Ju-Ju's TWO!

 Our May Day baby turned two this year!  Time sure does fly when you're having fun--especially if you've met Miss Juliana!  Boy, what a ball of energy, cuteness, and attitude all rolled into one!

We had the family over for cake, dessert, presents, and play-doh fun.  The cake turned out significantly better this time around, but I'm still working on perfecting my technique:-).

 Present opening was the highlight of the evening for sure.  (Pretty sure I enjoyed watching her open them almost as much as she enjoyed opening them!)  New Frozen pajamas and dress made for one excited little girl--she actually ran laps through the kitchen, dining, and living rooms because she was so happy.

Juliana also loved the big bouncy balls that Christian gave to her!

The Elsa doll was her "favorite" (as all of her gifts ended up being!).

 Juliana also really enjoyed the books she got.  This little girls LOVES books.  Likes, seriously loves them.  It's so cute how into her books she gets.  And, she will sit on a lap for a half an hour easily while they read to her.  I love it.

 I also made her an ABC book (like I've given the other kiddos when they've all turned two).  She and Gpa Harvey had fun looking through it.

 Her "big" gift was a push/ride car!  Our neighbor up the street has one that she LOVES to ride in all of the time so we ordered her one of her own.  It's been a great gift as even though she doesn't like riding in a stroller on walks these days, she does like being pushed in her car!  (Especially if it's an older sibling who will run while pushing you :-).)

Gma and Gpa got her Lego Duplo farm--very fun to watch her (and Emily!) play with it!

A little help from Daddy to blow out the candles!

 Juliana also had a great time goofing off in her new castle tent!

Hi Auntie Erin! 

How old is too old to play with play-doh?  Never, apparently!  Uncle Kyle, Jeff, and Christian all got in on the fun!

 This was one happy birthday girl!  We are so blessed to have this little firecracker in our lives.  She gives the BEST hugs, kisses, and snuggles on the planet.  She is smart, sweet, and full of life and energy.

Happy birthday, Juliana!  We love you!

Happy Birthday, Cubby!

Happy Birthday, honey!  Cheerios yummy?

Cubby turned 35 this year!  (Doesn't look a day over 29, does he?)  He came home at lunch so we could head over to the ultrasound and then worked hard on making calzones for dinner (we'd never made them before so it was just kind of an experiment...that turned out pretty good!) and trying not to laugh too hard at my Disaster Cake.  (I then sent he and Christian out to DQ to buy an ice cream cake--the cake I'm pretty sure he'd actually wanted all along :-).)

After dinner, our big reveal, and cake, it was time for presents!  This year I made Cubby his very own Corn Hole game!  I bought the wood and Home Depot cut it for me and then a friend of ours cut the boards and circles and screw it all together.  Then the fun began!  Sanding and painting and then painting some more!  (And, hiding the boards at a neighbor's house for two weeks while I worked on them during nap time allowed me to really surprise him!)  It was worth it though bc he really liked them.

One board is BYU and the other is Syracuse :-)

 Then, on Saturday, we had a party (of sorts).  We invited some of our friends that Cubby plays basketball with and our family and neighbors over for some grilled hot dogs, burgers, and birthday cake :-).  It was a beautiful day and we had a great time with a lot of our friends.

The kids LOVED having so many of their friends over!

Yummy Disaster Cake--kids loved it!

Ju-Ju loved the cookies--Great Gma always on hand with a napkin!

 I really wish I would've taken more pictures, but I was so busy with everything it just didn't happen.  Now, Cubby's not much for parties, but he was a good sport about this and may have even had some fun ;-).

Happy Birthday, Cubby!  We sure do love you!

It's a....

Another GIRL!  Yup, to say that I was surprised would be an understatement.  I mean, this was the first time I had ever been wrong about what gender our baby has been!  Mostly bc my other three girls' pregnancies have been exactly alike and this one has been more like my pregnancy with Christian. Soooo strange (to be wrong and all--ha!).

That being said, we are very happy that this little girl is healthy and growing right on track!

We (okay, I) was concerned with how Christian would take this news.  FOUR sisters?  I mean, c'mon, what little boy wouldn't be just a tad scared of having four sisters around and no brother to back him up?  Yes, I was worried with how he would take the news.

We had planned on having my mom and Harvey over for dessert (it was Cubby's birthday, after all).  I was going to make a cake with either pink or blue in the middle and then frost the outside so that when we cut into it, everyone could see whether we were having a boy or girl.  Ah, my perfect plan.

Alas, it was not to be.  Our ultrasound got moved to the afternoon rather than the morning which cut my cake making time short.  The cakes got made, but then stuck to the pan!!  Ugh.  Taking them out was a disaster and trying to frost it didn't help any either.  So, my grand plan for a cake reveal was foiled.  Or was it?

Back to Christian.  Since the news wasn't quite what he was hoping for, I didn't want to upset him in front of everyone.  So, I pulled him aside and quietly showed him the ultrasound pictures.  It was a tender moment and Christian showed great maturity.  I told him that Heavenly Father must have a plan for sending him another sister. A little teary-eyed, he wanted to know what that plan was, and I had to admit, that I didn't know, but there was one there.  I also told Christian that Heavenly Father must know that it takes a very special boy to take care of four sisters and that He must have great confidence in Christian.  And I believe it.  Not even five minutes later Christian was very happy and affectionate, kissing my tummy and saying, "hello" to his baby sister.  So sweet.  I wasn't kidding about him being a special boy!

So, dessert comes along and, before bringing it out, we tell everyone that Christian is going to tell everyone the baby's gender.  He delivered the news with great pride.  It was a wonderful moment.  But, we did underestimate how much Kari had wanted a brother...she was just a little upset.  {Sigh}  We can't win them all (as evidenced by my cake).

The "disaster" cake.  (Which, actually turned out to be quite tasty.)

  Cheers to adding more more beautiful little girl to our family!  (Heaven help us once those teenage years hit us though...)

Easter

Despite her face, she enjoyed dying eggs

Easter weekend--dying eggs, eating candy, visits from an elusive Bunny, and of course, giving thanks to our Savior for His love and sacrifice and celebrating the miracle of the Resurrection.  

Christian inhaled a Cadbury egg

Easter morning goodies

 The kids enjoyed the egg hunt--and, although you could see how badly the big kids wanted to grab every egg in sight, they refrained and even helped the little girls find more eggs.  Good kids :-).

Juliana loves to make this little face and it cracks me up!

Our daffodils bloomed over Easter weekend!  They were so beautiful and made Spring a reality!

Our beautiful children in their Easter best!