the fantastic school parade. This was the first year for Annie and she loved it. Hallie ran by me so fast I couldn't get a picture without her being blurry or looking the other way. Oh well, it was fun just seeing them and being a part of their fun day.

Annie always seems to have 2 or 3 costumes every year. Here she is as the Winter Belle.

Annie's First surgery

Annie had what they call trigger finger. It is a very common thing in a lot of children but it is usually in the thumb. She had it on her left middle finger. We decided to get it taken care of while she was young and not wait for it to get worse. She was a champ and did so good. Tyler took her cause they had to be there at 6 am and we didn't want to wake all the kids. Plus, lets just admit that I am a wimp when it comes to things like that and probably would have passed out at some point.

They put her completely under anesthesia so all she remembers is playing games with dad and then them having her blow into a balloon! When she woke up she was a little out of it and was mad that she had a cast on her! Once she fully woke up she was the super champ again and we got to go home quickly after.

Her favorite part was that her bear "Lizzy" got a cast too and was able to stay with her the whole time. The Hospital was so good to her. They gave her polly pockets at the end for being so brave! She was thrilled. I think her fear of doctors might be over!