Last night we got to spend time with some of our closest friends - Gary, Jenny, Christy and Hayden!!  It is great that when they come down from Ohio that we get to visit with them!!  We love seeing Hayden (who is only 4 days younger than Casey) and how much he changes from visit to visit!!  Hopefully they'll get a chance and will move down here soon so when they have kids we can love on them like they do ours!!!

Gary and Jenny....
Sydney and Hayden... 
Sydney was not really into the whole picture thing at 1030 at night!!!
Hayden- what a sweet little boy!!! 
Christy hide from the camera and Casey was sound asleep - that kid doesn't kid around at bedtime!!!  We can't wait to see them all at Christmas time though and we hope they have a safe trip home!!!!

The downstairs living room has always looked nice enough if you ask me but we did something this weekend that transformed it and quite frankly it makes me want to eat the walls...

This is what it was like before...

Nice right?  Notice the chocolate brown accents in the couch!

Earlier in the week I got Sydney dressed in a cute "Little Pony" tank top and sent her off to school.  When I got home from work it was complete chaos so I said hello to the girls and when they calmed down I went over to give Daniel a hug and say hello.   All of a sudden Sydney is standing behind Daniel but in my line of sight and all I could see is that her shirt had fallen down off her shoulder's and exposed her future chest. She also had an absolute look of disgust on her face.  I laughed a little and this is the tounge lashing that I received...

When we decorated Sydney's room she had input about how she wanted it painted and what she wanted (of course we modified her outrageous suggestions).  But lucky for me Casey had no such input and I got to be a little girl again and decorate her room.  Unfortunatley Casey's room was a catch all for Sydney's old stuff and a few new things I had bought here and there.  So we thought is was about time to give her a "new" space all her own.

My father has once again impressed me with his work ethic and ability to shine on the job!! And it is quite obvious that it is not just impressing his family.  His commander (boss for all you nonmilitary folk) also saw the potential within.  He only started this job in March and has already received a three pay grade promotion.  Congratulations Daddy - we never doubted how deserving you were from the beginning!!! 

Anyone that has been into our home has probably noticed our entryway if not here is a picture of the "old" look...



So we thought we would do something in here to give the home a warm feeling right from the entrance so I picked out three different shades of brown and new light fixtures and this is what we got...


I could not be happier with the result.  It feels like a whole new house!! I still have a little clean-up to do on the crown moulding but I LOVE IT!!!  I have to be honest Daniel did all the work so he deserves all the credit - Thanks Honey!!! 

Sydney and Adelaide were sitting at the table eating lunch talking about how old they both were. Adelaide said she was 3 and at her next birthday she would turn 4 - Sydney replied with "you're lucky". Adelaide of course asked why and Sydney said exactly this "Cause at my next birthday I turn 5 and my daddy said at 5 I have to GET A JOB so I can pay my bills."
Daniel and I tease Sydney about this all the time but I never realized she thinks we're serious. How funny huh????

But not so much a baby anymore...

After bath i usually brush Casey's teeth and she likes to hold onto the toothbrush after and "brush" her own teeth. So as usual she was sitting on the bathroom floor chomping away on her toothbrush and I was getting Sydney in her pj's. I turned around for two minutes and when I turned back around this is what I saw...

Sydney loves to help in the kitchen but as she says she has never had the right "outfit" for cooking. Now thanks to her amazing grandparents she has the entire "outfit".  Grandma and Grandpa sent her a new tea set and with it she received an apron, chef hat and her very own oven mitts!!!

Yesterday we started the huge task of painting our home to be a little more "ours".  The brown walls everywhere are killing us so we made a trip to Lowe's and Home Depot and found a whole world of possibilities and narrowed it down for some rooms...  

Casey played in her room but she got in on the painting action a little too!!!

Then came the pink paint!!! After two coats on opposing walls it was evident that we were definitely solidifying Sydney's title of Princess...

Sydney doesn't miss an opportunity to interject a little attitude into every single situation at hand.  Well on her birthday I was setting up her gifts and also putting out the Hello Kitty tablecloth and banner.  Sydney was running around so excited and I wanted to capture it - Not everyday she is happy about everything going on!!!  So I took out the camera and told her to stand still so I could get a "sweet" picture...

The above picture was the first attempt and since she was excited I knew it was bound to happen so I tried again - this is were her "Sydney attitude" came into play.  I told her to move over by me and to stand still so we can send a nice picture to everyone... Her exact response that came right as I snapped the below picture was  "Mommy listen - I am four now and I am an adult so I won't be smiling anymore.  Adults never smile!!!!"

 A couple weeks ago the home next to us sold and in moved the Braun Family...  We were all so excited to have new neighbors that are in a similar place in their life and not 100 years old - HAHA!  They have a 3 yr old little girl named Adelaide and an 8 mth old boy named Alasdair .  Sydney has absolutely found her "new sister" in Adelaide.  Every single day starts with a request for Adelaide to come over and play or my favorite "move into her room".  They are cute as can be when they play together.  But come time for them to part ways and Sydney is a mess!! She cries and cries and tries to explain that she "just loves Adelaide so much that they should get to play together forever mommy".  So I am sure that in the coming months and years there will be a path worn between out home and theirs.  

That's right today is our 7 year anniversary.  I look back and am amazed at how swiftly the time has gone by.  What we have accomplished as of today were just dreams and aspirations 7 years ago.  Daniel is the most amazing husband I could have ever asked for.  I admire his ability to put up with me, his determination, strength, courage and also the sweet side that not many people see - especially where his wife and little girls are concerned.  I look forward to what tomorrow and the next 7 years bring with Daniel in my life!!!  I love you Baby!!!

Who in their right mind would pack up a 4yr old and a 15mth old and venture to the doctor's office all alone?  Me I guess...