glamour shots by deb

typical day, typical outfit in the bell home.

10 points if you caught the Napoleon Dynamite reference. I think I saw that movie 7 times in the theatre my freshman year of college.

summer nights

At night we can't wait for daddy to come home. After we eat dinner together I dump the kids on him and head out for a run. Most nights I come home to find this:

bubbles and running.

squealing and giggling.

i think they have already become the three musketeers just like i knew they would.

halle's princess birthday adventure

Halle is into all things princess and all things adventure so we decided to combine the two for her 3rd birthday. We made invitations that asked, "mirror, mirror on the wall...who is the bravest princess of all?" We delivered her invitations a few days before her party to a couple of friends all dressed up like a princess.

The morning of her big day came and she was so excited to have both grandmas and her aunts at her party. Her little friends arrived and sat down to decorate some foam crowns before we started our adventure.

While they were making their crowns a terrible dragon had entered the house and stolen Halle's princess cake. He left a note saying he took their cake and the adventure began as they set off to find it.

The first place they looked was the seven dwarf's cottage only to discover that the evil queen was there and would not tell them the next place to look until they tried a bit of a poisoned apple.

The queen told them to look under the sea where they found Sebastian who would not tell them what he knew until they danced with the fishes.

Sebastian said they should try asking Sleeping Beauty who of course was sleeping in her bed.

Halle had to wake her from her deep sleep with a kiss in order to ask her where the dragon and the cake were.

Sleeping Beauty told them to ask Rapunzel. The tots asked Rapunzel to let down her hair and they climbed up it to find Flynn Rider tied to a chair.

He would not tell them anything until the kids freed him from Rapunzel's hair.

He then told them the dragon was waiting for them in the enchanted garden. They marched through flowers and trees to find a sword waiting for them in front of the garden door. Each princess and prince took a turn trying to slay the dragon, but in the end Flynn Rider had to finish him off.

The adventurers collected the dragon's innards and found a note lying on the ground that told them they would find the cake in a treasure chest.

Halle knew right where to go and found her princess cake.

We sang to her and ate cake (mostly frosting for Halle).

She opened her gifts from her sweet friends and then the highlight of her day and possibly life had arrived.

We rented a princess bouncy house for her to bounce in all day. She bounced with her friends until her party was over.

She bounced with her aunts until she opened their gifts, including a mermaid barbie and new ballet clothes and shoes.

She was having so much fun she forgot to go to the bathroom and ended up peeing her pants. After a nap she went right back out to the bouncy house and stayed in there all day.

Easton Bell came to bounce with her in the afternoon and Uncle Ryan came later that night

The only times she was not in the bouncy house were to eat dinner and open presents. She wanted a soft Sally doll from The Nightmare Before Christmas movie and Cinderella's castle.

The Nimer's gave her a fantastic doll house.

It was a little traumatic when the man came to deflate the bouncy house and pack it up. She even went and looked for it the next morning only to realize it was not her birthday anymore. She received so many wonderful gifts and had a very special day filled with so much love, fun, and family.

four months old

you are four months old and as sweet as can be.

you are 26 inches and 16 pounds. off the growth charts just like your sis.

you are the happiest baby when you are feeling good and love to smile at everyone.

you have been sleeping through the night since you were 6 weeks old.

you love to rub a shirt or hold on to the collar when you eat or fall asleep.

you love to be outside.

your sister makes you laugh so hard. you laugh the hardest when she jumps on the bed, bounces balls, and kicks a basket around the house.

your nicknames are the squeakster, lily monster, and lily pie.

you are not enjoying rice cereal.

you love to roll around on the floor until you land on your tummy and then you whine.

you are very strong and try to sit up and move around.

your digestive system leaves much to be desired. you are still spitting up constantly.

you love to be held. all the time.

you get really excited when reading books and try so hard to get them in your mouth.

you love to chew on fingers and have sampled many family member's flavors.

you loved to bounce in your bouncer until you started sliding yourself out of it.

you look like your daddy.

you have the best monkey ears, the chunkiest thighs, and the prettiest eyes.

you are a little ray of sunshine in our family and we can't imagine life without you.

three years old

you are three years old and the sweetest little girl.

you bring so much energy and spunk to our family.

you teach us that the little things matter and are sometimes the best things.

you are a great listener and a very obedient girl.

you have the best imagination. we fly with pixie dust, slay dragons, make worm's wart and frog breath soup. we ride magic carpets, dress up for the ball, and save animals. it feels like we have done it all.

you are constantly tripping over things, dropping things, and falling down. you think we are saying clummy when we are actually saying clumsy and you sometimes call yourself a clummy.

you love to be outside, play with other kids, and anything with water, especially puddles.

you love to go to the library, the aquarium, animal museums, and mcdonald's play place.

you still need binkies when you sleep even though you tell me they are ruining your teeth. one in the hand to hold and one in the mouth.

you love to eat anything chocolate and cheese and wheels, but are becoming very good at trying new foods.

you are the best at making Lily laugh.

you are easily frustrated and would rather ask someone to help you then figure things out on your own.

your favorite tv shows are super why and mickey mouse clubhouse.

your favorite movies change all the time, but right now it is nightmare before christmas and the little mermaid.

you love to bear your testimony in church and have become a great listener during family night lessons.

your nicknames are: the kikster and the kiks.

you are literally off the growth charts because you are so tall.

you speak like a child not a toddler and can have conversations and tell awesome stories. we are constantly amazed at the words you know. the day you started talking about echo location really threw me for a loop. and then there are some words you get all jumbled up when you think you know them like when you call space rocks anemones instead of asteroids.

you love to compliment mom and dad. some of our favorites are: "good vacuum dad" and "wow mom, that was such a good clean."

you are a helpful big sister and are the most excited to see Lily in the morning.

when you are worried or scared or doing something you are not supposed to you say "i love you mommy."

you love to go to the doctor (you even asked for a shot) and at your last visit you told him "i am a potty train" and are excited to meet the dentist.

you love to watch videos of yourself and play on iphones.

you love nursery and your teachers say you are the ring leader who loves to say the prayer and tell the other children to be obedient.

you sometimes stutter when you are excited.

you enjoy dancing, movement, bedtime stories, songs, and all kinds of books.

you have learned to share and take turns.

you make mommy and daddy so happy and we are so incredibly lucky to have your sweet spirit and good example in our home.

you will always be our kind and loving princess.

we love you more and more everyday.