The Tall Tales of Little Lucy

Guest Post: Judah aka Little Brother

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

The other night the sisters and I were out for a

night on the town.

It was pretty great.

It doesn't happen often,

but when we get out,

we live it up!

This night was no different.

Dinner was caught, cooked, and served

by my big sister, Elly.

And then the show...

oh, the brilliant talent of my sister, Lucy,

is almost too much to handle.

It was gripping!

I was so caught up in that I didn't realize that

we actually were not out on the town,

nor were we alone.

Our mom had actually just taken us to Exploration Place

(which I must say was a bit of a relief...

I mean, look how intense my agony was!).

Once I realized that,

I really had some fun!

And apparently the sisters already

knew about all the fun that could be had!

So much so,

that Lucy actually hung her head in sorrow

when we had to leave.

Over and out!

The Royal Party and a Dancin' Queen

2012-01-26T22:26:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend,

we attended a Royal Birthday Party.

As you can see,

little brother is already quite a snazzy little fella.

The sis and I put on our finest dress-up clothes,

donned ourselves with the family jewels,

and helped Mommy glitz up our crowns

(toilet paper rolls and glitter paint!).

There was a princess cake,

frog cupcakes,

Pin the Lips On the Frog,

a castle to play in...

goodness,

just remembering it gets me excited!

It was a blast.

For those of you who don't know me well...

I love to dance.

Little Sis and I have dance parties regularly and

one of our favorite songs is Funkytown.

I needed some new moves though,

so check these out!

I like to turn around a lot to make sure that Mommy sees me.

I am really enjoying this class...

even more, the tap shoes that I get to stomp around in!

Our Whirlwind of Fun

2012-01-15T22:33:00.000-06:00

Well, since you've last heard from me,

we've had a wedding;

acquired an Aunt;

hung out with Charli girl and Lina Jane;

celebrated Christmas;

found some cool things while walking through town;

and I began my dance class

(which you will more than likely be hearing about

for the next ten weeks...

because I LOVE it.).

Be back soon!

Note From Mom

2011-12-14T00:08:00.000-06:00

So much LIFE has been happening around here!

Give us a week or so

and it will be like we were here the whole time!

But just in case...

Art class, a giant Polar bear, and great friends

2011-11-08T15:27:00.000-06:00

I am LOVING my art class

(I signed up for another session).

My instructor is so creative and is teaching us all kinds of really cool things to do.

Last week, we painted with vegetables.

We used potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, onions, cauliflower, and celery.

I really like painting.

I actually love painting.

So I thoroughly enjoyed this class time.

I also may have tasted the vegetables once I painted them.

And at the end we made a cool little portfolio to put our work in.

Prepping the potato with a little green and blue paint.

Prepping the cauliflower.

I had a smorgasbord of paint.

These little spots of paint on my face are apparently what gave me away in my taste-testing efforts...
and the fact that Mommy knows I put EVERYTHING in mouth just to test it out.

Vegetable paintings

Does anyone remember the Knights and Princess of R Street Castle??

Well, there's now another princess and a lot of fun going on.

My family decided to meet up with them (and their parents!) midway from both of our residences and we somehow ended up in a zoo... which was fitting.

This is who greeted us:

Ella was always ready with a pose and a great smile.

Ella and Elly

Baby brother... oh wait! That's not my brother, that's a baby orangutan.

This is Isaac.
He kept trying to hold my hand.
I really didn't want him holding my hand...
however, I did let him cozy up next to me.

There are two babies missing from this shot.
But do notice the kangaroos in the background... with no fence.

This is inside the Polar Bear exhibit where you can see him being fed.

And he can come say hello.

And show off his HUGE paws.

We had so much fun;

a timely little adventure when looking for a place to dine for dinner

(our GPS somehow managed to find TWO carry-out only pizza shops, however we didn't know this until we arrived!);

and free cookies for dessert.

It was such a great trip.

I get it from my Momma...

2011-10-21T23:50:00.002-05:00

We were at my cousin's house the other night having a fun family dinner.

When my cousin, Taylor, and I were finished we decided to go inside and play.

We may have found her mom's make-up bag.

And I may have used her mascara.

I can't help it!

It's in my genes.

My mommy is a mascara/lip gloss junkie.

So, really... what do you expect??

An afternoon at the movies... or the porch.

2011-10-15T02:30:00.001-05:00

Movie out on the front porch?

Yeah, sometimes that's how we roll.

Art Class

2011-10-15T02:28:00.000-05:00

Does anyone remember when I said I was going to be starting an Art Class back in March??

Well... it was cancelled.

There apparently weren't enough kids signed up.

But I didn't let that get me down!

Mommy and I just got a little creative and made our OWN art class...

out in Daddy's garage.

I painted and did some crafty things.

But then a new semester of classes were beginning,

so we tried again.

And this time, there were plenty signed up!

It was a five week class where we molded clay,

painted,

drew all kinds of things,

used scissors and glue...

my kind of thing.

I loved it.

Here are a few samples of my work:

(These aren't currently for sale,

but if you see something that you just have to get your hands on,

let me know and we can probably work out a deal.)

There are a few other workshops being offered,

so you may be seeing more of my work soon.

A magical evening at home...

2011-09-26T21:59:00.000-05:00

I was standing by the fence checking things out in the neighborhood. Mommy has taught me well... we're basically the Neighborhood Watch Crew.

Then Elly and I took a journey into an enchanting forest.

When I wasn't looking, Elly went back for more!

We got a little fishin' in tonight.

Judah got in on the action, too.

And then we laughed and laughed and laughed at our Daddy, but that's pretty much a daily thing around here.

Oh yes, it's that time again!

2011-09-26T12:55:00.000-05:00

This last weekend was the kick-off to the

MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!

And so, of course, we all know that means a trip out to the pumpkin patch.

It was a blast, as usual...

The horse swing that I rode and yee-hawed all the way!

Elly wasn't sure at first, but she ended up really liking it.

The BIG slide! As you can see, we loved this.

Oh! Look at Grandpa and my baby brother... so sweet.

Growing!

This is the headless horseman that showed up as we were finding our pumpkins.

Daddy and me finding the perfect pumpkin.

The family!
Aunt Anna and my little baby cousin (she's still being knit together, but she's almost here!!) were out of town this year and we missed her.

Elly, Haley, and Uncle Bryan

Elly liked the jumping pillow... as long as Mommy was holding her tight!

So, as you can see, when I said it was a blast, it really WAS A BLAST!!

Happy Birthday, Elly Belly!!

2011-08-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

Elly's birthday date

2011-08-26T16:44:00.000-05:00

Little Sis is going to be TWO on the 28th.

TWO! Unbelievable.

