Happy Birthday Alice!

Alice turned three yesterday. We played with toys, opened presents, ate cake, and went to Red Robin for dinner. She requested party hats and a green cake. I start asking the kids birthday questions when they turn three, so here are Alice's answers for this year.

1. What is your favorite color? Green

2. What is your favorite toy? The trains

 3. What is your favorite fruit? Bananas

4. What is your favorite tv show? Daniel Tiger

5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? A bagel

6. What is your favorite outfit? A jacket

7. What is your favorite game? Angry Birds

8. What is your favorite snack? Granola bar

9. What is your favorite animal? A cow

10. What is your favorite song? ABCD

11. What is your favorite book? Piggie and Gerald

12. Who is your best friend? Elsie and Lizzy

13. What is your favorite cereal? Fruit Loops

14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride on an elephant

15. What is your favorite drink? Juice

16. What is your favorite holiday? My birthday

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Becky Bear, Taggie, Gromit, Monkey, and Little Kitty

18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Cereal

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Red Robin

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A doctor

One of Alice's favorite presents to open were the pictures and letter Elsie made for her. She kept saying "Thank you Elsie, they are so beautiful" over and over again.

"Dear Alice, I love you. I like holding your hand. I'm glad that I'm your sister. Do you like Clark? Love, Elsie"

I made her a little apron that I'm pretty proud of (even if the picture is a little blurry...). She came with me to pick out the fabric. Without knowing I was making her an apron, she insisted on the "green pupcake" fabric. She even picked out the brown star fabric to go with it. I couldn't have picked out anything better myself.

PS Alice has never ridden on an elephant outside. I don't know where that answer came from :)

The difference a year makes

Clark's Baby Blessing

We were able to bless Clark at church this past Sunday. My mom made this little blessing outfit for him. For Elsie and Alice's blessing dress, my mom cut up my wedding dress to sew them a dress. She saved some of the thicker fabric in case I ever had a boy and needed a little outfit for him. The vest and pants are made out of my wedding dress material, and the booties were made by his Great Grandma Swenson.

And of course, the bib for drool protection.

We were so lucky to have my dad and older brother her for his blessing. My parents flew in just for the weekend from Oregon. Andrew is currently living in South Korea with his family, but was in Kansas for training and was able to take the long MLK weekend to come up and visit us.

Thank you Mom and Dad and Andrew for coming to Clark's special day!

Two Months

Clark is two months old. He is generally a happy guy and is usually full of smiles. He loves it when his big sisters talk to him and will talk and coo right back. He sleeps well at night, but repays me during the day by always wanting to be held. Clark gets grumpy when he is put down, but he will last longer in his swing or on the floor if his sisters sing to him. He is a champion eater and is weighing in around 15 pounds. We have had to pack away all of the 0-3 month clothes and pull out the 3-6 month ones just to find something that fits him.

Baby, it's cold outside

What happens to boiling water at -20 degrees (with a -50 wind chill)? Extreme Vaporization! Elsie and I had fun with science while the other two were napping.

Also, Elsie needs to work on her camera skills...

Christmas

Get ready for a major photo dump...

The girls left out milk, cookies, and a note for Santa

They were so happy they were gone in the morning.

We opened our stockings while breakfast was cooking.

We got this little couch from some friends who are getting ready to move. We didn't tell the girls and pulled it out for Christmas morning. They loved it!

The girls got nail polish in their stockings and had to put it on right away.

After breakfast was done, we dug into the presents under the tree.

Clark got his very own Taggie from Grandma Dee Dee.

Grandma Nean made the girls their very own princess dresses, and gave them princess dolls to go with them.

We knew when we named our son Clark that this would happen. :)

The kids gave each other presents. They loved to open them, but I think they loved watching them get opened even more.

Elsie also drew pictures for Alan and I and wrapped them and put them under the tree.

This was Elsie's reaction when she opened a card from Great Grandma and found money inside.

The kids with their loot piles. If you look closely at Elsie's, you can see the picture that Santa drew for her.