One BELLE Of A Party!!

This was the first year I decided to have a friend party for Ella...I went back and forth deciding what I wanted to do, but I finally figured this is probably the last year she will be into princesses, so we decided to do something fun...we had a REAL LIVE Belle come and visit her party!

All ready in her princess dress...waiting for her fellow princesses to arrive!

Party gifts for all the little princesses...




Eating lunch...all the girls came dressed as cute little princesses

SO EXCITED!! Is Belle here yet??

Poor Ella, she has the strangest dad! The girls were all waiting for Belle to come...Matt dressed up in his own princess costume, rang the doorbell and started singing 'Beauty and the Beast!" I wish I would have gotten a picture of their expressions...they just stared. No screams, no laughs...just blank stares!

Now that is the real Belle! She's finally here!!


First thing she did was read her story and tell about the Beast...apparently he was back at the castle doing chores!

Then all the girls got to make their own little crown...even the 2 boys that were there did too!

She was in heaven!! She did not take her eyes off of her the whole time!

Next she taught them princess etiquette and how to dance like a real princess does!

Then they all did a dance together...


How about a little princess magic? Belle turned all of her balloons from white to pretty colors in her little magic bag

Then she turned those magic balloons into flowers for each of the girls!


Picture time! All the girls got to take a picture with Belle!

After Belle left, it was present time!

The crazy bunch! This was the best group photo we could get!

Finally, cake and ice cream time.

Thanks for visiting our party Belle!! It was so worth it to see how happy and excited all the little girls were! Come back soon!!

Turning 4 (part 1!)

Ella turned 4 on the 11th, and it was such a fun day! She woke up that morning screaming "I can't believe I'm 4! I can't believe I'm 4!" It was so cute...she had a good day, going to preschool and having a little party there for her, then having our family party that night. She was sure spoiled...but I am really greatful she has so many wonderful people in her life that care about her so much! Happy Birthday Belle...we love you tons and tons!

Posing with her preschool birthday treats (thanks for the idea Melissa!)

Party night...with all of her presents!

Ella and her other half!

Opening presents...what could it be? Maybe a Repunzel doll!

Of course we had to get PetShops!

Her very own Barbie laptop from Grandma and Grandpa!

Blow out the candles!

Gage and Anna at their usual spot...on Grandpa's lap begging for stories!

Amy and Anna...sorry Ames...

...she likes me better!

The next morning...with her birthday crown, horse purse and Barbie laptop...what a good life!!

Birthday Girl!

Happy Birthday Ella! I can't believe you are 4! What a crazy and exciting 4 years it has been...we love you so, so much!! Birthday pictures to come...

Family Pictures

Happy Halloween 2010

Halloween was too much fun this year...the kids were hilarious and it just keeps getting better year after year! Gage was Buzz and I'm pretty sure it was the best day of his life! He was so cute yelling "infinity and beyond!" at each doorstep! Ella was a "good" witch...she was very concerned that everyone knew she was good and not bad!

Trick or treating in the rain! I took the job of taking pictures from the car!

Hiding from the rain in some blow up haunted house in a neighbors yard!

Ella with Aunt Amy...or Lady Gaga...I don't buy it Ames:)

After a long night of trick-or-treating...Gage and Anna begging grandpa to read stories!

Preschool Girl!

How it is possible that Ella is already in preschool, I will never know...but apparently kids do grow up and eventually start school:( I know its just preschool, but I feel like this is the beginning of the end! She'll always be in some school now until she moves out!! (I can't think about that...) So, Ella started her little preschool this month, and just loves it to pieces! She thinks she is so big now that she goes to a "real school"...I love picking her up and seeing how excited she is as she tells me every single thing they did that day (including yesterday when she told me some little boy tried to cut her hair with scissors...um, WHAT!!!) I'm so glad she loves it...she is so stinkin smart and was really ready to start doing something different.

First day, getting ready to leave...so excited!

Gotta have a picture on the porch with the backpack on (thats almost bigger than her!)

So big!

cute little classroom...

NOW...

Day2...

Day 3...

and day 4...she's still smiling...so I guess that means she likes it! Thank goodness she still has 2 years of this until Kindergarten!