Her and Mommy went on a birthday date today, while I hung out with Great Grandma (which is almost just as fun as a birthday date). Since I wasn't invited, I don't REALLY know what went on, but these pictures look as though she got her money's worth!

A Note From Mom:

First off, that big smile while sitting in the car seat is because that's actually Big Sister's car seat, which Elly sits in every chance she gets if Lucy isn't with us! Then off to Knolla's for some breadsticks and pizza and a little drive through their arcade. Elly received a coupon to the B & N Cafe to pick out a birthday treat (we're members of the Kid's Club at Barnes and Noble and the kid's get coupons on their birthdays for free treats... and a lot of other things throughout the year, too!), so she picked out her own M & M bar and highly enjoyed it!

Elly has such an old soul and has always reminded me of a little old lady. She has such a tender heart for others and on the other side of the spectrum is the orneriest little thing you'll ever meet! She has a heart to serve and bless others, just like her Daddy, and it's so sweet (and incredible) to witness these moments. She's just such a beautiful little person already. She hasn't quite mastered speaking the English language yet, but she's an incredible communicator (which excites me to see how her Creator will use that in her life!). And she's potty-training herself, which is good, because I lose almost all patience in the potty training stage of life.

But I just can't get enough of this little lady.

My Summer Favorites Round-Up

2011-08-23T23:54:00.000-05:00

Obviously, number one on the list...

anything to do with water;

hanging out with sis, and snuggling baby brother;

Haley.

We've had a fun, eventful, HOT Summer around here. Baby brother is growing, smiling, cooing, and basically being awesome. Little sis is almost two and takes after Mommy showing signs of a true DIY-er potty training herself. And me... well, I'm soaking in every little thing I hear and see; asking questions and seeking answers; doing whatever it takes to make Mommy laugh; wrestling Daddy every night before we read our books and pray; learning compassion; asking for forgiveness (sometimes hitting Elly IS the answer... in the heat of the moment); singing at the top my lungs anytime we're in the car; being a superhero one minute and a princess the next... just really REALLY loving life.

And I hope you are, too.

New! Downing Children's Garden @ Botanica

2011-08-15T14:42:00.001-05:00

Okay, to say my mommy was excited about this is kind of an understatement. She COULD NOT wait for this place to open. And then when it did finally open... guess where she was?? In a hospital. However, she was with a REALLY cute little snuggly baby, so she didn't mind too much.

We were able to make it over there last week with Great Grandma and a few cousins and seriously had a blast! That little squirrel welcomes you as you walk under rainbows of light towards a beautiful garden full of wonder and delight... oh, I rhymed, hehehe. Plus there's water... and you know how little sis loves that water. We really did have so much fun and I can't wait to go back!!

Oh yeah, and another thing...

check out Mommy's new blog:

www.she-laughs.blogspot.com

Note From Mom:

This is SUCH a great place!! I'm considering getting a membership... that's how great it is!

Although on Thursdays it's $3 admission for everyone 2 and over, 2 and under are free.

And, yes! Check out MY new blog. :)

Summer Rain

2011-07-29T15:56:00.000-05:00

"How beautiful is the rain!

After the dust and the heat

In the broad and fiery street

In the narrow lane

How beautiful is the rain!'

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Summer Rain

He's made it a month! (Well... he's gotta make it one more day!)

2011-07-29T14:15:00.000-05:00

Oh goodness! Look at that sweetness!

And he's VERY kissable!

We get to keep him?!?!

Well, little brother has made himself quite at home here in our little world. And it's wonderful. He's a really good little baby for Mommy, which means Elly and I can be just a little bit more naughty and it all evens out. At least that's how I look at it.

One of the best parts of the day is when...

2011-07-12T22:04:00.000-05:00

... we let off a little steam before we go to bed.

Of course, that means taking it out on Daddy.

He doesn't mind... not one bit.

Baby JUDAH is here!!!!!!!!

2011-07-02T22:48:00.001-05:00

And everything about him is wonderful.

Judah Michael Strain

9 lbs 5 oz 19 1/2 in. long

Born 6/30/2011

Being a flower girl is just as fun as it sounds!

2011-06-19T22:50:00.000-05:00

So, after I took in all the sights of Florida, it was time for the main event. The event I had been rehearsing for over and over for months.

It was my time to walk down the aisle in my beautiful dress and high heels and fill the world with flowers!

It was a pretty great time, I must say.

So, if anyone is in need of a flower girl anytime soon... I can help you out, because I'm basically a pro.

Oh yeah... did I mention that Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse showed up at the reception?!?!?

I had such a blast, but I was so glad to be home to my little green house... and my own little bed.

Just a little trip...

2011-06-19T22:27:00.001-05:00

Quite a few months ago my cousin Haley and I were asked to be flower girls in my cousin Stephanie's wedding. And the wedding was to be held in FLORIDA! So, Mommy and Daddy (AND Grandpa, AND Uncle Wes, Aunt Lisa, and Haley, AND Uncle Bryan and Aunt Anna) all began talking about whether or not this could happen. And eventually, somehow everything came together and we made it! So, we decided to go out early and take in a few of the sights!

A little Magic Kingdom, a little Epcot Center, and THE OCEAN!

And it was incredible.

Here I am on the plane ride. I packed a little backpack full of stuff to keep myself busy.

We left pretty early... 6:20 in the morning... so Elly was pretty tired and just let Daddy hold her.

Catching up on some reading...

On my way to the Magic Kingdom or Cinderella's Castle as I liked to refer to it!

Being shuttled from the parking lot to the entrance.

Oh man... I could not wait!!!

I loved the Carousel. I loved the spinning Tea Cups. I loved the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Snow White's Scary Adventures, It's a Small World, the Country Bear's Jamboree, Peter Pan's Flight, and the Pirate's of the Caribbean.
I loved it all.

Aaahh... the ocean.

I could have stayed here all day.

So, basically I had a blast. And this was just the beginning. More to come on the wedding!

What the what?!?!?

2011-06-19T21:56:00.000-05:00

Has it seriously been OVER A MONTH since I have filled you in on my life??? Please accept my sincerest apologies as I really have no excuse. Sure, I've been busy. And my mommy is quite pregnant and she is the one who takes all the pictures for this little blog. But still... no excuse.
Here's a little randomness from May:

Our sprinkler made it's first appearance and we can't get enough.
(Although, just recently, my big cousin Haley bought us a little pool that we REALLY can't get enough of!)

One day Elly decided she wasn't going to take a nap so she just rested with me and we had a grand time watching Yogi Bear and eating snacks in our little nest of coziness.

School got out, which means Haley is with us everyday.
I love it. LOVE it!

My cousin, Taylor, had a dance recital. This is her monkey costume.
I really liked it.

Afternoons have been nice just relaxing out in the yard and going for walks through the neighborhood with Haley.

So, as you can see, it's pretty much business as usual around here.

Exploring...

2011-05-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

Elly and I were out exploring the other day.

What do we see?

Ooh... an old empty mine shaft.
Elly wanted to explore inside, but then...

We saw this tiger!
He was quite tame so we rested for a bit with him.

Sometimes Elly just pokes people or animals in their eyes.

Baby Brother update

2011-04-26T01:24:00.001-05:00

Just a little over two months before baby brother gets here.

And for anyone interested...

our little friends, Charlotte and Bellina Brunk, should be here by the end of the week!!!

AND...

my Aunt Anna and Uncle Bryan are having a baby!

BABIES!!!

We LOOOOOOOOOVE babies

so we're obviously a little excited over here!

I guess we're just naturals...

2011-04-26T01:17:00.000-05:00

"Having adventures comes natural to some people", said Anne serenely.

"You just have a gift for them or you haven't."

Anne of Avonlea

Coloring eggs

2011-04-26T00:55:00.000-05:00

Daddy was excited to color Easter eggs with us this year.

Mommy, who spends a good 12 hours with us each day and knows just exactly how we do things, decided to sit back and photograph the wonderfulness that took place.

Elly observed as I dipped my first egg and prepared herself for hers.

Elly + tiny bowls of colored water + hard-boiled eggs to DROP into the water...
yeah, definitely her kind of project!

Waiting.

Me, counting;
Elly, just being Elly.

Still waiting.

Passing the time with a little matching game that was included in our coloring set.

Our first batch out and beginning the second batch.

Basically a pro at this point.

Our beautiful little gems which Elly would later enjoy smashing between her hands.

Tuppence a bag...

2011-04-26T00:43:00.000-05:00

"Feed the birds, tuppence a bag,

tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag..."

Yep, that's me... the Little Old Bird Woman.

I've been quite interested to know what certain animals eat lately, and for several days I was on a bird kick. So, Mommy found a simple recipe for me to actually make my own bird feeder.

A Note From Mom:

We chose a recipe that didn't include peanut butter as little sis is allergic to the nut! It still produced a glorious, gooey mess.

Start with a pack of non-flavored gelatin and water

Add a little light corn syrup

Pour in some flour

Add your bird seed mix

Stir together

Move to a place where you can really make a mess

Gather your coolest cookie cutters and squish the mix into them

Let dry overnight

We also put a pipe cleaner through each of these so we could easily hang them around our yard (which Daddy was super excited about! We're putting them where the birds usually congregate anyway, so there shouldn't be any more of a mess than usual.).

This was a fun little project for little sis and I. Okay, it was REALLY fun for Elly, who LOVES to make a mess. Mommy finally had to pick her up and hose her down.

My new neighbor

2011-04-26T00:12:00.001-05:00

This is Shadow.

There's nothing better than a puppy!

Officially a chef!

2011-04-26T00:07:00.000-05:00

My Little Chef class has ended and I must say I did enjoy it!

I now know everything that you can possibly make with Pillsbury dough. :)

I have to hand it to Miss Molly who somehow managed sometimes up to 13 three to five year olds for an hour, smashing their hands in dough, running around the room, laughing, crying, and really enjoying themselves.

We were asked to keep our hands to ourselves, so I certainly did.

Preparing Rice Krispie treats.

Trying not to get sticky while I eat it.
I do not mind getting down and dirty... but sticky... eh, no thanks.

Making myself a delicious cheese pizza.

Getting ready to make Monkey Bread, my favorite class, by far!

(This class period ended up running 45 minutes over because the Monkey Bread took much longer than Miss Molly thought it would. 45 minutes over + six very wild boys (and a few cute little girls) = CHAOS... PURE CHAOS.)

Making Pigs-In-A-Blanket

That's one of the wild boys in the background... his name is Edward, and I did enjoy his antics.

Overall, this was a really fun class!

I'm beginning an art class soon which I am SUPER excited about... so look forward to that!

Here I am!

2011-04-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

And here's little sis, too.

We've had lots going on, and there are many photos...

for another day!

Mommy is feeling pretty good these days.

Baby brother is growing, moving, and getting ready!

Three more months.

Mrs. Brunk, this is for you!

2011-03-24T21:48:00.000-05:00

I hope your babies are being nice to you.

And I can't wait to meet them!

Oh, yeah... and thanks for my apron!! I wore it to my Little Chef class and was the talk of the town.

Sisters... sisters...

2011-03-24T21:44:00.000-05:00

All kinds of weather, we stick together, the same in the rain or sun
Two diff'rent faces, but in tight places, we think and we act as one...

Just another day in my life...

2011-03-17T20:57:00.000-05:00

Pigtails... in every shape and size.

Uncle Jonny and his giiiiiirlfriend, Alina (yeah, sorry ladies, he's taken now!)

were unable to make it to my birthday party this year. So, I made a deal with Uncle Jonny that I would not take offense as long as he promised to take me to the park when he was here.

Well... HE'S HERE this week!

So, He, along with Uncle Joel (yeah TWO uncles!) took Taylor and I to the park.

Here we are preparing for our trek to the park.

Here Uncle Joel is chasing us as Uncle Jonny runs backwards.
Oh, our uncles... so great.

After I came back from the park, I rested for a tad bit and then decided that I just really needed to get myself back outside.

Here's my usual route when enjoying the world around me.

Up the hill.

Up the tree.

Down the other side of the hill.
(Look at little sister... she does everything I do.)

Picking "berries" for dinner.

Still picking.

Standing on top of the culvert.

Looking for the troll that lives in the culvert.

Yelling "Hello in there!!!!" into the culvert.

Walking through the field hand in hand spotting Daddy's car as he makes his way home from work.

Just loving life...

Chef Lucy at your service!

2011-03-15T22:55:00.000-05:00

Today, I began my apprenticeship as a chef.

Well, perhaps "apprenticeship" is not the correct term.

Today was my first day in my Little Chef's class and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

This is my teacher, Miss Molly.

We learned how to properly wash our hands.

This is me running back to the table after I washed my hands.

Getting my dough to make Cinnamon Sugar Biscuits.

Flattening it out to put cinnamon and sugar on it.

Sneaking cinnamon and sugar after I gave Miss Molly my biscuit.

Waiting for my biscuit to bake and entertaining my classmate, Addie.

This boy was dunking his trash into the trashcan and I enjoyed it.

Then I cleaned my space.

And then I enjoyed my biscuit.
(Also, just a side note... these boys in the background are wild, not really naughty, just wild. Basically, they're just boys.)

Mmm! Mmm!

My new wagon!

2011-03-15T21:40:00.000-05:00

We love to ride together.

Elly loves to pull me.

I love to pull Elly.

Ring around the rosey...

2011-03-15T21:29:00.000-05:00

"It's a beautiful day to have a smoothie outside, Mommy."

2011-03-11T23:22:00.000-06:00

And it really was.

We love smoothies. We ask to make one everyday.

On this particular day it really was so beautiful outside that I had to suggest that we combine two of the things we love most.

So, we made our smoothies, found a little spot outside and made ourselves comfortable.

Sweetness

2011-03-11T23:10:00.000-06:00

Sometimes we're just sweet.

I love new toys.

2011-03-11T23:06:00.000-06:00

Recently, we were given this.

It makes awesome stuff like this.

And we also just like to sculpt.

This is my sculpture of Tig, my dog.

Elly, in true Elly spirit, puts it in her mouth.

And then just laughs and laughs.

Back.

2011-03-03T14:04:00.000-06:00

This was my life all last week... basically just walking around in a fog.
Mommy and I were SO sick. Daddy and Elly were a little bit sick; it seemed to work through their systems much more quickly.

But this week, we're back to our little fishing hole...
it's actually our front porch, but we like to pretend.

This day in particular was SO BEAUTIFUL!

We could not get enough of it!

Elly was so happy to see dirt that she literally had to...

eat it.

And she's always looking for Tig...
she LOVES Tig.

Baby Brother is also doing well. He's moving around quite a bit now, but Mommy says it's nothing like it was with the sis or myself. But he's got a few good months to really get his wildness worked up.

Bring on the party!

2011-02-20T14:34:00.000-06:00

If this face doesn't say PARTY to you, then nothing will.

Haley was blowing super huge bubbles.

The Birthday Band

Oh, how I love my Uncle Joel!

And obviously we know how to have fun...
(this basket was left behind from sledders, so we pushed each other down the hill)

And then we just ran...

I'm never going to be two again.
(Note From Mom: This actually has been a thought on Lucy's mind throughout the week. She wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.)

ANOTHER Note From Mom:

Lucy means "Bearer of Light" and she has lived her namesake from the beginning being a constant source of light throughout my day.

One of her favorite songs to sing is "This Little Light of Mine", something I've been singing to her since I've known she was there.

So, my little Lovely, I continue to sing...

"This little light of mine, I'm going let you shine; let you shine, let you shine, let you shine...".

More snow... more fun...

2011-02-10T22:48:00.000-06:00

This is a favorite pastime of Elly's and mine. We love to pull every single one of our books (this picture does not even come close to showing what we can do!) off the shelf and then leisurely just read whatever we'd like.

Elly was quite distracted and just kept saying "Cheese" until she thought Mommy was done getting the picture.

This is my awesome pillow tent.

I got my bake on one afternoon and made some delicious cookies. I'm a major help when it comes to making cookie dough.

A Note From Mom:

All of us regularly say, "I love you to the moon and back" taken from one of Lucy's books she enjoys. One day I added, "I love you to the moon, bouncing off of each and every star, around the sun, back around the moon, and all the way back!". Lucy loved it and has her own new "I love you".

It goes a little something like this:

"I yuv you to the moooon, awound the staaaaaars, thwew the trwees by the fogs, awound the suuuuun, and back!"

So incredibly cute.

On our way out the door...

2011-02-10T22:27:00.000-06:00

...Elly realized that she needed a purse, a necklace, and her crown. Oh, little sis, a girl after my own heart...

A Note From Mom:

I was getting everything ready to leave one day and had told the girls to get ready as well. Elly took off running to their room, looking very concerned, and came back with all of her accessories. It was hilarious. I especially like the crown, upside down.

Frogs and snails and puppy dog tails...

2011-02-03T14:18:00.000-06:00

We're soon going to be seeing just exactly what little boys are made of when my little BROTHER gets here!

We agree with ole' Albert...

2011-02-02T15:09:00.000-06:00

"Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions."

Albert Einstein

Several times a day Elly will go into our room, grab one of our purses then walk out waving her hand at Mommy and I as she walks to the door saying in her most Southern Belle drawl,
"Bai..."
Translated: "Bye! I'm off to run some errands, see you soon!"

Wig, check. Fur coat, check. Make-up, check.

Posing for literally 2 seconds so Mommy can get a picture, check.

Aaaaaand done.

I, however, can't get enough of this!

Incomparable Elly

2011-02-02T14:24:00.000-06:00

Elly is thinking: "Hmm... that sure looks cozy in there..."
Tig is thinking: "Maybe she'll go away if I don't look at her."

Elly: "I was right! It IS cozy in here!"
Tig: "Is staying inside really worth it?"

Here I am capturing images of my imagination with my trusty bucket of crayons.

Here is an image of Elly or as we like to call her, Baby Destructo.

Don't do it, Elly. Do not do it.

Nothing and no one is safe until every piece of paper is shredded, every cup is knocked off the table, every surface is climbed on.
Baby Destructo has the power to whirlwind through a room at speeds that cannot be clocked,
yet maintains her angelic, cherub-like features that leave people wondering,
"What just happened here?!?!?!".

Although I have to admit that shredding paper is actually quite fun.

I never eat December snow...

2011-02-02T13:52:00.000-06:00

I always wait until January... ooooooooor February.

This is the wintery bliss outside our door.
It is COLD, very cold.

When the snow starts falling around here, couches come together; every pillow and blanket that can be found, is; and Elly and I become the little jumping beans we were made to be! It's more wonderful than I can even put into words.

And then Elly lays down, Yellow Baby (pictured here with me, aka Plex) snuggles up to me and we live in the world of Peanuts for awhile.

Truly bliss.

This is what happens when people leave boxes of donuts at our house...

2011-02-02T13:23:00.000-06:00

...hungry explorers, such as myself and little sis, find them, rip open the box and stuff them into our mouths as quickly as we possibly can in complete silence. We wouldn't want to bother anyone.

A little change is good every now and then...

2011-01-14T13:08:00.000-06:00

Oh! Where did our background go??

"This new one will do just fine.", says Lucy.
"I'm still not sure about this", says Elly.

Snoooooooooooooooow!

2011-01-10T15:47:00.000-06:00

Another wonderful season comes to an end...

2010-12-31T22:31:00.000-06:00

Little Elly was very sick on Christmas... but doesn't she look so cute in her polka dot long johns??

Just baking up some cookies.

I'm basically a chef now.

Some cool new shades to add to our collection.

Mmm! I love my Pez.

Oh Christmas... you come and go so very quickly every year.

We enjoyed so many feast and festivities this last week! We began with Grandma and had some major fun getting started on the presents. Unfortunately, little sis became sick and was throwing up all night ALL over Aunt Anna's and Uncle Bryan's floor. She seemed to still enjoy herself though.

The next morning we headed out to Grandpa Strain's house and had a blast and a very yummy breakfast Aunt Lindsay prepared. And then more presents. And Elly still throwing up and then crashing in her little pack n' play back in Grandpa's room... so sad.

We went home for a few hours to rest and then...

On to Grandpa Albrecht's house for a feast and yep, more presents! And a train which I could not get enough of. Elly was still not feeling too well but no throwing up, just lots of cuddling with Mommy. I have to say that tends to be my favorite place as well when I'm not up to par.

Finally home to sleep! And little did I know what was going on out in the living room.

My Daddy... the greatest guy on earth in my eyes (and I'm pretty sure Mommy's and Elly's as well!) was constructing my new kitchen! Oh it's so lovely and wonderful.

I bake cookies. I make soup. I wear a chef's hat. And make lots of tea.

No one in my household will ever go hungry or thirsty thanks to this gift.

It's wonderful.

I don't know too much that happened after I saw that kitchen, but I know at some point over the next few days I saw Great Grandma; my Aunt Judy came to town with Uncle Kyle, Steph (who is getting married next Summer and I'm in the wedding!) and Mitch; I had some good Mexican food and some good family time; and yeah... more presents to open.

The festivities finally ended on Tuesday night when Grandma came over to watch us while Daddy and Mommy spent some good, quality time together celebrating eight years of loving each other madly! And that was pretty wonderful, too.

Daddy's been home all week; everyone seems to be sick-free for now; life is pretty lovely right now.

Oh yeah... one more thing...

2010-12-16T20:48:00.000-06:00

Mommy is

HAVING A BABY!!

Loveliness!

2010-12-16T20:43:00.000-06:00

A Note From Mom:

This is what these little lady hobo princesses remind me of... their hats just need a little more pointy-ness.

ILLUMINATIONS!!!

2010-12-16T20:32:00.000-06:00

Watching the little train which I believe was the Polar Express.

Elly was wondering what exactly was going on... she didn't mind, just wondered.

This is the kind of beauty we saw that night.

And this is the kind of fun we had. Running through the dimly lit forest!

Grandpa, Haley, Riley, Uncle Wes, Mommy, Elly and I (Daddy was having his own fun hunting) enjoyed a lovely evening out in our local gardens that had been illuminated with lots of twinkling lights. It was definitely my kind of place to be.
We also had hot chocolate AND cookies.
So, it was basically one of the most perfect nights of my life thus far.

A little Christmas prep...

2010-12-16T20:00:00.001-06:00

Helping Daddy pick out the perfect one.

Here's our perfect little "Charlie Brown" tree.

Elly felt Daddy needed a little assistance trimming the trunk.

And of course, we both needed to assist him in putting it up.

Later that day, we enjoyed a local Christmas parade. There's a district in our city that needs no excuse to put on a parade but when they have a reason to, they don't disappoint. And this one was no different.

A manger on wheels and an angel spreading the good news!

And the wise men following.
I believe two of them are women.

Some Mexican Christmas dancers.

A man riding a double bike with Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer.

A Christmas Viking.

Clowns.

Star Wars characters... because no one does Christmas like Darth Vader.

Santa in his convertible.

And the police to break up this fun.

Like I said... they don't disappoint.

Taylor's first dance recital

2010-12-16T19:45:00.000-06:00

Spinning around and around

And falling down

Taylor's dance recital was very exciting to watch. She has some great moves! Afterwards there was a reception where A LOT of cookies were served. And they were delicious.

Who doesn't have fun in a pile of leaves??

2010-11-26T15:42:00.000-06:00

If it's you, then don't continue reading because there's nothing here for you to enjoy.

Throwing leaves in the air is fun.

Finding baby gnomes in leaves is fun.

Making leaf angels is fun.

The only problem with the leaves today...

They were a little damp and they kept sticking to us.

So, I had to pick them off of Elly before...

...taking our afternoon stroll.

Taylor's birthday party

2010-11-21T23:22:00.000-06:00

Taylor's birthday is next weekend, so we celebrated with a PRINCESS PARTY!

And it was a BLAST!

Fluffy dresses, crowns, jumping, cupcakes, presents...

yeah, I wasn't joking when I said it was a BLAST!

Princesses!

Cinderella was there!

Jumping... of course!

What a wild little princess!

Grant got in on the fun, too, by eating the princess wand.

He's baaaaack...

2010-11-21T22:33:00.000-06:00

Wyatt hasn't been over lately, but...

last week he was back.

And ready to celebrate!

I'd like to think it was because he has missed all of us ladies that he's become accustomed to seeing every week, but I have a feeling that it had nothing to do with that at all.

His birthday was a few weeks ago and we had planned on having a party for him,

and he remembered this.

And to say he was excited would be quite an understatement.

So, we got to it and let him open his present (which he LOVED) and eat his cake (which he also LOVED).

We ended the time with a little couch jumping and Looney Toons.

And then sent him home... full of sugar and SUPER WILD.

We soon found out that Wyatt was quite the knight. In our quest to get to the front of the castle, we stumbled upon a dragon, which Wyatt slayed, but it apparently had babies. I was quite fond of one of the babies and was going to keep it as a pet, but Wyatt let me know that he did NOT trust dragons... even baby ones. Mommy and I did not feel the same way, so we saved the baby dragon and hid it from Wyatt. Obviously, Wyatt was not happy about this decision, but thankfully I had the Queen on my side.

Mmm...

Does the fun ever end?? No.

2010-11-10T14:08:00.000-06:00

Me and the sis are a little under the weather today so we're taking it easy, doing some major immunity boosting, and resting up!

I found these pictures of some recent days that brightened my afternoon.

Ah... yes, this was a very good day!

Elly was driving our paddle boat as I was navigating.

We also took a train ride.

There's a great park in our city that has ponies, boat rides, train rides, a lake, a yellow brick road, a miniature golf course, and a concession stand. Almost too much fun is had there!

Also recently, we took a little trip out to a local lake and it was Kansas at it's best.

A little afternoon rest before we continued exploring.

A Note From Mom:
Always a little suspicious when these three have been out exploring... the looks on those faces probably have a lot to do with it, too.

Molly Mae is here!!

2010-11-07T22:09:00.000-06:00

My newest little cousin is here.

And I love her.

She's the tiniest little baby I've ever seen.

Here's a little October for ya'...

2010-10-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like sitting in a window sill on a crisp Autumn day...

Elly actually tries to escape out this window.

Cousin time

usually ends up with us dirty...

making strange faces...

and being awesome.

Mommy caught Elly and I spying on the neighborhood through our window.

I watched my Grandpa Strain fly in this cool airplane.

I went to a really cool zoo of sorts that had animals so close I could touch them.

And they could also touch us.

I won this staring contest.

This is Elly's favorite past time.

We spent the morning in a garden with my Great Grandma.

I danced.

Leaped.

Tried to get as close as I could to things without making them fly away.

Relaxed.

Relaxed more.

And more.

Explored.

And conquered.

A Few Things From Mom:

The girls are cute, spunky, and VERY full of energetic life right now!

They are both growing up and doing and saying new things left and right and I am barely keeping up. Here are a few things that I can remember from recent days:

While on a long distance phone call with a friend (who is having TWINS!!!! Just a side note... but I am so out of control excited about this!) I had to yank a broken piece of a glass bottle out of Elly's mouth, ask Lucy to take a stick out of her ear, and clean up the pieces of a flower pot after Lucy yanked out the flower for Elly to then dump the remaining dirt on her from head to toe and then throw down the pot and move on to the next mischievous act.

I recently made a dress for Lucy and a necklace for myself and when I showed the finished pieces to Lucy she (both times!) put her hands on her cheeks and said,

"Oh Mommy, that is boootiful!"

While watching cartoons together snuggled up in my bed, Lucy gets as close as she can to me, wraps her arms around me and says,

"Mommy, you my best friend."

And then I bawled my eyes out.

Elly loves to just do her own thing, including walking off down the sidewalk checking back every so often to see if anyone is watching her. When she sees someone coming after her, her tiny little legs take off as quickly as they can possibly go, and she laughs and laughs and laughs.

She is seriously SO ORNERY.

And I love it.

Lucy walked out onto the porch and held the door for Elly and I while exclaiming,

"Oh wow, this a great day..."

As we were sitting on the couch, Lucy quite randomly looked over at me and said,

"I not want to be a boy." I responded saying that was good because she is a girl; she then raises her arms in the air and yells,

"I a girl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".

Usually the girls play pretty well together, but every so often Elly will wait for just the perfect moment to slowly make her way over to Lucy and then snatch ferociously whatever Lucy doesn't want her to have. And again she runs as quickly as her little legs will take her and laughs hysterically the entire time.

Lucy tries the "trade" gimmick... "Here Elly, you play with this", hands her a different toy and then takes the toy that Elly still really wants, but Lucy just can't live without in that moment. Or sometimes she just walks up to Elly and takes whatever she wants. This usually ends with Elly screaming, Lucy deciding it wasn't worth it, handing it back to Elly and hugging her saying,

"I sorry Elly, peas give me."

Which means 'I'm sorry Elly, please forgive me.'

Seriously, the best days of my life so far...

This just doesn't get old...

2010-10-13T20:34:00.000-05:00

Tuesdays are one of the best days of the week around here.

Taylor has a ballet class in the morning, so Grant comes over and hangs out with us. We usually go for a walk which is really becoming quite enjoyable considering the season!

Then Wyatt comes over now on Tuesday afternoons.

This week, Taylor decided to hang out with us, too.

So, of course, the couches were pushed together, every pillow and blanket that could be found were piled high and the jumping began!

SO FUN!

I wish the weekend could last forever...

2010-10-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

I love weekends.

They're not THAT much different than the rest of my week, except for one thing...

DADDY IS HOME!!

And I do loooooove that.

We usually begin with a donut date.

This weekend we then picked Mommy up once she was ready

(she doesn't come on our donut dates)

and headed to the toy store.

Then the book store.

Oh my, is anyone else's head spinning right now???

YES! Donuts, Toys, Books!

Almost too much.

Then it was home for some nice relaxation all cuddled up in Mommy's and Daddy's bed with all of my blankets and pillow watching some great finds from the library.

Once I was nice and rested it was time for church.

This is also a great time for me because during our meal together it's the perfect time for me to really shine!

Elly, too.

Then off to bed!

And this was just Saturday!

Sunday we woke up to a beautiful overcast day.

We headed to the park to enjoy a great time exploring, adventuring, and cheering others on.

We happened to place ourselves right in the middle of a marathon being run in our city today.

So, of course, we had to cheer the runners on!

I looked on as they passed and clapped and yelled,

"Way to go!",

(Note From Mom: This actually sounds like this:

"Wait A Gooooooooooo!")

and,

"Good job, keep it up!".

I could tell this really spurred a lot of people on.

Others decided to hold signs...

And Elly decided just to run along side them in the grass.

And a lot of people liked that, too.

Then we headed home to rest before we went to Grandpa's house where we ended up seeing a double rainbow.

See what I mean?

Weekends ARE the best.

An afternoon walk

2010-09-27T20:37:00.000-05:00

One day we went for an afternoon walk.

And then all of a sudden we were at the park!

I think I may have been attacking something here since I'm holding a stick and appear to be growling...

but really who knows...

This is a perfect depiction of Elly...

on the move with a dirty mouth.

This is us thinking,

"C'mon Mom... seriously, how many pictures of us at the park do you need??"

The State Fair, a little Nice, and a lot of Naughty

2010-09-20T13:52:00.000-05:00

My Mommy loves the Fair. She didn't get to go last year because Elly had JUST been born. So, this year she was pretty set on going. And we had a blast as usual.

There's a cute little petting zoo near the front entrance, so Elly and I enjoyed the animals.

Elly actually overwhelmed the animals with her joy, because she LOVES animals so much.

I also enjoyed one of the best soft pretzels I've ever tasted in my life.

Feeding some baby goats

My FAVORITE part of the Fair!
Cooling off in front of this giant fan was just what I needed.

Look how sweet Elly looks while she practices the piano.
Nice.

This was apparently taken around 10PM one night once I was already sound asleep in my bed!
Under that roundness, there are no pants... of any sort.
Elly decided she was not ready to go to bed; Mommy obliged; a little while later she looked over and Elly was naked twirling her diaper in the air as though she was some kind of cowgirl!
Naughty.
Soon after this, she threw her pacifier down the vent.
Very Naughty.

A Note From Mom:

Recently, Ellyott has decided that she enjoys a nice evening NAP and then she'd like to get back out with the other adults in the house.

If she is not allowed out,

she will scream with no end in sight.

Unfortunately for her,

she gets her strong will from me...

which means I can usually outlast her.

However, when this picture was taken she had a late nap and was no where near ready to sleep.

So...

Elly won that night.

And ended up naked.

She'd probably count that as two wins for herself.

R Street Castle

2010-09-16T00:53:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, the fam and I took a little road trip to the land where nuggets of gold are safely hidden in silky husks and they are EVERYWHERE!
Yes, indeed, we were surrounded by the bountiful goodness as we enjoyed the company of each other in the car for five hours. I'm positive my parents would say the same.
Singing, crying, screaming, laughing, sleeping...
oh wait, I think they were hoping for the sleeping part, but why on earth would we deprive them of our lively sweetness???
We love them, so we didn't.

Anyway, back to the nuggets of gold...
We have some family friends who we don't see often enough in person (we do however, look at their blog and pretend as though we're looking in the windows of their house!) and so our travels led us to their castle.

Here's a little nugget of gold for you:
Kids love presents;
Boys love anything they can fight with;
Girls love anything that is pretty.
(That's actually three little nuggets of gold for you... you're welcome.)

My mommy somehow already knew this. So, we were prepared and I have to say we definitely scored.

The Knights and Princess of R Street Castle did not disappoint.
In fact, I was immediately asked to wear the crown so I could be protected, but...
that's not really how I roll.
I kind of play hard to get, so I took my time.
And then once I did put it on, I only wore it for about 10 seconds and then ran off to be chased once more.

R Street Castle

Sir Drew

Sir Isaac

Princess Ella

Who wouldn't want these knights protecting their honor??

We played, played, and played some more!

We had breakfast at the Donut Professor before we journeyed through a shark tunnel, The Kingdoms of the Night, and a butterfly garden (just like in my Fancy Nancy books!!).

Ate lunch.

Napped.

Played some more.

And more and more.

I was WORN OUT people!

However, I set aside my desire to sleep and stayed quite alert almost the entire drive home to give my parents ample opportunities to be thankful for me... the sis did as well.

Like I said, we love them.

Here are a few more nuggets for you:

Five kids under five will provide hours of entertainment for my mother who laughs at pretty much everything they do.

The Donut Professor actually IS something special, Mr. Swanberg... I mean Garrett.

(My mommy wanted me to tell you that.)

At five years old, Drew is a gentleman beyond his years.

Parents, on behalf of all of us little ladies out there,

train your little men to protect and honor us.

It's not that hard, and it's well worth it.

Elly loves an adventure.

That's not really a nugget of gold for you, just a daily observation.

Round Baby (who isn't so round or so much a baby anymore) is always a good note to end with.

Thank you family of R Street Castle for a spectacular time.

Just another Monday with Wyatt...

2010-08-31T22:08:00.001-05:00

This week Wyatt already had a story for us... a TRUE, okay kind of true, story.

So we drew illustrations to go with his words.

Wyatt was laying in his bed.

This dog is portraying Brenner, Wyatt's dog who was outside his window.

In the real story, this lizard was actually a wolf.

Here the lizard sneaks past Brenner into Wyatt's room.

And JUMPS through the window!

And falls onto the end of Wyatt's bed.

Brenner heard some racket so he came running in to check it out.

Then Brenner took the lizard away.

But then somehow wound up over here.

And the lizard wound up over here.

And then Yellow Baby was thrown into danger to be saved by Brenner.

It was a pretty crazy story. I was very concerned as Wyatt told us and have even thought numerous times since, that there has been a wolf coming after me. But then Mommy reminds me that wolves don't live in the city where we live, only out where Wyatt lives... he's a country boy. (But then Daddy told me that it probably wasn't even a wolf that he saw, but a coyote. Either way, I'd rather not have any chasing after me.)

Anyway, after this story we went outside and this how we looked when Wyatt's mom arrived.

He then decided to "clean" himself off at the faucet. He was a little more wet than his mother would have liked him to be, considering they still had some errands to run and he was actually completely soaked.

But my Mommy seemed to get a nice hearty chuckle out of it.

Ellyott is ONE? Are you kidding me?!?!?!?

2010-08-31T13:21:00.000-05:00

This is how Elly started out at her birthday party...

But this was her at the end!
Oh my... she is too cute!

She needed my help opening presents, so of course, I did all I could to help her.

This is her new cell. She loves it. I mean LOVES it.

Then it was whoopie pies all around!

And she liked those quite a bit, too.

Including Grandpa's.

"Hey, where'd my whoopie pie go???"

And now she is quite grown up. She walks when she wants to. She can't wait to run. She still loves Mommy most of all, but there are a few of us that can distract her for awhile.
She still very much loves to pull my hair. And really likes to laugh about it.
We both love to be chased and chase each other.
We basically just have fun all day together.
And that's how I like it.
Happy Birthday little sister... I do love you so!

Mondays with Wyatt

2010-08-23T22:38:00.001-05:00

On most Mondays, you'll find a boy named Wyatt here at our house.

I like him. He has a lot of great ideas and thoughts about stuff.

Oh yes, he has really lived... and has stories to tell.

I hope when I'm almost six I have half the stories to share!

We've kind of started this thing where my Mommy has us draw a picture and then Wyatt tells the story of the picture. I mainly stick to the illustrating... I mean I'll throw in an idea here and there, but I know my strong suits.

So, without further ado...

Our story begins at the train station, where a cowboy and lady wearing a fancy purple hat await for the next train.

Nonni was also at the train station because she needed to get to the vet.

Wyatt and I are checking to make sure Nonni will fit through the tunnel.

There she goes... she, nor the other passengers have any idea what awaits them.

She made it! And she's loving the view.

See that wall on the tracks?

Nonni sees it. And she's ready for whatever is coming her way!

Nonni jumps off the train to be prepared.
There are no images of what happened next.
There were train robbers behind that wall. They were planning on stealing Nonni.
Nonni is way too smart, though, for anyone to go around stealing her.
When she jumped off the train, she ran ahead to the front car and had the conductor increase the speed so that the train could plow through the wall and run over the robbers.
And that is exactly what happened.

Then as the train rounded the cross track, the speed was too much and it derailed!

Nonni again came to the rescue and took each passenger to the train station on her back.

Once everyone was safe and sound at the station, Nonni continued her journey to the vet.

And she made it. And checked out fine.

The end.

Wyatt - Storyteller, train driver, illustrator of railroad tiles, mountains, rain and thunder (Wyatt drew these, however, it never ended up playing a role in the story)
Myself - Illustrator of bushes and blue skies, and the trees in the forest
Mommy - Illustrator of train track and train station

Baby Destructo...

2010-08-22T21:31:00.000-05:00

...has been on a rampage lately.

More to come on this subject later.

Also, this next Saturday we will be celebrating the moment when she entered this world!

There might be capes involved, we'll see.

This weekend was very busy for us around here.

Mommy, and the Aunties (I don't actually call them "Auntie" but I thought I'd try it out here and see how I like it) had a yard sale.

Basically, for me, this means that Round Baby and I played outside A LOT!

And we looooooooooooooved it.

We're kind of the outside types.

But man, are we exhausted!!

I'm already looking forward to my rest time/cartoon watching times this week.

I think Mommy might be as well.

Things that take place when Daddy is "watching" us

2010-08-17T20:49:00.000-05:00

Muddy rumps

Muddy faces

Elly eats mud

Mommy was having a little photo shoot with a baby friend the other day at our house, so Daddy was playing with us in the back yard. We were pretty clean... I mean, as clean as a two and half year old and an almost one year old can be... and then when Mommy saw us again, this is what she laid eyes on.

I don't see what the big deal is.

So, what? We like mud.

If she didn't want us playing in it there probably shouldn't be a mud hole just calling out to us when we go into the backyard.

And she probably shouldn't leave us back there with Daddy.

Goodbye Summer and Haley

2010-08-16T23:25:00.003-05:00

Today, Haley started 2nd grade.

We really missed her.

She's been at our house pretty much every day this summer and I, for one, REALLY loved it.

And so did Mommy.

So, on Friday we had a summer blowout with an afternoon at the theatre!

Jack and The Beanstalk

We were probably the fanciest ladies there.

And it was a blast!

And then we took Haley home, never to see her again... oh wait... I saw her the very next day. hehehe

A Note From Mom

2010-08-04T21:52:00.004-05:00

There's been a few things that have happened lately that are pretty funny that Lucy probably won't write about, so I figured I'd share them with you.

One:

The other day a guy blew a kiss at me, which I immediately responded with,

"GROSS, GROSS, GROSS!", and, "Oh man, I'm going to have to tell Daddy/Uncle Jacob (Haley was with us) about this and he is going to want to beat that guy up!".

Throughout the rest of the day until Jacob called me, Lucy just kept saying over and over, "I gon tell my Daddy, boy kiss my mommy." When Jacob called she immediately said, "Daddy, I gon tell you boy kiss my mommy!", to which Jacob responded with a questioning tone, "Whaaat?", so she said it again and then I chimed in with an explanation.

She then had to tell my brother when he came to pick up Haley and every so often she'll now just randomly say, "I gon tell my Daddy, boy kiss my mommy!" which is great to have your two year old just randomly remember when you're walking through the grocery store.

Two:

The other night Ellyott woke up around 9 and her Daddy went into her room to check on her and I then saw a tiny little round head appear through the door with her Daddy saying, "Look at these big tears coming out of these big blue eyes.". My response, "Uh, yeah, she's fine." She was happy to be out with the "other" adults in the household (I do believe she sees no difference between herself and Jacob and I, or any other adult for that matter) and was laughing and having a grand time livin' it up in the night.

Jacob then decided to hide behind the couch and jump out and scare her and run towards her (which both her and Lucy LOOOOOVE!!). On the second or third time, Elly was holding a brush in her hand and threw it across the room as she completely straightened out all her limbs and fell over as though she was a fainting goat. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen... EVER!

Sisterly love:

Lucy has such a great heart for others and her heart for Elly is no exception. She will bite their little goldfish crackers in half before she gives Elly one so that she can chew it better.

It's seriously one of the sweetest acts to see.

Elly usually wakes up before Lucy so I'll usually bring her into our room so Lucy can sleep in peace. When we hear Lucy, I'll put Elly on the floor and she'll crawl into their room, slowly pushing the door open and then squealing with delight when she sees Lucy waiting in her bed. Lucy then just starts saying over and over, "G'moning, Elly" and squealing in return.

My heart can barely handle it.

I'm forever changed.

Oh, Ellyott Strain... watch out world!

2010-07-24T23:20:00.003-05:00

Ellyott is almost 11 months old.

I forgot to post anything about her when she turned 10 months.

At nine months, she was still our little baby.

And somewhere in between now and then she has become quite the little character.

She's fearless.

She knows what she wants and won't stop until she gets it... or gets scolded.

She goes where she wants, when she wants.

She likes to pretend she can read when she sees me reading.

She actually mimics anything she finds interesting... which leads us to this next picture.

Daddy was making noises with his lips, so she decided that it was awesome and needed to do it as well. This is the face she makes when she does it.

I LOVE HER!

I just do.

Who wouldn't love this day???

2010-07-22T13:37:00.004-05:00

Check me out. I'm at the pool.

Taylor... also here. Remember Uncle Jonny? Yep, here as well.

Mommy, Elly, Aunt Lindsay, and Bubbies... all here.

Look at my little sis... OH! She is so cute.

And she discovered her shadow today.

I call this shot, "10", because that's what she is... a perfect 10!

Taylor and I were pretty brave today. We waded out to the deep end... it was over two feet!

We ran all around, in and out of the mushroom fountain.

Watch out when these two are together... seriously.

Oh, Bubbies...

And there he is... Uncle Jonny!

I'm not sure what's up here.

I think I may have been making him some "food" here.

I really did not want to leave.

What a glorious afternoon.

Did I mention that I love makeup???

2010-07-22T13:21:00.004-05:00

Today I tried out mascara.

I think it's a REALLY good look on me.

This is my afternoon look.

(Because Mommy didn't put it where I couldn't reach it when she put it away this morning.)

Watch out, World...

2010-07-19T22:57:00.006-05:00

The Strain GIRLS are on the loose!

Taylor came over to play with us today, and some MAJOR fun was had.

Obviously. My Mommy took this cool action shot of Taylor as she came running out of nowhere and slid onto our slip-n-slide/swimming pool aka an old shower curtain.

Then tonight, Elly and I were able to reach Mommy's makeup bag and there's this really cool bottle of something. It looks like lotion. I LOVE lotion.

So, of course, I needed to POUR out the contents onto my leg and RUB it all around.

Except it didn't really rub in, but my skin was VERY shimmery as I ran into the living room to show Mommy. Her reaction wasn't what I thought it would be.

Not at all, actually.

She ran out of the room asking, "Lucy Jo Strain, what have you done????"

Then she found Elly chewing on a tiny little brush in the middle of a pile of really pretty colorful makeup.

So what? We know how to have fun.

Elly's favorite place on earth!

2010-07-18T14:50:00.004-05:00

My bed.

She's always up here.

She's so cute.

A lot of tea parties happen here.

I teach her letters with my flashcards.

And then she tries to eat them.

This is Elly's second favorite place on earth...

the wood floor.

She loves to just lay completely stretched out on the floor.

She's kind of a funny baby.

Although, Mommy and I both tried it out and it is quite relaxing.

This is how we roll...

2010-07-18T14:45:00.003-05:00

We have hot blood running through our veins, so water is a must on these 100 degree days.

Someone likes to scoot their little rump through the mud instead of being sprayed with the hose.

Whatever works.

I love babies...

2010-07-08T23:32:00.002-05:00

This is my new friend, Emery.

She's 10 days old.

And she lives way too far away from us.

But look at her! She's just perfect.

And I love her.